NRL 2023: Corey Oates faces pay cut to save Brisbane Broncos career

One of Brisbane’s most popular stars is facing a massive pay cut to save his Broncos career, with club tabling a contract downgrade as salary cap pressure mounts.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – JULY 27: Billy Walters of the Broncos is tackled during the round 22 NRL match between Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters at The Gabba on July 27, 2023 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

Corey Oates is facing a pay cut to save his career at Brisbane as salary cap pressures begin to put the bite on the Broncos’ biggest stars.

This masthead can reveal the Broncos have tabled a contract downgrade to former Queensland Origin winger Oates ahead of Brisbane’s clash against the Eels on Friday night at the Gabba.

It is understood the reduced offer has gone down like a lead balloon with Oates, who was left bitterly disappointed with a deal that represents a significant decrease on his current salary of around $450,000.

The Broncos are not trying to force Oates out and are hopeful he can finish his career with the club, but Brisbane’s stunning resurgence this year is putting increasing pressure on their salary cap.

The Broncos have 11 players who will be free agents from November 1, including superstar prop Payne Haas, skipper Adam Reynolds, vice-captain Kurt Capewell and rising stars Ezra Mam, Brendan Piakura and Jordan Riki.

Corey Oates is facing a pay cut to stay at the Broncos. Picture: NRL Imagery

Meanwhile, fullback recruit Reece Walsh, on $400,000 this season, is due for a monster upgrade following his bumper season that has seen the attacking sensation rocket into the Queensland Origin team.

That has forced Broncos bosses to make some tough salary-cap calls in a bid to keep their potential title-winning squad together.

Oates – the only survivor of Brisbane’s 2015 grand-final team – remains off-contract at season’s end and his management have begun fresh talks with Broncos bosses to keep the tryscoring cult figure at Red Hill next season.

Oates, who turns 29 in October, has had a wretched season with injuries and is determined to return from his latest knee setback to secure his future at the Broncos.

Oates has struggled with injury in recent seasons, but is just one game away from his 200th Broncos game. Picture: Liam Kidston.

“The injuries don’t help but I just need to show good performances now,” Oates told News Corp a fortnight ago.

“I love the Broncos, I want to stay and hopefully they sort something out.

“I have to prove injuries won’t affect me at all.

“I know I can still give to the team for a number of years, I have quite a few left I reckon.

“I will let the Broncos deal with that (his new contract) and I will focus on my job, which is playing well for the Broncos every week.”

Oates is on the verge of a special milestone for the Broncos – he needs just one more game to chalk up 200 NRL matches for the club.

A veteran of nine Origin matches for Queensland, Oates had a two-year option in his current deal, but the parties have rescinded that clause and begun talks on a fresh contract.

Oates has been an outstanding servant for the Broncos. He is fifth on Brisbane’s all-time list of tryscorers with 119 and on track to surpass Michael Hancock (120), Darren Lockyer (122) and Wendell Sailor (122) with a view to breaking centre legend Steve Renouf’s club record of 142 four-pointers.

But he has endured a luckless 2023 season with a series of knee injuries and a broken jaw in round 2 which has restricted him to just seven games.

Brisbane are feeling the salary cap pinch, with star fullback Reece Walsh due for a pay rise after a standout 2023 season. Picture: Getty Images.

The Broncos remain hopeful Oates will take less to stay and coach Kevin Walters concedes Brisbane face a juggling act under the salary cap to keep their elite stars.

Key duo Herbie Farnworth and Tom Flegler will both join the Dolphins next season and several NRL rivals are eyeing off NSW Origin prop Haas.

“It’s about us managing that and balancing it as much as we can,” Walters told NRL 360.

“It’s a battle, I won’t disagree there, but all the good clubs, the Storm and the Panthers the last few years have faced their challenges to keep their best players.

“The fact of the matter is you simply can’t keep them all, but you have to identify the ones you can keep and do the very best you can to keep them in the club and look after them.”

WHY BRONCOS’ BILLY HOLDS THE KEY TO BRISBANE’S SALARY CAP FIX

—Robert Craddock

Solving the Broncos looming salary cap riddle is not just a matter of shedding a star or two – it’s finding more Billy Walters.

This is the view of one of rugby league’s most experienced officials, Shane Richardson, who believes the Broncos player on one of the smallest wages in the team provides a crucial clue to how the Broncos can navigate their looming salary cap challenge.

With Payne Haas likely to become the club’s next million dollar man, Adam Reynolds playing on a year longer than expected and this masthead revealing six clubs are chasing Ezra Mam who can expect to at least double his contract of $240,000, the Broncos are about to pay for their success with a soaring demand for their players staff.

Richardson, who saw the salary cap from all angles in managing a premiership winning South Sydney team and working in game management for the NRL, feels it is evitable the Broncos will eventually lose more players than Herbie Farnworth and Tom Flegler who are Dolphins bound next season.

Will Kevin Walters’ side lose a bunch of star players?

“Inevitably you will have to let some people go so you have to plan three years ahead,’’ Richardson said.

“You need to work out who is going to be there in three years and who is not. Who is crucial and who is not.

“Sometimes you need to be able to bring people in who are not as well paid as they ones you let go but they just do the job.

“Billy Walters is one of those. The Broncos could have paid $800,000 for a hooker but they have Billy doing a good job for $250,000.

“It’s a really big result for them to have a player like that in a key position. Your big money is generally spent in the front row and positions 7, 9, 6 and 1.’’

Because he is the son of club coach Kevin and took time to establish himself as an automatic first grade selection, Walters faces intense scrutiny on a weekly basis but his form and confidence have lifted a notch this season.

Finding local talent like Billy Walters could hold the key to solving the squeeze. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

Richardson believes while the team is playing well it has the luxury of being able to get less notable players to fill crucial gaps.

“The Broncos are playing so well that there is a whole lot of players in the Hostplus Cup who could fit in and do a good job.

“They might not succeed at the Wests Tigers but the way this Broncos team is playing they would fit in. I know from my association with (Brisbane) Easts the amount of blokes who I’m not saying would be sensational but they could do a job.’’

For most of the club’s existence the Broncos have benefited from the twin attractions of having a strong team and players being able to buy houses far more cheaply in Brisbane than in Sydney and these factors again loom as decisive as they attempt to keep a growing stable of stars.