Ryan Papenhuyzen return gives Melbourne a different finals look

For the first time in nearly a decade, Melbourne Storm didn’t win a final last season, but there was one key ingredient missing and he’ll be back this year.

Ryan Papenhuyzen has that X-factor. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy says Ryan Papenhuyzen could be the finals “X-factor” his team lacked last year as he confirmed injured stars Harry Grant and Jahrome Hughes were on track to play in their qualifying final against a yet-to-be-confirmed opponent.

Papenhuyzen was absent when Melbourne was a shock first-round finals loser to the Canberra Raiders in 2022, the first season since 2014 in which Bellamy’s side didn’t win a single final.

But the lightning fast fullback is now two games back in from a “horrendous” knee injury and Bellamy has made it clear Papenhuyzen will be in his 17 for the club’s opening finals clash, which could be against reigning premiers Penrith, pending the result of their last-round clash with the Cowboys.

Papenhuyzen played all but the final few minutes of Thursday night’s win over the Broncos in Brisbane and while he’s not yet at his electric best, Bellamy was confident that improvement would come, just in time for the finals where he’s a proven performer, having been the best player in Melbourne’s premiership victory in 2020.

“He gives you a little bit of X-factor. He is an experienced player too. He has been a Clive Churchill medallist and we know he is going to add something to us,” Bellamy said.

“I just think he will get better and better as he goes along. Tonight was a really important step, to be able to play 80 minutes if he had to.

“I probably would have preferred to see him run the ball a bit more tonight but I am not sure how long it is going to take before he has that confidence,” Bellamy said.

Ryan Papenhuyzen scored the first try of his comeback against the Broncos. Picture: NRL Photos

“It was an horrific injury and to be out for that long he is obviously going to be rusty in certain parts of the game. We are really happy with the last couple of weeks.

“All we wanted to see was how much time he got through.

“We used him in a few different roles. He started at fullback, played in the halves and played in the ruck for 10 or 15 minutes. We are not sure how we are going to use him (in the finals). We are pretty sure he is going to be in the 17.”

Melbourne rested 11 first-choice players from the game against the Broncos to save them for the finals.

Some were left out while other were battling niggling injuries, including star hooker Grant (shoulder) and playmaker Hughes (knee).

Bellamy said Hughes’ knee was still swollen but had extreme confidence Grant would be ready for Melbourne’s first final.

“Harry will play. I am really confident of that, and I think Jahrome (will),” Bellamy said.

“We haven‘t seen Jahrome. We didn’t bring him up to Brisbane because the flight could have swollen the injury up which wouldn’t have been good for him.”

Originally published as Ryan Papenhuyzen return gives Melbourne a different finals look