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Papenhuyzen out for 'four-to-six weeks' with fracture

Melbourne's star fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen has suffered a lower-leg fracture in a nailbiting 22-20 win over gallant Gold Coast.

The Storm No.1 clutched at his right ankle after making a tackle late in the first half of Saturday's clash at Robina.

It was the same ankle he broke in week one of the finals against Brisbane last year - having already missed 13 months with a shattered kneecap.

The 25-year-old was in a moon boot and on crutches after fulltime, having set up two tries and scoring one of his own.

Papenhuyzen went immediately for scans and later posted on Instagram, referencing the plate he had inserted after last year's break.

"Thank for the love. Little fracture above the plate, be back soon," Papenhuyzen wrote.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy felt for his in-form star post-match.

"I don't know how much bad luck you can have," he said.

On Sunday, Storm's director of football Frank Ponissi gave an update on the No.1's prognosis.

"Scans last night showed Paps has a small fracture to the fibula in the same ankle he injured last year," Ponissi said.

"The injury will likely require surgery, which will keep Paps sidelined between four and six weeks."

Halfback Jahrome Hughes said he felt his calf "pop" early in the game and is no certainty to play against Cronulla in the NRL's top-of-the-table clash.

Hughes's injury came on the back of Papenhuyzen's woes and a knee problem for winger Sua Faalogo, who had filled in when Storm's No.1 went off.

Faalogo had earlier left the field for an HIA, which he passed before returning.

Hughes is keen to line up against the Sharks on Saturday but was unsure whether he would be fit.

"In the first 10 minutes I felt (my calf)," Hughes told AAP after the win at Robina.

"I am not too sure exactly what it is, just that it is in my calf. I felt it pop.

"I feel as though I won't be playing next week, but I will get scans and hopefully it is not too bad.

"I want to play but it is still pretty sore at the moment."

When asked why he remained on the field, Hughes said: "I was keen to come off but then the boys started dropping like flies.

"Poor Paps got injured again and Sua came off.

"I spoke to the physio and asked if I should stay on and he said, 'So long as it doesn't get any worse'.

"I felt like a bit of a traffic cone out there for a while. I was there, but I wasn't really there."

Utility Ryan Wishart could be called on, or Nick Meaney switched from centre to play No.1 against the Sharks.

"We had a bad night with injuries, especially our fullbacks," Bellamy said.

"Ryan Wishart did a good job there when he came on. When Sua went off the second time he felt something in his knee.

"They are not too sure what that is, so we will have to get that checked out too."

Bellamy praised the commitment of Hughes to play through the pain.

"Hughesy is an example of our resilience," Bellamy said.

"He felt his calf in the first 10 minutes but because it was so early in the game, and because of our injuries, we asked him to hang in here.

"He didn't run the ball much but he hung in for us and that is showing the resilience we (have) probably lacked the last couple of years."

The Storm have won seven matches this season, six of them by eight points or fewer, in a sign of the grit they have added to their game.

"People on the outside say that we are just winning games, and probably think we should be winning by heaps of points," Hughes said.

"You'd rather win close games than not win them.

"There is a lot of fight in this team at the moment and we are going to need that to contend at the end of the year."