VETERAN centre Paul Newlove must be feeling down in the dumps after suffering two crushing blows to his career.

He has been ruled out of action for 10 weeks after dislocating his thumb during Friday night's 34-38 defeat against Wigan Warriors.

And he has been told that he will have to seek pastures new at the end of the season after Saints turned down the opportunity to renew his contract.

The club has decided that the 31-year-old is surplus to requirements as they bid to restructure their squad for Super League IX.

Saints coach Ian Millward said: "We've had some tough decisions to make here at St. Helens and they don't come any tougher than telling a great player like Paul that we won't be offering him a new contract. But this is another step in replenishing the squad for future seasons.

"Paul has been a terrific player for the club and scored some great tries. His strike rate in terms of tries per game over a long career is incredible (66 per cent).

"But more than that his attitude around the club has been great and he's just a great guy to have around.

"I just hope Paul can continue that form, which has been great this season after his injury last term, and put in a strong final season here to go out on a high. I know the fans are going to want to give him a big send off too."

Newlove, currently in his ninth season at Saints, joined the club in November 1995 from Bradford.

He made a try scoring debut in Saints' 58-10 Stones Bitter Centenary Championship victory over Workington Town and holds the record for the highest number of tries scored in a Super League season.

He set the record with 28 touch downs in 1996. He scored three hat-tricks that season and bagged tries in nine successive rounds.

Newlove's first professional club was Featherstone. They signed him from amateur side Travellers and he made his senior debut on the wing seven weeks after his 17th birthday in an 18-0 Yorkshire Cup defeat at Hull on September 27, 1988.

He moved to Bradford for £245,000 - a record for both clubs and the highest recorded fee set by the transfer tribunal - in August 1993.

Newlove scored a try on his debut at centre in Bradford's 32-18 Division One home win against Widnes on August 29, 1993.

Two years later, he joined Saints in a world record £500,000 deal with Bradford receiving £250,000 plus Sonny Nickle, Paul Loughlin and Bernard Dwyer.