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The Melbourne Storm are reportedly unimpressed with Brandon Smith’s jab at former teammate Ryan Papenhuyzen – despite him agreeing with the club’s stance on the star fullback.
Papenhuyzen is facing an uncertain future at the Storm beyond the 2025 season, with salary cap concerns that could see his wage drop from $1.1 million a year to $750,000 leading to him taking to the open market.
However, speaking on his Jam and Cheese podcast with former rugby league great James Graham, Smith defended the club’s stance, saying Papenhuyzen’s injury history made him a risky bet to invest such a large proportion of the salary cap.
“I don’t think they [the Storm] undervalued him,” Smith said.
“I think if you look back in the last three years, he’s played 15-odd games. I think that would have been a part of the decision-making process.
“We can’t continue to pay this guy 1.1 mill when he’s playing 30 per cent of the season. He’s small and he’s fragile.“
Ryan Papenhuyzen celebrates with teammates. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Former Storm teammates have reportedly taken umbrage with the comments, according to Nine’s chief NRL reporter Danny Weidler, who says the dig at Papenhuyzen ’caused eyebrows to be raised’.
28-year old Smith began his NRL career with the Storm, playing 107 games, including the 2020 grand final triumph alongside Clive Churchill Medallist Papenhuyzen.
He departed the club at the end of 2021 to take up a three-year deal with the Roosters, which has proved a source of frustration for the Tricolours, with both his on-field performance failing to live up to expectations and a series of off-field misdemeanours including an allegation he had been taking illegal substances on a live stream alongside several teammates that the club vehemently denied.
Smith’s 2024 season was ended after suffering a gruesome knee injury during the Roosters’ late-season loss to the Raiders that ruled him out of the finals series.
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