FORMER Saints forward Andre Savelio has suffered a cruel blow to the start of his career in Australia after picking up a serious knee injury which has ended his 2018.

Savelio suffered damage to his ACL just 14 minutes into his first game for Brisbane Broncos in a warm-up game against Central Capras.

The 22-year-old, who played for Saints before joining Warrington in 2017, will require a knee reconstruction which is expected to end his year meaning he will not feature in any of the NRL season.

Brisbane Broncos high performance manager Jeremy Hickmans said Savelio is due to see a surgeon on Wednesday and is expected to undergo surgery next week.

Savelio, who made his Saints first-team debut in 2014, had signed a two-year deal with the Broncos.