‘I was very surprised’: Storm boss stunned by Ryan Papenhuyzen rumours, reveals fullback is returning to America

Storm superstar Ryan Papenhuyzen will head back to America in December to meet up with renowned reconditioning specialist Bill Knowles in a bid to get his body right, with the club hopeful he will be fit to face the Panthers in round 1.

Papenhuyzen worked with Knowles earlier in the year after his 2022 campaign was cut short by a shocking knee injury, with his return late in the season one of the feel-good stories of the year.

But the comeback didn’t last long, with the fullback suffering a gruesome ankle injury on a heartbreaking night in Brisbane in the finals.

It was unclear whether the injury would keep him sidelined for the start of the 2024 season, but Storm chief executive Justin Rodski says there’s every chance Papenhuyzen will recover in time to take on Penrith as Melbourne looks to keep its incredible unbeaten round 1 streak alive.

“Paps is going really well. His recovery has been solid,” Rodski said

“He’s heading back over to the US to see Bill Knowles in December.

“He’s doing that on his own accord. It’s something he felt really passionate about, both from a physical and mental point of view.

“The work that Bill did with him for his kneecap earlier this year certainly helped him to get back this year.

“By all accounts, he’ll be back running by January. Everything going well, he’s every chance to be ready for round 1, which is really pleasing and exciting for everyone involved with the Melbourne Storm but also for Ryan as well.”

The 2020 Clive Churchill Medal winner will fund the trip to America just weeks after a report came out suggesting the Storm was trying to get rid of him despite the speedster still having two years left on his contract.

The club vehemently denied the allegation that suggested young gun Sua Fa’alogo could step in as fullback and save the Storm a lot of money.

“I was very surprised,” Rodski said.

“The club’s got no knowledge of anyone discussing Ryan Papenhuyzen leaving our club.

“He’s a much-loved figure around the club. He’s very, very respected, loved by his teammates and he’s a quality player.

“While he’s had some bad luck over the last couple of years with injuries, we’re really confident that he can come back for the Melbourne Storm.

“Being the quality and star player that he is both on and off the field, those (comments) were surprising for us, but there’s certainly no truth in it.”