Bulls ace Shontayne Hape is out for the rest of the season.

The devastated centre has ruptured knee cruciate ligaments for a THIRD time and will now miss six months of action.

Hape limped off in the second half of Sunday's shock defeat against Catalans Dragons after being sandwiched in a heavy tackle while filling in at full back.

A scan yesterday confirmed the worst and his cruel loss will severely dent the club's hopes of Super League success.

One of the world's finest three-quarters, New Zealand star Hape had started the campaign on fire and helped thrust the Bulls to the top of the table.

Boss Steve McNamara admitted the news was a massive blow.

"Shontayne's been fantastic and we all know what he can do," he said.

"We're really, really disappointed to lose him like this but as much as we're disappointed, it's a huge one for him.

"He's obviously choked and cut up.

"It looks like he'll miss the rest of the season. It's possible he could be back if we get to the play-offs but it's five to six months at least."

Hape, 25, had begun to forge an awesome combination with Kiwi team-mates David Solomona and Lesley Vainikolo down the club's left-hand side.

Last season's ever-present leading scorer has bagged 78 tries in 114 Bulls games and had already notched five this year, enhancing his reputation as one of the game's most dangerous players.

Hape suffered the same long-term injury to his right knee as a teenager at Auckland Warriors before joining the Bulls in 2003.

He then endured the agony again while in Tri Nations action a year later and missed most of Bradford's 2005 campaign.

However, he has avoided a "disastrous" third op on the same knee as this latest problem has struck on his left.

McNamara added: "Shonny's recovered from two cruciate ops on the other knee and we're sure he'll recover from this one.

"We're all thinking about him at the moment and hoping he comes through this.

"We'll help him through and hopefully he will get back for the end of the season.

"It's a massive misfortune for him to get another injury like this but it gives someone else an opportunity to stake a claim and that's why we have a squad.

"Fingers crossed you don't go through things like this but we have and now we must get on."

James Evans, who came on and scored twice against Catalans, is the obvious replacement when the Bulls face Castleford in the Carnegie Challenge Cup on Friday.

McNamara will give fitness tests to Michael Platt and Jamie Langley, with both having picked up calf strains on Sunday.

Hape is set for surgery in the next fortnight.

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