DANE Chisholm fears the toughest part on his long road back from year-ending injury is yet to come.

The 26-year-old Bulls talisman underwent knee reconstruction surgery last month after suffering damage when his studs caught in the turf as he was tackled in his comeback game against Hull KR in the Summer Bash.

The Aussie had 75 per cent of his meniscus cartilage removed and the patella tendon taken out before the anterior cruciate ligament could be rebuilt.

Chisholm admits he is coping well with the massive blow of being ruled out of the club's desperate scrap to stay in the Championship.

Yet as he begins the next phase of his rehabilitation work at Tong, he knows the most testing time is ahead of him.

Chisholm said: "It's a slow process but it's getting there. I've been doing all the right things to get the muscles in my knee working again because they haven't been for the last month.

"I've just started back doing upper body weights and hopefully I'll get on a watt bike soon and get my legs ticking over.

"I've been 100 per cent fine with it mentally. A lot of the boys have come over when I've been sitting at home to make sure I'm all right.

"It is frustrating but it hasn't kicked in yet. I think when all the hard work starts in the gym and you see all the boys out there playing footy, that's when it gets a bit harder.

"A few people I've spoken to who've had the same surgery say it's that five to seven-week period where it gets a bit tough. Now it's not too bad."

Chisholm had to bide his time while the drawn-out saga over his release from Sheffield Eagles played out. The Bulls eventually paid a fee believed to be about £10,000 to bring him back to Odsal.

His second stint with the club began with a bang as Chisholm notched a stunning solo try against Hull KR in Blackpool – only to end in agony when he felt the injury later in the game.

Chisholm said: "I finally got back to playing and then this happens – but that's just footy. I think it's probably my fault for picking the number 13 jersey! Maybe it's a bit of a curse.

"But it's happened and I've got my head round it now. I'm all right and just got to get back into full-time training. Hopefully I'll be able to do a bit of running again in the next month or so.

"You can do that pretty soon. I was able to walk almost straight away. But it's the changing direction and contact which is the big thing. That takes a long time.

"I came back here to help the club and try and get them out of this situation. But now I'm no help at all, which is pretty frustrating. I'm not saying I would change any of the results but you just want to be doing something."