All this talk of Powell throwing Dean under a bus... Has he actually done that? All he did was mention that Dean made a few errors in the heat of the moment during a press conference. I doubt Powell intended to lay the blame solely at Dean's feet, out that he said it to keep him grounded. He probably just blurted his thoughts out loud in a quick interview after a game.
Dean is a talent, and he's only played a few games. He's currently no worse than our other half backs, that's true, but also he doesn't yet look as assured as Thewlis for example, who's had a gentle introduction over the last year or so.
I doubt he's been thrown under the bus, and if we MUST sign Dufty I'd rather it be at half-back for one year, allowing Dean to develop with a gentle introduction in '22 and '23, and Thewlis to keep the place he's earned.