Learning from the performance specialist who helped the likes of Tiger Woods and fellow NRL star Latrell Mitchell recover from injuries has been an eye-opening experience for Melbourne Storm gun Ryan Papenhuyzen.

The severity of the fractured knee cap that ended Papenhuyzen’s 2022 season and his desire to return as dynamic as he was before the injury turned the Storm fullback to renowned high-performance trainer and conditioner Bill Knowles.

Papenhuyzen is still in the US working with Knowles, who lists Woods and a raft of other sporting superstars among the high-profile clientele he has helped produce their best after serious injuries. Knowles worked with Mitchell last year to help him address his hamstring issues.

Papenhuyzen said his first week with Knowles had been a “discovery” and his phone was filled with notes he was constantly referring to and would continue to do so as he continued his path back to the NRL.

“I tried to come in without much expectation, but it’s already been a week – and I know it’s a very cliche thing to say – but seriously, if you looked at the notes on my phone, I don’t think you could write more, and it’s only been a week,” Papenhuyzen said on Thursday.

“Just learning that way and I’m obviously over here with one of our physios too and he’s learned a lot.

“Every conversation every morning and every night is just what we learned that day and every day it’s something new.

“There’s a lot of information to retain, but at the same time I’m feeling better personally, and the leg is feeling better most importantly.”

A round 1 return for Papenhuyzen isn’t yet locked in, but while he knows he will get back, he said working with Knowles had given him the confidence that when he does come back he’ll be fully ready to fire.

“He asked me this question when I walked in, ‘When do you expect to be back’?” Papenhuyzen told SEN.

“I’ve been pretty strong with it the whole time … I said, ‘I haven’t really thought about the date, I know I’ll come back but I want to come back right’.

“That’s when that conversation started because, ‘You might get cleared by your medics, but have you done your training?’.

“I don’t really have a date in mind, it’s about getting back to a level where I feel I can perform well again.

“But the thing that really resonated with me is that I want to come back and perform, not just come back.

“That’s what he’s really highlighted, which is, ‘You’ll come back, no doubt about it, but there’s a difference between coming back and coming back performing’.

“I think we just sort of cleared out a way of figuring that out and not being influenced by outside noise and sticking to our reconditioning process.

“Once I got that down pat, and once I’m confident and getting reps in, I should be ready to go.”

The Storm opens its 2023 campaign against grand finalists Parramatta on March 2.