Massive Josh Addo-Carr twist as Ryan Papenhuyzen linked with move to Sydney NRL club
Papenhuyzen is being tipped to test his value on the open market on November 1.
Reports Ryan Papenhuyzen is set to hit the open market on November 1 could open the door for the Bulldogs to make a play for the Storm fullback if they sack Josh Addo-Carr. The Bulldogs have issued the under-fire winger with a show cause notice and Addo-Carr will front the Canterbury board on Thursday to explain why he shouldn't be sacked in the wake of a recent drug-driving scandal.
Addo-Carr was pulled over by NSW Police and tested positive to cocaine while driving last month, before being handed a $15,000 fine and a four-game ban from the NRL. He was also stood down from Canterbury's elimination final against Manly but has consistently maintained his innocence, despite two separate tests coming back positive for cocaine in his system.
It's widely expected that Addo-Carr will be sacked after meeting with the Bulldogs board this week, in a move that would free up around $500,000 in the club's salary cap. If that is the case, the Dogs would surely be tempted in exploring an opportunity to sign superstar Melbourne fullback Papenhuyzen, who's reportedly only been offered an extension at the Storm worth around $750,000 per year.
The fullback's current deal is understood to be worth around $1.1million for 2025, including endorsements. But The Sydney Morning Herald's Danny Weidler reported over the weekend that the Storm are keen to free up some space in their salary cap and can only afford to offer him a base deal worth around $750,000 per season from 2026 season onwards - if he wants to extend.
Ryan Papenhuyzen tipped to hit the NRL open market
It's likely the highly marketable Sydney-born fullback could fetch close to an additional $200,000 in endorsements on top of the $750,000 a-year deal on the table for him to stay at Melbourne. But Papenhuyzen is aware that rival clubs would probably be willing to offer him closer to $1 million per season, hence the reported move to test his value on the open market.
Melbourne's reluctance to offer Papenhuyzen a bigger deal also probably has a fair bit to do with a horror injury record that's included major knee and right ankle fractures and saw him miss the majority of the 2023 campaign. The livewire fullback also reportedly played in this year's NRL grand final with an ankle fracture and the Storm have a ready-made replacement at No.1 in the form of electric youngster, Sua Fa'alogo.
It's understood Fa'alogo could be free to explore his opportunities elsewhere if Papenhuyzen does extend his contract with the Storm. "Matt Tripp, the Storm chairman, has a verbal undertaking with Sua Fa’alogo’s manager Liam Ayoub that if Ryan Papenhuyzen wants to extend his time, they will sit back down and look at his contract," league reporter Michael Chammas told Triple M radio recently. "Now, that is not a clause in his contract; it’s not in writing, so it will come down to whether Melbourne keep their word, but there are clubs circling Sua Fa'alogo."
Canterbury Bulldogs reportedly interested in Ryan Papenhuyzen
According to the SMH, the Bulldogs are one of those interested clubs and a move for Papenhuyzen could see Connor Tracey shift onto the wing, despite enjoying a superb 2024 season at fullback. The Dogs have also signed Marcelo Montoya from the Warriors as another potential replacement for Aldo-Carr if he is shown the door by the club.
The Dragons would likely be another club chasing Papenhuyzen's signature after coach Shane Flanagan admitted recently that they were monitoring Clint Gutherson's situation, after the Parramatta captain was told he could explore opportunities elsewhere. Papenhuyzen would represent an upgrade on the 30-year-old Gutherson, who battled through his own injury problems in 2024.
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While Storm boss Tripp accepted it's Papenhuyzen's "right" to test his value on the open market, he reminded the 26-year-old that stability and club success is just as important as money. "I think he will acknowledge and realise that our offer, while it mightn't be able to match the other offers in terms of dollars, that consistency and continuity piece is going to be important to him," the Storm chairman told The Daily Telegraph. "Off the field I am not sure there would be many guys out there with more third party deals as Paps. The whole world wants him to market their products.
"You have to be careful what you wish for. We have had a lot of blokes leaving the club chasing bigger dollars and all of a sudden they are missing Origin and they are missing rep footy. All of a sudden those dollars attributed to that add up.”
