Coates bags three as Storm strike Roosters
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For the second time this season Xavier Coates punished the Roosters with a personal hat-trick, with the star winger's haul helping the Storm to a 30-16 victory on Saturday night.
Just two points had separated the sides at the break with the Storm establishing a 6-4 advantage but come the second half the Roosters had no answer for what their opponents threw at them.
Harry Grant, Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster did the damage after being afforded plenty of space behind a dominant pack, while Coates helped himself to a second-half double after opening the scoring with a 90-metre intercept.
Following on from his hat-trick when the Storm hosted the Roosters back in Round 6, it gives him six tries in two games against the Tricolours.
The Queenslander's long-range effort was the only score through the first half hour, with his keen vision stopping a likely Roosters try and instead turning it into a converted one for the Storm.
Coates launches his way to a hat-trick
While Daniel Tupou hit back – finishing off a set which he ignited with an offload to Luke Keary, by scoring in the corner, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was unable to convert the try or an ensuing penalty five minutes later, so the Roosters still went into the sheds down by two.
Trent Robinson's men stayed in the contest through the early part of the second half, before a strike from Hughes and second for Coates crushed their spirit.
Tupou bounds in
Hughes strolled through untouched from close range, while Coates had the ball pop up kindly for his second, before Harry Grant battled over to put the result beyond doubt.
Coates put the cherry on top with his third, before the Roosters scored a couple of late consolation tries.
Harry Grant is a craftsman
First Tupou crossed for his second with three minutes to go – which puts him equal with Anthony Minichiello as the club's all-time try leader on 139 – before Siua Wong scored the first try of his NRL career.
For the Roosters, their 10th defeat of the season sees them drop to 14th on the ladder for the time being.
Match: Roosters v Storm
Round 20 -
home Team
Roosters
14th Position
away Team
Storm
3rd Position
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Match Snapshot
- Christian Welch underwent a HIA in the first half which he passed. The prop returned to the field in the 28th minute.
- Victor Radley was placed on report for raising his elbow into Cameron Minster in a 52nd minute hit up.
- While they only scored three tries, the Roosters made seven line breaks to Melbourne's three.
Wong gets his first
- Following a hat-trick against the Roosters earlier this year, Xavier Coates has now scored six tries in two games against the Tricolours.
- The Storm have won seven of their past eight games against the Roosters.
- Led by Luke Keary, Sandon Smith and Victor Radley all making three errors, the Roosters finished with 14 in total.
- Storm centres Justin Olam and Reimis Smith both played their 100th NRL game in the win.
Tupou equals Mini's record
Play of the Game
There are few better sights in the game than a genuine speedster in open space. It was a huge play in the first place because it denied a likely opposition try, before Xavier Coates beat a spirited Roosters chase to score a memorable four-pointer.
Coates goes the distance
What They Said
"We were sitting on four points for a long time, couldn't take our opportunities when they were presented in the first half or the start of the second, and then the game was gone. The end of sets have been really poor... our end of sets were as bad as I have seen tonight, runs on last down short side, kicks that are five metres short of where they should be. There is no pressure applied, no tries being scored, there is nothing coming off those plays." – Roosters coach Trent Robinson
Roosters: Round 20
"They bashed us up a bit, especially in that first half, and I thought we were really resilient, we really hung on. They had a lot more of the ball in the first half than we had, so that gave them some good field position, but they only scored the one try which I thought was a really good effort from us." – Storm coach Craig Bellamy
Storm: Round 20
What's Next
Both sides play again on Saturday in Round 21, with the Roosters heading up to the Gold Coast to take on the Titans and the Storm away to the Knights at McDonald Jones Stadium.
