It may just be me, but there does seem to be a lack of quality props coming through the academies in this country.

One of the best props in recent years is Jamie Peacock, but he's really a 2nd rower. Guys like him and Morley and Fielden, who might once have been considered the top end in prop forwards, they're coming to the end of their career (some could argue Fielden's career was over when he got flattened by Willie Mason) and there doesn't look to be that many props coming through to replace them.

Most clubs use the 4 prop rotation tactic but for that to be effective you need 4 guys who can play at prop plus maybe a 5th guy to cover should there be any injuries to the first choice guys.

It just doesn't seem a popular position to play in and as less and less young lads play there might we see an end to the prop in the modern game in the UK?

No don't think it's the end for props, graham and s burgess are not old. Might see a different type of prop, but we are always going to have them in our game

Yeah, but Graham and the Burgess boys aren't playing SL. That was my point, we don't have that solid prop player type coming through the ranks in this country. You could possibly argue that the NRL isn't turning them out at a good rate either as they're looking to SL for players in that position.

It maybe that you're going to see more 2nd rowers playing in the front row in future.

Hill
Mossop
cooper
Harrison
Taylor
griffin

Just off the top of my head

Explain what a ' Prop ' forward should look like and what skills set he should have ? , ditto a 2 nd row? , then you might have a point

All top draw props!!! Think that might be the point!

Props should look like and play like Kevin Ward, Andy Platt or Kelvin Skerrett.

We have nothing like these fellers today in the UK.

Mind you, we are short of class centres and half backs as well.

Expand further on that , what did those players do , that current ' props ' dont?

Took players heads off.

You go and do your homework ! I'm not doing it for you.

So nothing different then

And that didnt win us a competition either

To a certain extent I agree with the original poster regarding out and out prop forwards. But I think these days there seems to be very few specialist players overall.

And just as you've asked for examples above... For me, the prop should always be the biggest player on the field, the one you give the ball to when you need to smash through the defence (I bet that wasn't said above because it seemed pretty obvious?). Or the big hit you want in the middle of the field, and obviously size would be an advantage. In teams in the past you knew who the props were. Even recently, say early 2000s you look at a team like Bradford, Wigan or Saints (just using these as it's easier to think of names around this time) and you'd know straight away that Anderson, Vagana, Cowie, O'Connor, Matautia and Fairleigh were the props in the team. They couldn't really play anywhere else, but their size was a great advantage.

Last season a hell of a lot of 2nd rowers were playing or at least covering at prop, looking at the same teams theres not a massive difference in the size of the props to the 2nd rowers. Now as long as you can run hard and straight and tackle well you'll be able to play prop. But that's just the way the games changed I suppose.

You could have this same debate about any position though. Most Wingers on the field have been used as a full back at some point, or at centres too in some cases. loose forwards have been put at 6. 2nd row can easily cover the centre positions, fill in at loose forward or cover prop. Props are being used as a loose forward if a bigger pack overall is wanted. stand offs at full back, players who have always been a 6 have played 7, and as long as you can pass a ball you can cover 9.

It's the game evolving, most players on the pitch now are able to cover more than one position, so the "traditional prop" that I think the original post is talking about isn't as desirable as a player that could tackle well, run hard and could cover other positions if needed.

So far we have established that prop forwards need to be big