Kangaroos flyer Xavier Coates has been urged to ignore the "keyboard warriors".

There has been a lot of criticism directed towards Coates in recent times, following his decision ahead of the 2024 Pacific Championships to make a controversial country switch.

Coates decided to switch his allegiance from PNG to Australia, having made his debut for the Kumuls back in 2019.

Disgruntled PNG fans have hit the Melbourne Storm winger with a wave of abuse on social media, but several figures, including his Kangaroos team-mates, have come to his defence.

The latest high-profile figure to offer his backing is Asiata, who himself is set to represent Samoa this Sunday against England after previously donning Tonga's jersey.

"There's a lot of people in the game who have two (countries) and have the opportunity to represent both and my message to those players: if you can and you do have that opportunity, take it because it's part of who you are. Whether it's half, whether it's quarter, that blood runs through your veins.

It's just like anything else: there's always going to be keyboard warriors putting you down, running you down. It's all about you, it's all about happiness, it's all about making the people that love you happy.

"That's what I've done with my choice and that's what I'm pretty sure Xavier Coates has done as well."

Asiata further spoke about his own decision to switch from Tonga to Samoa, adding:

"After the last World Cup, I took my name out of Tonga because I wanted to play for Samoa in the following years until whenever my time is up in rugby league. Mum is Samoan-Tongan and dad is full Samoan."