England scrumhalf Luke Gale, pictured in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup grand final, has been ruled out of the Kiwis series with a knee injury.

England coach Wayne Bennett faces a halves crisis with Luke Gale ruled out of next month's test series against the Kiwis.

Gale - the UK Super League Man of Steel player of the year in 2017 - suffered a knee injury in the Castleford Tigers' semifinal defeat to Wigan last weekend.

He returned to the Tigers in August after four months out with a fractured kneecap.

His defection means Bennett has now lost his three halves from last year's Rugby League World Cup squad.

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Hannah Peters Luke Gale (R) with England prop James Graham at a World Cup training session.

Gale is the latest addition to a long list of unavailable players with five other World Cup stalwarts missing and captain Sam Burgess ruled out due to wrist and shoulder surgery.

The 30-year-old Gale was the only specialist scrumhalf in England's 24-man squad.

The Total Rugby League website reported: "The likes of Jonny Lomax, Sam Tomkins, Stefan Ratchford and Jake Connor could all be slotted into the halves, but a recognised halfback is likely to be called up to help fill Gale's absence."

Gale - who made his England debut in 2016, was a big Bennett supporter.

He called on England to reappoint the Australia after the World Cup final defeat to the Kangaroos, telling Sky Sports: "I love him. I think he's a great bloke. The lads love him and his company.

"If you are not doing your job, he will tell you, but he is open and honest and that's why blokes respect him so much. He doesn't pull any punches."

Meanwhile, St Helens fullback Ben Barba has won the 2018 Man of Steel accolade at the Super League awards.

The 29-year-old - who returns to the NRL next season with the North Queensland Cowboys - has completed a rare double. He won the NRL's Dally M player of the year award in 2012 while with the Canterbury Bulldogs.

Barba was only the second Australian to do the double after the Cronulla Sharks' Gavin Miller, who was the Man of Steel in 1986 and the Dally M winner two years later, according to the St Helen's Reporter.

Outgoing Wigan head coach Shaun Wane - who joins the Scottish Rugby Union as high performance director - won Super League coach of the year after guiding the Warriors to the Super League final.