Quote ="onedon"Well if Nobles to expensive and we don't want to spend money we may as well of kept cooke, gone down and just play in Div1. you say someone whos just finishing his career and wants to go into coaching, weve just had cooke who was one of those people and alot better than some knocking about ">now.'" Why not keep Cooke then? You never heard me calling for his head. I never heard anyone else calling for his head at the end of last season either. He cant be one of the best upcoming coaches around last year and then the worst this year. As I said a few weeks ago something is wrong at the club (I don't know what and ive not heard anything either) . Be it training , staff , DR or whatever the first the club had to do was find out the problem and nip it in the bud.Once that had been sorted maybe Cookey could have been left in charge. As I said not one person was doing any complaining after the league season last year. Also regarding Noble , do you think on gates of barely over a 1000 we are in a financial position to be employing him and the playing staff he would want to bring in? There are some players out there in the twilight of their careers who have played under some of the best coaches in the world who have picked up loads of knowledge and ideas. Again ill ask the question who would you bring in as coach?

Quote ="onedon"Well if Nobles to expensive and we don't want to spend money we may as well of kept cooke, gone down and just play in Div1. you say someone whos just finishing his career and wants to go into coaching, weve just had cooke who was one of those people and alot better than some knocking about ">now.'" Why not keep Cooke then? You never heard me calling for his head. I never heard anyone else calling for his head at the end of last season either. He cant be one of the best upcoming coaches around last year and then the worst this year. As I said a few weeks ago something is wrong at the club (I don't know what and ive not heard anything either) . Be it training , staff , DR or whatever the first the club had to do was find out the problem and nip it in the bud.Once that had been sorted maybe Cookey could have been left in charge. As I said not one person was doing any complaining after the league season last year. Also regarding Noble , do you think on gates of barely over a 1000 we are in a financial position to be employing him and the playing staff he would want to bring in? There are some players out there in the twilight of their careers who have played under some of the best coaches in the world who have picked up loads of knowledge and ideas. Again ill ask the question who would you bring in as coach?

Quote ="Wanderer"Paul Cooke statement from the Dons official site ... www.doncasterrugbyleague.co.uk/a">www.doncasterrugbyleague.co.uk/article/43291/cooke-eternally-grateful">www.doncasterrugbyleague.co.uk/a ... y-grateful'" Feel for the bloke I really do, not a good scenario to end his Dons days like this. From Feast to Famine in a season and a half must be hard too take. I am grateful that I got to see him play and at times his class shone through in ways that I have not seen seen since the days of Tony Kemp and Paul Mansson. (I may get shot down for that observation but stick by it) I have a gut feeling that whatever ails the Club at present is not just down to Cookie. Hence my call to Gavin Baldwin for a root and branch analysis of the present situation and firm action. The Team Doncaster concept is going to take a sizable hit financially with the relegation prospect of the Dons and one that most certainly was not factored in at the start of this Season. Sold a pup springs to mind and not just the Coach involved in that.

Quote ="Wanderer"Paul Cooke statement from the Dons official site ... www.doncasterrugbyleague.co.uk/a">www.doncasterrugbyleague.co.uk/article/43291/cooke-eternally-grateful">www.doncasterrugbyleague.co.uk/a ... y-grateful'" Feel for the bloke I really do, not a good scenario to end his Dons days like this. From Feast to Famine in a season and a half must be hard too take. I am grateful that I got to see him play and at times his class shone through in ways that I have not seen seen since the days of Tony Kemp and Paul Mansson. (I may get shot down for that observation but stick by it) I have a gut feeling that whatever ails the Club at present is not just down to Cookie. Hence my call to Gavin Baldwin for a root and branch analysis of the present situation and firm action. The Team Doncaster concept is going to take a sizable hit financially with the relegation prospect of the Dons and one that most certainly was not factored in at the start of this Season. Sold a pup springs to mind and not just the Coach involved in that.

I would agree with your observations Moonlight.



Cooke on form was a joy watch so much time on the ball and could make magic happen, Kemp and Mansson also could do this with a drop of the shoulder or a turn of pace...glad to have seen them all in the Blue and Gold.



Its that kind of player we need again someone with a spark of genius who can turn a game in a flash, the Dons history has a few of these over the years but there also sadly appears to be times when we go without em.



I think who the club goes for as next coach will be a good marker as to the direction Club Doncaster wants us to go, do they show ambition with a coach or do we settle, of course a coach lives and dies by his results so at the moment anyone who can get us showing passion and being competitive is a step up. I think removing the reliance on DR well be a massive help if we can put out the same 17 week on week and build a team spirit once more like we had in previous seasons.



I feel for PC (I know I called for his head a while ago) but to me it was clear he had lost confidence in the team I think the retirement and the players leaving just fed that self doubt that transferred over to the team.



I did read an interesting post on the Hull FC forum speculating that as part of the DR we were expected to play to the Hull FC playbook and therefore Radfords play style which lets be honest isnt pulling up any trees at the KC.

Settled team with players who want to be here and play not just turn up and wear a shirt will do for me. The fans who have seen most everything that this game can throw at you deserve something to cheer for the rest of this disaster of a season. The people running the Club owe this to every single one of the faithful few who turn out week in and week out to support Doncaster RL.



No fancy dan excuses just sheer honest graft and too give a damn whilst wearing the blue and gold.

agree totally with the last 3 posts from moonlight and steve.heart goes out to cookie,but i think his hands have been tied,one way or another.

agree totally with the last 3 posts from moonlight and steve.heart goes out to cookie,but i think his hands have been tied,one way or another.

Heres a little snippet on the last 3 Dons coaches. Cooke P39 W17 L21 D1 F815 A1027 Miller P107 W46 L54 D7 F2598 A2881 Hanley P22 W15 L7 D0 F672 A426 Win % - Cooke - 43.58 Miller - 42.99 Hanley - 68.18 Points per game Cooke - F-20.8, A-26.33 Miller - F-24.3, A-26.9 Hanley - F-30.5, A-19.4

Heres a little snippet on the last 3 Dons coaches. Cooke P39 W17 L21 D1 F815 A1027 Miller P107 W46 L54 D7 F2598 A2881 Hanley P22 W15 L7 D0 F672 A426 Win % - Cooke - 43.58 Miller - 42.99 Hanley - 68.18 Points per game Cooke - F-20.8, A-26.33 Miller - F-24.3, A-26.9 Hanley - F-30.5, A-19.4