Would our props be capable of pumping out the 100m + stats if they were on the pitch longer?

From memory I have only seen Havard out of the props get 100m +.

Its hard to judge without knowing the length of time a player stays on the field, but it should in theory average out as the props who play less minutes often take 2 drives in a set.

Partington doesn't really look to me to me to have the mobility required for second-row (compare him to a Farrell or a Whitehead!), but isn't big and powerful enough to be a prop.

I’ve said in other threads I feel we’re one short still and that brings it home to me. I rate Smithies and Partington as I’ve pointed out but I still feel like both should be fighting for one spot in the 17 currently, given their age and experience.

An ideal pack for next season IMO would look something like

8-Singleton
9-Powell
10-New Prop
11-Bateman
12-Farrell
13-Ellis

14-Mago
15-Havard
16-Isa
17-Smithies/Partington

Back up
Byrne
KPP
Shorrocks

That would be two young forwards in your 17 if everyone is fit. You can rotate them and that would clearly go up to 3/4/5 if you had injuries and suspensions.

Sadly 73k won’t get you a great deal. I’d love to know if that figure increases if Hankinson, Clark and Leuluai go. You’d have to presume so on the first two. I’d take those two out and Chris Hill in for a couple of years (I’m still badgering for that one).

Yeah, another prop would be great & an 'old head' would be even better. Hill would be my guy too, but not sure who else we could get?

We seem to be in a bit of a pickle/mess with our quota spots, otherwise I'd be happy with Napa (although he's not been great recently), or even another guy from the Aussie Reserve grades.

I will add ‘I think I’m dreaming’ if I expect one but we can hope. I fully expect Wire to find some room from somewhere to keep Hill, if he’s not already signed that deal at Huddersfield.

Watching Catalans at the weekend and I’m not a fan of bringing old players back but we could do a lot worse than Dudson. He’s not a star, won’t get many plaudits but does his job effectively and has improved somewhat since leaving us.

I’m saying that but why would he leave South of France?

A player we were linked with who I read many on the other board turning their nose up at was Joe Westerman. I didn’t understand their opinion at the time and even less so now. He has knuckled down very late in his career but has been one of the better prop/loose forwards this season and he would laugh his way in to our 17. It’s a really tough place to play in the middle of the field and sometimes players only nail it at 30/31/32 years old.

That’s not a bad shout. He wouldn’t cost the earth and he’s been solid this season. He’s complement our pack quite well given his experience.

It’s a very tough situation.

We have blooded these youngsters, but now when they are starting to get the experience we need to manage them carefully.

The 2 lads we bring in are still young props. I think our rotation next year will be Mago, Ellis, Singleton and Havard.

Byrne and Partington to drop in when injuries occur.

I’d personally much prefer to see Isa at 13 with Faz and Bateman in the secondrow.

Then KPP off the bench along with Smithies and 2 of the 4 rotation props.

We could maybe do looking at it with 1 more older head upfront but looking at the bigger picture it would need some careful management as it would be a shame to take the pain they have gone through and not see the benefit in a couple of seasons time.

Aye but he signed for Cas and it’s a very Cas-like signing. Our way of doing things clearly works better but I do admire the Cas approach sometimes. Their timing of getting players like Westerman in seems to work well. They seem to look at players who might have had a dip in their career but they wait until they see the green shoots of recovery and snap them up. Guys like O’Brien, McShane, Turner etc being good examples.

I agree to a certain level (don't really get the hype around McShane tho). Some of our fans would crucify the club if they'd have signed some of those players, but they've worked. Look at the hostility around Thornley now, or some of the responses to signing Hill as good examples.

There is a line between flogging them and not holding them back. We clearly have it way off at the minute and the two lads should really help. If they were two experienced and proven performers I’d rest a lot easier but like you say, they’re pretty much juniors in experience terms.

I’ve always felt if young players are good enough they’ll find a place in the team. To have two spots in a 17 open for young forwards feels about right, maybe three at a push but certainly not the 5/6/7 Lam has been throwing in. It’s not all his own doing but he doesn’t help himself.

It is a less demanding environment at Cas in terms of their supporters expectations, so they may not work out as well here when the pressure comes on but I wouldn’t mind seeing us go that way on the odd forward signing here and there. I’d probably put Singleton in that sort of category, where he’s not top tier but he’s a solid performer and at worst he shields the young props from being over burdened even further.

Platt Waz or the south of France….tough one that like.

A backrow of Farrell Isa and Bateman would for me be pretty pointless.
Too lightweight and zero variability.
We should never have resigned Bateman. We needed a top class prop not a 13 stone athlete who can only step off his right leg. You can read Bateman like a Janet and John book. Has he ever took the outside option????

I’d have KPP at 13. He can’t play 13 at the moment but Bateman is incapable of playing traditional 13 role. KPP has a the toolkit to develop into a decent backrow forward.