Why a return to the back row for Josh Schuster could put Sea Eagles in 2023 finals contention

With the season all but over, it’s time for Manly to look to 2024. And one overdue positional move in particular could have the Sea Eagles set up for a finals run.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 28: Ryan Papenhuyzen looks on before the round 22 NRL match between Melbourne Storm and Parramatta Eels at Marvel Stadium on July 28, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

Neil Papenhuyzen wants to talk about the positives, and that’s exactly how his son Ryan would want it. Yes, the Melbourne superstar has missed more than 12 months of his career with a knee problem that had some questioning whether he would ever make it back.

His father, however, prefers to concentrate not on what Ryan has lost, but what he has gained from his time on the sidelines.

“He has done a lot of reading, a lot of self-improvement,” Neil said.

“There is a lot of positive things that have come from it. You can sit there and go, ‘He lost 12 months of his career’. But there are some really good things he has learned about himself in that period.

“Had that injury not happened, it might have taken him 10 years to work out. Lots of other guys have long injuries …. you always feel for them.

“It is part of the game – you have to half expect it. We had to stay positive and encourage Ryan. If we spoke to him it was always no negativity – we had to be positive.

Papenhuyzen has had a difficult road back from his ACL injury.

“We had to keep punching home that you are going to get through this. In the back of my mind, I felt, ‘You know what Ryan, if it is the last time you play football you have to take some positive stuff away from it and go how fortunate you have been to be in a position like that – to play the game, to be well paid, to be taught and coached by some of the greats of the game.

“You achieved a lot. Played for Australia in the 9s, won junior State of Origin, won a Clive Churchill and a grand final’.

“There are a lot of things over the last period of time where we have gone, ‘We are grateful’.”

Thankfully, the Papenhuyzens worst fears were never realised.

Ryan Papenhuyzen is back! Art by Boo Bailey.

On Saturday afternoon, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Ryan will make his return in the Queensland Cup after more than 380 days on the sideline.

It has been a long and torturous grind for the Storm fullback, every step documented along the way on his social media accounts. Papenhuyzen has taken his fans on the journey, regularly posting videos of his rehabilitation or motivational sayings that suggested he never lost belief.

On Friday, as he edged closer to his return, he posted an image of a packed bag with a caption that read: “Been a while since I’ve had to pack for an away trip. Genuine concentration required.”

There have been dark days. Plenty of them, no doubt. When Papenhuyzen shattered his knee cap last year, he was knocking on the door of State of Origin. He was one of the game’s genuine superstars. Suddenly, he had to start again.

“We’re super proud of what he has been able to achieve,” Neil Papenhuyzen said.

“His mental strength and his determination … we never doubted that if it was going to take hard work, he would be back. He would achieve his goal.

“There was a lot of anxiety. I know my wife was very concerned for him. There were periods there when it first happened and we were with him when he was in a hell of a lot of pain.”

The defining moment, Neil insists, was Ryan’s trip to Philadelphia to see renowned sports conditioner Bill Knowles.

“Coming back from the states after his trip to see Bill, that was the defining moment,” Neil said.

“That was a major stepping stone for him. He came back a different bloke, he came back with a completely different mindset.

“I just knew, ‘Don’t write him off. If you want to write him off, he will prove you wrong’.”

Papenhuyzen has done just that and his return shapes as one of the most stirring and inspirational stories of the NRL season.

A handful of his Storm teammates will make the trip to the Sunshine Coast on Saturday to watch his comeback, an indication of the love and respect there is for him at the club.

The likes of Harry Grant and Cameron Munster want to be there to back a teammate who has overcome an horrific injury to find a way back.

They, like all Storm fans and officials, will have their fingers crossed that he gets through unscathed and completes another step on his path back to the NRL.

He may yet be the ace up Melbourne’s sleeve. Imagine Papenhuyzen running back into form on the eve of the finals. It’s enough to make Storm supporters giddy.

Whatever emotion they feel, it pales in comparison to the Papenhuyzen family.

Papenhuyzen with father Neil after an under 18s Blues clash with Queensland.

“Immensely proud – we’re proud of all our kids,” Neil said.

“It is hard to put into words. The stuff he has accomplished – not just through the injury but over his whole career.

“He holds himself really well in public – he is not a dickhead. He is considerate and courteous. That is more important to me than winning a Clive Churchill.

“He is a good kid. We are fortunate he has turned out half-decent. His brother and sister – you can see their hearts are bursting.”

*****

Manly’s season was brought to an end on Thursday night and the time has come to start planning for next year.

The Sea Eagles should begin with Josh Schuster, by fast forwarding his return to the back row. Schuster went missing when Manly needed him in their loss to the Sydney Roosters.

It was only when the game was out of reach at the SCG that he turned on the magic. Too little, too late, for mine.

Manly need to fast-track Josh Schuster’s return to the back row. Picture: Izhar Khan/Getty Images

Manly have shown their hand by recruiting Luke Brooks for next season to play alongside Daly Cherry-Evans. He will be their long-term No.6.

They have Jake Arthur in reserve, itching for an opportunity to show what he can do. Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold needs to play Arthur for the remainder of the year and shunt Schuster to the back row, where his future lies.

He hasn’t shown the consistency required to wear the No.6 jersey and ease the burden on Cherry-Evans. Manly need him at the start of games, not the end. They need some consistency out of their five-eighth, not just momentary flashes of genius.

Arthur would give them a steady hand to work with Cherry-Evans. Moving Schuster would also ease some of the pressure on the Sea Eagles’ dwindling forward stocks, which suffered another blow against the Roosters when Matt Lodge succumbed to a knee injury.

Manly have shown enough this season to suggest when Tom Trbojevic makes his return next year, they will be well and truly in the mix for finals football.

They can begin by getting ready now. Pulling the trigger on Schuster would be a handy start.