Former Sydney Roosters halfback Ronald Volkman and hooker Freddy Lussick have settled in quickly after joining the Vodafone Warriors this week.
The 19-year-old Volkman’s three-year contract from 2023 through to 2025 was announced last week but he was released early to linked up with his new club on Monday.
And his 21-year-old clubmate Lussick joined him at the same time after being secured on a contract to the end of 2022 campaign.
They were in Redcliffe by Monday afternoon, trained with their new teammates for the first time on Tuesday morning and by mid-afternoon they had been named on the extended bench for the Vodafone Warriors' Magic Round match against the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday (3.00pm kick-off local time; 5.00pm NZT).
“We’re thrilled to be able to add Ronald and Freddy to our squad right now,” said Vodafone Warriors general manager football Craig Hodges.
“We were keen to have Ronald onboard for the rest of this season rather than waiting for 2023. It’s beneficial for him and for us to have him settled into the club sooner rather than later.
“And Freddy brings NRL experience out of the Roosters’ system to add more support in the dummy half ranks to Wayde Egan and Taniela Otukolo.”
Volkman, who balanced rugby league and rugby union as a schoolboy star, is a gifted young half who’s regarded as one of the hottest prospects in the game.
Lussick made his NRL debut with the Roosters in 2020 while he was loaned to the St George Illawarra Dragons for two games last year.
He’s the youngest of three brothers to fashion NRL careers. The eldest of them Darcy played 117 NRL games in total for Manly and Parramatta from 2011 to 2017 before playing for the Toronto Wolfpack and then the Salford Red Devils. Hooker Joey had one game for Manly in 2017, spent three seasons with Salford in England, returned to the NRL to play nine times for Parramatta and is now back in England with St Helens.
Freddy Lussick made five NRL appearances with the Roosters in 2020, four in 2021 and two for the Dragons.
Along with Volkman he has played for the Roosters’ feeder club the North Sydney Bears in the New South Wales Cup. He also played at under-18 and under-20 level for the Roosters.
RONALD VOLKMAN |
|
|---|---|
| Date of birth | July 4, 2002 |
| Birthplace | Sydney, NSW |
| Junior club | Bankstown Bulls |
| Position | Halfback/standoff |
| Height | 179cm |
| Weight | 93kg |
| Previous clubs | Sydney Roosters, North Sydney |
| NRL debut | Yet to make debut |
| New South Wales Cup career | 8 games for North Sydney (2021-2022) |
| New South Wales Cup points | 34 (1 try, 15 goals) |
FREDDY LUSSICK |
|
|---|---|
| Date of birth | August 28, 2000 |
| Birthplace | Sydney, NSW |
| Junior club | Beacon Hill Bears |
| Height | 180cm |
| Weight | 84kg |
| Previous clubs | Sydney Roosters (2020-2021), St George Illawarra Dragons (2021) |
| NRL debut | Sydney Roosters v Wests Tigers, Leichhardt Oval, Sydney, August 22, 2020 (Rd 15) |
| NRL career | 11 appearances (2020-2021) |
| Sydney Roosters: 9 games (2020-2021) | |
| St George Illawarra Dragons: 2 games (2021) | |
| NRL points | 4 (1 try) |
| New South Wales Cup career | 7 games for North Sydney Bears (2019-2022) |
| New South Wales Cup points | 4 (1 try) |
