Oates’ family fears
COREY Oates’ mother admits she will fear for her son’s welfare if the Broncos hulk is officially cleared for tomorrow night’s grand-final qualifier against Melbourne.
Images of Oates undergoing a private fitness session at Red Hill were captured yesterday as the Brisbane winger ramps-up preparations for the sudden-death blockbuster at AAMI Park.
The Broncos have come under fire for allowing Oates to resume training just three days after he suffered a sickening head knock in last week’s semi-final defeat of Penrith at Suncorp Stadium.
Broncos high-performance chief Jeremy Hickmans insists Oates has passed a series of cognitive tests and he will be formally given the green light if he completes today’s captain’s run.
But Janette Oates yesterday appealed for Broncos medicos to take every precaution with her son, admitting she will be riddled with nerves if the Maroons ace is cleared to face the Storm.
“I feel a bit mixed about Corey playing to be honest,” Janette said.
“I have no issue with the Broncos, they know what they are doing and if their doctors think he is fine, there is nothing much you can do, you have to put trust in them.
“They have experts who know what they are looking for, but I will still be worried about him. I don’t want him to play this week but I know how much Corey loves playing football.
“If he passes all the tests and apparently he has ... well the Broncos wouldn’t risk him if he wasn’t able to play.”
The Broncos are adamant they have gone “over and above” NRL protocols to ensure Oates is safe.
While his teammates enjoyed a day off, Oates was summoned to Red Hill for a testing session yesterday. It lasted less than half an hour, with Oates ordered to catch a series of high balls while a Broncos staffer acted as a Storm opponent.