Ryan Papenhuyzen’s wretched run of bad luck has continued with the Melbourne Storm fullback ruled out of tonight’s comeback match against the Brisbane Broncos at AAMI Park.
Papenhuyzen was scheduled to make his return from a hamstring and knee injury that has sidelined him since Round Nine but that now has been put on hold after he contracted COVID-19.
The move is also expected to cost him any chance he had of playing for the Brydens Lawyers NSW Blues with coach Brad Fittler naming his squad after NRL Round 15 has concluded on Sunday night.
True Blue Luke Lewis said Papenhuyzen could have been just the tonic the Blues needed if any changes were made to the team that lost Game One in Sydney.
“I don’t know where you’d play him, just throw him on the bench if you need some points or we need a little bit of x factor,” Lewis told Behind Blue Eyes.
This is the third consecutive year injuries have halted Papenhuyzen’s representative career. He was part of the Blues extended squad in 2020 but missed the first two games with a calf problem while he was sidelined with a serious concussion for the 2021 series.
