Pacy forward Rhys Oates had two very different spells at Hartlepool United. Brought to the club by Ronnie Moore as a raw 20 year old in 2015, he was a hard-working regular in the matchday squad without ever firmly nailing down a place in the starting eleven in what was a difficult period in the club's history. On paper, Pools were well stocked with attacking options. Billy Paynter, Padraig Amond, Lewis Alessandra, Scott Fenwick, Rakish Bingham, and Nathan Thomas were all teammates of Oates during his first two years, but the team still struggled for goals in what was ultimately an unsuccessful battle against relegation from the Football League in 2017. Pools spent four seasons in the National League, and Oates was there for the first and last of them. In 2017/18, with the club and fans quickly realising that this was not going to be a quick return, he was among the better players in a mediocre bunch. His seven goals was second only to midfielder Michael Woods. He scored the winner at Prenton Park in the last match of the season but was released three weeks later. In August 2020, a little over two years after leaving the club, Oates returned to the Vic. He had spent the last two seasons in the Football League with Morecambe, but his record at the Lancashire club did little to appease the Pools fans, the majority of whom thought that this was a poor signing. They were wrong. Oates did get off to a slow start second time around. But a change in system by manager Dave Challinor, accompanied by the loan signing of Luke Armstrong to play alongside Oates, transformed the season. Oates was a man reborn. With confidence high, he tore into opposition defences with pace and power. Having not scored at all before Armstrong's arrival in December, he finished the season with a career high 17 goals, including 13 in his last 16 games as Pools clinched promotion via the playoffs. He was decorated with Player of the Season awards from players and fans alike. Unfortunately, that's where things ended. Such electric form does not go unnoticed and, with Pools only having signed him on a one year contract, Oates was a free agent once again in the summer of 2021. Pools did make him an offer to stay at the club, but he chose instead to sign for Mansfield Town.