Broncos winger Corey Oates confirms interest from four rival NRL clubs
Broncos
Corey Oates of the Broncos has a big decision to make on his future.Source: AAP
COREY Oates has confirmed he’s received interest from at least four NRL clubs, including St George Illawarra and Gold Coast.
The off-contract Brisbane winger is yet to put pen to paper with a club for next year and beyond,
mainly due to switching management mid-season.
With that now settled and the Broncos out of the finals, talks are expected to ramp up.
Oates talks playing future
1:33
Semi Final
The Broncos are keen to retain the 23-year-old, but they’ll have a fight on their hands.
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“There’s obviously a few clubs out there that are interested,” Oates told
League Life.
“It’s been a tough year for me with the contract and leaving my manager.
“That was something I didn’t think was going to escalate so much. I didn’t think it was going to drag on for as long as it did. That sort of surprised me a lot and shocked me.
“I haven’t really had many formal offers.”
Corey Oates in action during a Brisbane Broncos training session.Source: AAP
The Queensland Origin flyer reportedly turned down an offer from Canterbury worth upwards of $800,000 per season, with the club prepared to let him switch to the back row, a position he played as a junior.
When asked about the Bulldogs, Oates replied: “I only got emailed. I never saw a contract on paper.
“That was just an email with what they were looking at paying me and it was nowhere near what the papers were saying, I can tell you that much.
“But otherwise I haven’t really received any other formal offers from other clubs at the moment.”
Asked about reported interest from the Dragons, Oates said: “There has been interest. Titans, I think yes. Cowboys, there was a bit of interest, but I think they’ve gone shopping elsewhere, I’m not too sure.
“It’s scary for me, but also exciting because I’m starting to feel like I’m getting a lot better with my football and preparing a lot better.
“It’s a big year coming up next year, and it’s a big part of your career (at age) 24, 25, 26.”
Corey Oates of the Broncos in action.Source: AAP
Oates’ positional future has come under much conjecture this season after the powerhouse declared his intentions to move into the second row earlier this year.
While Oates said those plans were true “to an extent”, he’s since shelved them after a chat with Broncos coach Wayne Bennett.
“When I came out in the media and said I wanted to play back row next year, I really do want to see myself in the back row at some stage in my career,” Oates said.
“Wayne pulled me aside after that and said ‘you’re playing wing aren’t ya?’ and I told him I really am happy playing wing now and I’m really starting to enjoy my football. And then he goes ‘righto, well let’s have a bit of fun with it’.
“But I really do want to make the move back eventually, but I’m not too keen to do that too soon. Hopefully in two or three years time when the body gets a bit older.”
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...s/news-story/a5a14856afa1f68e8cb7e81920797f66
