Club great Billy Slater was there to pick up Melbourne Storm full-back Ryan Papenhuyzen at his lowest point.
His previous three NRL seasons have been marred by serious injuries. The first was a shattered knee cap that needed nearly 14 months to heal and be treated, and the second was an ankle fracture that happened a few weeks after he returned to the NRL last season.
Days after Papenhuyzen horribly broke his ankle against the Brisbane Broncos in September of last year, Slater and his spouse Nicole contacted the Storm player and extended an invitation for him to stay at their family property outside of Melbourne.
Papenhuyzen welcomed the invitation to go back to his “other rehab clinic” right away. Now, ready to make another impact on the game, the 25-year-old will don the Storm’s No. 1 jersey when they play the defending premiers Penrith Panthers at AAMI Park on Friday night.
Papenhuyzen’s brain cleared after spending time with Slater’s horses and his family. He expressed his thanks to the Slaters in an interview conducted at the farm for Nine’s NRL Sunday Footy Show, which will broadcast on Sunday. This masthead belongs to Nine
“I feel like the Slater family’s third kid. You and Nic deserve recognition. In the interview, Papenhuyzen stated, “You immediately reached out and said if you need some time away, we will open our doors to you.”
It’s something for which I will always be thankful. You know how I felt and how important it was to go because you too went through a difficult recovery. It’s not thinking about football, even if it is idle all day.
Though Slater’s passion for horses is widely known, Papenhuyzen need a crash lesson in horse whispering from the man who established the standard for full-backs in the NRL.
“When I first came here, I was a little nervous and scared, but even some of the horsemanship stuff we did, it took my mind away from footy,” Papenhuyzen remarked. “You have the horses down in the paddock.”
“Thinking about football might tire you, but there’s nothing you can do about it. Come on out and experience the thrill of instantly guiding a horse around the yard while learning something new. Although you are the best teacher there is, there were moments when it felt overwhelming.
Slater laughed and remarked, “Working with a 500-kg animal that you have no control over – it takes you out of your comfort zone.”
Papenhuyzen, however, enjoyed the trip despite the air in the country not agreeing with him.
“The past few years have been a rollercoaster,” Papenhuyzen remarked.
“I’ve experienced highs and lows in my career over the last few years, but that’s just football.” I’m hoping to scale that peak once more and feel the thrills once more.
“That X-ray is too good not to post,” said Paps.
Papenhuyzen said that it wasn’t until long later that he realized just how much difficulty he was in.
When the surgeon began shaking his head and declaring that to be one of the worst cases [he had seen], Papenhuyzen said, “I look at that and can see its broken.”
