The Melbourne Storm fullback was the best player on the field in the opening round demolition.
Ryan Papenhuyzen produced one of his career-best games in the Storm’s opening round demolition of the Parramatta Eels as Zac Lomax’s off-season move sparked more questions. The Storm showed NRL fans why they are considered premiership favourites having hammered the Eels 56-18 in an electric display at AAMI Park.
The Storm ran in eight first-half tries with Cameron Munster and Papenhuyzen linking-up to carve apart the Eels in Jason Ryles’ first game in charge of Parramatta. And while there were plenty of highlights for the Storm, Papenhuyzen’s performance grabbed the attention.
After finding his feet last year, off the back of two major injuries, Papenhuyzen put in one of his career-best displays showing the trademark speed that made him one of the best fullbacks in the game. Despite heading into the game under an injury cloud, after withdrawing from the final trial game due to a knee issue, Papenhuyzen scored two tries as he sliced through the Parramatta defence time and time again.
The fullback ran for 136 metres and made three linebreaks, on top of his two tries, as the Eels were unable to lay a finger on him in the first-half. Papenhuyzen’s performance should also end speculation around whether Sua Fa’alogo should come into the staring side.
Papenhuyzen only signed a one-year extension with the Storm for the 2026 season with calls growing for Fa’alogo to take the fullback jersey under coach Craig Bellamy. However, Papenhuyzen did everything possible to quell calls for the 21-year-old to replace him with Bellamy’s decision to stick with his No.1 fullback vindicated.
Papenhuyzen continues to battle little injury setbacks and Fa’alogo could feature at fullback throughout the season. But the 26-year-old showed he is ready for a career-best season if he stays fit for the Storm. While Papenhuyzen is happy in Melbourne, Lomax could be questioning his move to the Eels after a dismal start wearing yellow and blue.
Zac Lomax’s $2.6m switch to the Eels called out
Lomax made the high-profile switch from the Dragons to the Eels having taken a pay cut to join Ryles’ men on a four-year deal worth around $2.6 million. Despite playing State of Origin last year, Lomax wasn’t happy playing on the wing for the Dragons and played in his preferred position at centre against the Storm on the weekend.
Although Lomax’s debut for the Eels didn’t go to plan with the centre hardly featuring at all across the 80 minutes. Lomax was unable to get into the game with his runs out of the back also limited. Fans were left questioning Lomax’s move and even called for him to move back onto the wing where he featured for NSW and Australia in 2024. Others suggested he could be concerned over leaving the Dragons who looked a more complete outfit in round one, despite their loss to the Bulldogs.
Imagine taking a $150k a year pay cut to play centre for this team. What was going through Lomax’s head. #NRLStormEels.
Craig Bellamy impressed by Ryan Papenhuyzen
The Storm’s win extended Bellamy’s remarkable record in the first round of the NRL. Bellamy has now won 22 first round games in a row as coach of the Storm and he was thoroughly impressed with his team’s performance.
Obviously our first half we got off to a really good start and we were really building pressure nearly all that half,” Bellamy said. “The second half, it is hard for them to come out and go flat-out again and that’s what we sort of wanted to do, but it sort of fizzled out a bit. I couldn’t be too critical – I thought our first half, we started exactly the way we wanted to start.”
He said of Papenhuyzen: “That first half, that’s probably the quickest and most slick he’s looked since he’s come back. He’s had a horrific run of injuries, they haven’t been just like two or three weekers, they’ve been three or four months.
“To come back how he has just goes to show the amount of work he’s willing to put in and I suppose his patience as well. His first half there this afternoon was outstanding. I’m sure he’ll only get a bit better from here and hopefully fingers crossed he’ll have a good injury run.”
