Corey Oates brushed by former Broncos teammates amid brutal Michael Maguire pre-season

Corey Oates has had an awkward encounter at Red Hill where he was “brushed” by his old Broncos teammates who were “going home to bed” after Michael Maguire’s strict new training sessions.

Corey Oates has recalled an awkward moment with his ex-teammates, including Adam Reynolds.

Former Brisbane Broncos star Corey Oates has revealed an awkward run-in with his old teammates, admitting he was “brushed” during a visit to the club’s Red Hill training centre this week.

Now a radio host on KIIS97.3, Oates shared the story on-air on Thursday morning, saying he had hoped to catch up with the squad after a gym session — only to be met with minimal conversation and quick goodbyes, even from close mate Adam Reynolds.

“They don’t love me anymore,” he said.

“I walk in, thinking, ‘Sweet, I’ll do a gym sesh, the boys will start finishing, so I can have a chat.

“Nope. ‘How you going?’ ‘Yep, good. See you, boys.’

“They just said hello … I just thought there’d be more of a chat.”

When asked if his close friend and Broncos captain Adam Reynolds gave him a warmer welcome, Oates admitted: “He brushed me the quickest.”

“I said, ‘How are you, champ?’ and he just went, ‘Yep, see ya mate, gotta go.’” Oates recalled, as Reynolds hurried off - apparently on a mission to buy golf clubs.

KIIS 97.3 breakfast radio hosts Corey Oates, Robin Bailey and Kip Wightman. Photo: ARN.

Oates, who played 11 seasons with the Broncos before retiring from the NRL last year, acknowledged that the cold reception wasn’t personal.

He believes the team’s exhausting new training regime under new head coach Michael Maguire has them too drained for post-session socialising.

“They were so used to just being able to go play golf and thinking that they can just do that two times a week at least after a training session,” he said.

“But yesterday, I’m like, ‘What are you all doing?’ They’re like, ‘Going home to bed.’ They’re just so tired from the pre-season,”

“And I said, ‘Good, you should be tired!’

“Pre-season is meant to be hard, it’s meant to push your boundaries. I quit twice when I was 18 or 19 because it was so tough.”

Maguire, known for his demanding approach, has implemented a rigorous pre-season program that sees players clocking long days at the club, arriving as early as 6am and not leaving until 5pm.

Patrick Carrigan, after training at Red Hill, Brisbane. Photo Steve Pohlner

The gruelling schedule includes gym work, wrestling drills, field sessions, and extensive recovery periods to ensure peak performance.

“I’ve never seen them all so beaten, but they look ridiculously fit,” Oates said.

Co-host Kip Wightman echoed the sentiment, adding, “If you can smash out a full elite athlete workout and still have the energy to go play golf, you probably haven’t trained hard enough.”

Oates agreed with a laugh, responding, “Didn’t try hard enough — exactly.”

Billy Walters in action at Broncos training at Red Hill. Pics Adam Head

Despite the squad’s exhaustion, Oates remains optimistic about the Broncos’ chances in the 2025 NRL season, backing Maguire’s intense approach to set them up for success.

“They’re starting to realise this is a full-time gig,” he said.

“They look fit — really fit. And that’s a good sign.”

The Broncos will kick off their campaign in March 6 against the Roosters at Allianz Stadium in Sydney.