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Xavier Coates has suffered a devastating setback, re-rupturing his Achilles tendon at Storm training and being ruled out for the rest of the 2026 season. The Queensland and Australian winger had been closing in on a return after injuring the same Achilles in the pre-season, but his comeback was cut short when the tendon “just popped” during a running session. Melbourne’s finals hopes take another major hit, with Coates set for further surgery after scoring 20 tries in 22 games last season. Source: Melissa Woods, AAP/The Age.