Melbourne Storm head coach Craig Bellamy has seemingly confirmed Nick Meaney will return to goal kicking duties for the club from next week.
The lead goal kicking spot has been something of a toss-up for much of the season at the Storm.
While Meaney - a versatile outside back who has played in every position between one and six during his time at the club - started with the duties this year, Ryan Papenhuyzen took over when Meaney was out with a broken jaw.
Meaney's return from that injury didn't see him reclaim the goal kicking duties though, with Melbourne's first-choice fullback hanging onto the responsibilities until he himself missed time with a mysterious calf injury.
Despite only being supposed to miss a week, the fullback spent a month sidelined before returning on Thursday evening against the Parramatta Eels in what turned out to be a tight, clunky victory.
In what might have come as a bigger surprise, Papenhuyzen was slotted straight back behind the kicking tee and promptly went on to miss the first conversion from next to the posts, and then two penalty goals after slotting a conversion from in front.
His one-from-four record wound up getting him hooked, and he admitted on Channel 9 that there was even talk of a swap in duties at halftime.
"I sort of had one of those games and got the hook, so there's plenty of practice coming up in the next week," he said on the network at the end of the game.
"I walked in at half time actually and our kicking coach actually told me it was a good idea if we swap, so that's probably not the best message to get at half-time.
"When you've got a kicker like Means in your side, he can slot them and clutched it for the game ... I guess I will be reserve kicker now, but you've still got to be ready."
It's an assessment Craig Bellamy had no problem agreeing with, admitting Nick Meaney would be the first-choice goal kicker again from next week.
"I think we will go back to Nick next week, to be quite honest ... we'll have a chat about it and go from there," Bellamy said during his post-game press conference.
