Broncos winger Corey Oates says he feared he would miss season opener with leg infection
After coming out of a stint in hospital in January having lost 6kg and much of his fitness, Broncos winger Corey Oates admits he doubted he’d be ready for the season opener.
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Broncos flyer Corey Oates admits he didn’t think he’d be fit for Friday’s Round 1 clash with the Cowboys after a staph infection left him in hospital for nine days.
The 25-year-old winger was hospitalised in early January after an innocuous cut on his leg became infected over the Christmas break.
The frightening saga saw him lose 6kg from his massive frame and much of his fitness, setting him back from a Round 1 return.
The club’s most prolific tryscorer in 2019 – 13 tries in 22 games – said he doubted whether he could get back in time for the season opener.
“To be honest, yeah a little bit,” Oates said.
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“The staff never had any doubt so I suppose that was me coming out of the hospital and thinking I’d be nowhere near ready (for Round 1).
“The staff did a great job and pushed me to my limits for the first two or three weeks.
“I did lose a lot of weight. They’ve helped me get that back in the gym and working hard. “I’ve been trying to get my strength back.
“I’ve just put in the effort. It was a credit to them for being so positive about it. I was down a bit but now I’m feeling really good.
“I’m 100 per cent ready to go.”
Oates is under pressure this year to hold on to his wing position, with up-and-coming star Xavier Coates shaping as a handy replacement.
The 18-year-old played three NRL games last season and has bulked up in the off-season in a bid to get more game time in 2020.
Oates admitted he didn’t have the best season last year but was going back to the basics to return to his scintillating form which rocketed him into Origin selection.
“(Last year) was probably the best start to a season I’ve ever had so I’ve got to take that out of my year,” he said.
“I played really bad towards the end. It was a terrible finish but I’ve got to take out the positives.
“I went back to backing myself and knowing I can do that sort of stuff.
“I doubted myself a lot towards the end of the year.
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“I probably tried to do more when I didn’t need to do more. I was already doing enough.”
He will now link up with retiring veteran Darius Boyd on the left edge, in a centre wing combination boasting 36 Origin games between them.
Oates said he was excited about the prospect of playing right next to Boyd.
“We’ve been doing a really good job over the last couple of months,” he said.
“I’m really confident with that. In attack, I know what he’s going to do.
“He’s shown he can defend in the centres when he’s played Origin there.”
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