Super Freak
International Captain
Forum Staff
- Jan 25, 2014
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COREY Oates believes his Origin debut would have been a lot harder to come by without the influence of his Broncos skipper, Corey Parker.
The towering winger has been a strong inclusion for the Maroons side this year and even managed to nab himself a try in Queensland’s series clincher last week.
But he believes he owes his introduction to Origin to Parker and his club.
Oates says without Brisbane’s success last year, he does not think he would have played for Queensland this season.
And he says a lot of his personal success in 2016 was owed to Parker.
“Last year was a big year for us,” Oates said. “I was his roomie for the whole year. He’s changed the way I play.
“Not in a massive way, but all the little things that I could never really get right before, he’s been a part of fixing that.
“He was a massive help to me in that finals series. He calmed me down a lot. He’s a simple bloke. He says exactly what he needs to say. You either take it in or you don’t and last year I took a lot of it in, thank God.”
He said a lot of the lessons he took from Parker have also helped guide him through this season.
The veteran forward not only helped Oates prepare for big moments last year, such as the grand final, but he also taught him not to sweat the small stuff.
Having suffered from a lot of injuries over his career, Oates said it was a lesson he needed. And it was one that came at a crucial time for him this season when he suffered a shoulder injury right as the Origin hype surrounding him was heating up.
“I was happy with the way I started the year. It would have been good to keep that going without the shoulder,” he said.
“But that’s the things he’s taught me to do. Push through the little things and don’t let that stuff get your confidence down. You need to put it behind you and move on.”
Oates said when he heard that Parker was going to retire at season’s end he became quite “emotional” but also wants to do his mentor proud.
Things did not get off to a great start for the Broncos after they suffered a 40-14 loss to the Bulldogs in their first game since Parker’s announcement. But Oates said he is determined to get Parker to the grand final in October and Brisbane will need to take their game to another level against the Storm on Friday if they are to do so.
No Cookies | Daily Telegraph
The towering winger has been a strong inclusion for the Maroons side this year and even managed to nab himself a try in Queensland’s series clincher last week.
But he believes he owes his introduction to Origin to Parker and his club.
Oates says without Brisbane’s success last year, he does not think he would have played for Queensland this season.
And he says a lot of his personal success in 2016 was owed to Parker.
“Last year was a big year for us,” Oates said. “I was his roomie for the whole year. He’s changed the way I play.
“Not in a massive way, but all the little things that I could never really get right before, he’s been a part of fixing that.
“He was a massive help to me in that finals series. He calmed me down a lot. He’s a simple bloke. He says exactly what he needs to say. You either take it in or you don’t and last year I took a lot of it in, thank God.”
He said a lot of the lessons he took from Parker have also helped guide him through this season.
The veteran forward not only helped Oates prepare for big moments last year, such as the grand final, but he also taught him not to sweat the small stuff.
Having suffered from a lot of injuries over his career, Oates said it was a lesson he needed. And it was one that came at a crucial time for him this season when he suffered a shoulder injury right as the Origin hype surrounding him was heating up.
“I was happy with the way I started the year. It would have been good to keep that going without the shoulder,” he said.
“But that’s the things he’s taught me to do. Push through the little things and don’t let that stuff get your confidence down. You need to put it behind you and move on.”
Oates said when he heard that Parker was going to retire at season’s end he became quite “emotional” but also wants to do his mentor proud.
Things did not get off to a great start for the Broncos after they suffered a 40-14 loss to the Bulldogs in their first game since Parker’s announcement. But Oates said he is determined to get Parker to the grand final in October and Brisbane will need to take their game to another level against the Storm on Friday if they are to do so.
No Cookies | Daily Telegraph
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