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Start getting a statue ready for Ryan Papenhuyzen.
Melbourne’s former fullback Billy Slater was immortalised in bronze outside AAMI Park earlier this year and he could well be joined by Ryan Papenhuyzen if his replacement continues his hot streak.
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The Melbourne No. 1 scored the most points by a player in one half of footy since 1980 when he crossed for all four of his team’s tries in the opening 40 minutes of the Storm’s 40-6 win over Brisbane on Friday night.
Incredibly, those four tries came during a breathtaking 11-minute window.
Papenhuyzen was the best player on the field by a mile as he tormented the Broncos, quadrupling the amount of points scored by the visitors all on his own as the hosts took a 24-6 lead into halftime.
The 22-year-old converted each of his first half tries to hit the break with a personal tally of 24 points — the most by any player in a half in 41 years.
The man of the moment converted one of the Storm’s three second half tries to finish with an astonishing 26-point haul.
Roosters superstar James Tedesco is the incumbent NSW fullback and captain but Papenhuyzen’s astonishing performance sparked calls for him to be selected somewhere in the Blues squad for Origin this year as social media lost its mind.
The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield tweeted: “Papenhuyzen is a freak. Has to play Origin. on the wing will do with permission to rove.”
Brendon Wolf wrote: “Where on earth does NSW play Papenhuyzen? He’s in the team, no question, but does he bump Tedesco from fullback?”
Hayley Wildes added: “There’s taking the p*** and then there’s scoring FOUR tries in ELEVEN minutes. I have never seen anything like this purple patch from Ryan Papenhuyzen!”
Ed Jackson said: “Papenhuyzen has entered the cheat code for tonight. Ridiculous.”
Papenhuyzen’s first try came when Josh Addo-Carr scooted down the sideline and passed to his teammate in a two-on-one situation with just the fullback to beat, and try number two came off the back of Justin Olam’s sensational effort.
The Storm centre busted through an attempted tackle and ran straight through the guts before dishing off to Papenhuyzen, who was backing up down the middle like every good fullback should.
Papenhuyzen completed his hat-trick when he received an offload 10m out from the tryline, showing incredible footwork, speed and strength to beat three Broncos defenders and touch down under the posts.
A few minutes before halftime the Storm custodian was sniffing around the ruck and it was a case of right place, right time again when Jahrome Hughes bust through the line and passed to Papenhuyzen before reaching the fullback.
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