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"I'm retired": The moment Papenhuyzen gave rugby league away
SEN • January 21st, 2026 7:28 pm
Former Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen has revealed he thinks he's "retired" from rugby league, identifying a concussion late last season as the catalyst for him to move away from the game.
Papenhuyzen shocked the rugby league world in October when he was granted a release by the Melbourne Storm to "take a break away from the game to consider his future."
Rumours were high linking the fullback to R360, however, since the competition was delayed, there has been no movement by Papenhuyzen to re-enter any sporting environment, including rugby league.
Speaking on the 167 Podcast, Papenhuyzen "set the record straight" about his future and the incident that led to him giving it away.
"I'll start from the Brisbane game in the last round," Papenhuyzen said.
"I had that head knock in the last minutes and obviously went off the field and was in the sheds, pretty emotional ... I was rattled. I don't think I've ever really cried in front of you boys, but I was in the sheds trying to hide it.
"In that moment it was kind of like, what am I doing? At what cost do you play footy for? I just had one of those moments, it was fleeting and over the weekend, I processed it.
"That was the catalyst for the conversations that went in place for the next few weeks. The plan was always, after that, whatever happens I'm having a year off. I had a mindset coach the last few months and talked about what that looks like and how to approach it.
"After that Broncos game, I didn't play the next week but within, I knew I was having a year off next year. One thing led to the next, we got to the grand final and then we lost.
"There was always a bit of me that thought if we lose, I'd want to come back and play again and if we won, it would be good to just go off and do it.
"It didn't change my feeling of it at all. I've done all I can, I've tried hard and put in everything I can ... if I keep playing this game, at what cost?
"We had discussions, walking away from something quite lucrative and not going to have that security, but at what cost? My health is something I really prioritise. I had to look within and if it's not serving its purpose anymore ... that was my big realisation.
"I'm getting paid, it's hard to leave that environment... but what else in life do I want to achieve? That was helping people. In what capacity? I love psychology and I guess I love new experiences so what can I channel that into?
"I know I said a year but at this stage, I don't actually feel like I would play at all. I think I'm enjoying what I'm doing now and I'm going to give that my all.
"I know R360 (was there) and that was definitely in the talks and definitely something I was keen on, but I think that incident in Brisbane in the last round was just sort of like, everything happens for a reason, the universe puts you in situations.
"It was nearly like 'no, you need to make this decision, be strong with it, stick with it'... so now I think I'm retired."
Papenhuyzen played 113 games for the Melbourne Storm after debuting in 2019.
He won a premiership in 2020, where he was also named Clive Churchill Medallist.
