Xavier Coates lifts the lid on nasty backlash after allegiances questioned by Kangaroos decision

Kangaroos winger Xavier Coates has revealed the pride he felt winning the Pacific Championship final having opted to represent Australia instead of Papua New Guinea in 2024. Coates recently revealed the backlash he copped when selected for the Kangaroos this year, despite making his debut for Papua New Guinea in 2019.

His difficult decision to represent Australia caused backlash from fans who targeted the winger online. Coates then represented PNG in the 2022 World Cup. Born in Port Moresby to a Papua New Guinean mother and Australian father he then relocated to Queensland as a child.

And Coates didn't want to turn down the opportunity to represent the Kangaroos when Mal Meninga rewarded him for his strong form for Melbourne. His decision to play for Meninga and Australia prompted anger.

This resulted in Storm and Kangaroos teammate Harry Grant defending the winger's decision after he was targeted. And after winning the Pacific Championship, Coates has defended his international call and also praised the support of Grant throughout the tournament.

"It's definitely been tough to cop that sort of stuff," Coates said. "Harry Grant was very supportive and he was a big advocate for asking everyone to back off me.

"You will always cop a backlash for whatever you do in your career but it's about how you deal with that and I'm still learning to do that. Everyone's got their own opinion but I know who I am and I am proud of who I am.

"I don't need to get judgement or satisfaction from other people about who I am. I am really proud to have made this squad and to have played with this calibre of players."

Coates was strong for the Kangaroos in the final and nearly delivered one of the moments of the season when he dived in the corner and put the ball down while in mid-air. Unfortunately, the Bunker overturned the decision after his lost control at the moment. He still finished with a try in the final.

Xavier Coates praises final against Tonga

Plenty of the talk after the epic final was the atmosphere created by many of the Tongan supporters. Fans turned up in their red and white jerseys to support the powerful Tongan team and both teams put on a brilliant display.

And Coates was full of praise for the Origin-like atmosphere. "(Playing against Tonga) was similar to an Origin and it was pretty cool to experience that," Coates added.

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"These boys are the best of the best at their respective clubs and it's a massive opportunity for me to learn off those guys. I've got to go back to the drawing board, go back to club-land and play some good footy and hopefully it's a stepping stone for me to take some learnings from this camp and improve myself."

Harry Grant defends teammate Xavier Coates

Ahead of the opening game of the Pacific Championship last month, Grant was quick to defend his club and now international teammate from the online comments. "He is going all right, he is a lovely bloke,” Grant told The Daily Telegraph.

"Hopefully the Papua New Guinea people can see where Xavier’s coming from and stand side-by-side with him and celebrate his journey with the Kangaroos in the Pacific Championships.

"I know how much PNG people love their rugby league. I’ve got a lot of supporters from PNG myself and I love and appreciate their support. It’s so special that Xavier has had the opportunity to represent his mum’s side. She’s a proud Papua New Guinean lady and now he gets to represent his father’s side. I’m hoping a lot of those PNG people can support Xavier on his journey in a Kangaroos jersey."

with AAP