Storm troopers: Unsung heroes give Paps faith to push body to limit

“Injuries are a part of sport. If that happens, that happens”.

Ryan Papenhuyzen has missed more matches than he has played in the past three seasons but watching his Storm team-mates from the sideline has given the star fullback the confidence to ignore any thoughts of self-preservation.

Melbourne have used 33 players this season – the most of any of the eight finals team and second only to last placed Wests Tigers, who used 37 players, including 12 debutants.  

Despite their first-choice spine of Papenhuyzen, Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant playing together just nine times the Storm won the minor premiership three weeks before the end of the regular season.

It was a feat built on the back of unsung heroes Tyran Wishart, Josh King and Trent Loiero, who each played 23 matches, Eliesa Katoa (22), Shawn Blore, Will Warbrick and Nick Meaney (21 each).

“We've got some really good depth in our squad, so it's not about protecting ourselves now, it's putting everything out there and just knowing that the next man is going to do his job,” Papenhuyzen said.

“If that happens it's generally going to lead to a good performance, like it has all year.”

Hughes played 20 games but only 10 of those were alongside Munster (14) in the halves.

Grant also played 20 matches, while Papenhuyzen played 17 after suffering a fracture to the ankle he broke during last year’s finals series, followed by a plantar fasciitis injury and bone bruising late in the season.

The string of recent injuries were only minor compared to the fractured kneecap, which forced the 26-year-old to spend more than a year on the sideline and restricted him to just 12 appearances in 2022 and three last year.

Hamstring problems also limited him to 15 matches in 2021.

Yet Papenhuyzen said the injury setbacks had not changed the way he played the game.

“What it's all about for me is just training all week, getting the body right and then once you're into a game, just leaving all those thoughts behind and going out there and doing what's best for the team,” Papenhuyzen said.

“You’ve got to go into games with the confidence to just play your footy. Injuries are a part of sport. If that happens, that happens.

“I’m approaching games with that mentality now and feeling confident that if something does happen, we've got a squad that can still go on and win it.”

The Storm host the Sharks at AAMI Park on Saturday after topping the NRL ladder with 19 wins from their 24 matches.

Melbourne's most recent loss was against the Cowboys in Round 26 after coach Craig Bellamy rested 11 members of his full-strength team, but Papenhuyzen said there would be benefits from the move during the finals series.

“What a lot of people don't realise is that those guys play footy all year, but at this time of the year, a lot of the teams are knocked out so it's trying to keep them motivated, keep them a part of the squad," he said.

“What we did a few weeks ago in Townsville, we got a lot of those guys to play, and that really motivates them to feel a part of the squad and the team.

“I think that's really important to guys that aren't necessarily playing but pushing us during the week and asking questions of what scenarios we might come up against and doing that at training."