St George Illawarra have moved quickly to add to their playmaking stocks following the Ronald Volkman debacle, signing Jesse Marschke from the North Sydney Bears.
The Dragons were pulled into a major controversy last week when it was revealed the club would sever ties with Volkman just days after announcing his arrival, when it was revealed the former New Zealand Warriors young gun had a pre-existing shoulder injury which would sideline him long-term.
Dragons sign Jesse Marschke after Ronald Volkman debacle
Volkman was reported to have signed a one-year deal, however the Dragons had yet to officially lodge the contract with the NRL.
MORE: St George Illawarra part ways with Ronald Volkman after shock news
When discovering the injury during a medical examination after the 21-year-old had struggled in training drills, the Dragons then parted ways with Volkman as they sought another player in the market.
The decision has left Volkman without a deal for 2024 after he successfully sought an early release from his contract with the Warriors to link up with the Red V.
Warriors CEO Cameron George opened up on the situation, absolving his club of any blame and claiming the Dragons should have identified the shoulder injury before attempting to sign Volkman.
“That’s due diligence I would’ve thought a club would take before agreeing to sign someone,” George told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“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.”
Who is Jesse Marschke?
Marschke is now the new man to add some depth to Shane Flanagan’s halves stocks, with the NSW Cup veteran joining Kyle Flanagan and Ben Hunt.
The 26-year-old was named NSW Cup’s Five-eighth of the Year, after scoring 11 tries and providing 16 assists in his final season with the Bears.
"First coming to the Bears in 2021 and having played 44 games in the red & black, the North Sydney Bears are pleased for Jesse to have the opportunity to now progress on to a full time NRL contract with the St George Illawarra Dragons," Marschke's former club noted on their website.
"Marschke's move up to the NRL is testament to the club's current coaching staff, winning culture and high-performance programs."
Marschke has played 72 games in his career to date in the NSW Cup, with stays at Newtown, Canterbury and North Sydney.
"Jesse adds valuable depth to our spine and is coming off a strong season with the Bears," Flanagan said.
"We look forward to welcoming him to the club as we ramp up our preparations for the start of the 2024 season."
