David Solomona could be back in action as early as the end of this month after some surprise news over his injury.

The Samoan went under the knife on Monday expecting to be sidelined for ten weeks after surgery to fix his damaged shoulder.

But following the op he came around to be met by an unexpectedly positive result.

The surgeon had decided the Bulls player didn’t need a full repair job yet but merely a simple clean-out, which requires a far shorter recovery time.

Instead of late May/early June, Solomona might be available again as soon as the trip to Castleford Tigers on March 29.

Boss Steve McNamara said: “Sol will be back a lot quicker than we thought.

“We’re looking now at three to six weeks, which obviously is great news.

“Andy Lynch went to see his specialist yesterday too, so we’re awaiting news on that, while Jamie Langley has been doing some contact training this week as well.”

Second-rower Solomona dislocated his shoulder only minutes after coming on to the field against Hull KR on opening day.

It was a massive blow for the former Kiwi international, 31, who was keen to exert his influence this season, the final year of his Odsal contract.

Bradford, who have managed just three tries in their first two games, could currently certainly do with some of his creative skills in their bid to prize open stubborn Super League defences.

Greg Bird’s collapsed move – the Australian Test No 6 today completed a deal with Super League rivals Catalans Dragons – has also left the Bulls lacking.

However, at least McNamara now knows he will able to call on the services of one of his most experienced and potentially dangerous players soon.

And the player himself is looking forward to returning to the fray.

“It’s disappointing any time to get an injury but thankfully it’s not a bad one,” he said.

“The op went well and we had some good news.

“Having seen Todd Byrne at Hull be told he’s out for the season, you realise this is just a minor one, so I’m not complaining.”

The Bulls are looking to kick-start their campaign at Wigan on Saturday night following a draw and a loss so far.

Solomona said: “Ever since I’ve been here we’ve started pretty bad but we’ve had a few injuries.

“We need to get a win this week and can’t settle for anything else.

“I’m still happy with the way we’re playing; we just need to finish off our chances.”

Meanwhile, Solomona’s former Bulls team-mate Simon Finnigan has been told he could be out for around six weeks.

The Huddersfield player damaged knee ligaments on his return to Odsal last Friday night and is now missing until late April.