Ryan Papenhuyzen in massive Storm development as Sua Fa'alogo contract detail emerges
Melbourne are expecting their No.1 to test his value on the open market.
The Storm are reportedly expecting star fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen to test his value on the open market after the No.1 felt lowballed by the club's latest contract offer. The fullback's current deal is understood to be worth around $1.1million next year, including endorsements. But with Melbourne keen to free up some space in their salary cap they offered him a new base deal worth around $750,000, according to SMH's Danny Weidler.
Papenhuyzen is understood not to be thrilled with the amount on the table and is expected to now wait and see what another club can offer him when he enters free agency on November 1 before making up his mind about where his future lies. It is likely the highly marketable 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 even still it is still a pay cut for the star fullback and it is believed that he could attract offers in excess of $1million a season at another club. Papenhuyzen grew up in Sydney and would appeal to NSW clubs currently lacking that strike power at the back, such as the Dragons or Bulldogs.
Papenhuyzen's injury record does put a cap on what a club, including Melbourne, is willing to fork out for him however. The fullback has suffered three horror fractures across the last three seasons for the Storm, with a major knee and right ankle fracture seeing him miss the majority of the 2023 campaign. Papenhuyzen returned in 2024 and found his scintillating form from the outset, but endured numerous setbacks with his right ankle again.
He wasn't close to 100 per cent fit heading into the NRL grand final either, with the initial report of bone bruising. However, the Storm confirmed following the big dance that it was a fracture and Papenhuyzen needed painkillers to get through the final.
The Storm No.1 has just played 35 NRL games since the start of 2022. While his ready-made successor, Sua Fa'alogo, is both younger and healthier and has already shown signs that he is a superstar in the making.
Sua Fa'alogo's to leave if Ryan Papenhuyzen re-signs?
The 21-year-old throughout 2024 dazzled at fullback and on the wing when given the chance, showing his incredible raw talent. However, he currently isn't in Craig Bellamy's best Storm 17 and rival clubs would be keen to snatch him up if he grows discontent with a shortage of game time. Currently, Papenhuyzen is the preferred fullback, while Bellamy goes with Will Warbrick and Xavier Coates ahead of him on the wing. The No.14 role is also locked down by Tyran Wishart, who insists he will stay at Melbourne next year, meaning there just isn't a spot for Fa'alogo.
Earlier this year, Fa'alogo signed an extension with the Storm until the end of 2028. But reporter Michael Chammas claims the Storm have a verbal agreement with Fa'alogo that if they re-sign Papenhuyzen he can seek a deal elsewhere.
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"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," 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."
