By Phil Gordos

Sculthorpe missed out on Saints' Grand Final win over Hull FC

Clutching a can of celebratory lager, he hobbled down the corridor to the team bus, his right knee still very stiff following the surgery that had brought his season to a premature end.

Sculthorpe had every right to feel a little rueful after missing his side's Super League Grand Final win over Hull FC, but he is not one for wallowing in self pity.

Instead, he preferred to laud the achievements of his team-mates, in particular Paul Wellens and Jamie Lyon.

Wellens landed the Harry Sunderland Trophy for his man-of-the-match display in the 26-4 defeat of Hull.

Just a few days prior to the Grand Final, the 26-year-old full-back had also been named Man of Steel, becoming the fifth Saints winner of the honour in the past seven years.

Wellens was named Super League's Man of Steel this season

For Sculthorpe, it is about time Wellens started getting the rewards his play merits.

"Paul was outstanding against Hull but he plays like that every week," said the 29-year-old forward.

"He has been brilliant for years but has not always got the coverage he deserved.

"Now he is, and I'm delighted for him."

A lot of the media attention has invariably been focused on Lyon, Sean Long and Keiron Cunningham in 2006.

All three have played a key role in the club's clean sweep of domestic honours, although this year's success has been very much a team affair.

Long and Cunningham will be back again for more in 2007, but Lyon will be back home in Australia, playing for Manly in the NRL.

The centre's departure will leave a big hole at Saints, but Sculthorpe is confident the team will cope without one of their stars.

We're going to miss him [Lyon] but in Matt Gidley we have a quality replacement Paul Sculthorpe

"Jamie is not only a great player, he is a great bloke, too," said Sculthorpe. "He doesn't like the media attention, he just loves playing. That's all he wants to do.

"Of course we are going to miss him, but in Matt Gidley we have a quality replacement.

"He is a great player in his own right and comes here with a fantastic reputation."

Sculthorpe hopes he can make a big impact next year, too, after choosing to bring forward the operation to clean out his troublesome knee.

It was a calculated decision, one he hoped would ensure he missed as little playing time as possible in 2007.

But it meant he sat out his side's Grand Final triumph as well as Great Britain's forthcoming Tri-Nations campaign in Australia and New Zealand.

Not only that, as captain of both club and country he also forfeited certain other rights.

He has already seen Long, his deputy, hold aloft the Super League trophy in front of a capacity crowd at Old Trafford.

Should Britain overcome the odds and win the Tri-Nations, Sculthorpe would also miss out on leading the Lions to one of their greatest successes.

Sculthorpe has pocketed his fair share of accolades in his career.

He has won Grand Finals and Challenge Cups with Saints as well as becoming the first player to win back-to-back Man of Steel awards, thanks to his successes in 2001 and 2002.

I'm into my rehabilitation and ready to rip into training when I get the green light Paul Sculthorpe

But just when he should be enhancing his place as one of the greats of the British game, he finds himself just where he does not want to be - stuck on the sidelines. Sculthorpe has been in this unfortunate position before.

While his career may not exactly have been blighted by injury, he has spent more time on the operating table and in the treatment room than he would like.

He missed last year's Tri-Nations Series because of a knee problem when he should have been captaining Great Britain for the first time.

Then when he finally got to lead the Lions out against New Zealand at Knowsley Road in June, his involvement lasted just 16 minutes thanks to more damaged knee ligaments.

The increasing frequency of his injuries coupled with the suggestion that he may not be the player he once was has led to wild rumours of an imminent retirement.

He vehemently rejects any talk of being forced to quit - and few who know him well would write off his chances of bouncing back better than ever.

"I'm aiming to be back in time for the start of next season," he said. "That's the hope anyway.

"It's been hard not playing, but I'm on the road to recovery now.

"I'm into my rehabilitation and ready to rip into training when I get the green light."

To achieve his goal he will be toiling away with the weights in the gym and spending time with the physiotherapist while everyone else is either on international duty or taking a well-earned break.