 Sculthorpe has missed the last two Tri-Nations tournaments |
St Helens skipper Paul Sculthorpe has returned to light training but the club are refusing to put a date on when the loose forward will make his comeback. Sculthorpe, 29, is currently rehabilitating from the latest in a series of serious knee injuries.
And coach Daniel Anderson said: "We'll probably be a bit circumspect in the way we go about his introduction into the Super League this year.
"How long it takes is how long it takes. There is no set time."
Anderson, whose team won last season's Grand Final and Challenge Cup, is determined to make sure Sculthorpe makes a full long-term recovery.
 | I'm not going to rush it, which I probably did last year |
"If by round four, round six or round eight, we get a fit Paul Sculthorpe, it would be a great mid-season acquisition for us," added Anderson.
"We'll make sure he's in it for the long haul and doesn't come all guns blazing for a month and it breaks down. We want Paul to play this year and for years to come."
Sculthorpe will travel to Dubai next week for Saints' pre-season training camp.
"I'm back running, just straight-line running at the moment, but I'm hoping to increase that in Dubai with things like sprinting and agility work," said Sculthorpe.
"It's gone really well but no date has been set. I'll just see how things go.
"Fitness-wise it's not a problem. I've never been as fit as I am now with the training that I've been doing but there is nothing like playing.
"I'm not going to rush it, which I probably did last year. I didn't get it fully sorted and I was rushing to get back."
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