St Helens legend Paul Sculthorpe has retired from rugby league at the age of 30 after struggling with a string of injuries.
Saints legend hangs up his boots after three years of injury hell
St Helens legend Paul Sculthorpe has retired from rugby league at the age of 30 after struggling with a string of injuries.
Sculthorpe has played just 30 games in the last two years due to injuries to his knee, Achillies and shoulder - and he was told during the season that he would not be offered a new deal by St Helens.
Moves to Salford and Wakefield fell through and after suffering a heartbreaking shoulder injury in the Challenge Cup final Sculthorpe has decided enough is enough.
Sculthorpe dislocated his shoulder in the opening minutes of St Helens' win over Hull at Wembley, and he says that he has now hung his boots up for good.
"I knew I had a slight shoulder injury and I'd made the decision to quit earlier this year," Sculthorpe told
Sky Sports 2.
Disappointed
"I'm obviously disappointed to go out in this way but there was definitely no chance I could carry on.
"I have a young family now and I just couldn't have kept on running my body into the ground.
"I've had some horrendous injuries during my time but I've had a tremendous career. I have loved every minute of it.
"I'm ready for a new challenge and I have a few irons in the fire but I haven't got anything planned yet.
"I seriously couldn't pull on another shirt other than the Red Vee and face the Saints.
"The last three years have been a horrendously difficult time for me in terms of injuries."
Praise
St Helens chairman Eamon McManus led the tributes to the club captain, praising Sculthorpes contribution to club and country.
"Scully has been a colossus of the game, both at club and national level," said McManus.
"We are blessed to have had a player and a person of such high calibre at the club over the last decade.
"He has been instrumental to both our success, image and reputation. He is too high quality a person and too rare a commodity to be lost to the club"
Former Great Britain skipper Sculthorpe was made St Helens captain in 2004 after joining from Warrington in a world record deal worth £370,000 in 1997.
The first player to win consecutive Man of Steel awards, Sculthorpe led Saints as they dominated the game and scored 1,246 points from 261 appearances in a St Helens shirt - ninth on the club's list of all-time scorers.
