I have to say that Fielden would be a good short term stop gap signing for us in my opinion. Experienced prop who is physically mature and can still very much do a job. Sure that having somebody with his experience round the camp would do wonders for the younger players I feel.

Can't help but wonder if opinions would have been different if he had been an over the hill prop but with an ozzie accent looking for a gig short term?

i think anyone who thinks kyle trout will be a SL prop needs their bumps felt! he might do ok somewhere but is nowhere near big enough for a prop at this level.

What the hell is a "natural prop" no such thing. RL is full of players who's position has changed through there careers, even Neil Fox ended up as an occasional prop. Are you suggesting you leave the womb with a stamp saying prop.

Marriano is a converted centre as is Ellis - no good I assume. You simply don't have to have played any position all your life to become good at it. Nigel Bell was good at every position he played which included the odd game as a prop.

Although I do actually get what you mean, I simply think it's a false belief.

Again a myth, you don't have to be huge to be a good prop. It's better to be big anyone can see that. However Trout is not tiny and will bulk up, if he has the ticker he will do very well. I've seen some massive lumps play at prop and be very poor, Kyle Bibb springs to mind, where as JT did ok for a small guy even then.

Why bin a player at the start of his career, how odd.

Second row converted to prop like:
Lee Crooks
Andy Platt
Jeff Grayson
Jamie Peacock
Trevor Skerret
Les Boyd
Also
Ruben Wiki from centre
Harvey Howard from wing

It's not a given that you can't. It's more are you built in that way. Can you take the full on front hit rather than side on tackle a second row often gets.
Some can, some can't regardless of size.
Peacockl is a good example for me. He isn't big in a bulky Shane Webke or Kelvin Skerrett way but is quick so he gets to the line quickly and is strong so he can fight his way through. He is tall and strong rather than big and strong. If you are short like Johnny or Sam Moa you have to be built 'squarer' to be able to complete in the tackle.

Saying all that, some are never going to be props. Mariano isn't. Neither will Washbrook.
I don't really know about the kids we have but time will tell.

I don't think we need to revert back to the old days of signing other teams cast offs or any other big lummocks to come and 'do a job'. The coach knows what he needs and will bring someone in if it benefits the team. I saw nothing yesterday to suggest we are light in the front row, only time will tell of course but the way we played suggests to me our style of play is gonna be completely different so 5 drives and a kick is gonna be a blast from the past methinks.
Watching us develop as an exciting pacy team who are well drilled is going to be fascinating and already I like the passing, movement and combinations of all the players and like most around me yesterday, was pleasantly surprised. It's early days and I am not getting carried away but there are encouraging signs for the season ahead. Let's enjoy seeing us develop as a team now and be optimistic,get behind the team and let's shock more than a few.

Get this idiot and his common sense ideas banned now!!!!!!!!
Boo sir, Boo!!!!

My observation from watching yesterday's game:
We are not small up front but not big either, we have adapted our game to suit the leaner faster players that we have. The result was a very fast play the ball which Aiton and Ellis are good enough to exploit and Castleford couldn't cope with it. It meant that Tim Smith and Isaac John got the ball in their hands a split second earlier which equates to an eternity at this level of Rugby and results in better decision making, execution and more three quarter line involvement. That will serve us well in 75% of our games but there will be games and there are teams that we will struggle with physically, when that happens we will see and feel the absence of that big rugged hairy d yard making monster prop that we currently don't have and can't find.

Come on this was a friendly - same pack pretty much got kicked up hill and down t dale by catalans, if we are going to compete up front we need a bit of beef up front and 5 foot ten 15 half stone props are ok, but not when you are playing six foot one+ seventeen stone oposition, thought amor was mom yesterday, johnson worked hard - but in days to come we will need more size and strength in front row than what we currently have.

I think speed and fitness could be a bigger advantage than sheer bulk as far as the front row goes this season.

True but in an ideal world you would have both, but to be fair was an amazing turnaround from catalans and leeds games.

Thought Collis smith and john looked best back combo in a long while

You must be looking at a different pack, because excluding hookers there isn't anyone in the pack under six foot and there isn't a prop or second row under 100kg. Not to mention that a couple are a fair bit more than that weight.