Ryan Papenhuyzen in horrible scenes as NRL world rallies around fullback after Storm update

The Melbourne Storm have delivered some good news for fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen after he gave an update on his ankle injury as the Blues hopeful limped off in serious pain on Saturday night. NRL fans were left speechless after the Storm fullback scored a try in a sensational first-half display for the Storm against the Titans with Papenhuyzen looking to be push his case for an Origin debut under new coach Michael Maguire.

Unfortunately, Papenhuyzen came up clutching at his ankle and in serious pain after making a kick-chase in the 38th minute. During the tackle, Papenhuyzen appeared to get his studs caught in the ground, before twisting his right ankle making the brilliant one-on-one tackle.

Papenhuyzen couldn't walk and teammates showed concern for the fullback having just played his eighth straight game after his return from a broken right ankle. "Is Ryan Papenhuyzen OK, I don't know. It has not been a good weekend for injuries," Andrew Voss said in Fox Sports commentary.

"Oh no," James Graham could be hear saying in commentary. "It is so unfortunate, he was doing such a great thing for his team there." Papenhuyzen went off the field and down the tunnel with fans concerned. Footage from the locker room showed Papenhuyzen unable to put weight on his right foot as he grimaced in pain. He was then seen on crutches and in a moon boot leaving the players dressing room.

The Storm unravelled after the injury with the Titans making a comeback. However, Craig Bellamy's men held on for a 22-20 in Cameron Munster's 200th game for the club. However, after the win Papenhuyzen took to social media to show he was in good spirits.

Ryan Papenhuyzen reveals fracture after injury

Unfortunately, Papenhuyzen said he had suffered a fracture above the plate, which was put in after his last broken ankle. Papenhuyzen was originally looking at around six to eight week. However, the Storm announced it was only a small fracture and he could be on the sideline for around four to six weeks.

Regardless, fans were left absolutely devastated for the fullback after just his eighth game upon return. Papenhuyzen has only played 11 games since 2022 after he shattered his knee cap, which ruled him out for 13 months. While he is expected to make a return again in 2024, talks of making his debut in Origin will now fade as he looks at a comeback before round 20.

Titans and Storm clash finishes in controversial bunker call

The Storm held on after the Titans finished with a flurry with replacement Melbourne fullback Sua Fa'alogo also going off with a leg-injury in just his second NRL game. Starting on the wing, before shifting to cover Papenhuyzen, Fa'alogo scored a dazzling try in the first-half to announce his arrival in the NRL.

Unfortunately, after the horror injury to Papenhuyzen, the game was marred in the final seconds of the clash with the bunker ruling the Titans stripped the ball from Nick Meaney, which ended the contest and handed the Storm the win. The call was contentious with former player, turned commentator, Graham slamming the bunker.

While fans were up-in-arms, Gold Coast coach Des Hasler remained calm in his post-match press conference and praises his team's ability to fight back from a horror start. "It was disappointing we gave away some soft tries in the first half but showed plenty of character to come back," coach Hasler said.

"You are going to probably ask about the contentious calls. You get some and you lose some. The ones you lose are always the hardest. We could talk for half a day about the strip at the end but that doesn't help."