Melbourne Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen has revealed he visited renowned physiotherapist Bill Knowles in the United States of America again this off-season as he prepares to return from a second devastating injury.
Papenhuyzen, who missed most of the 2023 season with a knee injury, returned at the back-end of the season, only to seriously injure his ankle in the final round of the regular season at Suncorp Stadium against the Brisbane Broncos.
Despite fears originally based on the footage that his career may have been in jeopardy, Papenhuyzen has returned to training and told 9 News that he is in line to return for one of the club's trial matches, to be played at Belmore against the Bulldogs on Thursday, February 15, and in Fiji against the Knights on Saturday, February 24.
"I think I might be playing a trial game. I don't know which trial game it is, but yeah, beauty," Papenhuyzen told 9 News.
He admitted that seeing his foot at the angle it was after the injury in Brisbane didn't help him.
"I think I was a bit over-awed with emotion and disappointment. Seeing my foot that way probably didn't help," he said on the devastating ankle injury.
Despite that, Papenhuyzen has been working hard to rehabilitate the injury and revealed he had funded a trip for himself to visit Bill Knowles in the United States.
Papenhuyzen was first sent to America to work with Knowles after having his knee cap shattered during 2022, an injury which caused him to be sidelined for more than 12 months.
"The Storm have been paying me for 12 months and I haven't played a game so I thought I might use a bit of the money to go fix myself up," he said on his second trip to the United States.
"Coming back after my knee from Bill, the amount of confidence and reassurance he gave me, even though I'Il be confident with my ankle and I know I can get back from it, I thought I wanted the clarity around I can move the same way. We did a lot of work this year around moving the body around and being more efficient."
The star fullback will be in a battle for the number one jumper at the club this year, with Nick Meaney having replaced him last year and Sua Fa'alogo pushing for first-grade minutes.