SAD NEWS: Ryan Papenhuyzen and Harry Grant ruled out in massive NRL blow for Melbourne Storm.
The Storm are one of a number of NRL teams that have been hit by injuries and Origin carnage.
Before getting hurt in the first nine rounds, Papenhuyzen was dominating the NRL, and in the eleventh minute, he started scoring tries against the Dolphins. Highlights of his return included an amazing chase that almost produced a spectacular saved attempt.
But after suffering a heel injury during the win, the 26-year-old didn’t work out over the week. Papenhuyzen’s absence from Saturday’s game against the Raiders is not a huge concern, but the Storm have chosen to be cautious.
Sua Faalogo, who previously filled in for Papenhuyzen, will assume the position of fullback. Prior to the match this weekend, Bellamy stated of Papenhuyzen, “He hasn’t done a whole heap of training from last week, he’s been a bit sore, as he hadn’t played for a while.”
“He’s got a small bump on his heel, but the Storm medical team thought it wouldn’t be a big deal. However, there has been some difficulty—it’s obviously not 100%. We’ll see how he is in the morning because we didn’t want to agitate it further and cause him pain tomorrow. The final say on how painful it is will belong to him.
In State of Origin 2, the Blues defeated the Titans 38–18 at the MCG on Wednesday, putting Xavier Coates and Harry Grant through a shaming. Grant won’t play against Canberra either because he was cut on the head during the match.
“We’ll figure it out tomorrow morning, but I think one will definitely play and one probably won’t,” Bellamy remarked. “There are some bumps and bruises on both of them, and Harry obviously has that cut on his head.”
Bellamy predicted that in 2024, Canberra’s fleet-footed outside backs would be crucial in a fast-paced match at AAMI Park on a chilly night. “They have an excellent track record playing us down here; they always seem to aim high, and it feels a little like an ambush,” Bellamy remarked. We know it’s going to be a really tough game tomorrow night because they have some really good players and because coach Ricky Stuart brought in a couple of young guys who have given some great zip to their game.