LAND OF OP AND GLORY
Gale force to hit Saints.. two weeks after having appendix out
LUKE GALE is confident he will be fit to play in Castleford’s semi-final against St Helens – 16 days after having his appendix out and being told his season was over.
Gale, one of three men on a shortlist for the Steve Prescott Man of Steel, complained of stomach pains on Monday morning two weeks ago.
He thought he had food poisoning but by the afternoon was in hospital needing an emergency operation – and the first diagnosis ruled him out of England’s World Cup campaign, as well as the Tigers’ bid to win a first Super League title. After successful keyhole surgery he was told it would be at least three weeks before he could play again.
But Gale trained with his Castleford team-mates yesterday and is hopeful of passing a fitness test tomorrow for Thursday’s game.
The scrum-half said: “The pain was ridiculous. I rang my physio on the Monday and, when I told them what sort of pain it was, he prescribed Gaviscon. “He won’t thank me for that! “The pain was pretty tough and it got gradually worse. He rang 111 for me and they came and hooked me up to a drip. The doctor said straight away, ‘You’ll have to have an operation tonight’.
“After pressing on my stomach, she said, ‘Look, your season is over, you won’t be going to Australia.’
“Then someone else came in and assured me it wasn’t that bad. But for two hours I laid on the bed and thought, ‘Everything I’ve done this year has all come to and end’, and it was quite hard to take.”
Gale himself will have the final say on whether or not he plays against Saints.
He added: “The doctors said it would be three weeks, but we in rugby league tend not to listen to doctors.
“The session went well and I’m feeling fit and healthy. If I’m 100 per cent and I won’t let the boys down, I’ll play.
“I’m looking forward to Wednesday and Thursday and hopefully we’re ready to go.”
Gale was yesterday named in the Super League Dream Team for a third consecutive season alongside five of his Tigers’ team-mates.