I don’t know why everyone gets so hung up, if they’d have rushed and given it to first applicant to get their CV on Nigel’s desk we’d have complained. It seems obvious to me, they are taking their time to hopefully get it right, safe in the knowledge Dunning can do a sufficient job in a season were everyone is playing for the privilege of getting hammered in RD 1 of the play offs.

I love your optimism, are you new to this club?



I’m all for taking a moment to consider all options but at the end of the day they’re picking a RL head coach. I’m at a loss why that process cannot be done in around 5-6 weeks given the very small pool of talent the club can pick from. You’d think they might want to send some good news out at some point?

It could be the Coach they want isn't available yet, although I can't see Mick Potter leaving Cronulla just yet!

The email suggest they don't understand how they've come to the situation re-crowds, which similarly suggests they're in the process of making a huge decision with massive budget implications with no real grip on the situation. Hard to make numbers add up when you don't know what they are anymore. With a new coach and some wins would crowds come back? Or is it the case that sans some credible project for promotion this is what it looks like.

Michael Potter is the Canterbury Bulldogs Interim Coach till the end of the season & has been in charge for the last 4 Games

Potter was the best coach we've had since Nobby IMO. Shame it ended how it did because he'd recruited well and we were becoming a top 8 team again.

It wasn't that long ago that we were a top 2 side in the championship. I'd like to see us aim to be one again. Finishing 7th or 8th isn't good enough by a long way. As has been said before we should aim to be the "best of the rest". The downward spiral since the away game at York last season needs to be stopped. Dunning's done ok so far. The win versus Sheffield shows we're making progress but I want to see consistency before I'd give him the job.

Would fans come back if we played better rugby and were a top 4 side? Some would I reckon but the longer it takes the fewer would return as people develop other habits. What we need to do is attract new supporters.

I don't think it's getting hung up.

Rugby League is a small world - anyone remotely qualified would have known the vacancy had occurred within 24 hours of Kear leaving. One week would be ample time for people to submit CVs with another couple of weeks to shortlist and interview.

It could easily have been done within a month with no 'rush'

If the candidate is not available until the end of the season then make an announcement to that effect and appoint Dunning until then.

It's not rocket science

Instead we get poor quality announcements from the club, when we hear anything at all. Then they wonder why crowds are falling?

GC stating interviews next week with 7 candidates. Not sure if they’ve allowed 1 per day or it’s just coincidence!! Perhaps we might hear something in the next few weeks then!! Unless it’s a 2 stage interview process!

I think if we end up with a top end coach people won't care how long it's taken. If we end up with Dunning, and I've been pleasantly surprised how well we've been playing under him, it does smack a little of us stalling to hope he came through to give him the job. It shouldn't have taken 6 weeks to keep the application process open, as PaulWalker said, RL is a very small world, should have been 10 days tops before interviews. I'm not against Dunning getting the job as I've liked how we've played under him. But when Wood talked about keeping the application process open as some high level candidates from abroad are applying, it just places mistrust in the club. If it really is the case some hifh calibre coaches have applied, then my preference would be appoint them and Dunning continue his apprenticeship under them with a promise of being given the gig next.

Couldnt have written my own thoughts any better than this.


The club as a whole is a laughing stock. The owner is a laughing stock and things like this just add to it.

I think the big concern for me about the length of time this is taking to appoint a coach is that we are supposedly heading into the most crucial season the club have had (arguably ever), and we are missing the boat on potential recruitment opportunities.

Any new coach is surely going to want to have a say in the squad for next year, yet here we are with deals that can be done and yet we are still sat around wondering who that is going to be.

MD seems to have a good reputation within the club and the squad but I don't honestly think even he thinks he is in with a shot of being given the role FT. So the question mark is do the club genuinely have high calibre candidates interested as they have stated, who are capable of coaching in the championship with a limited budget?

I personally can't see it.