"I was running and it just popped. I was only running at about 50 per cent and it just went."
Melbourne Storm winger Xavier Coates will miss the entire 2026 season after sustaining a ruptured Achilles tendon during a routine training session on Friday.
The injury occurred while Coates was running at roughly 50 percent effort as part of his return to first-grade training. He is scheduled to undergo surgery next week.
The setback will also rule Coates out of Game 3 of the 2026 State of Origin series for Queensland and make him unavailable for Australia at the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.