Vasty, you claim to know the game,
Smith is a young PROP FORWARD and whilst he's a big bloke in his civvies and certainly not small for a pro RL player he isn't big for a PROP FORWARD and gives away weight (by that I mean muscle) in the majority of the collisions he's in.

Before you tell me that he's been playing at Loose Forward, I know, but he's still taking the ball up as a prop would.
In the next couple of years he'll get closer to having the physical maturity and muscle mass that his opposition enjoy.

All I'm suggesting is that over a sustained period of games he's started feeling the cumulative effects on his body and perhaps needed some respite without actually being inactive for a week or two.

Not really beyond logic!

Yup.

He's big enough and when he's reached his full body mass he'll be a handful - but for new he's still young both physically and mentally. Hence his size isn't the issue IMHO it's his age.

Splitting hairs a bit that, he isn't big enough because he hasn't matured yet or because he hasn't matured he isn't big enough yet
99% of the time they're naturally linked

It's perhaps recovery rather than rest; recovery isn't about doing nothing, it's about doing something less rigorous or impactful.

I can see how it looks like a daft decision, but it could well be that as a young prop, he needed a bit of time in a lower intensity environment, so he's ready for Bradford, who are lacking in the size dept.

As for Raleigh - same logic, different reason; he's no spring chicken, and we'll need his size and go forward against Bradford.

No it's straight forward, I think he is big enough - I think he's too young.

His stats on the club site in new and old money are 1.93m (6'3"icon_wink.gif 107kg (16 8 pounds) - big enough physically IMO.

He does not have the muscular density or mass that the position demands irrespective of what the tape and the scales say

Could he have gone to Fev to accommodate Lee Gilmour from our neighbours on loan to the end of the season, I hope not.

You're over complicating it - he's big - fact and you said he was small - he isn't - the rest really is just flim flam.

16.8 stone is light for a prop, especially at his age he is playing against well expierenced, heavier front rowers who are more effective at winning collisions. For me he needs to put on another stone of muscle.

I'm with vasty on this one; it's an age thing rather than size as a quick comparison with counterparts at Cas show.
Dan smith is a good prospect and I would happily have him (home) at Cas!

Craig huby - 187cm & 107kg
Grant millington - 194cm & 112kg
Nathan Massey - 181cm & 96kg
Ryan Boyle - 184cm & 104kg
Scott wheeldon - 183cm & 106kg
Dan Fleming - 190cm & 106kg

I'm not denying that age is a huge part of it, exactly the opposite, age and physical maturity are fundamentally linked.

What is the body composition of the players on your list?

I'd be willing to bet that the older players have a much different weight to muscle mass ratio than Smith and Flemming.

Since when! You are talking nonsense.

He's about the same as all our other props give or take a pound- check it out.

So no it's not small, never was small and never will be small for a prop.

He shouldn't be playing week in week out for various reasons but it's nothing to do with size.

Of course they have but that's a separate issue - you said he's small and he simply isn't. He's a big unit who will only get bigger and stronger as he gets older - so long as he doesn't burn out.

Someone like Trout is a small prop but not Smith.

Correct, think these two are looking for excuse tbh. Used sparingly he can match it with the bigger boys.

Rate we are going he probably will be at Cas next years