Newcastle want their supporters to turn out in numbers to farewell Danny Buderus on Saturday night, although the veteran hooker has almost certainly played his last NRL game.

Knights captain Buderus, who will join English club Leeds next season, tore the biceps on his right arm with 10 minutes remaining in Saturday night's 38-24 win over North Queensland.

Buderus will undergo an MRI scan to determine the extent of the injury, but Knights doctor Neil Halpin said Buderus was next to no chance of returning this season.

"It will require surgery. It's a very nasty tear," Halpin said.

"He won't play again this year I wouldn't think.

"We'll wait for the scan but on the appearance of the elbow last night I can't see him getting back this year."

Halpin said at worst the injury could keep Buderus out for six months, with the full extent of the problem to be known on Monday morning.

The timing of the injury is a cruel blow to the Test and NSW star, who has played 220 first grade games in his 12 seasons with the Knights.

The club had planned for next Saturday night's last home match against Melbourne to be Buderus' farewell.

He will now spend it on the sideline but Knights chief executive Steve Burraston said the club would still make it a "very big occasion" and called on fans to turn out in force.

"I hope we get a huge crowd because he absolutely deserves that," Burraston said.

"I was at the club when he came along as a little skinny 17-year-old from Taree and he's given us tremendous service, as well as NSW and Australia, and he's been a model citizen off the field as well.

"So he deserves a big send-off and I hope the people give him that."

It's the second time in as many years the Knights have been denied a playing farewell for one of their stars.

Legendary halfback Andrew Johns played his last match without realising it in round three last season before being forced to retire with a neck injury.

Burraston said Buderus ranked a close second to halfback-of-the-century Johns as the Knights' greatest ever player.

"That's one thing about Danny Buderus, he was probably a bit unlucky that he played his career at a time when Andrew Johns was playing," Burraston said.

"Because at any other time and any other player other than Andrew Johns, Danny would have gone down in history as our best player.

"In all honestly, Joey was the best, but Bedsy wasn't all that far off him."

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