Corey Oates Soars to New Heights with Traffic Reporting Gig After Broncos Retirement

Former Brisbane Broncos star Corey Oates has swapped the footy field for the skies, turning his hand to traffic reporting following his recent retirement.

Corey Oates doing the KIIS97.3 traffic report from a helicopter. Photo: KIIS97.3.

Former Brisbane Broncos star Corey Oates has swapped the footy field for the skies, embracing a new role as a traffic reporter following his recent retirement from the NRL.

The 29-year-old, who hung up his boots earlier this month, has been a daily fixture on KIIS97.3’s “Robin and Kip Show” with hosts Robin Bailey and Kip Wightman.

In a bid to help Oates find his next career move, the radio duo launched a segment called “Find Corey a Job,” and Oates’ latest task took him to literal new heights — reading the traffic report from a helicopter.

With mic in hand and nerves in check, Oates delivered his first-ever live traffic report from the skies above Brisbane.

Despite admitting to a fear of heights, Oates faced the challenge head-on and provided listeners with a traffic update infused with his trademark wit.

“Good morning, Brisbane. It’s me, Captain Corey live over the skies of Brisbane. I just went over my own house, and I tell you what, I need to mow my bloody grass — doesn’t look bloody good at all,” he said during his live cross.

“The Wiggles have a big red car today, but I am live in a big red traffic chopper.”

Corey Oates doing the KIIS97.3 traffic report from a helicopter. Photo: KIIS97.3.

His unique approach continued with colourful analogies as he described traffic jams around the city.

“It’s heavier than a Brisbane Bronco in the off-season on the Western Freeway from Mount Coot-Tha to Toowong,” he noted, before comparing congestion on the Cunningham Highway to the chaos of “Chermside during Boxing Day sales.”

While Oates’ performance in the helicopter drew plenty of laughs, getting him airborne proved to be a challenge.

With strict weight restrictions in place for the combined weight of the pilot and traffic reporter — capped at 180 kilos — Oates’ 104-kilo frame required some creative adjustments.

“We’ve got our lightest pilot that can be actually up in the chopper. And then we’ve got Corey,” Robin joked on-air.

Despite the initial nerves, Oates quickly found his footing — or wings — and seemed to embrace the new role.

“I’m not gonna lie, it is not scary up here. It is great up here,” he said mid-flight.

“I’ve got this. This is my new job. I think we found it.”

Oates’ foray into traffic reporting is just one of several jobs he has tested out since retiring from the Broncos.

As part of the ongoing “Find Corey a Job” series, he has also dabbled in bartending, mukbang content creation, hairdressing – with an attempt at cutting co-host Kip Wightman’s hair – real estate, stand-up comedy, and newsreading.

Corey Oates cutting KIIS97.3 co-host Kip Wightman’s hair. Photo: Instagram.

Corey Oates cutting KIIS97.3 co-host Kip Wightman’s hair. Photo: Instagram.

The Robin and Kip show’s job-testing series has sparked speculation that Oates may already have a new gig in the works — becoming the third member of the popular KIIS97.3 breakfast team.

While there’s been no official announcement, fans of the show are eager to see whether the former Bronco will trade in his boots for a permanent spot behind the microphone.