LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Ryan Papenhuyzen's chances of making the NSW State of Origin squad remain intact after the match review committee chose not to charge him following a controversial incident during the Melbourne Storm's game against Cronulla.
The fullback was reported for an act of aggression after the siren in Saturday's match, which Cronulla won 31-26.
Reports indicate that Papenhuyzen's frustrations boiled over after he was provoked by Sharks winger Ronaldo Mulitalo throughout the game.
Mulitalo had been vocal in taunting Storm players, including clapping in Xavier Coates' face after Coates dropped the ball late in the match.
He further escalated tensions by standing over Papenhuyzen after he mishandled a pass in the closing moments, prompting irritation among the Storm players.
A penalty was awarded to Melbourne when Sifa Talakai was found to have hit Papenhuyzen in the head.
After the siren, the Storm attempted a final play by launching the ball into the air, which Mulitalo caught before going to ground.
In a moment of retaliation, Papenhuyzen struck Mulitalo in the head with a swinging arm, which led to a melee on the field.
Referee Adam Gee placed Papenhuyzen on report, admitting he would have issued a sin-bin penalty had time remained.
Commentators Dan Ginnane and Michael Ennis provided insights into the altercation, with Ginnane remarking that "this has gotten a little more fired up than usual" while Ennis noted that Papenhuyzen "just launched in."
Despite the incident, the match review committee convened on Sunday morning and surprisingly opted not to charge Papenhuyzen for his actions.
This decision contradicted expectations, especially after Stephen Crichton was fined $3000 for a similar incident just a day earlier.