Ryan Papenhuyzen plays first NRL game in more than a year, but Jahrome Hughes injured in win over Ti
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Ryan Papenhuyzen, who was out of the game for more than a year with a broken kneecap, is officially back in the NRL. The all-back came out bench 62 minutes into Melbourne's 37-16 win over Gold Coast, and while playing in middle throughout final quarter of game, he was free passes, especially without any ligaments or protection in his legs. The crowd roared as he stepped onto the pitch, and Papenhuyzen said the feeling was pure "joy". "This is something special and something I will remember forever," he told ABC Sport. His first touch was strong Papenhuyzen, outside puppet half, took the ball from Harry Grant, passed Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, and quickly played ball. Jahrome Hughes' sharp run and Grant feed created a tryout for Christian Welch two games later, putting Melbourne in the spotlight. By own admission, he fell through a few interceptions and was far from his best as game continued, but he was grateful to be playing the NRL again after testing knee for three weeks in junior Queensland Cup. "The last 12 months have been ups and downs, but he's probably had the hardest of the last three or four months," he said. "You see the comeback, but you come a little closer, and then you're knocked back and you don't know why. That was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with." It tough, but there were people who said was all worth it in the end, and now I can definitely say worth it." This was a throwback to beginning of Papenhuyzen's career, when he was a replacement for Hughes, before New Zealand national team had proven him to be one of best circuits in game. Storm wants to get Papenhuyzen off bench and return him to team;Nick Meaney has best form of his career in number one jersey, but Hughes' injury could put things on a faster track. Early in conflict with Titans, Hughes was forced off field due to a medial ligament injury and ended day by heavily icing his knee after an accidental friendly fire during an interception. Papenhuyzen was watched closely from the sidelines throughout the game. With just one round to go, if Hughes is out of the game for an extended period of time, Storm could cut Meaney in half and play in partnership with Cameron Munster and Papenhuyzen could take back a trick. This would be a quick promotion after an unbearable journey through a 405-day journey of rehabilitation and recovery that took him all the way to the United States. Papenhuyzen was on the verge of making his NSW debut and was scrambling for a spot in the Australian squad when injuries began to find him. Although it was an awkward that took him off the field for over a year, Storm was already used to playing without a first-choice fullback. Melbourne played just one game between following year's sixth and 19th rounds, mostly due to ongoing concussion symptoms, after closing its debut season with the Clive Churchill Medal while beating Penrith in 2020 grand final. In 2022, he missed more football due to ongoing knee brace issues, and after six weeks o