Craig Bellamy is hopeful Ryan Papenhuyzen will be cleared to face the Wests Tigers on Saturday night despite a heel problem.
Papenhuyzen did some light work in Friday’s captain’s run in Melbourne after missing last week’s win over the Raiders.
He travelled with the team to Sydney and Bellamy is optimistic he will play at Leichhardt.
Papenhuyzen missed several weeks earlier in the year after he suffered a lower-leg fracture.
Ryan Papenhuyzen during the round 16 NRL match between Dolphins and Melbourne Storm at Suncorp Stadium, on June 21, 2024, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images) Getty
“He didn’t train earlier in the week, but he’s done a little bit today and a little bit on Thursday,” Bellamy said on Friday, with young gun Sua Fa’alogo ready to go if Papenhuyzen is ruled out.
“I think he’ll be OK, but it’ll be more of a matter of how he feels when he cools down.”
The Storm will be without Queensland star Harry Grant, with a sternum injury keeping him out for a second week in a row.
Melbourne has already lost their other Maroons star to injury, with Xavier Coates facing 6-8 weeks out with a serious hamstring injury, while Nick Meaney has a calf issue.