The Melbourne Storm have confirmed the extent of Ryan Papenhuyzenโs injury after he was taken from the field during Melbourneโs Round 18 loss to Canberra.
Storm CEO Justin Rodski told Gerard Whateley on SEN that the injury was far more severe than they had originally expected, advising Papenhuyzen would absolutely not be back in 2022.
โHe put his body on the line on Sunday and unfortunately broke his knee cap in I think 10 places in the end,โ Rodski said.
โIt was a brutal injury but heโs had surgery now which has been a success. His recovery time is somewhere around three months so we wonโt see him again this year.โ
The latest blow comes just three games after Papenhuyzen made his most recent return from an injury that had kept him on the sidelines for over a month. After a blistering start to the year, itโs a bitter end for the 2020 Clive Churchill Medal winner.
โThey put pins and little clips that stay inside your knee and your body. Apparently it can heal real quickly with those and he can make a full recovery which is fantastic,โ the CEO added.
โIt doesnโt sound great though and obviously heโs in a lot of pain. Weโve been feeling for him, heโs had such a tough run (with injuries) and every time he gets back heโs been in blistering form.
โWe all know how important he is to our team and our structure at fullback. Itโs a heartbreaking loss but now we have to move forward, find a replacement and find a way back to the winnerโs list.โ
The club are currently mired in their first three-game losing streak since 2015, and with a number of big games coming up, Rodski knows how important it is to find a suitable replacement. Reports have already emerged that the club is trying to secure the services of Warriors fullback Reece Walsh on a temporary deal similar to the agreement between Penrith and Tevita Pangai Jnr last season.
โItโs a big challenge, weโve got a tough run home against a number of teams in the top six, away as well. But weโre in the top four and weโve done it before.
โWe have to dig deep and weโll be stretched but we have one more list spot we can fill before August 1 so weโre working through our options.
โAt this stage of the season you want someone experienced, ready-made, who can come in and play a role. Fullback is critical at the moment, but we still have some time and weโre working around the clock to find the best possible option.
โIf anyone can (save the season), itโs Craig Bellamy and our team.โ
