I don't think FC has had a fair shake of the stick, however you want to look at it. He's the guy who's had to carry the can over one of the harshest times the club has had to endure.

An offseason with no financial meltdowns, getting to the end of the season with the same players he started with. These are the things FC has yet to experience in his tenure.

Judge him once the playing field is level

Therein lies the problem with relegation. Financial panic.

Ironically that may be while playing Batley next year...

True. But then again I don't know what the Bulls can or can't afford, if we don't have the funds then we'll die by the sword as it were, and I can understand that, but if we find the money for someone else then it should be looked at. This isn't Gray Viane we're talking about here. One man's financial panic could be another man's shrewd move.

Personally i think its clear to see Castleford are better this season due to Chase leaving as they now seem to be playing some exspansive rugby and not trying to build the team and play around one man,

That being said it seems to be the case with Salford, and if Chase is closed down each game they wont get anywhere IMO (just like Cas in previous seasons) just a shame we didnt seem to be able to do that.

It's splitting hairs but Cas improved, or were less abysmal, in the second half of last season with Orr at the helm for a bit and then Powell taking over.

I thought I'd heard the Batley ground had been levelled..?

but he got what he could with the funds available and also revived the junior set up.

It clearly wasn't any 'golden era', and that is a fact, but people are buffeted by things going on around them and just do their best and sometimes they are just overwhelmed by all the negatives, and that was the situation for Macca, imo. I very much doubt, in those circumstances, it would have been any different under another coach.

Not unless someone lends us one!

In his final season, he did go for the 'almighty' star which backfired. Orford was reportedly on about £300,000 per season.

I also think Mcnamara had quite a bit of cash to spend compared to the current manager. In his last season, we were paying for Glen Hall, Orford, L'estrange, Scruton, Kearney, Lynch, Langley and Menzies. If the rumours were true, Platt and Sykes were also on very decent wages.

I'd imagine the list above of 10 players above would probably equate to more than what we are currently spending on a squad of 25(ish).

Looking back at the 2010 team, we actually had some really decent players, and we still failed to make the top 8.

Don't think it was so much. The Aussie press consistently claimed a deal worth $1.5m over 3 seasons, the exchange rate at the time was roughly $2 so nearer £250k but the "worth" will no doubt have included a signing on dollop so the annual pay would have been proportionately less. Whatever, a helluva lot of money but had all things been and stayed equal, probably worth it for the NRL's premiership winning halfback and Dally M holder.