Xavier Coates feat highlights 'season from hell' for sorry Roosters

The Roosters are having the season from hell, with just two wins in their last nine games and a finals berth slowly disappearing in front of their eyes.And one man who has especially haunted them is exciting Storm winger Xavier Coates, who has remarkably scored hat tricks in both his games against the Roosters in 2023.Coates bagged three tries when the teams met in Melbourne in round six and repeated the feat on Saturday night at the SCG.You have to go way back to 1954 to find the last time a player managed two hat tricks against the Roosters in the same season.The player who achieved the feat in 1954 - when Sir Robert Menzies was prime minister - was Newtown winger Ray Preston.

Slater shock has teen on verge of debut

Queensland has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to wingers, with Corey Oates, Kyle Feldt, Murray Taulagi, Selwyn Cobbo and Xavier Coates all available and in good form.But after his dynamic performances over the past two weeks, Cobbo will be the first winger picked.Despite his tender age (19) and lack of experience, Cobbo is setting the NRL alight.Against the Knights last Thursday, he bagged two tries, had 224 running metres, nine tackle breaks and three line breaks.The teenager has the speed and power to cause the Blues all sorts of headaches and I'm hearing Queensland coach Billy Slater finds him too dangerous to leave out.