Melbourne Storm boss Frank Ponissi has revealed the NRL club is holding out hope that star fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen will return after a year off. Papenhuyzen made the stunning decision to quit the NRL last month, and is considering his future in professional sport.
The star fullback recently admitted he’s considering whether he wants to keep playing sport or look at other career options. The 27-year-old had been linked to a possible move to breakaway rugby comp R360, but that has been pushed back to 2028 at the earliest.
Frank Ponissi (R) hopes Ryan Papenhuyzen (L) returns to the NRL club after his break. Image: Getty
Speaking on SEN radio on Sunday, the Storm’s director of football Ponissi said the club is doing everything to support Papenhuyzen and hope he might consider a return after some time away. “I hope so, he’s got so much to offer,” Ponissi said. “But in fairness to Paps, he’s gone through a fair bit over the last few years.
“When he came onto the scene, he hit the light straight away, and he got the Clive Churchill, best player on the ground in the 2020 grand final. But ever since then, really, he’s just had one injury after another and some serious injuries. He’s had some bad concussions, and he’s had a couple of bad leg injuries, an ankle and a bad knee injury.”
Ryan Papenhuyzen is considering his future in professional sport after walking away from the NRL. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
Ponissi added: “In the end, he’s come back remarkably well after each of those major injuries, but like anything, whilst he’s showed an enormous amount of resilience, the stress and everything it took to get through all those injuries and come back took its toll. Having a year off might be the tonic for him to come back and continue.
“He’s only 28 years of age (sic), and he’s still got plenty left. If he re-energizes himself in 12 months, he might see him back, which would be a great thing for the game.”
Melbourne Storm in no rush to fill NRL roster spots
Papenhuyzen’s decision to walk away was part of some major upheaval for the Storm this off-season. Jonah Pezet has signed with Parramatta for 2026 (and Brisbane from 2027), while Nelson Asofa-Solomona has also quit the NRL to pursue boxing.
Eli Katoa won’t play in 2026 due to the head knocks he suffered in the Pacific Championships, while Nick Meaney, Tyran Wishart and Shawn Blore are all reportedly considering their options elsewhere for 2027. The Storm have signed journeyman forward Jack Hetherington for 2026, as well as former Panthers playmaker Trent Toelau.
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But despite some massive turnover of players, Ponissi said the Storm aren’t rushing to fill roster spots. “We’ve got a couple of spots still to go, but we’ve made the decision not to rush,” he said.
“We had some great players that missed out in the grand final last year. We’ve also got a number of young players. Our under-21s won the (Jersey Flegg) premiership, so a number of those players have been brought up to our top squad.
“So, it’s a lot younger squad than we have had for a while, but we still have a very strong senior list. (It’s) probably our depth that has been eroded more than anything else.”