Frustrated Sculthorpe plots long road back to recovery

Despite signing last November, the former Wakefield prop has yet to make his debut for his new club following a horrific chain of events which has seen him hospitalised on three separate occasions for a total of seven weeks.

Luckless Sculthorpe caught an aberrant infection following a standard back operation in January and what should have been a lay-off of a few weeks turned into an ongoing drama that has wrecked his new start at Odsal.

The ruthless infection spread into his blood, causing septicaemia and serious complications for the player, made worse given he is an insulin-dependent diabetic.

After losing nearly two stones in weight, a result of severe appetite loss when he could barely stomach solid foods, the struggling 30-year-old has seen plenty of false starts in his bid for recovery.

Sculthorpe admitted to the Yorkshire Post last night: "I know now deep down I won't play this season at all. I can hardly put into words what it's been like.

"It's just been a nightmare and I'm sick of it all.

"I've just been back to see the surgeon – he's never dealt with anything like this before – and I'm on antibiotics for another two weeks. Nurses come around to my house each day and I've a Hickman line coming out of my chest for the drip.

"I've another antibiotic that they put through a syringe and it takes about three hours each time. It has got me down and I do get fed up with everything but you've got to push on.

"There is no other way. I've a family to think about and I will play again."

A decision will be made shortly as to whether Sculthorpe, who was confined to bed for large periods of his hospital stays, requires a further operation to fuse the problematic disc in his back.

He briefly joined up with his team-mates for some light training at the start of last month only to suffer another setback and return for another fortnight's stint in hospital.

"The pain comes and goes," explained the ex-Castleford Tigers front-row, who featured with Huddersfield Giants last season before agreeing a two-year deal with their West Yorkshire rivals.

"I could do a little bit of training one day but then not be able to do anything for the next three.

"I'd get numbness in my back and now I'm back to bed rest again.

"I know though, regardless of whether I have the op, I will definitely be fit for the start of November and pre-season. That's the main thing; I'll be flying next year and showing Bradford fans what I can do."

Sculthorpe – who had suffered no back issues since surgery in his Wigan days nine years ago – admits the club's current misfortunes add to his own woe.

They head to Hull KR on Saturday desperately aiming to avoid equalling a club record 10th successive defeat.

"They're going through a bad patch which makes it even worse for me," said Sculthorpe, who has been unable to bring himself to watch his team-mates during his troubles.

"I see them getting beat by Salford and just wish I could be out there helping them.

"Other clubs are getting there players back but we seem to be losing ours.

"The club have been really great though and what's happened to me this year has given me a real appetite to play again.

"Bradford will definitely see the best of me. I've effectively had a year's rest and I'll be back in 2011."

However, he will not get to play for the coach who signed him, Steve McNamara relieved of his duties last week and now in situ as England chief.

"Steve texted me a couple of days ago," said Sculthorpe.

"He's really busy now (at the RFL) but once he's settled in he's going to give me a call which will be good while (acting Bradford head coach) Lee St Hilaire has told me just to get right and come in when I'm ready.

"I'll find out soon what the next course of action is and we'll take it from there."