The Brisbane Broncos have locked in towering Queensland Under 19 winger Phillip Coates to a rookie development deal for 2026.
According to reports in the Courier Mail, the younger brother of Melbourne Storm star Xavier will officially link with Brisbane’s first-grade squad when pre-season training begins in November.
Promoted from the revered Broncos Academy program, Coates joins a raft of exciting new faces for 2026 including former Queensland U17 stars Tupou Francis, Braithen Scott and Jared Horne.
In addition to his brother Xavier who made 32 appearances for the Broncos before joining the Storm, 19-year-old Coates will be following in plenty of famous footsteps at Red Hill.
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Previous stars to have come through the Broncos development system since it began in 2006 include Pat Carrigan, Payne Haas, Kotoni Staggs, Ezra Mam, Selwyn Cobbo, Herbie Farnworth and Reece Walsh.
Coates represented the PNG Junior Kumuls against the Australian Schoolboys in 2024 and was a member of this year’s Maroons U19 side which beat NSW 23-22 on the Sunshine Coast.
He also won the 2025 Mal Meninga Cup playing in the centres with the Burleigh Bears.