Bulls prop Paul Anderson could be facing a major reconstruction of his knee after suffering suspected severe ligament damage in Sunday's warm-up clash with St Helens.

Anderson will not learn the full extent of the injury until he has an exploratory operation on Thursday but the Odsal medical staff are fearing the worst.

"I don't want to act as judge and jury on Paul's injury and it would be nice to think things are not as bad as feared but we are expecting confirmation that he will need a reconstruction."

That would rule the giant forward out of the entire Super League season and Elliott says the whole club feels for him.

"He has worked really hard on his fitness in the off-season and we had stripped 5kg off him," said Elliott.

"He was fitter than he has even been and was really looking the part. He is obviously devastated but our job now is to give him all the support we can and help him make the speediest recovery possible."

But fears that young second-rower Warren Jowitt may also be on the long-term casualty list after limping off against Saints were dispelled by Elliott.

Jowitt broke an ankle last season and the prospects did not look promising when he was helped off but Elliott said: "There's no lasting problem. He is OK."

Elliott and his squad now turn their attentions to the start of their defence of the Super League crown at Huddersfield Giants on Friday week when winger Jon Scales (broken thumb), Bernard Dwyer (groin) and Shaun Edwards (hamstring) will all be available again.

"We will have a lighter week this week with the players taking Wednesday and Thursday off but they'll be back in on Friday and then it's full steam ahead for Huddersfield.

"The players have been in pre-season mode for a long time now and I think they showed on Sunday they are raring to go."

Paul Sculthorpe should be available to make his Super League debut for St Helens against Salford a week on Sunday despite concern that the loose-forward, who cost Saints a world record fee for a forward of £370,000 when he moved from Warrington during the close season, had broken his leg during his side's 62-22 defeat at Odsal.

X-rays have revealed no fracture and the 20-year-old should be available for selection when Saints open their Super League campaign at The Willows on April 5.

There is bleaker news, though, for two of Saints' other casualties - winger Chris Smith and prop Apollo Perelini.

They were also injured against the Bulls and football manager Gerald Sutcliffe said: "Chris has an ankle ligament injury. It's badly swollen and he'll be out for perhaps three weeks or so.

"Apollo's got damaged knee ligaments and he'll be out for a similar length of time."

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