Castleford Tigers and Luke Gale frustrated after an inconsistent campaign

The England international has still yet to play this year after tearing his Achilles tendon in pre-season training.

He hopes to return before the end of the campaign but, in the meantime, the 2017 League Leaders remain up and down.

They head to Wakefield Trinity tonight on the back of an 18-10 home defeat to Leeds Rhinos, a loss that saw them slip out of the play-off places with just two wins in their last six outings.

Gale, 31, conceded: “It has been up and down. The week before against London was great.

“But we are doing it tough. We had (Pete) Mata’utia at half-back v Leeds who’s not a recognised half-back and young Cory Aston as well who’s done good for us.

“It’s tough on those men, though, to come in and be asked to do a job against a spirited Leeds team. It’s just inconsistent. That’s the main thing. One week we turn up great, the next indifferent.

“Powelly’s probably frustrated with that and the boys are as well.

“They know if they turn up like they can, they can beat anyone. Yet, if they don’t, they get beat and that’s what we have to iron out.”

Castleford’s chances of success should be improved this evening by the return of half-back Jake Trueman, the reigning Super League Young Player of the Year who missed his first game of the season against Leeds.

Meanwhile, Gale – who sat out much of last year with a fractured kneecap – remains confident of playing in 2019 even if his coach is not saying as much.

“Powelly is going to say I’m not coming back, probably to take pressure off me,” said the former Bradford Bulls captain.

“It might come a bit too soon. Who knows? But it feels good, we’ve been progressing really well and everything the physio throws at me I keep doing.

“It’s a six-to-nine month injury and I’m just short of six months now. When will I be back is the million dollar question. I bet I get asked 20 times a day.

“The honest answer is I don’t know. In my head I’d say eight weeks but that takes you right to the back end of the season.

“After what I’ve gone through these last 18 months that’s why they probably want to hold me back.”