Thursday 23rd April 09

Bradford Bulls’ promising centre Jason Crookes will miss the rest of the season with cruciate ligament damage.

Crookes, who turned 19 on Tuesday and made his engage Super League debut last month, hurt his knee in the Bulls’ defeat at Wakefield Wildcats on Easter Monday and an MRI scan yesterday confirmed his worst fears.

“Jason is a young player who had just got himself on the edge of the first team having made three appearances, and it’s very disappointing,” said Bradford coach Steve McNamara.

“He was providing us with good cover and trying to establish himself in our first team.”

The Bulls suffered another blow when 18-year-old full-back Kieran Hyde was told he faces a lay-off of between six and eight weeks with a broken scaphoid.

Hyde, who has yet to play in Super League but was 18th man against Warrington Wolves last Friday, damaged his wrist in the reserves’ game at Castleford Tigers.