Brisbane Broncos winger Corey Oates has been offered an extension to continue his tenure at the club, but it's understood that the money on offer is substantially less than he is currently on.
Oates is off-contract at the end of this season, but has player options built into his contract for both 2024 and 2025 meaning he could remain at the club for the next two seasons without question.
According to both AAP and News Corp however, those player options have been knocked back by both Oates and his management in favour of securing a new deal.
Oates was only re-signed for 2023 late in the piece, having spent much of last year with a cloud hanging over his head with regards to the future.
Speaking to the media on Thursday morning, coach Kevin Walters confirmed the Broncos have made Oates an offer with one of their six remaining roster spots for 2024.
"We have made a contract offer to Oatesy," Walters said per AAP.
"He's been really good for us and particularly the last couple of years. He has fought back from some dark places which I am really proud of Oatesy for doing.
"We want him at the club and we certainly want to make sure he is here next year playing for the Broncos."
It's understood salary cap pressure is biting down heavily on the Broncos, although it's not hard to understand why. In recent times, the club have re-signed Patrick Carrigan as the star among a number of other players, including an upgraded deal for the likes of Deine Mariner and Tristan Sailor, while the Red Hill-based outfit already have the likes of Kurt Capewell, Payne Haas, Adam Reynolds, Kotoni Staggs and Reece Walsh contracted.
Adding to the headache for the Broncos is the fact that Haas is off-contract at the end of next year and will likely require north of a million dollars per season to remain in Brisbane, while Walsh will also be in for a major upgrade when his current deal expires at the end of 2025.
With that being the case, it means even offsetting with the twin losses of Herbie Farnworth and Thomas Flegler to the Dolphins will do little to restore a semblance of balance to Brisbane's precarious salary cap position.
Oates, on his part, is not believed to have major outside interest at this stage, although plenty of clubs could wind up chasing an experienced winger, with Oates one of the hardest ball-runners in the game and an excellent finisher.
