Melbourne will have a $2 million war chest to spend after granting Ryan Papenhuyzen a release from the final year of his contract.
The star fullback had told the Storm he needed a year off to consider his future, increasing speculation that he will join breakaway competition Rugby 360. Papenhuyzen becomes the third star to leave the Storm since their epic grand final loss to Brisbane, joining departing teammates Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Jonah Pezet.
Given that Papenhuyzen was on a deal worth about $925,000 and Asofa-Solomona on about $900,000, the runners-up are poised to become a major force in the market as the November 1 transfer deadline approaches.
While the expectation is that Papenhuyzen will join the upstart R360 competition, Melbourne officials said they did not know what his next move would be.
“We’ve got no indication of what he’s doing next. He just told us he wanted to freshen up and work out what he wants to do next in his career,” Melbourne chairman Matt Tripp said.
“He wanted a year off to assess his options. We are OK with that. We would never stand in his way. We always had a succession plan with [young fullback] Sua [Sualauvi Fa’alogo], it’s just been fast-tracked for a year.
Ryan Papenhuyzen.Credit: Getty Images
“If we didn’t have a capable replacement we’d be really concerned that there would be a void, but Sua is ready and the show goes on. We’ve had a succession plan in place for a number of years and it will come to fruition.”
There has been speculation that Papenhuyzen would consider joining another NRL club before the scheduled start of Rugby 360 competition in October of next year, but that appears unlikely given he told the Storm he would take next season off.
“He’s only 27 and I don’t think he’s retiring, it’s just a matter of what he does next,” Tripp said. “He’s a terrific player and person, he will always be Storm through and through. He’s one of the legends of our club and he’s respected by everyone. We mutually agreed that this was in everyone’s interest.”
Papenhuyzen’s agent, Clinton Schifcofske, admitted last month he had held discussions with R360 about the fullback.
Ryan Papenhuyzen has been a fan favourite at the Storm.Credit: Getty Images
There has been scant public information provided by Rugby 360 bosses, with most details about the competition’s starting date, and proposed schedule, teams and locations, coming via media reporting of R360’s correspondence with player agents.
Having gathered enough player interest for funding to be unlocked in September, R360 bosses have been urging players and agents to sign and return long-form contracts by November 1, according to informed sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Organisers have told agents they hope to announce 5-10 major signings next month to launch the competition, the sources said.
The prospect of being excluded from Test selection has scared off many rugby targets but a handful of Wallabies – past and present – are still contemplating big-money offers.
The threat of a 10-year ban in the NRL for any player, and their agent, who engages with R360 has also dramatically upped the stakes for the multiple league players who have also been targeted by the rebel competition.
Papenhuyzen has long been a fan favourite due to his distinctive mullet, courageous recovery from a potentially career-ending knee injury and his heroics in the No.1 jersey.
The former Australian Schoolboys star scored 635 career points in the purple jersey, ranking him sixth on the club’s all-time points scorers list. His 36-point performance against the Wests Tigers in round 10 this year remains the highest points scored by a Storm player in a match.
“I’ve loved my time at Melbourne Storm,” Papenhuyzen said. “I’ve enjoyed close to a decade of incredible memories and experiences in the purple jersey. Playing in front of the Storm fans every week has made my time in Melbourne something I’ll never forget.”
It remains unclear what lies ahead for Asofa-Solomona. It’s less likely he will switch to R360 and several NRL clubs have baulked at his asking price, though a professional boxing career remains an option.
The departure of three Storm stars, coupled with persistent speculation about whether next year will be coach Craig Bellamy’s last, has prompted some pundits to suggest Melbourne are experiencing a changing of the guard.
“There’s only one change to our team from the grand final and that’s Sua for Paps,” Tripp said. “And we’ve got some firepower to go to market to improve the roster over the next couple of years … we’re not expecting to go backwards.”
The Storm have traditionally been able to attract players for under their market value because of their incredible record of improving talent and competing for titles. Now they will be armed with a seven-figure war chest just as one of their former forwards, Gold Coast and Australian star Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, has opted to test his value on the open market.
The Storm also have an interest in fellow Titan Cooper Bai, a talented teen back-rower who is also the son of former Melbourne winger Marcus Bai.
There will be no shortage of suitors for Bai junior, with the Roosters among several clubs expected to jockey for his signature.
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