After undergoing surgery for a fractured right ankle, Melbourne star Ryan Papenhuyzen is expected to resume training with the NRL club in the new year.
With seven minutes remaining in the Storm’s 26-0 loss to Brisbane in the qualifying final on Friday night, Papenhuyzen was taken off Lang Park in agony, devastated.
After the game, he was transported straight to the hospital.
Just three NRL games had passed since Papenhuyzen’s devastating accident in July of last year, which left him with ten broken kneecaps.
Late on Friday night, Papenhuyzen uploaded a picture to Instagram with the remark, “We go again,” while lying in bed in the hospital. I love you.
On Saturday, Frank Ponissi, general manager of football for Storm, verified that the injury was not a complex fracture.
“We’re obviously devastated for Ryan suffering another setback after spending a significant time away from the game after injuring his knee last year,” Ponissi added in a statement.
“During that time, he put in a tonne of effort to return to the NRL and did everything in his power to heal.
We are aware that he is the best professional there is, both on and off the pitch, and he will rise to the occasion.
“His surgery went well this morning and, at this stage, we expect him to be back training in the new year but for now we’re focused on ensuring he is getting the right care.”
Following the game, Storm head coach Craig Bellamy expressed his inability to comprehend Papenhuyzen’s emotions.
“The amount of work he put in to get back to playing again, then get back into the NRL too,” added Bellamy.
“It wasn’t a great night anyway, and it made it a lot worse.”
Just as Papenhuyzen was beginning to find his rhythm again, catastrophe befell him.
As he made a tackle, teammate Nelson Asofa-Solomona caught his leg awkwardly.
As he was carefully placed on the ambulance and removed from the pitch, play halted for many minutes.
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