Corey Oates knows the sight of a backflipping Blake Ferguson will be bad news for Brisbane when they clash in the NRL.
The pair of hulking, hard-running wingers will oppose each other when Parramatta host the Broncos on Saturday and in-form Oates knows their battle could prove decisive.
Ferguson, who has added a wild, on-the-run backflip to his try-scoring celebrations, was among the NRL's form wingers earlier this season.
But he has cooled, along with Parramatta's form, with an inconsistent Brisbane now level on points and able to jump the Eels into the top eight with a win at Bankwest Stadium.
Back after a rest following Queensland's State of Origin win, Oates is up for the challenge.
"He's always a great competitor; we've been going against each other for a fair few years now and it's always a great battle," Oates said of Ferguson.
"It's always one I look forward to and he's a massive part of their game, takes plenty of tough carries and makes the big plays."
Brisbane ground out three tough wins before Queensland's Origin victory, only to lose to Gold Coast on Sunday.
"We can't be happy with those three wins," Oates said.
"We can look back and say we can play tough footy and compete at the highest level and run with the best teams.
"But we've made it hard for ourselves for the rest of the year ... we've got to knuckle down."
