LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy

Storm release Papenhuyzen from final year of contract

Melbourne Storm has officially released Ryan Papenhuyzen from the final year of his contract, effective immediately.

Papenhuyzen has one year remaining on his deal but has chosen to take a break from the sport to reflect on his future.

Over nine years at AAMI Park, Papenhuyzen played 113 games for Melbourne Storm. He joined the team in 2017 and made his NRL debut in Round 4 of 2019. A product of the Dundas Shamrocks, he celebrated Premiership success with Storm in 2020, where he was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as Melbourne triumphed over the Panthers 26-20.

He wraps up his time with Storm boasting an impressive tally of 635 career points, which includes 77 tries and 160 goals, placing him sixth on the Club's all-time leading points scorers list. Notably, his standout performance against the Wests Tigers in Round 10 of 2025, where he scored 36 points, is the highest ever achieved by a Storm player in a single game.