Josh McGuire is 32, will be 33 in March, is currently injured and has only played in about 5 or 6 games all year. Good player, a touch on the dirty side, but I wouldn’t think his best days are in front of him.

Vaughan is a big guy, but again, 30’s. Tough to judge in a Bulldogs team that are so poor, but seems to plod on ok. Think better value for money may be Vaughan on this, but not exciting.

That’s what I’m concerned about! We weren’t quite good enough, but instead we are flooding the team full of has-beens and Cas old boys. Chayse Blair and James Clare will be coming next

What would we have thought had we kept Cooper at 34 and by doing so Vaughan went to Wigan? Would that have been a good result? I’d have looked on enviously had that been the case.

Wigan fans may have been envious when they retained Ben Flower while we signed Roy Asotasi to be fair, but we know how that went. Aussie props aren’t always the best investment, but with Cooper we know what we have, what condition and that he turns in a shift. 12 months on reduced terms with an option would have been a good deal all round

Thing is we can't criticise Powell on getting nothing out of the current players AND criticise him when he tries to change the players. Powell believes Cooper has gone stale. Maybe it's his 10% missed tackle stats, maybe it's the clothing business, maybe it's his age, maybe his attitude - we just don't know.

We can judge Powell in 2023.

Yeah we have a bloke who’s seemingly more interested in selling bob hats than training for his hometown club. Backing Powell 100% here.

I have agreed with virtually all of your recent posts on Powell and recruitment. However, to be fair we've lost repeated GFs in spite of them not because of them if that's not too daft a proposition

Why? Why can’t paying fans critique the performance, seeing a capable group capitulate infront of our eyes, including conceding 40 points 3 weeks out of 4. Any stats fans know the last time we conceded 40 before Powell?

Why must we wait to see a new group of players come in, then the old “time to gel” excuse just to get to Easter next year before any criticism becomes valid.

We had a group of nearly men, we now have a disjointed group who are 80 minutes off being 11th. The signings in so far and on the horizon don’t inspire progression or change, the don’t appear to allow room for development for youth. We’ve dropped a winger and the kids despite having bad apples and bad attitudes, why not put Cooper on the naughty step if he’s such a poor pro?

But we’re to sit back, stump up our season ticket money and just accept it because he’s only been in the job since October…

DROP HIM THEN!! Why is he starting every week if he’s too busy running a business. Can’t have it both ways!

June 4th 2017

4 - 44 vs Huddersfield

Judge Powell this time NEXT year when he’s got HIS squad. Simples.

Fair points.

Sorry, I should have clarified - of course you can judge and criticise at any time and decide whether to stump up season ticket money. You don't need to sit back and accept it. I think Powell will be given a minimum of another year from now at the very least.

You are quite right. The point I was trying to make was that they were/are not talismanic to success.

Cooper and Hill were and have been our top performers consistently for the longest time so for me booting them out based on not enough time at the club when they carry the team on their backs most of the time doesn't fly for me. You earn your perks. They had.

This group of players have underperformed for 3 different coaches over a period of say 6/7 years. If we don't give Powell chance to reboot this squad, then we'd have to get another coach in, working with these players, with the liklihood of them throwing the 4th coach underneath the bus.

A radical club cultural revolution such as this, and one which is apparently needed, will result in players getting brassed off and underperforming. This bunch have been throwing toys out the pram because they have to finish work on time and won't embrace the changes for the sake of the club - I have no sympathy with them whatsoever.

You're fully entitled not to stump up money to pay for this dross and no one would blame you, but hopefully you and others can see that without pain there's no gain. And it's painful to watch, but I have faith in Powell and will be supporting him, even if some of his players won't.