Senior at crossroads as surgery ends his campaign

The former Great Britain star, 35, will undergo surgery next month after scans confirmed he tore his anterior cruciate ligament and damaged cartilage against Harlequins on Friday.

He will be out of action for between four and six months but, given that his contract expires at the end of the season, realises his future at Headingley Carnegie is likely to be in doubt.

“I was devastated after the specialist confirmed the worst news,” said Senior, who has played 560 career games after starting at Sheffield Eagles in 1995, scoring 248 tries.

“The injury is similar to the one that Kallum Watkins had last year and he was back in training after four months so that is my immediate goal after the surgery.

“Hopefully, everything will go well and my aim is to return to playing next season.”

In Senior’s favour, he has never received a serious injury during 17 remarkable campaigns.

One of the most durable players in Super League, in which he holds the records for most tries and appearances, he will still hope to earn a new deal for 2012.

Leeds coach Brian McDermott said: “Keith has been outstanding for us this season both on and off the field. When we had our dip earlier in the year, he did everything possible to pull us through and since we have had an upturn in form, Keith has consistently been one of our top performers.”

Senior joins a list of backs who are currently out injured for the Rhinos which includes Brent Webb, Ben Jones-Bishop, Kallum Watkins and Danny McGuire.

Sheffield coach Mark Aston – a team-mate of Senior’s when Eagles stunned Wigan to win the Challenge Cup in 1998 – will take charge of Ireland for the 2013 World Cup.

The ex-Great Britain scrum half, 43, has been appointed as successor to Andy Kelly, whose contract was not renewed earlier this year.

Aston, who is also chief executive at Sheffield, will work part-time with Ireland and continue to coach the Eagles.

Bradford winger Gareth Raynor has been handed a two-match ban as a result of his sending-off in the Bulls’ 26-22 Challenge Cup defeat by Wigan on Sunday.

Raynor was dismissed half-an-hour into the tie for a high tackle on Warriors full-back Sam Tomkins.