Eels hand Volkman NRL lifeline after year in limbo

Ronald Volkman has resurrected his NRL career by signing with the Parramatta Eels. (Regi Varghese/AAP PHOTOS)

Ronald Volkman is poised to resume his career with Parramatta after a nightmarish year spent in rugby league limbo.

The former Warriors playmaker has signed a one-year deal with the Eels, almost a year after his infamous botched move to St George Illawarra.

Volkman will not leapfrog either of starting halves Mitchell Moses or Dylan Brown into the team for round one, but will provide new coach Jason Ryles with depth alongside fellow recruit Dean Hawkins.

The Eels have been burned by their lack of depth in the halves in recent seasons with Ryan Matterson forced to play there when both Moses and Brown were unavailable in mid-2023.

Volkman has begun training with the Eels at their Kellyville headquarters.

The Dragons announced in January they had signed 22-year-old Volkman, before a medical examination revealed a serious shoulder injury that would rule him out for the season.

Volkman was then cut by the Dragons given his contract had not been formally registered with the NRL and was unable to secure a deal elsewhere.

In September, the Dragons were handed a $40,000 suspended fine over the incident, which they accepted.

Volkman has since undergone shoulder surgery and had been linked with a move to Manly for 2025.

Samoan representative Volkman last played a competitive game of rugby league during the Pacific Championships in October 2023. 

He was a member of the Warriors side that made a NSW Cup preliminary final that season and has played five NRL games since making his debut in 2022.

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