Storm superstar Ryan Papenhuyzen has been secretly sent to at least one rival club as a potential new recruit, but Melbourne says he is not going anywhere.
Papenhuyzen has been referred to a group to gauge interest in his services.
The club were approached by a confidential third party with the following message: if he is available, are they interested and if so, at what level.
It’s an easy conversation to deny and Melbourne general manager Frank Ponissi has scoffed at the idea of an early exit for Papenhuyzen, who signed a three-year contract extension in 2021 for around $2 million la, lasting until the end of the year.
Season 2025.
Papenhuyzen was unfazed when contacted, saying he was unaware of any discussions.
It is common for a third party with ties to a team to discuss sensitive contract issues, as this allows the club to distance itself from any discussion.
After being rejected by Melbourne, I went back to the NRL club who were surveyed and they confirmed they had been asked about Papenhuyzen.
It is difficult to gauge the level of intention behind conversations and difficult to predict whether it will lead to anything.
Papenhuyzen is a player loved by the club and loved by the fans, but the Storm have a rising star in Sualauvi Faalogo.
Ryan Papenhuyzen has been injured frequently in recent seasons.
He may have only played one game in the NRL, but his performance stunned the league world.
He then received rave reviews after facing Australia last weekend alongside Samoa.
Faalogo’s Benji Marshall-style steps and rhythms marked him as an emerging star.
This is why the possibility of escaping from Papenhuyzen is plausible.
Papenhuyzen has a lot of money and through no fault of his own he has failed to keep his promises in recent years.
The knee injury he suffered against Canberra in 2022 kept him out for more than a year.
He suffered a broken leg a few games after his return and also spent significant time following a serious concussion in 2021.
In his absence, Nick Meaney has proven himself to be a capable fullback most of all.
The Storm need to strengthen their forward line and any additional money freed up by the Papenhuyzen deal will come in handy.
Papenhuyzen admits to having some dark times upon his return, but he overcame them by working on his own development.
I had a long chat with him recently, before this news reached me, and it was clear that he is still very hungry to be the best full-back in the game.
After a serious knee injury, he regained 93% of his previous maximum speed..
Sam Burgess’ chaotic exit from South Sydney has made headlines.
Sam Burgess’ chaotic departure from South Sydney has made headlines.
Land of hope, of glory?
Sam Burgess flew to England on Thursday with both hope and sadness in his heart.
He had to leave his grown children behind in Australia while pursuing his coaching dream on the other side of the world with English club Warrington Wolves, but he had to forge a new career and prepare for the next phase.
according to life..
“It’s a big challenge ahead of me, but I’m very excited,” he said before leaving.
“Warrington is an extremely proud club with a long history, so this will bring extra responsibility.
Gaming is my absolute passion and coaching is what I love to do – in every way.
Burgess’s chaotic retreat from South Sydney went well