I see what you are saying, but at the same time I think it is an inescapable fact that the only ‘essential’ authors on a paper ie the authors without which the

I see what you are saying, but at the same time I think it is an inescapable fact that the only ‘essential’ authors on a paper ie the authors without which the work wouldn’t have been done at all, are the senior authors. To suggest that they shouldn’t receive credit for that seems very unfair.