Agony for Sculthorpe as injury wrecks final dream

Sep 1 2008 by Ian Laybourn, Liverpool Daily Post

ST HELENS players have been rallying around beleaguered club captain Paul Sculthorpe after his heart-breaking exit from the Challenge Cup final.

The former Great Britain skipper looks certain to have played his last match for the club after suffering a dislocated shoulder less than two minutes into Saturday’s 28-16 win over Hull at Wembley.

Sculthorpe was left reeling in agony after making an attempted tackle on Hull full- back Todd Byrne after the first set of six tackles.

He was taken straight to the dressing room, from where he disconsolately watched the rest of the game on television.

Keiron Cunningham, who took over the captaincy of the team for last year’s Cup win over Catalans Dragons and led them out on his eighth Cup final appearance, admitted the injury had tarnished Saints’ third successive triumph.

He had intended to invite Sculthorpe to join with him in lifting the trophy but the loose forward was too distraught to even collect his medal.

"I waited for everybody to get up there and I was looking for him to come across," said Cunningham. "I was hoping to lift the trophy with him but, unfortunately, he was in too much pain to be out there.

"You’ve got to feel for the guy. He missed out on Wembley last year and I genuinely thought he was gong to have a big push and today was going to be his day.

"It’s one thing after another for him and it’s taken some of the gloss off our victory.

"We don’t know what Scully is doing next year but it would have been nice for him to have put in a good performance and I was hoping it would have been the Lance Todd for him. It’s sad really."

The dislocated shoulder is the latest setback for Sculthorpe, who has been hit by knee and Achilles injuries over the last three years, and casts serious doubt over his future in the game.

The back-to- back winner of the prestigious Man of Steel award has been told by St Helens that his contract will not be renewed at the end of the season and, after a proposed move to Wakefield fell through, he was hoping a strong finish to the season would spark fresh interest from other clubs.

Now Sculthorpe looks certain to sit out Saints’ bid to complete the League and Cup double and could be contemplating retirement.

Full-back Paul Wellens, who won the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match, said: "We are absolutely gutted for him.""I know how much the game means to him and how much effort he has put in to getting himself fit over the last few years.

"You wouldn’t wish that on anybody and certainly not Scully. It is probably the only thing that has taken a bit of gloss off the occasion.

"He was pretty inconsolable and that’s where we come in. We’ll help him through these tough times.

"Scully is the type of person who would help anyone with anything and that’s probably what makes it harder to take.

"He’s a strong person and a strong character and I’m sure it won’t be long before he has a smile on his face."

Stand-off Leon Pryce, whose late try wrapped up Saints’ victory, said: "We’re really disappointed for him. You wouldn’t wish that on any player."