Its where Leeds are these days unfortunately.

Could be back anywhere between 2-6 weeks depending on recovery.

Normal recovery time from this operation is minimum 4 weeks before any exercise. I presume they will have used key hole type surgery. Obviously this increases the recovery rate but still puts his chances of a grand final appearance in doubt.
On the other hand they might want to take a chance with him. Also most people seem to think that cas are nailed on for a grand final appearance. Might not be the case , either Wigan, hull, or saints won't be a pushover at the lane.
Feel a bit sorry for cas , I think they have brightened up super league this year in a sea of mediocrity.

Agreed.

4 weeks for normal people - these are highly trained/fit athletes with access the best medical/rehabilitation facilities around

He will be back for the semi final

I hope he recovers soon after the season he's had I wouldn't like him to miss out on The Chance of glory and it would be better for us if we played Cas in the GF if they were at full strength and beat them

Big risk. He won't have done much training. Even with key hole surgery it's still an invasive operation. Add in the factor of the general anasthetic. Possibly a course of painkillers and antibiotics not the ideal situation for a big game. Not certain of the time factor but I know the medics don't like you to fly after an operation. For what reason I am not certain. Either way it's a gamble. I think we all remember the Keith senior gamble that failed spectacularly.

Normal people don't have a big 17st forward smashing into his stomach with their shoulders. Cas' SF is in 15 days, one thing to be fit another thing for that area to take some very heavy impacts. They'll be a bullseye on him if he plays.

No Gale no Trophy! Simple as.

Just for the record, I don't think they will win it with or without him.

Will this thread come back to haunt you? Potentially.

Why! It's an opinion. I'm not the all seeing eye.

If I'm wrong who really gives a f*ck?

I just have a feeling it's not their year.

Keith Senior simply couldn't run Stevie Wonder could see in the warm up - why Senior suggested he could play only he knows

There may be but he good enough to avoid that kind of impact. More likely a player will get sent off for a very late tackle. You desperation is duly noted

Hopefully he plays.

Then there are no excuses should they not go on to win the trophy... that and they don't really deserve to have such cruel luck bestowed upon them after such a great regular season where they have been a million miles ahead of the rest.

He's good enough to avoid it when fit, but he won't be. just read the article on the Leeds site from Josh Jordan Roberts, he had the same thing earlier this year and he was out for 5 weeks as he says you have build your core back up. I had keyhole surgery around the same area but for a hernia and my recovery went really well but just being honest I don't think you can play RL 2 weeks later. If he plays it'll be a heart over head selection and probably will end a similar way to Senior in 2005.

Just a thought but maybe Powell is playing mind games. Giving him 2 weeks off and out he comes for the final 2 games.

He's tweeted all gone well - doesn't sound like someone not expecting to play until the WC.

Senior was just selfish and it was a different kind of injury - ankle IIRC - time will tell hopefully he gets to play he and his team deserve it

Should imagine the tweet all gone well would refer to the operation being successful . Any operation carries some risk so he is quite understandably glad it's over. Reference senior, surely the coaching ,management team would have some input into playing senior. So the decision would have been a collective one which failed spectacularly. Anyway all will be revealed one way or another in the coming weeks.

I'm sure the operation did go well, it's hardly a complex massive surgery and JJR said his went really well also, doesn't mean he won't be struggling to make it back it time for Cas. Chris Green for Hull had the same operation after Wembley and has missed the last 2 games, misses this week and is only a maybe to get back next week.

It's possible, but why create the sideshow and speculation? Would it really be worth it when they been performing so well, to try mindgames?

Anyone else remember Malcolm Alker having an emergency appendix operation (2006?) and initially being told he'd be out six weeks. He was back playing in about 15 days after being held back - he returned to training the week after the op.

Whether that is relateable to Gale remains to be seen but it's a similar circumstance and as Sal says these are not your average specimens. They are a breed apart to do what they do on a weekly basis.

Malcolm Alker who has admitted taking drugs throughout his career including Human Growth Hormone may not be the best example to highlight how these aren't your average specimens.

I haven't read his book where these admissions arose. I trust his emergency appendix op and recovery is covered in detail.

Not sure any halfback ever is good enough to play at their best whilst also avoiding taking any heavy tackles.

Personally I'm gutted for Gale and Cas. I'd obviously love us to snatch the GF from under their noses but there's no question who the best team has been in SL this year.

Oh but no matter how harsh it would be or what Daryl says* or how good they've been...if they don't win the GF they ain't champions. Everyone knows the deal at the start of the season. In fact if we somehow won it it would be bloody hilarious

*I'm referring to him saying “Winning the championship and finishing top is the truest test of being consistent over a whole season in my opinion." Which is daft as you don't "win the championship" for finishing top.

Way too much has been made of Powell's comments. Why shouldn't he and Cas fans go OTT on coming top of the table? They haven't won anything in a long time and Powell and Cas deserve huge credit for coming top and playing really good RL into the bargain. If Leeds can't win the comp, I'd far rather see Cas win in style than get ground out of the game by Wigan or Hull in the final.