Gaa 2016

[BonnieShels]

I lost interest in this GAA season very early on, and Limerick crashing out so quickly was only partially to blame. Kilkenny and Tipp in the hurling, again, Dublin and Mayo, again, in the football, and a mountain of negative tactics and boring stretches in both codes, that isn't made up for by a few entertaining semi-finals.

Those hurling SFs were games for the ages though.

Hurling needs to be acted upon quick. It's getting beyond it now.

[BonnieShels]

Thank fook for Tipp.

Anyway tomorrow... Dublin by 4.

[Kingdom]

Bonnie, congrats. I'm looking forward to next years tussle already, and for the rest of the decade.

Dublin won Sam this year doing what they needed to do. I cannot comment on the non-Kerry matches as I don't have RTE. All sympathy has gone out the window for Mayo though. When we beat them in 06, I thought at that stage that I wouldn't mind if Mayo won an All-Ireland at Kerry's expense. I don't care anymore, football is too cynical to be romantic about the big-guns.

Next years race for Sam will be tighter again, hopefully with Galway Tipperary pushing on, and maybe someone in Leinster will make a mark.

I saw the team of the season, and couldn't really argue with it, although I had raised eyebrows over Cluxton - with the qualifier being I didn't see enough Dublin matches. From a Kerry perspective I thought Mark Griffin or Shane Enright could have been in with a shout of a full back role, but the two Dubs were fully deserved.
Kerry need Anthony Maher to get fit. Of the big guns, the stamina of the Kerry players is an issue. I do not know why. In matches against us, players are substituted due to poor performance; Kerry players are rarely hooked for being crap, more for being jaded, with the replacements either not up to scratch or not up to speed. That is not sustainable in my eyes. Something that pleases me about Dublin - they deserve great kudos for this - is there is absolutely no nonsense about standard of competition, or the quality of opponent. They just want to win everything. It starts with the O'Byrne and works its way from there. It fosters the competitive edge from the get-go, and it is something I wish Kerry would do. Dublin do not let up when they are on top - unlike previous Whelan-era Dublin teams - there is no ott-attitude when Dublin have the foot on the throat: they just press harder.
Kerry have had an issue with letting leads slip for nearly 2 decades. I can pinpoint the match: Roscommon 2001. It is something that seeped into the psyche and has festered. It's not a problem with teams that have their own issues with self-belief (Monaghan being the prime example a couple of years ago) but when we're playing counties at the peak of their powers, or counties not over-awed by the size of the occasion, then it's an issue. You look at this Dublin side, and you would never say they are beaten until they are beaten. Kerry need to get that. And they'll get that by bringing through the minors, and letting Jack O'Connor do his magic with the 21's so that they can build on that. Because we need to build a squad badly. I don't care how this sounds, but certain players need to be jettisoned sooner rather than later.

Kelly, Enright, Griffin, Killian Young, Maher, Moran, Moran, Paul Murphy, Peter Crowley, Paul Geaney. They are all players who I'd be happy to build a squad/team around.
Players like Morley, Begley, are players that a lot is expected of but haven't really shown all that much. Indeed how much stock can be placed in a championship where you lose the only "real" match you encounter? even Johnny Buckley for example, is an established player who has never really caught fire. Stephen O'Brien, Mickey Geaney, James O'Donoghue too - JOD is a shadow of his former self, but it definitely capable of remedying it.

stalwarts such as Sheehan, Donaghy, Marc Sé are gone. They don't have the legs required for the football being played nowadays - or injuries have just taken too much toll.
Mahony is different, he's always been a different type of player. Even the Gooch, he surely has some role to play, even if he is on the wane. I think back to the effect Canavan had against Kerry in 2008, and how it turned the game, but I'm not sure in the 80 minute era that this Kerry team has the legs to accommodate such a scenario with Gooch. Donncadh Walsh is crucial to the type of system Fitzmaurice employs, but he's only good for 60 mins it seems. To me that's a problem with the system.

Eamon Fitzmaurice needs a good 2017. The defining image of 2016 for me was Marc O'Se coming on for Paul Geaney vs Dublin. I feel Fitzmaurice is a good manager. Even an average manager wouldn't have had the success he's had across a wide variety of streams. But he's making bad decisions. This needs to be rectified.

Here's to an exciting 2017. Congrats to Dublin.

[BonnieShels]

I'll get back about the AIF tomorrow but janey mac:

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2016/1007/822366-davy-fitzgerald-named-new-wexford-manager/

[Kingdom]

The link is broken to the O'Sé dynasty, with Marc O'Sé's retirement yesterday. My favourite of the 4, Marc was a superb footballer, as to the simply refer to him as a defender would be doing him a disservice. Great temperament, and in my opinion the finest exponent of the blockdown in modern football. Unfortunately this day has been inevitable for a while, and I'm glad he hung around to win in 2014, as his performance as sub in the replayed semi-final was superb, after a shocking outing in the drawn semi in Croker.

Tom Long - Paidí Sé - Darragh Sé - Tomás Sé - Marc Sé - a great line of All-Ireland's from back West. Thanks for everything Marc.

[BonnieShels]

So more sops to unionism being made...

Resolutely against the idea of dropping the anthem or flag. If we get to a point of reunification then we'll talk... but until then...

Is there really such a mass movement within unionism to have it changed so that they'll give the Gah a go? I think not!

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2016/1129/835162-gaa-may-limit-future-use-of-irish-flag-and-anthem/

---

Thoughts on the Mark? I think it's tinkering around the edges. not pro- it not agin it.
One thing to say about it is only from a kick-out so that'll sap any thoughts that it was gonna make us into AFL.

The signalling is odd. In Rugby, NFL (fair catch) and AFL you have to raise your hand to signal. In football it will be just stopping still. Leaves it a bit wishy-washy tbf.
http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2016/1130/835552-on-your-mark-gaelic-footballs-new-rule/

[nigel-harps1954]

Thoughts on the Mark? I think it's tinkering around the edges. not pro- it not agin it.
One thing to say about it is only from a kick-out so that'll sap any thoughts that it was gonna make us into AFL.

The signalling is odd. In Rugby, NFL (fair catch) and AFL you have to raise your hand to signal. In football it will be just stopping still. Leaves it a bit wishy-washy tbf.
http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2016/1130/835552-on-your-mark-gaelic-footballs-new-rule/

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

There's nothing more impressive on the field that someone taking a high ball around a couple of players, bursting their way through, and firing over a point from 30-40 yards. Taking that out of the game with a 'mark' is nonsense.

[Real ale Madrid]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

There's nothing more impressive on the field that someone taking a high ball around a couple of players, bursting their way through, and firing over a point from 30-40 yards. Taking that out of the game with a 'mark' is nonsense.

I haven't seen that in GAA in 5 years at least. In fact - I think I could count on 1 hand the amount of points players hit on the run from 30-40 yards.

[Real ale Madrid]

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2017/0403/864858-joe-brolly/

Joe Brolly on Tyrone - I've been saying for years that they need a change.

So back to the Dublin Juggernaut:

This week:

Senior team unbeaten run stretched to 36 games.
Senior team reach 5th league decider in a row
In that time they have a W-D-L Record of 32-6-5
U21 team make it 6 Leinster titles in a row.

Might keep updating this periodically during the summer.

Can someone change the thread title to just "GAA" or Gaaaaahhhh.

[Kingdom]

:weep: adios Gooch.

[BonnieShels]

:weep: adios Gooch.

Meh.

He was no Stevie O'Neill.

[Real ale Madrid]

Meh.

He was no Stevie O'Neill.

Christ I hope that's sarcasm.

[BonnieShels]

It's completely accurate though. He is not Stevie O'Neill.

[Real ale Madrid]

WE ARE BACK BABY! WOOOOO #UpCork

[BonnieShels]

WE ARE BACK BABY! WOOOOO #UpCork

One swallow etc...

[Real ale Madrid]

One swallow etc...

Beats No swallows!

[Real ale Madrid]

Thank God for Mayo.

Lets face it only for Mayo the whole of the football championship this year would have passed off without incident.

Dublin's record this decade now reads P55 W49 D2 L4

Under Jim Gavin it reads P31 W28 D2 L1.

Dublin have won 4 out the last 5 All-Ireland's and while Seamus Darby has written his name in Irish Sporting folklore as denying Kerry in 1982 - similarly it should be Recorded the Ryan McHughs 2 goals in Donegal's 3-14 to 0-17 win over Dublin on the 31st of Aug 2014 retrospectively has denied Dublin the same. But who is to say Dublin won't go on and achieve it anyway? It would be nigh on impossible for them to lose 2 matches in a year so in theory they would have to lose a game in Leinster and they could still win 5 in a row - but anything can happen in knockout football so you can never say never or ever?

Another year has passed with Mickey Harte getting Tyrone to point X and then failing miserably - been the same for the last 8 years - he has been rewarded with another 3 year stint.

Kerry will be moving heaven and earth to keep Mr Clifford in the county - not necessarily pinning his hopes on him because there is savage talent there anyway but my God he would be a good one to keep.

Cork have set up a company to fund raise for the senior football team - they shouldn't exactly be short of resources you would think but this is where the Dubs are driving teams and with a decent manager I expect a Div 2 league next year and a better run.

And as for Mayo ? I'd actually feel more confident that they could win an All Ireland after yesterday - they just need to find just one or maybe two more scoring forwards, until then.......the curse goes on........

[DeLorean]

Do you rate Ronan McCarthy so, RAM?

[Real ale Madrid]

Do you rate Ronan McCarthy so, RAM?

Remains to be seen but Cork have majorly under achieved in the last 3 years and he is a stone wall certainty to be a step up from the last 2 managers - Cuthbert wasn't up to it imo and Healy lost the dressing-room ( at half time in the Tipp game if you believe the rumors ), so I expect us to improve next year.

Cork don't have the skillset that Kerry would have for example, but we do have a big physical unit that have made gains running directly at teams - I think they are made for the modern game if they can get their defense sorted and are just a bit more patient going forward.

[DeLorean]

Healy lost the dressing-room ( at half time in the Tipp game if you believe the rumors )

I don't believe the rumours to be honest but then he wasn't up to it anyway. I felt sorry for him because he seems a real decent sort but was just out of his depth unfortunately.

I was hoping for something a bit more radical in terms of the appointment but McCarthy has done well at club level to be fair and talks a good game.

[BonnieShels]

2018 Draw time:

Munster:
SF:
Clare/Limerick v Kerry
Tipp/Waterford v Cork
---

Connacht:

QF:
New York v Leitrim
London v Sligo
Mayo v Galway

SF:
Leitrim/New York v Roscommon
Mayo/Galway v London/Sligo
---

Ulster:
Prelim
Donegal v Cavan

QF:
Fermanagh v Armagh
Tyrone v Monaghan
Down v Antrim
Derry v Donegal/Cavan

SF:
Fermanagh/Armagh v Tyrone/Monaghan
Down/Antrim v Derry/Donegal/Cavan
---

Leinster:

First Round:
Laois v Wexford
Louth v Carlow
Offaly v Wicklow


QF:
Laois/Wexford v Westmeath
Louth/Carlow v Kildare
Offaly/Wicklow v Dublin
Longford v Meath

SF:
Laois/Wexford/Westmeath v Louth/Carlow v Kildare
Offaly/Wicklow/Dublin v Longford/Meath