The rugby league world will hold its collective breath when Storm star Ryan Papenhuyzen makes his return from a shattered patella this weekend after more than 12 months out of the game.
And while everyone has followed his journey closely, few know the trauma quite like Roosters skipper James Tedesco, who suffered a similar injury nine years ago while also playing against the Raiders.
Tedesco fractured his kneecap after colliding with Terry Campese just 15 seconds into the game, with the injury ending his season two years after his debut was ruined by a devastating ACL tear.
Papenhuyzen’s injury was worse and has kept him sidelined for more than a year, but he’ll ease his way back via the Queensland Cup in a bid to return to the NRL in time for the finals.
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“It is a tough injury,” Tedesco said.
“Mine wasn’t as bad as his, but it’s a weird one because it’s not a ligament, muscle or tissue. It’s just a bone, and when you’re not too confident in that, it’s hard (to come back), especially in our position because you have to be agile, you have to be fast and you have to be able to move sharply.
“I hope he has no setbacks and he’s all good from here.
“I remember when I did mine, I thought it was just a cork in my knee, but then I looked down and it was real dented and I couldn’t bend it because once you bend it, that’s the kneecap’s job.
“It was very painful at the start and I had to keep it straight for a couple of months. That and the ACL were a pretty similar process in that it’s about building the leg strength back and the confidence.
“It does take some time.”
The similarities between Tedesco and Papenhuyzen extend beyond the injuries with both fullbacks blessed with incredible speed, while their paths briefly crossed at the Wests Tigers before they went their separate ways.
It’s why Tedesco has reached out to the Storm fullback to offer some tips on how to rehab the injury.
“I was texting him a fair bit because I went through the same injury (although) his was a bit worse than mine with a couple more shatters,” he said.
“I’ve checked in with him a couple of times to see how it was going when I heard it wasn’t going too great and it was taking a long time.
“I gave him a couple of bits of advice that I had during that time which was to make sure that you build your quad strength up and told him about the different exercises I did during that time.
“I haven’t spoken to him for a while now, but we definitely (chatted) at the start when he was going through it all and had a few setbacks.”
Tedesco returned from that injury and had a breakout 2015 campaign on his way to becoming the best fullback in the world, but Papenhuyzen and the Storm are willing to take a much more patient approach after such a difficult 12 months.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet, so I’m sort of just going through the training week and trying to prepare like it’s a normal game,” Papenhuyzen said ahead of his return for the Falcons.
“It’s just been a while between drinks. It’s had its ups and downs and setbacks, and it’s probably taken a little bit longer than expected, but at the same time I’m happy I did that.
“It’s been long enough now that I feel ready, and I guess that’s the main thing about long-term rehab is that resistance to being ready.
“There are so many people to thank, and I’ll probably save that for another day, but I think it’s a big milestone and I need to celebrate the small wins along the way, and this is another one of them.
“It’s a big step to be back after such a significant injury. I want to be playing NRL, so I have a little bit to go to achieve the goals I want – I’ve just got to keep doing the work.”
