By Wayne Heming
Hall of Fame coach Wayne Bennett believes Corey Oates should feel proud and happy about what he achieved as a professional rugby league player. FOG #183 broke the news of his immediate retirement exclusively on radio KIIS’s Robin and Kipp 97.3 morning show, revealing it had been a “hard decision”, but one he had been thinking about for some time.
Oates played his 216th and final game for the Brisbane Broncos against the Melbourne Storm at Suncorp Stadium on September 5, 2024.
“I’ve known for a little while, but to actually get to the day… it’s probably a bit more emotional and harder than I expected” - Oates
A one-club player, Oates scored 121 tries – third on the Broncos all-time list behind the great Steve Renouf. He played nine games for Queensland between 2016-2022, scoring three tries.
Originally from the same country town of Baralaba as another Queensland Origin representative, Jason Hetherington, Oates was already at the Broncos club playing on the wing when Bennett returned to Red Hill for his second coaching stint.
“He was a big kid, but very athletic” recalled Bennett, asked about his first impressions of Oates. “He had several conversations with me about wanting to move into the forwards (on an edge) but he was not cut out for it.
“I gave him a couple of chances, but he was better on the wing, where he could use his size and then have a breather.”
Bennett said Oates wasn’t great at video sessions or team talks. “Corey was one of those players that if you loaded him up with too much information, he played worse. He was a natural footballer, very good in the air. He got better the more he played.”
“I thought he played some good football in his last few years. He has retired at the right time because he has slowed a little and lost a yard of pace which, in his position, is vital” Bennett said. He seriously hoped Oates would retire feeling happy, contented and proud of what he achieved.
When Oates was growing up in a small country town in Queensland, playing footy with his mates was fun. “You never thought you’d play the game you watched on TV with the great players,” he said.
“It’s been the best journey of my life, and I never thought it was a possibility” - Oates
Some of Oates’ former Brisbane and Queensland teammates & coaches paid tribute to the winger after his retirement announcement was made official on Thursday morning.
“We’re going to miss your aerial jumps in the left-hand corner and those spectacular tries he scored, I’ll always remember those” - Darren Lockyer
"Oates enjoyed a very good career. He had a tremendous career, a wonderful career actually. He scored a lot of great tries and fans loved watching him" - Wayne Bennett
Oates acknowledged fans who supported him which is why he said he stayed loyal to the Brisbane Broncos. “I’ve always loved the club because it’s been my home since I left school and I won’t be a stranger,” he said.
He now plans to spend more time with his young family, wife Tegan and two children, Monty and Hux. “Had I kept playing and abusing my body the way I did, I don’t know how much quality time I’d be able to be there for them in the future,” he said.
“I just thought it was time to focus more on my family and the kids and give them the same opportunities as I had. I think it’s the right decision to step away now. The last 18 months haven’t been kind to my body and my injuries and the pain. My family is my main priority now, and that’s why I’ve made the decision to retire. To be honest, I never thought I was going to play one game, let alone over 200.”
Oates’ father-in-law is former international, Gene Miles, a long-time Queensland rugby league selector. Gene was, and still is the Chairman of Queensland selectors, stayed out of the debate when his name was tossed up for Origin duty.
“When it came to my selection, he [Gene Miles] stayed out of the discussions, and I was fine with that. I wanted to be picked by the coaches and the other selectors on my merits” - Oates
Oates admitted his father-in-law, FOG #28, who played 20 Origins himself, had had a great influence on his career. “Geno told me not to change too much of who I am, or how I played the game when I first started playing Origin,” he said.
Oates has never been able to adequately explain the feelings that coursed through his veins when representing Queensland. “I’ve tried to explain it before,” he said. “If they had asked me to take the first hit-up in my first Origin game from the kick-off, I would have said: ‘no worries’. “I would have been sh---ing myself, but I would have done it because of the legend players around me.”
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