The New Zealand Warriors have rebuffed suggestions they ever hid a shoulder injury to the recently released Ronald Volkman.
Blame has been pointed in every direction over the last week following the revelation that the St George Illawarra Dragons wouldn't be registering his contract for 2024.
The club had signed him on a one-year deal as critical cover in the halves after the deregistration of Talatau Amone was combined with the Red V's decision to let Jayden Sullivan leave for the Wests Tigers at the end of 2023.
But Volkman was found to have a serious shoulder problem that would end his season before it began, and his contract was then not registered with the NRL by the Dragons who confirmed Volkman would be taking no part in their 2024 campaign.
The news came on the same day at the Dragons that the club confirmed new outside back Corey Allan had suffered an ACL injury at training, also ending his campaign.
In Volkman's case, questions have been rightly raised around why the shoulder problem's severity wasn't picked up before he signed with the Red V, but the Warriors' CEO Cameron George told The Sydney Morning Herald that the Dragons should have found the injury as part of their due diligence.
“That's due diligence I would've thought a club would take before agreeing to sign someone,” he said.
“We agreed with Ronald's management that he'd be released immediately. We contributed financially to his release and it was up to his management to negotiate a contract with another club.
“Whatever the conditions were for him to go to another club is irrelevant to us. Since that release, it was noted that he trained with them.”
Volkman now is without a contract for 2024 given he has been let go by the Warriors, and there is no appetite from the Auckland-based club to pick him back up as part of their Top 30.
The publication reported Volkman underwent scans on January 5 when the injury was picked up, with the Dragons having first believed there to be a problem the day prior at training.
Reports suggest the Dragons have levelled accusations at the Warriors over a misleading medical report from January 2 which, according to the report, only said Volkman was suffering shoulder irritation.