Storm gun Ryan Papenhuyzen reveals the Eels snubbed him

How different things might have been 🤔

STAFF WRITER
SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 14: Ryan Papenhuyzen of the Storm passes the ball during the NRL Qualifying Final match between the Melbourne Storm and the Canberra Raiders at AAMI Park on September 14, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Melbourne Storm sensation Ryan Papenhuyzen is hoping to put in a blistering performance when he meets the Parramatta Eels on Saturday night.

The 22-year-old fullback who has scored 16 tries for the Storm revealed that the Eels overlooked signing him due to his size, despite representing the Australian touch football team at the age of 17.

“That is what happened at Parra early on,” he told The Australian.

“I remember I was in a touch footy side and playing for Parra. One of the dads was friends with the (Parramatta) recruitment guy and he wanted them to pick me up, but their thing was that I was always too small.

“Although I made a couple of rep sides when I was a kid, there was still that doubt in my mind, when people tell you that you are too small.

“You’ve just got to keep adding to your skill-set and give it a crack and that’s something I’d like to show to all those little blokes out there that get told they are too small, that it’s not over and to just play tough.

“If you play tough there is no reason that they can’t pick you. Generally if you do that then you can make any side.”

Thankfully the Storm saw what he could do on a rugby pitch and signed up the fullback, who has made 39 appearances and has represented Australia in the World Nines tournament.

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Replies

SuperEel 22 September 30, 2020 at 4:06pm

I don't know why his touch football exploits are brought into this. Last I checked rugby league involved tackling and he's most definitely a late bloomer. There are plenty of rep touch football players who won't see a single minute in even the NSW Cup. Recruiters are probably told about the "next big thing" a dozen times a week. And at the same time Paps said the Eels overlooked him, Bevan French was in our system and was earmarked for the NRL.
- SneakyEel > SuperEel 22 September 30, 2020 at 4:16pm
  
  I agree I don't mind us letting him go as we have Gutho. I believe Gutho has a better game with passing and kicking ability. The only apartment that Pap is better than Gutho is speed which can't be coached. Just thought that it was an interesting article for eels fans.
- Muttman > SuperEel 22 September 30, 2020 at 4:20pm
  
  He didn't just play Touch. He played both tackle and touch footy. Ryan was a standout in contact RL all through his childhood. He was a consistent rep player at all ages. You'd have to be a blind scout not to recognise his talent.
  I've always been astounded that club scouts have the authority to dismiss young talent without review from the Head Coach or Head of Football department. Some scouts are little more than super fans with an opinion.
  - This reply was deleted.
    - SuperEel 22 > SuperEel 22 September 30, 2020 at 4:55pm
      
      Want to know a player that never made a junior rep team? Johnathan Thurston. Now he's likely going to be an immortal.
      - Bup > SuperEel 22 September 30, 2020 at 5:28pm
        
        Because most scouts wouldn't know a footballer If they fell over one. Rugby league is like every other sport politics plays its part along with cronyism and nepotism.
        
        The footballers that manage to make rep sides inspite of this are exceptional talented or picked on sheer size.
        
        Player agents chase all the same players and most recruitment officers are lazy , do little homework and rely on a network of mates feeding them intel rather then any real knowledge of footballers .
  - SuperEel 22 > Muttman September 30, 2020 at 4:59pm
    
    Club scouts should be able to dismiss young talent without review. Otherwise the head coach or head of football is literally going to spend their entire day looking at teenagers. It's the job of scouts to identify talent then make recommendations to the junior coaches to get them into the system.
    - Muttman > SuperEel 22 September 30, 2020 at 5:57pm
      
      Literally Head of Footballl's job. To ensure pathways identify and develop the right talent. When a scout dismisses a consistent rep player you'd hope they didn't do that in isolation.
  - Coryn Hughes > Muttman September 30, 2020 at 5:13pm
    
    This sought of stuff happens all the time it's the reason why guys like RTS and Dylan Brown who were right in front of the Warriors recruitment get missed.
    
    Theres nothing to see here I mean the Johnathan Thurston probably went through the same at the Dogs it's no different what happend to JP.
- Chuck Norris. > SuperEel 22 September 30, 2020 at 6:44pm
  
  Look how that turned out.
  
  Like you Lane prediction Super...
  - SuperEel 22 > Chuck Norris. September 30, 2020 at 9:14pm
    
    Chuck you seem to struggle with simple comprehension. I never said BA would drop Lane, I said I would.

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