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.
A distraught Papenhuyzen was carted off Lang Park in agony with seven minutes to play in the Storm’s 26-0 qualifying final defeat to Brisbane on Friday night.
After the game, he was sent straight to the hospital.
Papenhuyzen was playing just his third NRL match since returning from a horrific injury in which he shattered his kneecap into 10 pieces in July of last year.
Late on Friday night, Papenhuyzen – from his hospital bed — posted a photo to Instagram giving the thumbs up with the caption: “We go again. Love ya”.
Storm general manager of football Frank Ponissi confirmed on Saturday the injury was not a compound 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 confident that he is the consummate professional both on and off the pitch, and this is just another challenge he will meet head-on.
“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 surprise at how Papenhuyzen was
“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.
Xavier Coates, who returned to Melbourne with the team, would undergo scans on his damaged ankle on Saturday afternoon, according to Ponissi.
Next weekend, the Storm will play either the Sydney Roosters or Cronulla in a knockout semifinal.
