Buderus requires surgery to foot

Newcastle Knights captain Danny Buderus has been told he requires surgery for a foot injury and could be out of action for up to two months.

Buderus returned to Newcastle last week after playing in England for the Tri-Nations tournament against New Zealand and Great Britain.

He says the surgery will leave him little time to recover in the off-season before the 2005 competition kicks off in March.

"It won't give me much time to have a break, that's the only thing, just straight into a boot and crutches and all that, so we'll see what we can do there...we might be able to get it done in the New Year or done before Christmas," he said.

Buderus was also named the Best Player of 2004 at the inaugural Rugby League Professional Association Awards dinner in Sydney on Saturday night.