If thats the case why haven't they stepped up and funded this year then, they are totally blind, as some have said
there is alot of supporters thats watched for yrs and yrs that will NOT come back after this season.
a load of rubbish being said again to late.
Thornton was the wrong man at the start.
I also hope we don't become sheffields second team with their rejects.

Your totally right this season has been a disaster starting from the recruitment to the timing of the changing of coaches, and i'm with you regarding thornton there's a big question mark of wether we should of aimed for someone higher but against all my judgements i think it's unfair not to give him a full pre-season and the chance to bring his own players in. Confidence and morale is at an all time low and it goes without saying i want the season to end now but hearing the calibre of players coming in and plans put in place for the future i really do think we will be back in championship next year better and stronger. I hope the stay always have a change of heart (anything better is better than meadowhall on a sunday afternoon!) and stick with the club we have been through alot worse times. COYD

I do hope you are right.

At least your optimism gives us something to look forward to. We really do need something to cheer us up and give us some hope. I wonder when the first of the signings will be announced?

I read today that Dominic Brambani (released by Sheffield) is likely to sign for Batley for next season.

I do hope that LB knows some actual names and that they are quality.
And that he is just not going on promises ...
Because if they aren't better than the likes of Brambani, I am gonna scream and scream until I am sick!

I also think that they may be underestimating the quality of Championship 1.
For goodness sake it took quite an effort to get out of it last time and we had a better team!
I think they could get quite a shock unless they buck up their ideas.

Obviously players can't be named as they are still contracted and involved in upcoming games but the signings are alot better than i expected and will be very competitive for champ 1, The key positions which we failed to address is a priority and the fact we have beaten off teams in the championship for a couple of these signings prove what vision this club has for the future, i'm only a fan like the rest of us and will be sceptical until i see it in black and white but things are being done correctly and the positivity and honesty i got from carl was very refreshing, i know that was said for this season but numerous things conspired to make this an horrendous year, i'm normally quite negative but my gut is telling me to stick together and give club doncaster a chance. COYD

I'm all for giving them a chance to put things right , and I sincerely hope you right about the upcoming signings leafy, but they have to get it right this time. A good season may not be enough to get fans back, it needs to be a promotion winning season. Whether GT is the man to do it, who knows, but we have to give the guy a chance with his own team, as for Carl Hall, well quite frankly I have every faith in him , as for club Doncaster, I need convincing.

A very fair assessment and fully agree promotion next season has got to be the aim, as for GT i have the same reservations as many on here but was assured the person you see is not the same behind closed doors (players have alot of respect for him and certainly won't take any crap) so giving him time to build his own stamp seems only fair. The club doncaster issue is a weird one they have good people behind the scenes and a decent financial clout but seems they constantly need a kick up the backside to demonstrate that! COYD

There seems to be a drift back to talking about the key positions and once this is sorted then we will all live happy ever after in cloud Donny land.

At Championship level, who can you get with more experience than P Cooke at 6? Internationalist D Scott at 1 – did he not play fullback against France? K Kesik has been re-signed – to play at 9? We had R Wilkinson at 7 and because of his injury we had other players at half back – including Danny Nicklaus.

Just looking at this, does this not seem like a very strong competitive spine? How could this be strengthened? Yet in the first half of the season with P Cooke in charge we were hammered time and again. Also, we were utterly thrashed by League 1 side North Wales Crusaders.

When P Cooke departed and G Thornton took over the helm, he brought in a new half back pairing. Result – we were trashed. G Thornton tried different players at fullback. Result – we were trashed. He brought in another hooker. Result – we were trashed.

Can someone please explain why a current problem is/was the spine of the team? Also, what exactly did the coaches/management at Donny fail to address?

Also, if the spine of the team is not the problem, then does this mean that the problem is with other players? Or, is the real problem elsewhere and the underlying issues caused by this problem manifesting themselves in a poor team performance?

What is certain, is that whatever problem lies with our play, neither P Cooke nor G Thornton managed to resolve it.

COYD

The number of faults with this side is manifold .

Apart from a few notable exceptions, there is little pace in this side and next to no artistry.

The forward power is woeful and the scrum halves are all pants, with the exception of play one miss eight Wilko, who is a diamond when fit (or was).

A club has to have three great halfbacks to allow for injury. The halfbacks have to be livewires with plenty of leadership skills, have a sidestep and be FAST.

They have to play behind a dominant pack.

The nearest we came was a fully fit Cooke and Wilko, but Paul was getting a bit slow and they hardly ever played together anyway, because Wilko was nearly always crocked.

We had a gem in Scotty, but he was the only standout player for me.
The rest were not good enough in the main.
Which in no way is meant to imply that they didn't give their all.
Just not enough class.

Get some South Sea Islanders for goodness sake, let's have some excitement for a change!
COYD

What's happened to Waterman i've not seen him since Whitehaven at Castle park?

Can't disagree with S-O.

Going back to the spine:
Hooker - ok, could lose a few pounds
Loose forward - need someone creative who's prepared to pass the ball
Scrum half - is Wilko playing next year? Cover needed.
Stand off - Needed.
Full back - no issues with Scotty.

This season we've never had a regular pairing at half back who have struggled in any case behind a beaten pack.

Quality signings needed please.

When did co break a defensive line from within our own half? Not in any game I've seen this year...
Butterfield and Waterman used to do it for fun....

Not big enough, good in attack coming in at half back, good goal kicker in main, and good under high ball when not having to compete...

IMO a fit Carr, if can get back to player he was, would leave Scotty for dead.

Wilko, just doesn't do I for me either weak in defence and injury prone and from what gets posted dare say a liability outside of playing

As for Speed If we ever got balls out to wingers I think you'd be hard pressed to find any quicker than Tom...or finisher

The defence in Centre I think is questionable and partly as don't think half backs pickup there roles well enough...

There was a suggestion at the last home game that he'd gone again.