Ryan Papenhuyzen has broken his silence about his decision to quit the Melbourne Storm and rugby league, declaring: “I’ve come to a point in my career where I’d like to explore life beyond the game I’ve dedicated myself to.”

The Storm star and fan favourite stunned the league world on Thursday when he walked away from the remaining year on his contract worth around $925,000.

The 27-year-old has been heavily linked with rebel rugby competition R360 , which does not start for another 12 months, and is yet to be formally given the green light to commence.

Papenhuyzen took to social media late Friday to address his rapid exit, and made it clear he would never forget the friendships he forged in the Victorian capital.

“First of all, I just want to thank everyone who’s reached out over th

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