The Brisbane Broncos sensationally elected to drop Xavier Coates for this week's clash with the Penrith Panthers, and it's brought up questions from the Melbourne Storm.
Coates will head to the Storm at the start of the 2022 season on a two-year deal, with the Broncos unable to retain their prized young flier.
While coach Kevin Walters elected to rest the outside back last week, his comments pre-game suggested he would be back this week.
He suggested Coates was simply being rested after Origin, with Jamayne Isaako given a late reprieve as the team's goalkicker.
However, there now looks to be more to those comments than originally thought, with a fully fit Coates failing to be named when teams were released yesterday. That comes despite the Broncos being blown out by the Wests Tigers, and both wingers, Isaako and Corey Oates, having sub-standard games.
NRL.com are reporting that Coates being axed from the Broncos 17 for this week has brought about questions from the Storm about possibly getting an early release ahead of the transfer deadline.
The Broncos though have reportedly slammed the door shut on that idea, with Coates in line to be recalled during the six weeks if form permits it.
The Broncos have had a torrid season, sitting firmly entrenched in the bottom four. While Coates has all the attributes of a modern-day excellent winger, he has struggled at times with ball security and defence, and was ultimately dropped from the Origin team before being recalled when it was established Cronulla winger Ronaldo Mulitalo was ineligible.