The Melbourne Storm have lashed reported suggesting Ryan Papenhuyzen could be set to leave the club before the 2024 season kicks off.
It was reported by multiple publications earlier this week that the star fullback, who sat out most of the 2023 season with injury and is now recovering from an ankle issue, had been shopped to a Sydney club.
That came with Sua Fa'alogo impressing for Samoa on the international scene after making his NRL debut for the Storm in Round 27. He has since had a club option taken up for 2025 and is believed to be in talks over re-signing through to the end of 2027.
It also came on the back of Nick Meaney's stellar season filling in for Papenhuyzen.
But the Storm said in a statement released on Thursday afternoon that the reports were "factually untrue" and that at no point had a Storm official contacted another club.
"Melbourne Storm wishes to clarify media reports regarding Ryan Papenhuyzen," the Storm wrote.
"At no stage has any Storm official made contact with another club directly or via a third party regarding an early release of Ryan from his contract.
"Other than one text message, the Club has not been contacted for comment or clarification on the matter.
"On that one occasion, the journalist was told unequivocally that the story was factually untrue.
"Paps is a Melbourne Storm person, he is loved by his teammates, coaches and staff and adored by Storm members and fans across the country and we look forward to seeing him on the track when he resumes training in December."
The Storm's update will mean the club go into 2024 with three fullbacks on the books, and a question for Craig Bellamy about how best to utilise each one within the first-grade system.
Papenhuyzen told Fox Sports earlier that if he was shopped to other clubs, then it was simply business, but he knew the value he could provide to the Victorian-based club.
โI guess it's someone at the club's job to do, so no hard feelings there, I know my value at the club,โ Papenhuyzen told the publication.
โI know what I have to offer and if they don't see it then they don't see that. But I know plenty of people who do.
โI've just got to keep doing what I need to do to get back and play and I'm confident when I do get back playing that those reports will go away.
โIt's only natural, it's only business, obviously Sua has been playing good footy and Meaney played really well this year so it was inevitable to happen, but at the same time it gives you that motivation to come back and prove them wrong.โ
As it stands, Papenhuyzen is contracted with the Storm until the end of 2025, while Meaney has signed until the end of 2024.
