PAPENHUYZEN’S ORIGIN DREAM UP IN SMOKE
MELBOURNE superstar Ryan Papenhuyzen’s State of Origin dream is on ice as he faces a month on the sidelines to recover from a triple whammy of hamstring, knee and ankle injuries.
Papenhuyzen starred for the Storm in a blistering 48minute stint, scoring two tries. But his performance was soured by a small hamstring tear which will cruel his chances of making a State of Origin debut.
NSW coach Brad Fittler will name his squad of 24 for the series opener in three weeks before the June 8 opening game in Sydney.
“I have a little hamstring tear,” Papenhuyzen (inset) said. “It’s not ideal. The silver lining is I have a few niggles I need to get to right. I will have a break now and get all of those right. I’ll be back in a few weeks.”
Only injuries have stopped Papenhuyzen from making his Origin debut sooner. He was considered a strong chance of playing as the bench utility in Game One.
Papenhuyzen has been nursing a knee cartilage issue in recent weeks but his form has not dipped.
He knocked it in the first half and struggled to see out the opening 40 minutes.
“It stirred it up,” Papenhuyzen said.
“It felt a little better in the second half with some strapping on it. I obviously favoured the left leg too much and the hammie went.
“A few weeks with rehab, I’ll need to do the knee, hamstring and ankle.
“There’s no rush now. It’s about getting it right.
“I’ve been in a routine where I tick all the boxes and I feel good. The hamstring will set me back a few weeks.”
Nick Meaney or Tyran Wishart could slot in at fullback. The Storm also lost Reimis Smith to a suspected torn pectoral.
Dragons hooker Andrew McCullough (thumb) did not finish the match.
Melbourne face Penrith in a Magic Round blockbuster on Saturday night at Suncorp Stadium.
Meaney is proving to be a highly valuable recruit.
He not only scored a breathtaking 75m try for the Storm, shooting out of a cannon after Justin Olam had jarred the ball free from Dragons five-eighth Jack Bird, but also took over the goalkicking duties when Papenhuyzen went off.
The Storm met stern resistance from the Dragons’ defence in the first half, taking a 12-0 lead into the break, but it was all one-way traffic in the second half.
Papenhuyzen, star halves Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Trent Loiero all joined in on the carnage with tries.
It brought an abrupt end to the Dragons’ three-game winning streak, while it was a sixth consecutive victory for the red-hot Storm.