Uncontracted halfback Ronald Volkman will return to Auckland to have his shoulder surgery paid for by the New Zealand Warriors.
The halfback was facing the very real prospect of having to fork out on his own for the surgery while also not being contracted to any club during the 2024 season after an off-field debacle kicked off the new year and has since seen the New Zealand Warriors and St George Illawarra Dragons both point the finger of blame.
However, News Corp has now revealed that Volkman's surgery will be covered by the New Zealand Warriors under new provisions in the collective bargaining agreement that saw negotiations almost bring the game to a standstill this time last year.
Under the new rules governing clubs, the NRL and players, a player's previous club in some instances can still be required to cover the expense of medical procedures for players.
This is one of those cases after Volkman sought and gained a release from the Warriors in December from the final two years of his deal to sign a one-year contract with the Dragons.
While it was publically announced by the Red V, the contract was never registered with the NRL and when a shoulder injury was found to the playmaker, the club distanced itself from Volkman, leaving him uncontracted for 2024.
While both clubs have blamed the other since then, with the Dragons suggesting an inadequate medical report had been received and the Warriors stating the Dragons never did their due diligence, the report from the publication also suggests that the RLPA may yet seek further recourse for Volkman over the coming weeks and months given he will now be without a contract for the 2024 season.
It's something of a unique situation where a player has already been released before completing all the necessary checks at his new club, and so it'll be left now to the NRL and RLPA, as well as the two clubs, to determine how to deal with Volkman in the coming months under the new CBA.
