Player Ronald Volkman

[defensivebomb]

“... The light training he did that exposed his injury should have been done behind closed doors.”

Am I reading this right? Flanno was fine with training an injured, uncontracted player, but only regrets that this should have been done behind the scenes?

 

[tyrael]

 

[Inruin]

View attachment 4962

Should be prefaced with:

Volks needs a shoulder op.

It's a big job....

 

[Matiunz]

Dunno if we come out looking squeaky clean- it’s almost an admission of guilt but I’m glad Volkman is getting looked after in the end.
Bit of a power move to make the Dragons look petty too

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Dunno if we come out looking squeaky clean- it’s almost an admission of guilt but I’m glad Volkman is getting looked after in the end.
Bit of a power move to make the Dragons look petty too

I'm surprised the Dragon's didn't. For the sake of $50k (take it out of the marketing and PR budget), it would have really improved their image...

Something they might have wanted to think about with the history of their current head coach...

 

[Noitall]

At his lowest point this year, Ronald Volkman had given up on ever playing footy again.

Immobilised with pain from the shoulder and hip surgery that cost him his one-year NRL contract with St George Illawarra, he was more than $100,000 out of pocket and couldn’t bring himself to watch rugby league.

He even stopped responding to text messages from his closest mates – something he deeply regrets now.

Worse still, at just 22, the prodigiously talented playmaker felt used up and spat out by the rugby league machine.

“I was in so much pain – mainly from my hip – and the support that I thought I’d get during that transition, I didn’t get,” he says now. “I was like, ‘What the hell?’.

“I felt like it wasn’t a priority in terms of me finding rehab, and it was playing on my head. Like, do people really want to help me?”

It had been a savage and swift fall for Volkman.

Just months before that season-ending surgery, he was a fan favourite at the Warriors, was being taught the ropes by Shaun Johnson and, seemingly, had the world at his feet.

“I was just grateful,” he says now. “I didn’t even care who was in front of me when I debuted – I was just going into the game to enjoy it.

“And to play with SJ – I swear I’m just lucky, bro – I can’t believe I shared the field with him.”

Volkman loved it across the ditch, but was battling Te Maire Martin, Luke Metcalf and Chanel Harris-Tavita to partner Johnson in the halves.

In December, he was granted an early release to join the Dragons for the 2024 season, and even trained with St George Illawarra in January, before his shoulder became an issue.

Two screws from a previous surgery had come loose and he needed a complete reconstruction, including a bone graft from his hip to his shoulder.

The Warriors had already released Volkman, but his Dragons contract hadn’t been formally registered. When the Dragons realised the full extent of his shoulder injury, the club pulled out of the deal.

Volkman was left in the wilderness.

“The past six months has been hard, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, to be honest,” he says now, sitting at a plastic table inside Final Round Gym at Hoxton Park in south west Sydney.

“I’m not gonna lie, I was all over the shop. I didn’t know what I was going to do in terms of footy.

“How could you love the sport so much, and then, within a matter of weeks, with one surgery, you’re not sure whether you’re gonna be playing again?

“You can easily say I was fully checked out.

“In terms of coming back to footy, I wasn’t thinking about it at all. It was definitely something that I didn’t want to do anymore.”

He hasn’t worked since, and has moved back home with his parents, two brothers and five sisters as he attempts to piece his career back together.

He thinks for a second when asked how much money the surgery and contract drama cost him this year.

“Quite a bit,” he says. “A full year’s worth. I was grateful for the opportunity, but it was taken away.

The Warriors paid for the operation, but it was during his recovery that Volkman felt used.

“I don’t really read into the media, but it was going back and forth – like who was at fault,” he says. “I just felt like I was being played a little bit.

“It makes you think you’re just another number.

“But, at the end of the day, clubs are a business and they’re gonna do what’s best for them, so I can’t really fault it.

“But for me, it’s more about humanity, I guess.

“I’m a human being, you know what I mean?”

Volkman cringes when he thinks about the person he became over those few months.

“I burned a lot of bridges,” he says. “I didn’t respond to a lot of the boys who reached out.

“If I had my time back, I would respond to my mates. I’ve always been a genuine person and I love having people around me.

“So, all my mates who took a moment out of their day to see how I was going, and I didn’t respond … it’s something I regret. Like, heavily regret.

“Being at that all time low … I don’t ever want to be that person again.”

Volkman can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. He wants to play again and has been training with boxing coach Huss El-Achrafi at Final Round Gym since May.

It’s the same place Josh Aloiai and Jason Saab do plenty of boxing and conditioning work, and Volkman has dropped 10kg.

“I’m hoping to get a gig somewhere by pre-season time,” he says. “It was only last year that I was playing NRL, so I’m not that far off.

“And if I have to start from the bottom, I’ll start from the bottom.

“I’m working on my craft every day, still treating it as my full-time job – running, passing, kicking.

“I’ve got a lot of time on my hands to do that, I guess.”

 

[Canadian_Warriors_Fan]

At his lowest point this year, Ronald Volkman had given up on ever playing footy again.

Immobilised with pain from the shoulder and hip surgery that cost him his one-year NRL contract with St George Illawarra, he was more than $100,000 out of pocket and couldn’t bring himself to watch rugby league.

He even stopped responding to text messages from his closest mates – something he deeply regrets now.

Worse still, at just 22, the prodigiously talented playmaker felt used up and spat out by the rugby league machine.

“I was in so much pain – mainly from my hip – and the support that I thought I’d get during that transition, I didn’t get,” he says now. “I was like, ‘What the hell?’.

“I felt like it wasn’t a priority in terms of me finding rehab, and it was playing on my head. Like, do people really want to help me?”

It had been a savage and swift fall for Volkman.

Just months before that season-ending surgery, he was a fan favourite at the Warriors, was being taught the ropes by Shaun Johnson and, seemingly, had the world at his feet.

“I was just grateful,” he says now. “I didn’t even care who was in front of me when I debuted – I was just going into the game to enjoy it.

“And to play with SJ – I swear I’m just lucky, bro – I can’t believe I shared the field with him.”

Volkman loved it across the ditch, but was battling Te Maire Martin, Luke Metcalf and Chanel Harris-Tavita to partner Johnson in the halves.

In December, he was granted an early release to join the Dragons for the 2024 season, and even trained with St George Illawarra in January, before his shoulder became an issue.

Two screws from a previous surgery had come loose and he needed a complete reconstruction, including a bone graft from his hip to his shoulder.

The Warriors had already released Volkman, but his Dragons contract hadn’t been formally registered. When the Dragons realised the full extent of his shoulder injury, the club pulled out of the deal.

Volkman was left in the wilderness.

“The past six months has been hard, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, to be honest,” he says now, sitting at a plastic table inside Final Round Gym at Hoxton Park in south west Sydney.

“I’m not gonna lie, I was all over the shop. I didn’t know what I was going to do in terms of footy.

“How could you love the sport so much, and then, within a matter of weeks, with one surgery, you’re not sure whether you’re gonna be playing again?

“You can easily say I was fully checked out.

“In terms of coming back to footy, I wasn’t thinking about it at all. It was definitely something that I didn’t want to do anymore.”

He hasn’t worked since, and has moved back home with his parents, two brothers and five sisters as he attempts to piece his career back together.

He thinks for a second when asked how much money the surgery and contract drama cost him this year.

“Quite a bit,” he says. “A full year’s worth. I was grateful for the opportunity, but it was taken away.

The Warriors paid for the operation, but it was during his recovery that Volkman felt used.

“I don’t really read into the media, but it was going back and forth – like who was at fault,” he says. “I just felt like I was being played a little bit.

“It makes you think you’re just another number.

“But, at the end of the day, clubs are a business and they’re gonna do what’s best for them, so I can’t really fault it.

“But for me, it’s more about humanity, I guess.

“I’m a human being, you know what I mean?”

Volkman cringes when he thinks about the person he became over those few months.

“I burned a lot of bridges,” he says. “I didn’t respond to a lot of the boys who reached out.

“If I had my time back, I would respond to my mates. I’ve always been a genuine person and I love having people around me.

“So, all my mates who took a moment out of their day to see how I was going, and I didn’t respond … it’s something I regret. Like, heavily regret.

“Being at that all time low … I don’t ever want to be that person again.”

Volkman can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. He wants to play again and has been training with boxing coach Huss El-Achrafi at Final Round Gym since May.

It’s the same place Josh Aloiai and Jason Saab do plenty of boxing and conditioning work, and Volkman has dropped 10kg.

“I’m hoping to get a gig somewhere by pre-season time,” he says. “It was only last year that I was playing NRL, so I’m not that far off.

“And if I have to start from the bottom, I’ll start from the bottom.

“I’m working on my craft every day, still treating it as my full-time job – running, passing, kicking.

“I’ve got a lot of time on my hands to do that, I guess.”

I hope things work out for him.

 

[Noitall]

I hope things work out for him.

We certainly missing a decent boot on our halves. Was about the best in nsw cup in his position before it all went pear shaped

 

[Damo]

He'll be a good pickup for a club next season.
Still maintain the opinion he was the best #7 option behind SJ last season

 

[Tookey 2.0]

I wonder if he was referring to the Warriors boys where he didn't respond, and the Warriors when he says he felt like a number etc.
I hope that's not the case. If be happy to have him back here, plying his trade in the NSW cup if he was keen.

Maybe not so much now with Hansen and Cleary likely to be the pair going forward. But yeah, I wish him well and if its a possibility, I feel he'd be worth the risk

 

[Damo]

Maybe not so much now with Hansen and Cleary likely to be the pair going forward. But yeah, I wish him well and if its a possibility, I feel he'd be worth the risk

Volkman is (was?) so far ahead of Hansen and especially Cleary.

 

[Akkerz]

Tough for the kid but sounds like he's getting life sorted again & can finally start the way back to be what he showed he could be - a bloody good league player

 

[kos]

Always reminded me of Mason Lino
I hope Ronnie has Masons luck. Mason came back from an injury but the Warriors rescued him with a contract
Mason has done pretty well in England
I hope Ronnie can pick things up next year and progress like Mason did

 

[snake77]

An interesting read in what guys can go through when the are pretty much tossed a side.

The part about being used is probably aimed at both clubs as they tried to deflect fault. It read like even he wasn't aware the screws had come loose. Can see why he wanted a release from the Warriors with the path to first grade looking tough. The injuries this year he'd likely have seen some game time but that is easy now with hindsight. The Dragons he probably had more opportunities.

It is a shame he didn't stay and develop here. I used to enjoy watching him play and develop when watching the NSW Cup. Things move quickly in sport so now its on to the guys we have signed now.

Sounds like he was pretty down, understandable.

He mentions the two clubs but how often was he contacted by the RLPA? They spoke up about his injury/contract situation. Were they checking on him with his rehab etc?

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

An interesting read in what guys can go through when the are pretty much tossed a side.

The part about being used is probably aimed at both clubs as they tried to deflect fault. It read like even he wasn't aware the screws had come loose. Can see why he wanted a release from the Warriors with the path to first grade looking tough. The injuries this year he'd likely have seen some game time but that is easy now with hindsight. The Dragons he probably had more opportunities.

It is a shame he didn't stay and develop here. I used to enjoy watching him play and develop when watching the NSW Cup. Things move quickly in sport so now its on to the guys we have signed now.

Sounds like he was pretty down, understandable.

He mentions the two clubs but how often was he contacted by the RLPA? They spoke up about his injury/contract situation. Were they checking on him with his rehab etc?

When he says he felt tossed aside, for context HE left the Warriors for other opportunities and tossed us aside. It’s pro sport. The Warriors still came to the party over the surgery so feel we did our bit.

The Dragons had him and then reneged on a deal. I think the comment would be more about them (even though they felt they had been given a dud).

If he’s talking ongoing support then he got stuck in no man’s land unsigned by either club. He didn’t have a future at the Warriors and had turned his back on us but didn’t have another club he was signed to.

Just a really, really unfortunate situation. iI’s a tough old sport where injuries can change your whole career in an instant. Dont the NRL or players association have some sort of ongoing support for recently retired players and situations like this?

 

[~Navigator~]

Secret settlement sets up Volkman’s NRL comeback after Dragons dispute

Ronald Volkman was at the centre of one of the most bizarre contract squabbles in NRL history. After nine months in limbo, the matter is settled.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Matiunz]

Secret settlement sets up Volkman’s NRL comeback after Dragons dispute

Ronald Volkman was at the centre of one of the most bizarre contract squabbles in NRL history. After nine months in limbo, the matter is settled.

www.smh.com.au

Unless bridges are burnt we could do worse than having him back on our books

 

[Noitall]

Unless bridges are burnt we could do worse than having him back on our books

ronald volkman - Google Search

Really think the club should be doing this. Has a cohesion with so many of the remaining nsw cup players this year that are rising. Has had time for his shoulder to heal and not being a leg injury he’s still got speed, actually got some gas in some of these clips. Was looking so promising before he went and is a good kicker too. We really need to consider our goal kicking after some close losses

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

Looks like the Sharks, Phins and Manly are interested in Volkman.

Three NRL teams confirm interest in uncontracted half

He is currently without a team after missing 2024 due to injury.

www.zerotackle.com

 

[snake77]

Good to see there is interest in him. Being out for a year while not having a club would have been a worry. Unless his manager was working hard it could have been out of sight out of mind.

When he was here and playing NSW Cup and looked like he was being developed to play first grade I enjoyed watching him play.