PLAYER Corey Oates

COREY Oates couldn’t sleep for days, the image of Kyle Feldt running past him glued to the inside of his eyelids, until Wayne Bennett said these four words.
“Use it as fuel.”
Oates has done just that, stacking on muscle to transform from a lanky and reluctant winger to a hulking Bronco who justifies the “white Wendell” nickname he hates.
Speaking for the first time since his grand final heartbreak, Oates revealed to The Courier-Mail how much pain the loss caused and how Bennett set him straight.
It was a communication breakdown between Oates and Jack Reed in the 80th minute that allowed Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt to slide past the 21-year-old and draw level as the siren sounded to send the grand final into over time.
While Oates made a mistake, playing a position he is unaccustomed too, it was one of several errors made by several players from both teams in arguably the greatest grand final of all.


Still, that image of Feldt, throwing his left arm around in a windmill as he celebrated the right hand corner try that ultimately earned the Cowboys a premiership, kept swirling inside the brain of Oates.
“Yeah I struggled (to sleep). I had quite a few of those nights,” Oates told The Courier-Mail.
“It happened. You can’t change it.
“It took a fair while to get over because we were so close but so far away.
“Wayne came to me and just said ‘use it as fuel’ to get back there but get a different result.
“We need to use it as fuel… to get back there but then not make the same mistake.
“Last year was a really good season for us but this year is different and we need to take extra steps.
“I am trying to be more consistent because I want to be in the run on side.
“Last year I was in and out of the starting side. I would love to cement a spot and keep it for the year, that’s my goal.”

The new version of Oates will be unveiled this Sunday morning, Australian time, when Brisbane take on Wigan in the World Club Series.
Oates made full use of the first off-season of his young career after a series of surgeries interrupted his previous summers.
He weighs in at 108 kilograms now with barely any fat on him and he even clocked the fastest 40 metre sprint time at Brisbane, until James Roberts arrived and smashed it.


“I have put on a couple of kilos because this is my first ever pre-season, it is good to finally have one,” Oates said.
“I am hovering around 108 kilograms. I don’t want to get too much heavier than this. Hopefully, it doesn’t affect my speed too much.


“I did 4.96 in the 40.
“I surprised myself actually with that time because last time I ran that I was 20kg lighter and 16 so I didn’t think I would get there again.”
Oates is a backrower. He captured Bennett’s attention in 2014 when he ran riot against the Newcastle Knights, scoring a great backrowers try when he ran outside in against a sliding defence.
With the suspension of Edrick Lee from Queensland selection, Oates is now one or two injuries away from playing on the Maroons’ wing.
He still sees himself as a backrower in waiting, but knows he will be waiting a while.
“I think the backrower stuff has been set back with Lachlan Maranta and his injury. At the moment they are short on wingers so I will be there for a while,” Oates said.
“I just turned 21. I still have long time to play and hopefully the body holds up and I can work my way back in there but at the moment the wing is where I will be there for a while.”

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...6/news-story/ada022009c9652664b9372d7b2929c87
 
I watched grand final highlights for the first time today. The anguish on his face, lying on the ground as Feldt goes in...I'm not surprised he took it hard. But I also know if any coach in the game can get these guys to use that pain to their benefit...it's Wayne. Same with Hunt. I fully expect even more ruthlessness this year...they know what it takes now. And I bet they're hungry for it...
 
“I think the backrower stuff has been set back with Lachlan Maranta and his injury. At the moment they are short on wingers so I will be there for a while,” Oates said.
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Well, that's interesting..

I don't see how Oates is going to play back row when Maranta is back, unless either A) we're getting rid of Glenn or B) he's going to come off the bench again..
 
Unbreakable said:
Well, that's interesting..

I don't see how Oates is going to play back row when Maranta is back, unless either A) we're getting rid of Glenn or B) he's going to come off the bench again..
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some very very big decisions will need to be made soon, timu has come back really well, oates is a beast, and su'a is a first grader. its hard to imagine the club risking all 3 of these guys if any at all. i reckon some of the senior lads will be getting nervous and maybe be walking a plank sooner rather than later
 
talanoa said:
some very very big decisions will need to be made soon, timu has come back really well, oates is a beast, and su'a is a first grader. its hard to imagine the club risking all 3 of these guys if any at all. i reckon some of the senior lads will be getting nervous and maybe be walking a plank sooner rather than later
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You reckon we should keep all 3 over others?
 
talanoa said:
i just think all 3 have enormous futures, from memory oates and timu are 22 this year and su'a is only 19, you could get a decade out of this trio and i reckon all 3 will go on to rep duties.
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I tend to agree with you. I just don't know how we are going to get them into the starting side. I can't really see us offloading Gillett and Glenn, but the others just have way to much potential to lose. I wonder if anyone knows what Bennett is planning on doing.
 
Danoz Direct said:
I tend to agree with you. I just don't know how we are going to get them into the starting side. I can't really see us offloading Gillett and Glenn, but the others just have way to much potential to lose. I wonder if anyone knows what Bennett is planning on doing.
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I wonder if Bennett knows what Bennett is planning on doing. Some of the older guys (Glenn, Thaiday) will really need to step it up again this year. Though one thing Bennett and his staffers do well is succession planning. And if the younger guys see that they're a part of that, they generally stick around. Definitely some selection headaches coming up. Which is a good place to be really.
 
Danoz Direct said:
I tend to agree with you. I just don't know how we are going to get them into the starting side. I can't really see us offloading Gillett and Glenn, but the others just have way to much potential to lose. I wonder if anyone knows what Bennett is planning on doing.
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Add in Pangai next year and it's getting very crowded in the back row.
 
I think Alex Glenn has been far to comfortable for far too long.He's living off his under 20s feats. Yes he had a good year last year but only because he had a poke with a big stick. I really think he's replaceable with Timu..Pangai Jnr and that's why he's being shopped around. People that are saying he's up for captain really have no clue Imo.
 
austin71 said:
I think Alex Glenn has been far to comfortable for far too long.He's living off his under 20s feats. Yes he had a good year last year but only because he had a poke with a big stick. I really think he's replaceable with Timu..Pangai Jnr and that's why he's being shopped around. People that are saying he's up for captain really have no clue Imo.
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I think he's living off 2011 and 2012 more than anything. Him and Gillett are pretty handy, but both looked like they already peaked a while back.
 
Danoz Direct said:
Will Gillett re-sign?
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I hope so.

For mine he was immense last year in defence which seems to be a new role created for him by Bennett: correct me if I am wrong, from my imperfect memory, 2nd most tackles for the season behind Macca, including quite a few try savers? I'm just a little disappointed his undoubted skills in attack seem under-utilised.

Still feel he is one of the best back rowers in the NRL.

Oates and Gillett would make a killer back row pairing.
 
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