Donaldson is a back row. No argument there.
In the dark days of Agar when he had no props, him and Bodene Thompson were used as 'middles', because we had no other option.
This forum was in meltdown.
Goudemand is smaller than Bodene Thompson.

The point here is that we need an actual prop to replace Tetevano.
Not a project or a 'middle'.

I think the thing to get your head around is that you wouldn't want them to be listed in your 5 props but that's where they will play on the field when used. Particularly for Donaldson because his deficiency is even more exposed out wide in the second row. He finds himself around the squad due to other attributes but essentially in the modern game is neither one thing or the other.

Goudemand is used down the middle to spell higher impact props, find the floor quick and ptb and inject some energy.

A modern day Ian Kirke, Goudemands job is to give Mik a 10 minute break?

My original point is that Hudson is only our fifth proper prop, and is coming off the back of an Achilles injury and no SL appearances. Much more raw than the outgoing Walters which is a downgrade.

Goudemand probably gets picked as 16th player if you like, a versatile forward to spell one of your front line players.

He isn’t a proper substitute for injury or lack of form to Sangare; Lisone, Holroyd or Mik. Sangare is also coming off a significant injury. We also have Gannon and McDonnell in the squad already, plus finding room for one or Johnson or O’Connor on the bench.

Goudemand works as 16th player but not as one of your specialist props from the start so much. We can go into 2024 as we are in the front row but it is a risk.

Jeez, he hasn't put on the shirt yet and he's been likened to Kirke. I hope your pre-season endorsement doesn't have the same effect as the one you gave to Olpherts last year

Goudemand isn’t another Olpherts, Mikael is competent, just a bit small for prop. I’d see him used in the back row spelling the likes of Smith, McDonnell and Bentley with occasional stints in the front row as an emergency.

That sounds about right. Effectively an upgrade on Donaldson/replacement for Tetevano. We do look a bit short of starting props with real size though - of those we have three (Goudemand, Sangare and Lisone) are bench forwards, for different reasons. We'd look very short if Holroyd or Oledzki got injured.

Just on the back row, if he develops Ruan could be the sort of physical player we need there.

Yep you said what I was trying to but better!

I think we bring in another -
Oledzki, Holroyd, Lisone, Sangare, Hudson for full props isn’t good enough.
Goudemand & Donaldson can cover all the PR / SR / LF, but effectively we need a big bumper prop.

Yep another 110kg+ thing.