NEWS It's happening: Oates to pack down

[McHunt]

Craddock in the Sunday Mail all rumoured at this stage:

Oates to second row, Coates to wing
Arthars out, Staggs back
Hopoate to bench
Lodge to start, Flegler to bench

McHunt

 

[Brett]

If true, gonna be a big learning curve for Oates after playing on the Wing for so long.

 

[Shane Tronc]

Yet again throwing in youngsters too raw willy nilly out of desperation. Coates is gonna get murdered by Garrick on the wing

 

[Foordy]

Craddock in the Sunday Mail all rumoured at this stage:

Oates to second row, Coates to wing
Arthars out, Staggs back
Hopoate to bench
Lodge to start, Flegler to bench

McHunt

mostly positive moves
although, i don't know about dropping Arthars yet.

If true, gonna be a big learning curve for Oates after playing on the Wing for so long.

true ... but his time on the wing appears done.

 

[Jedhead]

I think Oates is well and truly capable of taking a hit up as a back rower - but - I have serious reservations about him being able to defend on the fringe of the ruck. In fact I am quite concerned about his ability to defend anywhere on the park.

 

[theshed]

He played a bit of second row late in the game. It was the most interested I think I’ve seen him in years. If he can defend this could really get his head back in the game.

if he goes well though, geez thats a lot of talent to try and squeeze into the second row.

also, if you insist on putting an outside back on the bench, why wasnt Oates the obvious choice from day dot? If he isn’t needed to replace any of the back you can at least get a good short stint in second row out of him. What a luxury that is that was completely unused.

 

[Mustafur]

Atleast we don't have to witness him trying to catch a high ball from this position, it gives me PTSD when ever a kicker kicks to this guy.

 

[BroncsFan]

He played a bit of second row late in the game. It was the most interested I think I’ve seen him in years. If he can defend this could really get his head back in the game.

if he goes well though, geez thats a lot of talent to try and squeeze into the second row.

also, if you insist on putting an outside back on the bench, why wasnt Oates the obvious choice from day dot? If he isn’t needed to replace any of the back you can at least get a good short stint in second row out of him. What a luxury that is that was completely unused.

Well Oates was an origin winger last year so you'd think they give him every chance to keep that spot

I do agree though that him being our utility on the bench is probably the best move going forward, but that left winger still needs to be getting more from Boyd in attack.

Having Coates on that wing could have a dual impact, where Coates plays wing in defence (Boyd being the senior voice to keep the defence inline out there), but then plays center in attack (Boyd moving to the wing)... this gives us a more explosive option in the centers and Boyd can revert to his falling over the line as a winger.

 

[theshed]

Well Oates was an origin winger last year so you'd think they give him every chance to keep that spot

I do agree though that him being our utility on the bench is probably the best move going forward, but that left winger still needs to be getting more from Boyd in attack.

Having Coates on that wing could have a dual impact, where Coates plays wing in defence (Boyd being the senior voice to keep the defence inline out there), but then plays center in attack (Boyd moving to the wing)... this gives us a more explosive option in the centers and Boyd can revert to his falling over the line as a winger.

that’s a good point, and on top of that we expected to have a log jam in the second row until it all went to shit. He seems the obvious choice now for sure so I guess props to Seibold for realising that.

I like you idea regarding Coates. Surely he scores those tries that Boyd bombed. That wing has been useless outside Boyd too, so we don’t miss anything having him out there in attack.

 

[Sproj]

that left winger still needs to be getting more from Boyd in attack

This just isn’t going to happen sadly.

 

[Dee]

Oates to 2nd row? Nah.

The guy isn't a good defender at all.

The truth is, you can rotate the team and put players in different positions but until they fix their mentality and actually fire up and give a shit, nothing will change.

 

[McHunt]

Oates to 2nd row? Nah.

The guy isn't a good defender at all.

The truth is, you can rotate the team and put players in different positions but until they fix their mentality and actually fire up and give a shit, nothing will change.

I think a lot of us have forgotten he's probably still recovering from that staph infection that put him in hospital over Xmas. Last I heard his leg was still pretty swollen, and might be an ongoing issue. He might not have the speed to be a winger right now. I don't know any of this, of course.

 

[Mister Wright]

Atleast we don't have to witness him trying to catch a high ball from this position, it gives me PTSD when ever a kicker kicks to this guy.

The funny thing is though, we have dropped so much ball the last 2 weeks and Oates hasn’t been the main culprit. That shows how bad we’re going.

 

[Jedhead]

I think a lot of us have forgotten he's probably still recovering from that staph infection that put him in hospital over Xmas. Last I heard his leg was still pretty swollen, and might be an ongoing issue. He might not have the speed to be a winger right now. I don't know any of this, of course.

If this was the case surely the coach makes the call that Coates covers for Oates until the swelling goes down and he's properly fit. Having him play injured is doing no one other than the opposition a favour. Coates, or anyone form Herbie, Niu, Arthurs, Isaako would have to be the better option while he is given time to heal. At present on the wing Oatsey is as much use as ashtray on a motorbike.

 

[Scorchie]

Good luck Corey!

 

[NSW stables]

Oates to 2nd row? Nah.

The guy isn't a good defender at all.

The truth is, you can rotate the team and put players in different positions but until they fix their mentality and actually fire up and give a shit, nothing will change.

His lateral movement, reading of the play and motor will be his biggest challenges making the move.

 

[Galah]

I’m not comparing the two on many levels but luke Lewis did start out wide before becoming an absolutely unbelievable backrower apart from being nsw’s scum. Oats always wanted to play in the back row so let’s see where this goes.

 

[Kimlo]

He's way too useless to be a winger now. Backrow is his only hope to continue an NRL career. I actually have some hope he'll be pretty good in the backrow but time will tell.