Now, after a tentative start to the training week, Oates looks virtually guaranteed to be freewheeling on the wing for the Broncos. Should he play as expected, it's a massive inclusion as the Broncos try to find a way to tip out the premiership hotpots. Knock out: Broncos winger Corey Oates was carried from the field on a stretcher last Friday night but might play against the Storm this week. Credit:AAP Brisbane say it's a decision they won't have arrived at without adherence to stringent protocol and medical evidence. Jeremy Hickmans, Bennett's long-time high-performance manager, insists the club goes well above NRL standard on concussions, but as of Tuesday, Oates had cleared every hurdle. "At this point, absolutely fine. There are progressive tests and he's passed everything with flying colours so far. If he gets through a bit of contact tomorrow, gets through some gym, he should be fine," Hickmans said. "It's a time-based protocol they have to go through, some light cardio, some light skills, some weights into contact. You have 24 hours between each one. He passed his tests, did his cardio, did some light skills today, doing weights now, doing contact; if there's no adverse reaction he'll be fine."

Should he get the green light, the reaction will be predictable and understandable given the immediate concern for his health. Penrith were denied a try as play was stopped and Oates lay prone as doctors and trainers rushed to his aid. Concussion has become a central issue in every contact sport and the NRL has been no exception, introducing strict rules around return to play. Availability the following week has been left to club doctors and Brisbane have already ruled out a player once this season, with Andrew McCullough given a one-game break after being concussed. Hickmans said he understood the Oates' incident looked sickening at the ground and on television. But not all head knocks were created equal, he said, and players were treated case-by-case and not with a broad brush. "You have to be analytical about it. A lot of the head knocks that look worse don't necessarily have that knock-on effect. Some of the worst ones we've had come from a clip on the head and you think 'why has he gone down with that?' But it has longer-lasting symptoms. "That's the big thing with concussions. There's no definite response and things can change along the way. Is Corey going to be OK? At the moment he is. But that could change. We don't know. It's shifting all the time, concussion.

"Corey, on Friday night, he was up and bouncing around. Andrew McCullough, a few days later, he was a bit dusty and he was ruled out. There doesn't seem to be any reason to rule Corey out at the moment." All Broncos players have their brains scanned at the start of the season to give medical staff a baseline when imaging is completed after concussions. Then there are follows ups as part of a twin study being completed by Hickmans and his staff. "We look at how the brain changes around concussions. Every one of our players that gets a head knock gets scanned. So we can look and see what's happening. It doesn't give us definitive answers at the moment but he's [Oates] been scanned and there's nothing on there, which is a really good sign. "We have a baseline. We should know how their brain looks and how the respond to head knocks. The guys that get head knocks, they get done within 48 hours, then three weeks, then six weeks. It's something we're looking to have more of a definitive answer as to what's happening. "We've got two different research projects on the go with concussion that we've had going for about three years. It's over and above what we have to do, so we take it pretty seriously. We want to know we are doing the best for the players."

Sam Thaiday said modern players were rightfully cautious of head injuries but Oates had already taken strides to simply be allowed to train. "This week already, he's had three different tests he's had to pass just to be out on the training paddock with us. So it's not just sit down with a doctor and say 'Are you OK?'. "There's a fair bit that goes on to get a player back on the field, If he doesn't pass those tests, he doesn't play. It comes down to a doctor's decision at the end of the day." Thaiday also provided some rare insight into a head injury assessment (HIA), used to determine whether players were able to return to the field. The five words he couldn't recall at the time are now stuck in his head. "I got a head knock against Canberra. I failed the HIA and couldn't go back on the field. The following week I had to go through four different tests with the doctor and get a brain scan. Passed all of those and was cleared to play. There is a fair bit that's involved in trying to get back; it's all been scientifically done to make sure the players are OK.