- Signed one-year deal with the Parramatta Eels
- Will provide cover for Mitch Moses and Dylan Brown
- Ruthlessly cut by Dragons in 2023 after shoulder injury
Ronald Volkman has only played five NRL games in his career – but he could prove to be an astute buy for the Parramatta Eels ahead of next season.
Volkman, 22, has inked a one-year deal with the Eels, almost a year after his infamous botched move to St George Illawarra.
While Volkman will not leapfrog Mitchell Moses or Dylan Brown into the team for round one, he will provide new coach Jason Ryles with much needed competition for spots.
The Eels have been burned by their lack of depth in the halves in recent seasons, with backrower Ryan Matterson forced to play there when both Moses and Brown were unavailable in mid-2023.
Volkman has already begun training with the Eels at their Kellyville headquarters in Sydney‘s north-west.
It comes after in January, the Dragons announced they had signed the one-time Waverley College rugby union prodigy from the Warriors – before a medical examination revealed a serious shoulder injury that ruled Volkman out for the season.
Volkman was then ruthlessly cut by the Dragons given his contract had not been formally registered with the NRL.
He was then unable to secure a deal elsewhere and had to move back home with his parents.
Ronald Volkman has only played five NRL games in his career – but he could prove to be an smart buy for Parramatta ahead of next season (pictured, playing for the Warriors in 2022)
Volkman will not leapfrog Mitchell Moses or Dylan Brown into the team for round one, but he will provide new coach Jason Ryles with genuine competition in the halves
In September, the Dragons were handed a $40,000 suspended fine over the incident.
Volkman has since undergone shoulder surgery and was linked with a move to the Sea Eagles for 2025 – but now his future is assured, he wants to repay the Eels for showing faith in him.
‘I thought coming back was going to be a bit of a longshot,’ he told News Corp.
‘I gave up on footy. I stopped watching it. I had to get my head in the right space to try and give it one more crack.
‘Now I’m here, I’ve put myself through some hard training to get my body back to a good enough condition….the body is all good.’
Volkman will need some match fitness – the Samoan representative last played a competitive game of rugby league during the Pacific Championships in October of 2023.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .