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Message: [QUOTE="Danoz Direct, post: 2726443, member: 8457"] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]COREY Oates couldn’t sleep for days, the image of Kyle Feldt running past him glued to the inside of his eyelids, until Wayne Bennett said these four words.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“Use it as fuel.”[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]Oates has done just that, stacking on muscle to transform from a lanky and reluctant winger to a hulking Bronco who justifies the “white Wendell” nickname he hates.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]Speaking for the first time since his grand final heartbreak, Oates revealed to The Courier-Mail how much pain the loss caused and how Bennett set him straight.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]It was a communication breakdown between Oates and Jack Reed in the 80th minute that allowed Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt to slide past the 21-year-old and draw level as the siren sounded to send the grand final into over time.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]While Oates made a mistake, playing a position he is unaccustomed too, it was one of several errors made by several players from both teams in arguably the greatest grand final of all. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]Still, that image of Feldt, throwing his left arm around in a windmill as he celebrated the right hand corner try that ultimately earned the Cowboys a premiership, kept swirling inside the brain of Oates.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“Yeah I struggled (to sleep). I had quite a few of those nights,” Oates told The Courier-Mail.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“It happened. You can’t change it.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“It took a fair while to get over because we were so close but so far away.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“Wayne came to me and just said ‘use it as fuel’ to get back there but get a different result.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“We need to use it as fuel… to get back there but then not make the same mistake.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“Last year was a really good season for us but this year is different and we need to take extra steps.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“I am trying to be more consistent because I want to be in the run on side.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“Last year I was in and out of the starting side. I would love to cement a spot and keep it for the year, that’s my goal.”[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular][/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]The new version of Oates will be unveiled this Sunday morning, Australian time, when Brisbane take on Wigan in the World Club Series.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]Oates made full use of the first off-season of his young career after a series of surgeries interrupted his previous summers.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]He weighs in at 108 kilograms now with barely any fat on him and he even clocked the fastest 40 metre sprint time at Brisbane, until James Roberts arrived and smashed it. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“I have put on a couple of kilos because this is my first ever pre-season, it is good to finally have one,” Oates said.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“I am hovering around 108 kilograms. I don’t want to get too much heavier than this. Hopefully, it doesn’t affect my speed too much. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“I did 4.96 in the 40.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“I surprised myself actually with that time because last time I ran that I was 20kg lighter and 16 so I didn’t think I would get there again.”[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]Oates is a backrower. He captured Bennett’s attention in 2014 when he ran riot against the Newcastle Knights, scoring a great backrowers try when he ran outside in against a sliding defence.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]With the suspension of Edrick Lee from Queensland selection, Oates is now one or two injuries away from playing on the Maroons’ wing.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]He still sees himself as a backrower in waiting, but knows he will be waiting a while.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“I think the backrower stuff has been set back with Lachlan Maranta and his injury. At the moment they are short on wingers so I will be there for a while,” Oates said.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“I just turned 21. I still have long time to play and hopefully the body holds up and I can work my way back in there but at the moment the wing is where I will be there for a while.” [url]http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/teams/broncos/pain-of-grand-final-defeat-will-drive-corey-oates-to-new-heights-in-2016/news-story/ada022009c9652664b9372d7b2929c87[/url][/FONT][/COLOR] [/QUOTE]

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