Video: Luke Gale to decide if he is fit to play again this season for Castleford Tigers

CASTLEFORD Tigers' Luke Gale is expected to have the final say on whether he is fit enough after appendix surgery to return for his side's title push.

The England scrum-half will miss their final two Super 8s games at Wigan Warriors on Sunday and versus Hull FC next Friday after Tuesday’s emergency operation.

League Leaders’ Shield winners Castleford hope he will be fit for their home semi-final on Thursday September 28 or, if not, the Grand Final nine days later if they do make it in their bid for a maiden championship.

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But coach Daryl Powell said everyone is very much in the dark with regards the likely outcome.

“He’s got his feet up at home recovering,” he said.

“He’s had keyhole surgery so that’s the best. If they’d have had to open him up, that would have been him done.

“I’m not sure how he’s going to roll through the next couple of weeks.

“We’ll just have to keep assessing him. He’s coming in to watch the boys train on Saturday so I’ll have a chat with him them.

Castleford Tigers' Luke GaleCastleford Tigers' Luke Gale
Castleford Tigers' Luke Gale
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“It’s going to be up in the air right until just before the game I’d say. We’ve got to get a fair bit of evidence gathered in and we’ll see how he goes.

“The feedback is that it’s been really positive and the least intrusive it could have been but, still, it’s an operation. The abdominal wall is the main thing.

“We’ll take evidence from the doctor and see how Luke feels. Ultimately it will probably be down to him. It’s his body and how he feels and whether he thinks he can do it. Obviously medical evidence is important as well. We need to piece it all together.

“There have been times when people have come back in a similar timescale but everyone is different.”

Castleford head coach, Daryl Powell.Castleford head coach, Daryl Powell.
Castleford head coach, Daryl Powell.
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For the trip to Wigan, hooker Paul McShane could switch to scrum-half as he has done with success in the past, while prop Grant Millington may also come into the equation.

But there are also doubts over the fitness of stand-off Benny Roberts so young understudies Tom Holmes, who is moving to Featherstone at the end of the season, and Jake Trueman could also yet feature.

On Gale, he added: “If he’s not right, we’ll have to crack on and do what we can with what we’ve got available.

“We’ve a pretty good squad and we’ve won a couple of games without Luke this year.”