Seagulls under-18s star Xavier Coates’ incredible rise to prominence in the past few weeks as gone to a new level with the exciting teenager chosen to make his international debut for Papua New Guinea in the Test match against Samoa during this weekend’s representative round.
The tall, speedy centre-winger has been selected in the Kumuls team to play at this Saturday night at Leichhardt Oval.
Coates, the former Marymount College student now studying at Griffith university, has had an extraordinary rise in just over a month. He played a prominent role in Tweed’s championship run from fourth on the Mal Meninga Cup ladder going into the finals to becoming national champions, to making his Intrust Super Cup debut for the Seagulls, to being man of the match in Queensland’s under-18s Origin victory over NSW to now getting a Test call-up for PNG.
Coates is among six debutants named on Monday for the first leg of the Oceania Cup Pacific Test series. The Kumuls side was announced on Monday. It is listed below in alphabetical order:
Edene GEBBIE (debut) – Wynnum Manly Seagulls
Edwin EPAPE (debut) – Wynnum Manly Seagulls
Enock MAKI – PNG Hunters
James SEGEYARO – Brisbane Broncos / Norths Devils
Junior RAU – PNG Hunters
Justin OLAM – Melbourne Storm / Sunshine Coast Falcons
Kurt BAPTISTE – North Queensland Cowboys
Kyle LAYBUTT (debut) – North Queensland Cowboys
Lachlan LAM – Sydney Roosters
Luke PAGE – Burleigh Bears
Moses Meninga – PNG Hunters
Nixon PUTT – Norths Devils
Rahdly BRAWA – Wynnum Manly Seagulls
Rhyse MARTIN – Canterbury Bulldogs
Stanton ALBERT – PNG Hunters
Terry WAPI (Debut) – PNG Hunters
Xavier COATES (debut) – Brisbane Broncos / Tweed Seagulls
Zev JOHN (debut) – Redcliffe Dolphins
Coach: Michael MARUM