Corey Oates in fresh setback amid dramas at Brisbane Broncos

The high-flying Brisbane Broncos face arguably their toughest test of the season, with another injury to Corey Oates compounding the headache for coach Kevin Walters. Oates only just returned from a broken jaw he suffered in the NRL round two victory over North Queensland, but could be sidelined for Friday night's clash with South Sydney after suffering a knee injury.

Brisbane will already be without superstar prop Payne Haas and five-eighth Ezra Mam after both accepted one-match suspensions for hip-drop tackles in Friday night's 26-16 win over Parramatta. Haas' suspension comes after a controversial moment against the Eels when he escaped punishment for the tackle on Reagan Campbell-Gillard, despite both Mam and Parramatta's J'maine Hopgood going to the bin for similar offences.

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Oates is increasingly likely to join his Broncos teammates on the sidelines after failing to train with the team on Monday, with prop Pat Carrigan revealing the winger was suffering from a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury from the 10-point win over the Eels. It is wretched luck for Oates, who only just returned from a six-week hiatus after his broken jaw.

"I feel for him. He has had a tough run," Carrigan said. "Medically, I think he has done a PCL or hurt something in his knee. He has tweaked it.

"He wasn't on the (training) field today. I think they will give him every chance to play Friday but he is a bit older so you might as well put him in cotton wool and nurse him through. It is up to the coaching staff."

Jesse Arthars will once again come in for Oates if the experienced flyer is ruled out, having impressed on the wing in the absence of the 28-year-old. The Broncos are expected to provide an update imminently about the extent of the injury to Oates.

Former Wests Tigers playmaker Jock Madden will deputise for the Broncos at five-eighth in place of Mam, whose combination with halves partner Adam Reynolds has been key to the early season form of the competition leaders. Keenan Palasia is likely to slot into Brisbane's 17 for Haas, whose absence will surely be felt for the much-changed Broncos.

Haas has been a joint-leader in the Dally M Medal race after chalking up the post-contact metres and being among the NRL's top offloaders this season. The destructive prop has also been ranked in the top-five for both run metres and tackle busts per game, with Brisbane locked in talks to extend the 23-year-old's contract and offer him the richest deal in the club's history.

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Haas is virtually irreplaceable but Carrigan said he was looking forward to the team rising to the challenge without him. "Last year we played Souths in Sydney when we didn't have him and we still got the result," Carrigan said.

The Broncos lock also backed Madden to step up to his playmaking role alongside Reynolds. Carrigan says the 23-year-old Madden has learned a lot about his craft from Brisbane's captain, as well as coach Kevin Walters and assistant coach Allan Langer, who share a wealth of experience when it comes to the role of a playmaker.

As for the hip-drop controversy that has ruled two of him teammates out of Friday night's game, Carrigan admitted he shared the confusion of many commentators and fans about one of the hottest talking points in the game at the moment. "We are working here to try and not get in those positions and be better when you are under fatigue. It is a tough one," he said.

"Some are unavoidable. I think the NRL are learning on the run, as much as the players are. Sometimes accidents happen and there probably needs to be a little compromise in that regard ... but we don't want people injured."

with AAP

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