Star Melbourne Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen has broken his silence after being linked with a shock move away from the Victorian club.
Papenhuyzen spent almost all of the 2023 season on the sidelines as he returned from a shattered knee cap suffered at the back end of the 2022 season.
While the Storm had originally been confident that he would have been back on deck for Round 1, the Storm star suffered set back after set back in his recovery effort and ended up only returning in the final weeks of the season.
He then went on to suffer a horror ankle injury which has all but written off another pre-season as he battles through another recovery, although expectations this time are that he will be running by Christmas.
Despite that, Papenhuyzen has found himself reportedly on the outer in the Victorian capital.
His fill in for 2023 Nick Meaney has just been re-signed, while young gun Sua Fa'alogo impressed all season in the QLD Cup, was Samoa's best against Australia and will have his eyes on permanent first-grade action in 2024.
Papenhuyzen told Fox Sports that, while he understands the NRL is a business, he knows what he can offer the club.
“I guess it's someone at the club's job to do, so no hard feelings there, I know my value at the club,” Papenhuyzen told the publication.
“I 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.
“I'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.
“It'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.”
Fa'alogo has recently had a year added to his time in purple through the taking up of a club option, but it's believed he is set to re-sign until the end of 2027.
If Papenhuyzen was to hit the open market, he would have no shortage of potential suitors given his talent and ability and some club's struggles at the back.
Melbourne would also have a significant chunk of their salary cap freed up. The Storm have a very top heavy squad with Papenhuyzen joined on big money by Jahrome Hughes, Cameron Munster and Harry Grant, so it may be viewed as a chance to level the cap.
