Melbourne Storm lose superstar Ryan Papenhuyzen for up to six weeks through injury
Storm stars Ryan Papenhuyzen and Reimis Smith have suffered serious injuries and will be sidelined for a while.
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NRL ladder leaders Melbourne Storm have copped a huge double-injury blow, with the competition’s leading point scorer Ryan Papenhuyzen suffering a hamstring tear and PCL knee injury that will keep him sidelined for up to six weeks.
And centre Reimis Smith will need surgery and be sidelined for up to three months after scans revealed he sustained a ruptured pectoral muscle against St George Illawarra last Sunday.
It not only leaves a huge hole in Storm’s backline ahead of a showdown with reigning premiers Penrith this week in Brisbane but also is a blow to NSW Origin coach Brad Fittler who had singled out Papenhuyzen as a utility option on the Blues’ bench for Origin I next month.
Scans today have confirmed Ryan Papenhuyzen suffered a hamstring tear and PCL injury on Sunday and will be off for 4-6 weeks 😞
— Melbourne Storm (@storm) May 10, 2022
Read the full @RedZedAustralia Injury Report ⬇ï¸
Papenhuyzen scored two tries against the Dragons before leaving the field early in the second half, injuring his hamstring while scoring his second.
He’d also tweaked his knee in the first half, and Storm coach Craig Bellamy admitted taking him off before the second injury had crossed his mind.
“If I’d known what I know now, I definitely would have taken him off. We knew he wasn’t gonna be involved like he is with the ball, but we were only 12 points up, (we thought he could) just sort our defence,” he told reporters.
“I‘m not quite sure, with that knee, even if he hadn’t got the hamstring whether he’d be playing the next couple of weeks anyway.
“So he‘s got a couple of injuries to deal with, so we have to find ourselves a fullback for the next couple of weeks.”
Due to injuries in Storm’s outside backs, the NRL has granted approval for development squad member Marion Seve to be available for selection in the top grade from this weekend.
Originally published as Melbourne Storm lose superstar Ryan Papenhuyzen for up to six weeks through injury
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