Which is ?

Read the posts and you will find out.

I have read the post and I have to say I am struggling to work it out.

Comparing an out of contract centre with an on contract Prop doesn't really make any sense to me.

I think "the point" is Goulding has to playing out of his skin to get in in front of Gelling, Sarginson, Thornley, Hughes and Tomkins whereas Pettybourne is given a chance straight away at prop because the competition for places isn't as great and after being unfit all year he goes straight into the team.

So he is comparing a centre to a prop in the way they are being treated for team selection.

How's that Dave O?

But there are 4 sports available in the team for Prop a position where we lack experience and depth of quality whereas we have 2 centre spots.

Pettybourne will have a fight on his hands when he's back to get a spot IMO. In a standard selection we normally have 4 props and to my mind three of those spots should be nailed down by Flower, Taylor and Clubb. I think those three have been a step above the other lads this year so that leaves just one spot open. At the minute Crosby is playing well and Wane likes Dudson (although many including me don't). I also wouldn't count out Ryan Sutton who played very impressively in his first few games and Waney has since rested him. He may feel he's ready for a spot again soon and if he performs I think Wane would back him if he felt he deserved it.

There's some depth at prop IMO but injuries have meant it doesn't always look that way. Hopefully in a few weeks we'll have 8 or 9 lads battling it out for 4 spots.

Unsatisfactory. We have far more props than centres and God knows why anyone would think think Goulding has to play out of his skin to get in the team in front of any of those other players. You'd think they were all Gene Miles clones

Goulding is a casualty of the WCC in my opinion can look class for large periods but when he's not on fire he doesn't have that big athletic body of a gelling who can still make meters even whilst playing poor.

Pettybourne's done ok in the games he's played this season. Some seem to have him down as a big fan's favourite and others as a complete flop, when I don't think either opinion is justified.

There is an argument that we shouldn't have signed an overseas player with his recent injury record, but he's been unfortunate with multiple injuries rather than recurring ones. We've seen over the last few seasons you need 7 or 8 quality props in the squad to cover injuries.

FWIW I don't think he would make our first choice 17, and I think he'll struggle even more when we have Tautai.

He may well struggle.

This season:
Taylor
Flower
Clubb
are looking like the backbone with one from:
Crosby
Pettybourne
Sutton
Dudson
Being the 4th choice and other back ups to cover injury.

The back row will be pretty easy to pick when Joel Tomkins comes back into the team (assuming he can play to a similar level he used to). Farrell and Tomkins would be 11 & 12 and Bateman off the bench. So Pettybourne and Clubb who can play in the back row should be focused on the prop places.

Next season you would assume its Tautai in, Taylor out.

We've also got James Greenwood returning to us for 2015.
From the list above, if Taylor stays for 2015 that's eight props we'll have.