I do not get that notion.

You are off Funkey1 with regard to " It is getting unrealistic to say the road first" yet you answer yourself with "it really is with FN on our back."
It is unrealistic to think that development of the Ring will occur without the road first and it is not for the convenience to Noront. Yes it is because of the native communities who in MY opinion do not want to be satisfied with just the road.
Remember the feeble excuses for the blockade in 2009/2010?

And Coutts is as much between a rock and a hard place as we the individual investors are. Please leave him some slack even if his statments are not pat, and save most of your fire and brimstone for the politicos. Cheers, Ed.