Broncos winger Corey Oates has revealed he is just weeks away from finalising a new contract with the club, despite recently cutting ties with his management group.
The 23-year old is now consulting with father-in-law and Queensland Origin selector Gene Miles, but Oates cannot sign a new deal until later this month when his management contract expires.
Oates has been linked to Parramatta, Canterbury and North Queensland, and coach Wayne Bennett affirmed last week it would be tough for Brisbane to win a bidding war with rival clubs.
And despite his contract circus, Oates remains focused on bouncing back from a quiet performance during the Broncos' 36-22 loss to the Bulldogs last Thursday.
โThis is my decision to move on from my management group and it ends in a couple of weeks,โ he toldย The Sunday Mail.
โItโs all my fault if it is putting any pressure on me but I donโt feel like it is. It shouldnโt be the reason for the way Iโm playing.
โI wasnโt happy with the way I started (against the Bulldogs) but Iโm not going to blame it on that.
โIโll put it down to a poor preparation. I didnโt get myself right for the game.
โIt had nothing to do with (the contract). Itโs just myself and the way I handled myself preparing for the game.โ
Oates added that the Broncos must be prepared to roll up their sleeves every week if they are a chance of reaching the top four.
โWe didnโt turn up, thereโs nothing to really say about it,โ he said.
โI thought we had a good week but if you donโt turn up on the day thatโs what happens.
โWe spoke about it being a big game for us to show where we are. It doesnโt show much when you have a performance like that against a team thatโs got nothing to lose and will come out and play footy.
โItโs disappointing for us. We had a couple of good weeks there and itโs hard to take in when you have a performance like that.โ
Comments are closed.