Gaa 2012

[culloty82]

The opening week of the Football Championship went along expected lines, with Donegal, Galway and Limerick winning comfortably, though Louth found the challenge of Westmeath much heavier weather than they might have expected. But pride of place tonight must go to Longford - the league form suggested they stood every chance of overturning Laois, though it didn't look likely when trailing by six in the first half. A Barden goal, however, and tremendous character, drove the Midlanders on to victory, and with a favourable draw, they look to set to have a brilliant summer in both codes, with realistic hopes of a Leinster semi-final.

[bennocelt]

What about Westmeath beating Antrim in the hurling? Result of the whole weekend!

[dantheman]

What about Westmeath beating Antrim in the hurling? Result of the whole weekend!

Shocker alright!

[joeSoap]

Shock number 2 coming up at 4.00pm in Thurles on Sunday when Limerick give it to the Tipperary crowd... C'mon Limerick!!! :-)

[NeverFeltBetter]

The Limerick Hurling team have a really awful fitness problem, consistently playing poor in the final 10-15 minutes of games in the last few championship seasons. I was at the Gaelic Grounds when they were leading Clare by 8 points with around 20 minutes left and lost by 2 and it was almost a mirror image against Tipp.

You could just tell, around the 55-60 minute mark, how Tipp seemed to step it up a gear and just cruise to victory, but it was really just Limerick falling away. I'm not sure if Carey's departure was really to do with that problem or not, but it is something that Limerick simply have to work on. It's so frustrating watching them throw away leads. There is a really good team there, they just need to go the distance.

I'm not sure how the draw for the qualifiers is actually going to work, but from my reading (and if results go as expected) Limerick will be in a pot with Antrim, Carlow, Laois, Westmeath and Wexford. All teams that we can beat. After that though, we're punching above our weight against the (possible) likes of Dublin, Clare, Offaly, Cork. 1/4 finals of the All-Ireland seems to be the goal, but I can't see Limerick getting that far.

[Lim till i die]

Limerick will have a right belt off the qualifiers IMO if the attitude is right (granted that's a fairly big if!), their fitness will only improve as the Championship goes on. I think a lot of teams won't fancy drawing Limerick. People forget Tipp are the only team in the country to touch Kilkenny in the last few years.

I wouldn't pay too much heed to Careys carry on (not to belittle his contribution down the years)

There was some very frustrating aspects about yesterday though. Like clearly Allens plan is to have them hitting peak for the latter qualifiers but what's wrong with trying to have them fit for the first round of Munster?! Haven't won a Munster Championship match in 5 years now. Some of the decisions were bizare as well. Taking Downes off just as he was starting to break good ball was madness especially with Breen still left on the field despite being finished. Breen had a very good game without the ball keeping Maher quiet but he was very poor as an attacking threat and by the time Downes was taken off his legs were completely gone. Moving Dowling in from the half forwards was a daft move aswell. And as for bringing on Brian Geary?! Roasted for a couple of points. The puck outs were shocking as well and it should have been changed a lot earlier.

But wait I'm supposed to be being positive?!

The work rate of the full back line was immense. Richie McCarthy, despite all the pre match hype held his own. We have some exciting young forwards, the forward line in general was very efficient, only four or five wides and only one bad one I can remember (from a clearly unfit Hannon) Dowling looks to be something we've been lacking since the days of Gary Kirby - a competent, composed, free taker. Browne controlled the midfield for long periods, ably assisted by the much maligned James Ryan, who I thought won some good dirty ball. Overall if (another massive if!!) the county can keep from imploding for a couple of years the future is actually fairly bright for Limerick hurling.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Not winning in Munster no longer bothers me as much, since the provincial system is getting ever more antiquated and likely to be chopped at some point, but it is telling how poor Limerick have been in their opening championship game over the last few years.

Regards fitness, Limerick never really seemed to improve on that whole aspect of their play through the league, so I'm not confident that, the next time we play a "good" side - presumeably in the second round of the qualifiers, against a losing semi-finalist from Munster/Leinster, we won't just see the same thing again.

Some of the changes during the game did seem fairly poor, but I wonder if it was an acknowledgement of the fitness issue that saw some players brought off earlier then might have been expected.

There are many positives about this team, but the "imploding" issue never seems to go away. It's certainly the best squad since 2007 I think, but they're not up against much in that regard.

Carey's carry-on is indeed annoying to see, and I suspect he has the image of "Banisteoir Carey" in mind for 2014.

[Spudulika]

In a way the football starts today with Dublin's long awaited arrival on the scene - though is the GAA had a more developed sense of marketing (though it is very good as it stands) they'd have the opening match of the Championship with the reigning champs on show. Still, today I hope Louth can recover from the debacle that was 2010 and Meath's lack of sportsmanship and that the wee county can give it a rattle. At least if they keep it tight it'll bode well for the qualies.

[BonnieShels]

So you want the GAA to have the Dublin match before their opponents were decided?

[NeverFeltBetter]

Limerick hurlers will play Laois in the first round of qualifiers on the 23rd, winners play Antrim the following week. Both games Limerick should be winning with a degree of comfort.

[BonnieShels]

My god Louth were gash today. But for greed on behalf of our forwards we could and should have had six!

[Lim till i die]

Gaelic Football must, MUST, be stopped.

And I say this as someone who actively supports the Limerick footballers, to the point of turning up at games v Kilkenny.

Can anyone pinpoint when exactly it became a painful, ugly, joyless, ugly, defensive, ugly, hand passy, ugly, mess??

As with most problems on this island. I'm inclined to balme Ulster.

Also, is it not becoming increasingly obvious that the top inter county players are using the winter break to pump themselves full of performance enhancing drugs?? Bomber Liston or Charlie Redmond would be chewed up and spat out these days!! Raised cheekbones and jawlines tell tale sign of growth hormone in my (admitedly fairly limited) experience.

Not having a massive dig at the GAA there either btw, it's obvious the rugby boys have been at it for years too.

[BonnieShels]

It's hard to blame Ulster in totality.
Some of the best football over the last few years has been played by Tyrone, Monaghan and the lads from Mourne.

Id be inclined to look further south to the cynical pair of Cork and Kerry.
Most play is directed to the half-forward line. The player in possession goes down easily and then boom. Point.

That they are lauded says it all. You can't play football against as Dublin Tyrone et al have found out at different stages over the years.

So then other counties adopt it and then we have what we have.

I think though that there is a sea change bubbling under though where teams are seeing that if you play enough football against it you can win out but you have to keep at it.

Anyway...

[Jinxy]

Gaelic Football must, MUST, be stopped.

And I say this as someone who actively supports the Limerick footballers, to the point of turning up at games v Kilkenny.

Can anyone pinpoint when exactly it became a painful, ugly, joyless, ugly, defensive, ugly, hand passy, ugly, mess??

As with most problems on this island. I'm inclined to balme Ulster.

Also, is it not becoming increasingly obvious that the top inter county players are using the winter break to pump themselves full of performance enhancing drugs?? Bomber Liston or Charlie Redmond would be chewed up and spat out these days!! Raised cheekbones and jawlines tell tale sign of growth hormone in my (admitedly fairly limited) experience.

Not having a massive dig at the GAA there either btw, it's obvious the rugby boys have been at it for years too.

And that's just the heads on the Hill.
Seriously though, you've a vivid imagination.

[nigel-harps1954]

You'd have to consider Donegal serious contenders this year after absolutely walking through Derry at the weekend. A much improved team from last year.

[BonnieShels]

They are doing what I said would happen all last year. When people criticised them I said that this was gonna be stage two. People laughed at me.

It's the standard Mickey "God" Harte template for success.

*watch as Donegal crash out of Ulster without a whimper*

I'm still tipping Kildare, as I have been for 3 years.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Today in hurling: Kilkenny win by 18, Limerick win by 25, Wexford win by 16. This sport has a problem.

[BonnieShels]

Well done Kildare for collapsing into a heap. They were muck.
Meath played very well.

We are making hard work of this game against the Yellowbellies.
Wexford playing very well though and playing some lovely stuff.

[passinginterest]

Massive bottle job from Wexford. Happens to that team far too often.

[culloty82]

Swings and roundabouts for our Galway posters - from Sunday's hurling brilliance to today's premature football exit. Happy days if you're from Tipp or Limerick, though, it would seem.