It takes a lot of effort and very dedicated crew to make junkers shine. On the Mandarin junkers, all three crew positions had very specific routines which had to be trained in order for the ship to work at maximum output. Positioning is also crucial, as once a double junker team's formation is broken by a disable-heavy team, it becomes very difficult to survive, let alone win, an engagement.
Once the crew and piloting requirements are met, however, the junker probably has the most versatility and highest overall performance of any ship in the game. It is this high skill ceiling that makes it such a dangerous ship in the right hands. I would most certainly disagree with all those who think that the junker is in need of buffing, or that it is no longer meta or has a competitive role in the game.