Melbourne Storm fans are being mocked on social media after their team’s star fullback, Ryan Papenhuyzen, claimed that they’re “leaning in” to their NRL title favouritism. The Storm are the betting favourites to win the premiership this year, and Papenhuyzen believes they deserve the tag.
However, not everyone is convinced. Fans of other teams are taking to social media to poke fun at the Storm’s title hopes, with many suggesting that they’ll choke under the pressure.
“Melbourne Storm thinking they’re favourites for the title? Please, they’ll bottle it as usual,” one fan tweeted.
Another fan joked, “The Storm are like the Richmond Tigers of the NRL – all hype and no substance.”
Despite the criticism, Papenhuyzen remains confident that his team can handle the pressure. “We acknowledge that we’re favourites, but we’re not shying away from it,” he said. “We know we’ve got a strong team and we’re going to lean into it.”
The Storm’s coach, Craig Bellamy, has also backed his team to deliver. “We’ve got a great squad and we’re confident that we can go all the way,” he said.
However, the Storm will face a tough test in their next match against Penrith, who are looking to win their fifth consecutive premiership. The match is set to be a thrilling encounter, with many predicting that it will be a grand final preview.
Only time will tell if the Storm can live up to their title hopes, but one thing is certain – they’ll be under intense pressure to deliver.
“Lean into it?” one fan joked. “More like lean into the pressure cooker and see how they handle it.”