Otsapa Victory
“‘Crying Every Game’ Cody Ramsey Opens Up About the Painful Road to Redemption
He’s the forgotten man at St George Illawarra, but speedster Cody Ramsey claims he is “going balls to the wall” in a bid to return to the NRL.
The 24-year-old hasn’t played rugby league in more than two years after undergoing surgery for ulcerative colitis – an inflammatory bowel condition – after the 2022 season.
Ramsey returned to training with the Dragons earlier this year, but head coach Shane Flanagan admitted the winger was still a long way off a potential return.
In a recent interview, Ramsey explained the severity of the illness that put his career on hold and the emotional aspect of having his football dreams ripped away.
“I was 90kg when I first went in … in the space of about six to eight weeks, I’d lost 28kg,” he told the A Lot To Talk About podcast.
“A couple of days after surgery, I woke up in bed and I looked down and all the staples had split open, so I just had this massive hole in my stomach. I went back to hospital and had that wound for a year.
“To sit there on the sidelines and know that you can’t go out to play, it’s something I’d never experienced. Every game I’d call my mum and I’d just be crying.”
While the recovery has been a long and arduous one, Ramsey is keeping a positive mindset and hopes to be back on the field in 2025.
In fact, his comeback could be “earlier than what everyone expects” with the Red V.
“I was always confident that I’d be able to come back and play footy,” Ramsey declared.
“I was told I’d never play football again but I just laughed and said to my dad that I will.
The first time I trained with the boys was in round 15. I got to the point where I was doing weights and felt like I was flying. I thought I was ready, but I was nowhere near.
“I’ve still got a while to go but I believe I’ll get more weight on over this pre-season faster because I know what to do now.
“I believe the comeback will come earlier than what everyone expects. I’m going balls to the wall to come back and prove everyone who believes in me right.”
Ramsey scored 14 tries in 36 first-grade appearances before his hiatus.
He remains signed with the Dragons until the end of next year.
