Pryce has made 25 appearances for Saints this term, scoring nine tries

St Helens' stand-off Leon Pryce could be out for the remainder of the season after suffering a neck injury.

Pryce, 29, missed Saints' Challenge Cup semi-final against Leeds on Saturday.

He told BBC Sport: "I had a problem with my neck and had a scan yesterday [Friday], which revealed a few problems in the neck area.

"I have got to have it re-assessed in three weeks and if it is still the same I will need an operation and may be out for the rest of the season."

Pryce had been hoping to help Saints to a fourth Challenge Cup final in five years, after the side's semi-final defeat to Huddersfield in last year's competition.

"I am absolutely gutted, devastated really," the Saints' 2009 top try-scorer said.

It was OK last week but straight after the game it flared up and didn't get any better during the week Leon Pryce

"I was expecting to play [against Leeds], I didn't think there was much wrong but they told me if I had played and taken a bang on it, it could have been very serious."

The Great Britain stand-off, who was last picked for the national side in 2008, added that he believed the injury was sustained in Saints' 50-6 Super League victory over Wakefield in July.

"I think I did it against Wakefield two weeks ago," Pryce said. "I got hit on the back of my head in a tackle. It was OK last week [against Warrington] but straight after the game it flared up and didn't get any better during the week."

The timing is particularly unfortunate for Pryce, who said earlier this week that he was was playing the best rugby of his Saints' career, following the departure of half-back Sean Long at the start of the season.

"I've had to adapt my game this year," Pryce said. "I played with a dominant half-back like Sean for so long and I've tried to be a bit more creative and not rely so much on my running game. I think I've done that.

"I'm really pleased with my form. I think it's definitely the best I've played since I've been at Saints.

"It's given me more responsibility. I've had a lot more ball and it's something I've enjoyed. I think I am a player who needs to be challenged."

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