Ryan Papenhuyzen at centre of Melbourne Storm plan amid fears over losing Sua Fa'alogo
Papenhuyzen's extension has caused uncertainty around the young gun's future.
Melbourne Storm’s director of football Frank Ponissi says Ryan Papenhuyzen has an important role to play as the NRL club looks to hang onto excitement machine, Sua Fa'alogo. The Storm young gun's future at the club has come under question after Papenhuyzen put speculation to bed last week and signed a one-year extension that will keep him in Melbourne until the end of 2026.
It means Storm coach Craig Bellamy faces a continued dilemma about how best to fit Fa'alogo into Melbourne's 17, with a bench utility spot the most likely role for the 21-year-old next season. Fa'alogo has shown enough evidence in the limited games he's played in his NRL that he is a superstar in the making and would be a starter at many rival clubs.
But Fa'alogo knows his opportunities and playing time will be limited as long as Papenhuyzen remains Melbourne's fullback, with the young gun reportedly having a handshake agreement allowing him to leave the Storm early if his rival No.1 signed a long-term contract. With Papenhuyzen's new deal only until the end of 2026, it potentially leaves the door open for Fa'alogo to succeed his teammate as the Storm's long-term No.1.
The Storm’s director of football has described Papenhuyzen's extension with the club as "enormous" and says the fullback's value goes way beyond what he produces on the footy field. Ponissi says the Storm fullback will continue to be hugely influential to Fa'alogo's development in the same way Storm legend Billy Slater was to a number of his former teammates.
Ryan Papenhuyzen to play mentor role for Sua Fa'alogo
"It’s very difficult to measure (Papenhuyzen’s influence on Sua) and we’ve seen that throughout our club for a long time,” Ponissi told News Corp. “Billy Slater tells of when he first came as a young bloke, Robbie Ross played an important role in his development.
“Billy’s done a lot of work with many players but the two who stand out for me are Cameron Munster, and Paps (Papenhuyzen), and Paps is continuing that with Sua. It’s what he brings off the field which people can’t see.” The big question will be whether Fa'alogo is content with playing an expected utility role in 2025, with league great Bryan Fletcher among those to suggest the 21-year-old could leave if he doesn't get enough game time.
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"He's waiting in the wings, he's been waiting a couple of years. I don't think he can wait until 2027... there's another option in play. I feel that if he doesn't get much of a run next year, then he'll go. And that's fair enough," Fletcher said on SEN radio. The 21-year-old prodigy is deemed by many as the long-term fullback for the Storm. And Papenhuyzen signing on for just one more year could see Melbourne hold onto the pair for now before assessing which one they should prioritise this time next year.
Storm face Sua Fa'alogo and Ryan Papenhuyzen dilemma
Fletcher says Fa'alogo is too good a player to be used as a bench utility that may only play 15 minutes per game. But former NRL player Joel Caine says he believes the Storm would view the 21-year-old as integral to their premiership hopes. "They (Storm) would believe they're that close to winning this comp," Caine said on SEN. "They'd be saying 'yes we've done the handshake deal (with Fa'alogo) and we have signed Pappy, just hang on for one more year."
The uncertainty around Fa'alogo comes after Papenhuyzen spurned reported interest from the Bulldogs and knocked back a return home to Sydney, to commit his short-term future to Melbourne. Papenhuyzen and his girlfriend both have family in Sydney and a move north is an enticing prospect but the 2020 Clive Churchill Medallist says he has unfinished business in Melbourne and is desperate to win another premiership.
"I feel like we're building something special here and I have a real drive to see that through," Papenhuyzen said in a statement on Thursday. "We've had the core group of our squad together for a while and played a lot of footy alongside each other. To stay in Melbourne and hopefully enjoy success together is something that motivates me."
