The other thing is that props get injured regularly, and a lot of them don't do long minutes. If we sign one and they or Oledzki get injured we're back at square one. That's also why I think we need two quality props. I don't disagree with a big aggressive second row either.

A lot will depend on which players Arthur sees as surplus to requirements and whether they can be managed out of the club. We know its possible. If a player is in the last year of their contract and they want another deal beyond that, being told they will only play in emergency or be loaned out to the Championship for the season may well push some into looking elsewhere. The club has to be absolutely brutal this time round, or we'll hamstring whoever the next coach is for at least another year.

Aaron bower once again writing a article about Marty taupau being linked again to Leeds I’m sure that rumour comes around every year

I’m more bothered about the quality of player we bring in rather than if it’s 2 props or a prop and a back row.

You can’t carry a squad including 6 international standard props, you have to take a balanced view of the risk. New prop/Mik/Tom/Sam/Justin/TNW/Ruan provides depth IF the young lads can develop over pre-season.

If people think all our problems would be solved with 2 new props I think you’re deluded TBH.

The problems wouldn't be solved by bringing 2 more starting quality props, but if we don't then we won't give ourselves a fighting chance to solve the problems. If the front row doesn't set a good enough platform, the rest of the team will struggle, nothing has changed there since the beginning of the game. We have 2 props that are not good enough and won't be (Lisone and Sangare) and one with massive question marks (Holdroyd). I cannot see how we can really take a big step forwards without addressing this. We will constantly run out of steam and the rest of the team will suffer as a result.

Its like the Ryan Kent to Leeds Utd. Its every year you can almost set your watch by it.

Spot on, most people on here could see that was the situation, the only one who couldn’t observe the flaw was Rohan smith. I used to think with some decent coaching Sangare might improve and maybe make the grade. Sadly I haven’t seen any evidence of improvement.

Who said anything about 6 international standard props? The only prop we have who is close to international standard on a regular basis is Mick. Tom may have fleetingly reached that standard for a few weeks in 23, but his impact since then has been neglible. As it stands we have four true senior props in our squad. The minimum should be six. For context the Wigan 17 tomorrow may well have seven in. I've got nothing against strengthening the 2nd row, but prop has to come first.

Good to hear BA acknowledge we need to strengthen the front row options with starting quality props for next season in his presser today.

Deluded you say Jim.

Do you know what....

...you're not posting anymore?

Did we need to get Brad Arthur to tell us the starting props are not good enough?
Least he has the Balls to call it.

A lad called Furner told them that and a lot more, didn’t end too well…..!

I noticed Arthur say that as well. He clearly thinks we need more than one prop, and he used the term 'starting.'

Big if, but if Gannon can stay healthy for more than 5 minutes and Littlewood and Ruan develop we have a couple some younger backrowers with more size about them.

One thing I would desperately hope we do in junior development is look for bigger lads. This seems to have been a problem for years, compounded by our two most recent coaches obsessing about middles. I can't think of another club where Donaldson would ever have been seen as a starting prop, which is where we were at the start of the year when just one of our props was injured.

I’ve been told Calumn Watkins was seen viewing a house in Castleford last week. Maybe there’s some truth in the rumours he’s coming back

Why would he want to live in Cas Vegas?
I think has was probably looking at the burnt out Sierra on the drive and the old couch in the front garden that the kids were bouncing up and down on