CASTLEFORD scrum-half Luke Gale is ready to step back in to help his club reach a maiden Betfred Super League Grand Final – after initially being told his season was over.

The 29-year-old England international, who is expected to be England's first-choice No 7 for the end-of-season World Cup, underwent emergency surgery to remove his appendix just a fortnight ago but is poised to play against St Helens in Thursday's first play-off semi-final.

"I'm taking each day as it comes," said the former Bradford star after being named in the Super League Dream Team for the third successive year following a record-breaking season with the table-toppers.

"I keep pushing it day by day and it's progressing slowly but surely. I'll have a late fitness test on Wednesday and hopefully get the green light."

After a first diagnosis in hospital, Gale was told both his Grand Final hopes and his World Cup dream were at an end, although he was initially treated for indigestion.

He said: "I rang my physiotherapist on the Monday and, when I told 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'.

"It was a bit of a shock, to be honest. I thought it might have been a bit of food poisoning – I didn't have a clue. I felt a bit sick and I put it down to a gym session.

"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, who had keyhole surgery, will take encouragement from the experience of Hull forward Chris Green, who made his return from an appendectomy against Castleford last Friday, just three weeks on from his operation.

"The doctors said three weeks but we in rugby league, we tend not to listen to doctors," said Gale. "It all went well and I'm feeling fit and healthy again.

"It will be two weeks and two days, which is a bit sooner than Chris Green, but we're all different individuals. It's not set in stone."

Castleford coach Daryl Powell intends to include Gale in his 19-man squad but will not make a final decision until nearer the match.

Powell said. "He hasn't had any contact so we'll wait until Wednesday and make a decision after seeing how he comes through the final session. He'll be close, I think."

St Helens coach Justin Holbrook, who says Jonny Lomax will be be fit to return to stand-off after missing the win at Salford with a slight calf strain, expects Gale to play.

He said: "I think he should play and I hope he does. He's had a great season and he deserves to play in a semi-final."

Meanwhile, Castleford's domination of the 2017 season is reflected in a Dream Team in which they boast six of the 13 representatives.

Full-back Zak Hardaker and scrum-half Gale, both on the shortlist for the 2017 Steve Prescott Man of Steel award, are chosen for the third time and are joined by Tigers team-mates Michael Shenton, Greg Eden, Mike McMeeken and Grant Millington.

Castleford won the league leaders' shield for the first time in the club's history, finishing ten points clear of second-placed Leeds, and take on St Helens for a place in their first Grand Final.

Gale has broken the club's points-scoring record this season, while Eden is Super League's runaway leading try-scorer with 38 – just two off the record set by Castleford predecessor Denny Solomona 12 months ago.

There is also a place for Hull stand-off Albert Kelly, the other player in the running to be crowned Man of Steel after making a successful switch from Hull KR, while second-rower Ben Murdoch-Masila is the first Salford player to appear since David Hodgson in 2006.

The team, chosen by a panel of broadcasters and journalists in a secret ballot, features eight newcomers – including Huddersfield prop Sebastine Ikahihifo, St Helens centre Mark Percival and Leeds hooker Matt Parcell – while Wigan and England captain Sean O'Loughlin is selected for a sixth time.

Super League Dream Team: Zak Hardaker (Castleford); Greg Eden (Castleford), Michael Shenton (Castleford), Mark Percival (St Helens), Mahe Fonua (Hull); Albert Kelly (Hull), Luke Gale (Castleford); Grant Millington (Castleford), Matt Parcell (Leeds), Sebastine Ikahihifo (Huddersfield), Ben Murdoch-Masila (Salford), Mike McMeeken (Castleford), Sean O'Loughlin (Wigan).