It is not certain yet but all the signs are that Sam Burgess will miss the rest of the season in what would be another crushing blow for the Bulls.

The 19-year-old Great Britain prop had an inconclusive scan on his shoulder injury on Monday and will have a second scan tomorrow.

But Bulls coach Steve McNamara, who has had more than his fair share of injured players to contend with in 2008, is expecting that second scan to confirm Burgess will need surgery, which would rule him out of both the rest of the engage Super League campaign and England’s World Cup trip Down Under.

However, by getting Super League’s Young Player of the Year under the knife early it would not only ensure that he is ready for the start of the 2009 season but that he also gets a full pre-season under his belt.

McNamara said: “All the indications from the first scan are there that Sam would require surgery and, with him being a young boy, we have to look after his best interests.

“We will wait for definite news until after the second scan but the likelihood is that we will get him in for surgery as quickly as possible.

“He is a 19-year-old boy who has already had one shoulder operation and and we have his own interest, our interest and his international interest to bear in mind.

“And I am adamant that Sam gets a full pre-season in. The season, including internationals, is so long for some of our young players that they really pay the price for not having a full pre-season, and it affects them for the rest of their careers.

“We need to get Sam in early for his operation, get him prepared for next season and get a full pre-season into him – for his future health as well as his current health.”

Burgess, who came through a training session yesterday morning at Rawdon Meadows, said: “My shoulder feels pretty good but I will find out more tomorrow.

“I am in the hands of the specialist and what he feels is best for the club and me in the long-term.”

Burgess’ absence would be another massive downer for the Bulls’ hopes of achieving Grand Final glory, but would also be a sizeable blow for England coach Tony Smith, with Burgess expecting to be a major star for the Lions.

The all-action forward has been taking pain-killing injections for most of the season and hoped to battle through until the end of the campaign.

McNamara admitted last month some of the punishment his player had gone through was “cruel” but Burgess, who recently signed a new three-year deal, refused to back down and has been the club’s most consistent performer.

However, after pulling up against Huddersfield and missing the game at Warrington last Friday, he has now accepted defeat.

Burgess had major surgery on the same shoulder last winter and, if the scan confirms the worst, his expected recovery time from the operation will be four months.