Melbourne Storm star Ryan Papenhuyzen has revealed the harsh feedback that fuelled his determination to make it in the NRL.
Papenhuyzen, who now weighs in at 84 kilograms, was told as a teenager that he was too small to play rugby league professionally.
But the fullback used the criticism as an opportunity prove the doubters wrong and turned to NFL legendary quarterback Tom Brady for inspiration.
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“It probably got me down when I first got told that but as I was starting to progress a little bit, there was that extra little bit of motivation that kept me going,” Papenhuyzen told Fox League’s Jake Duke.
“I truly believe that you’re never too small or you’re never too big or you’re never quite fast enough to do anything.
“I look at someone like Tom Brady over in the NFL, when he was coming through the draft he was highly disregarded, he was slow and didn’t think he was up to it and then you can look at someone like him.
“I think you find your point of difference somewhere and for him it was between his ears and for me that’s something I’ve been working really hard on and I just thing there’s other areas you can make up for if you’re too small or whatever.
“One thing that I learned when I came down to the Storm is you can do whatever you want if you actually put your mind to it and from there the world’s your oyster really.”
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Papenhuyzen, 24, revealed that when he was a teenager rugby league took a back seat rugby union and touch football.
But a year away from the sport reignited his love for the game and drive to make the NRL.
“It was always a dream as a kid to play NRL but then there was that little period in-between where I was indirectly told that you’re not good enough,” Papenhuyzen said.
“I was enjoying my touch footy and playing (rugby) union at school as well, playing cricket on weekends, I just love sport in general.
“It wasn’t too hard to have a year off back then but I pretty much got back into it again with my touch footy mates.
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“We started a team out of Dundas and they fell under the Balmain competition and we won a comp there and I just really enjoyed footy again.
“It progressed through the Balmain juniors system and then got recruited by the Storm and the rest is history.”
Arriving at the Storm in 2019, Papenhuyzen asked to fill the big boots of club legend Billy Slater.
Slater called Papenhuyzen to talk through the handover and settle his nerves which he admits took a huge weight off his shoulders.
“It’s obviously a privilege to play in that jersey and even before I got down to the club he called me, I remember I had a big night,” he said.
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“I woke up to this random phone call and it was actually him just welcoming me down, congratulating me on signing and to see if you got any question between here and then just give me a buzz you got my number now.
“I just remember first hearing that and God like that’s pretty special to hear that from Billy Slater whose the best fullback in the game.
“Ever since I come down he’s just helped and said if you work hard for it you’ll be right, you don’t need to worry about filling my boots or shoes you do your own thing, you’re your own player and I’ll try guide you along the way.
“To sort of have those words from him just gave me a bit of confidence that I didn’t have any shoes to fill it was more about doing my job and creating my own sort of mark on the game and I’ll always have help around me.”
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