NRL 2023: Ryan Papenhuyzen suffers serious ankle injury in Storm’s loss to Broncos

Just weeks after making a successful recovery from a devastating knee injury, Melbourne Storm star Ryan Papenhuyzen has suffered a heartbreaking setback that left both teams shaken.

Storm star Ryan Papenhuyzen suffered a suspected compound ankle fracture in the Broncos win over Melbourne. Picture: NRL Imagery.

Storm superstar Ryan Papenhuyzen suffered a shocking suspected broken ankle as the Broncos ended their Melbourne hoodoo with an emphatic 26-0 win on Friday night.

A hush went over the 50,197 crowd at Suncorp Stadium in the 73rd minute when Papenhuyzen was left in agony after his right foot was caught in an awkward tackle.

Players on both teams were visibly shaken by the sight of Papenhuyzen’s right foot dangling following the lower leg injury as he attempted to tackle Broncos prop Tom Flegler.

Fox Sports commentator Greg Alexander called it a “horrible moment for the game.”

Papenhuyzen was the feel-good story of the 2023 NRL season after fighting back from a career-threatening knee injury.

The 25-year-old made an Instagram post from his hospital bed just hours after incident.

“We go again. Love ya.”

Papenhuyzen posted from his hospital bed just hours after the match.

The Storm fullback missed more than a year of football after his kneecap was shattered in a sickening collision last year.

He made his return after 384 days on the sideline in the Hostplus Cup last month and was playing just his third NRL game of the season on Friday night, coming off the bench.

However his right leg was trapped in an awkward tackle involving Flegler and Storm teammate Nelson Asofa-Solomona in the dying minutes, leaving Papenhuyzen in agony with a clearly serious injury.

The match was stopped for about 10 minutes as medics attended to Papenhuyzen and drove him off the field.

Storm star Ryan Papenhuyzen suffered a suspected compound ankle fracture in the Broncos win over Melbourne. Picture: NRL Imagery.

The Papenhuyzen injury was a sour end to a terrible night for the Storm, with coach Craig Bellamy’s quest for a fourth NRL premiership before retiring hanging by a thread.

“I haven’t seen him [Papenhuyzen], he’s gone to hospital,” Bellamy said.

“He was in a whole heap of pain. It’s a suspected broken ankle. It’s not great.

“You can’t imagine how he’s feeling at the moment. The amount of work he’s put in to get back to playing…he had to work hard to get back into the NRL team too.

“It wasn’t a great night anyway and it made it a lot worse.”

“I don’t know (what it will be like) until next week,” Bellamy said.

“It’s really disappointing with those injuries, but we’re not going to blame that for what happened.

For what it's worth, I've been told Ryan Papenhuyzen's suspected broken ankle is NOT a compound fracture. He has gone to hospital. @nrlphysio#NRL

— Travis Meyn (@travismeyn) September 8, 2023

“Our first half was really poor. I’m not sure how we could come into this game and play like that. The injuries didn’t help, but we were poor and the Broncos were good.”

The Storm’s 14-game winning streak against Brisbane is officially over after the Broncos progressed to their first preliminary final since 2017 in convincing fashion.

Winger Xavier Coates (ankle) was also injured late and the Storm must now beat either the Sharks or Roosters at AAMI Park in Melbourne next weekend to remain in the 2023 title race.

Xavier Coates was also forced off the field with a suspected ankle injury just minutes before Papenhuyzen. Picture: NRL Imagery.

However the Storm look to be cannon-fodder for this year’s premiership heavyweights like Penrith and Brisbane despite finishing third in the regular season.

“I can’t remember the last time we attacked as poorly as we did tonight,” Bellamy said.

“Some of that was due to the Broncos’ good defence, but we looked like we had 17 players thrown together on the night.

“We weren’t as fluent as we have been during the week with some of our attack but our energy was great. We might have left that on the training track.”

The Storm can lay claim to being the most dominant team of the NRL era.

Under Bellamy’s guidance over the past 20 years, Melbourne has won three legitimate premierships (2012, 17, 20) – and had two stripped for salary cap breaches (07, 09) – during an incredible period of sustained success.

Xavier Coates also unlikely for next week & possibly beyond for the Storm. Suspected high ankle sprain is the initial report from the medical staff, video brought concern for that or midfoot injury. Would need to be a minor sprain to feature again this finals series pic.twitter.com/dR6MPUk2Gp

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) September 8, 2023

However the Storm have only won one finals match since their 2020 premiership triumph.

They reached the preliminary finals of the 2021 season, but bowed out in the first week of last year’s play-offs with a shock loss to Canberra in Melbourne.

Friday night’s loss to the Broncos was the Storm’s third straight finals defeat and they must now beat either the Sharks or Roosters next weekend to keep their season alive.

It is impossible to dominate every year and Melbourne’s run of 13 consecutive finals appearances is a remarkable achievement.

If not for the 2010 salary cap penalties, the Storm would have played finals in all 21 seasons Bellamy has been in charge of since 2003.

But the Storm were well off the premiership pace last year and appear to be outside contenders again this season.

They boast outstanding players like Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes, Harry Grant and Nelson Asofa-Solomona and are always well coached.

Marion Seve and Trent Loiero were forced off the field after a headclash. Picture: Getty Images.

However Melbourne’s depth has been tested this season and they were exposed by Brisbane’s brilliance across the park.

Melbourne centres Young Tonumaipea and Marion Seve were no match for explosive Broncos duo Kotoni Staggs and Herbie Farnworth.

The Storm’s big men in the middle like Tui Kamikamica and Christian Welch couldn’t compete with Brisbane’s dynamic Payne Haas, Pat Carrigan and Tom Flegler.

The Storm will give the Sharks or Roosters a tough game and may even progress to another preliminary final.

But Bellamy’s brilliance may not be enough to turn Melbourne’s class of 2023 into his fourth premiership team.

Bellamy, 63, has committed to coaching the Storm next year but his future beyond that remains unknown.

He deserves to finish his outstanding career as a five-time premiership-winning coach but faces a challenge to add a fourth title to his tally this year, especially on the back of Papenhuyzen’s heartbreaking injury.

Originally published as NRL 2023: Ryan Papenhuyzen suffers serious ankle injury in Storm’s loss to Broncos