Gaa 2013

Yeah, three of the provincial championships were foregone conclusions this year (Ulster, Connacht and Leinster), with the other being a traditional toss-up between the two counties, though Cork likely to prevail.

Here's a frightening stat for you - Clare in 1992 were the only team other than Cork/Kerry to win a Munster football championship since Tipp in 1935. I mean, what's the point in that? How would you fancy being a club footballer in Munster? Where's the incentive for anyone there?'

I don't even know how you could sensibly improve on the structure across the board. Maybe Spillane has it right, play league very early in the year, keep the provincial championships and play them before Easter, then play a Champions League style structure around the rest of the year?

Traditionalists don't want change but non-traditionalists are turning away from it as the current structure is rubbish. That sentence could apply to any number of things that make up Irish life s it has been known (the government, GAA, the Catholic Church, the leaving cert structure etc) - why are we so conservative as a nation?
 
I actually just re-read my post above and figured that I might get some stick for saying Ulster was a foregone conclusion this year, particularly from the Tyrone lads. My thinking behind that is that even though Tyrone had a good league, they are not on Donegal's level yet, and might not be again for some time (assuming Donegal can keep going for a few years at least). I don't think there's anything else at all in Ulster at the minute that can hold a torch to either Tyrone or Donegal.

They way I see the championship this year is that it's going to be either Donegal to retain it or Dublin to beat them in the final. Mayo have a chance, but to win it we'd have to beat Donegal in semis and Dublin in final, and I don't think the lead in to the quarter finals will stand us in good stead for that type of finish.

The quarters will be as follows:

Dublin -v- Qualifier
Kerry/Cork -v- Qualifier
Donegal -v- Qualifier
Mayo -v- Qualifier

Of those qualifiers, the loser of Kerry/Cork will be one, with Tyrone being another (unless Tyrone are drawn against the loser of that game). The other two don't matter - that's how poor things are, nobody else will stand a chance IMO.

With Dublin playing the winner of the Munster quarter final, I would strongly fancy the Dubs to make the final. I think Cork would have more of a chance of beating the Dubs than Kerry, but either way I think the Dubs will go through.

The other semi final is likely to be a repeat of last year's final, unless Mayo get Cork/Kerry/Tyrone in the quarters, as that could then go either way. I'd fancy Donegal to make the final either way to be honest. I honestly think that Mayo would have the best chance of beating Donegal of the Mayo/Cork/Kerry/Tyrone group though, but you'd have to fancy Donegal.

So a Dublin v Donegal final is what I'm predicting. Let's see how far off the above is at year end - I don't have much faith in the chance of being surprised, but here's hoping for an interesting summer and being proved wrong.
 
Offaly and Waterford about to face off in the next few minutes. I wouldn't write Offaly off, especially in Tullamore. Waterford completely capitulated against Clare and it's hard to say where their heads are. Many expect Offaly to give them a right rattle.

It's not on Irish television, is it? I can't find a stream anywhere.
 
Should be a belting day of Gaelic games today. Donegal v Down has the potential to be an enthralling game of football, and if the relegation play-off between Cork and Clare earlier this year is anything to go by, the hurling should be a humdinger too.

I'm going to go for wins for Donegal and Clare. Donegal were very clinical against Tyrone the last day and were convincing winners in the end without actually being particularly convincing for large periods of the game. A sign of a good team and one which is lethal in front of goal. Clare have been impressive in fits and starts this year (the aforementioned relegation play-off against Cork was one of their better days, but they shat in their togs against Tipperary in the NHL). What's impressed me most about them is their points-taking ability from all over the field. They are racking up some tidy scorelines and don't necessarily need goals to win games. You'd feel Cork will need to score a few goals to get over Clare today as Clare will probably out-score them with scores over the bar.

I'm going to go for Donegal by five and Clare by four.
 
I get what your saying GM, but has there ever been a time when there was more than 2 genuine teams per province? Munster was always Cork/Kerry, Connaught was always Galway/Mayo, Leinster was always Dublin+ whoever was decent at that time (Meath mostly) And Ulster has fluctuated the most but there's always been a period where one team is well ahead of the rest with one year of true competitiveness while changing over.
 
The intercounty GAA scene died the very day that the Grab-All Association introduced the back-door/qualifiers system. They've put earning a few pound ahead of the best interests of the lifeblood of the sport - the supporters - and it has been to the detriment of the game. I remember standing on the terraces of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Semple Stadium in a winner-take-all Munster hurling championship games, and they were fantastic. Lose and your hurling was done for the year, win and the dream lives on. The players, the supporters, everyone was in it together. You'd be lucky to get a ticket for those games and for the lead-up to the game at the weekend, it's all anybody would talk about. Nowadays you'd be lucky to get 20,000 for a Munster hurling semi-final.

It's sad.
 
Well, the deterioration of hurling in the "lesser" counties puts paid to ever having a truly competitive Liam McCarthy competition. Hurling is very far removed from the football in that regard. However, counties like Offaly, Wexford, and up until this year, the likes of Limerick and Clare, knew they weren't feasibly going to win their provincial championships, so they target a few wins in the qualifiers in the hope of reaching the All-Ireland quarter-finals and a nice day out in Croke Park. Whereas in years gone by, those counties would empty themselves in training in the lead-up to championship in the hope of causing an upset. It was what made the GAA championship so romantic.

Take a look at Tipperary against Kerry in the football a few weeks ago. I know for a fact that Tipperary practically wrote off that fixture and their goal for the summer was to win a couple of qualifers. If it was straight knock-out, at least you'd know as a supporter that your team was going to give it their all in the game in the hope of a win, which would give you more optimism to actually attend the game. Nowadays you're being asked to fork out €30 for a ticket that you know your county isn't totally interested in winning, and you know that if/when they lose, they'll be other games for them. It really is a bad system and it's in place for one reason only: money.
 
Donegal get away with so much from the refs. Off the ball fouls and blocks as well as other stuff. If they were reffed right they wouldn't be half as good.
 
Very poor game this. Not seeing much to worry about in these Donegal boys:wenger:
 
Big Papi's crowd had a great win in the Leinster minor semi-final against Wexford, I see. They are facing Kilkenny in the final now, a team which Wexford comfortably beat earlier in the championship. It would be great for Laois to win a Leinster title at minor level. They must be doing some work there.
 
Kilkenny 0-08 Dublin 0-08 at half-time in Portlaoise and Clare 0-11 Cork 0-08 at half-time in Limerick.

The gale blowing in the Clare-Cork game is going to be significant in the second half. Nash has a serious puck out and he'll be reaching the Cork full-forward line with some of them. We'll see whether the Clare full-back line can withstand the pressure.
 
nahealai said:
Big Papi's crowd had a great win in the Leinster minor semi-final against Wexford, I see. They are facing Kilkenny in the final now, a team which Wexford comfortably beat earlier in the championship. It would be great for Laois to win a Leinster title at minor level. They must be doing some work there.
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Aye. I missed it as my youngest is having his 6th birthday party and I had to go or the family would have left before I came home......

Laois went into the game with some expectation but Pat Critchley has those lads brimming with confidence. They are physically big enough and wev'e always produced some good hurlers. The trick was to blend the skill with brawn, while overcoming the inferiority complex. On the final, Kilkenny lost to Wexford alright, but also hammered Laois by 18 points back in April. Its beating the colour of the jersey that will be the first task for us on the 7th.

The amount of work being done has been going on for 10 years now. Critchley started the Setanta programme for U10s/11s and it brings a higher level of hurling to all kids at that age. I've one lad going now and there were 64 young lads there last time out. Laois minor, U21 & senior hurlers will all help out throughout the year. The entire minor squad this year have been through Setanta and some (maybe 4?) of the senior squad.

What's most encouraging for us, is that the U16s are not only competing with, but beating the traditional counties. We beat both divisions of Kilkenny recently enough, but had five minors missing and I've been told that our full U16 team would beat most in Ireland. Even within the county, amalgamations are happening and stronger teams are being put forward instead of the cannon fodder for Portlaoise and the odd breakthrough team. Our own U14 team had two players from Emo on the Laois hurling panel. Emo is such a footballing area, that this is unheard of. Its brilliant stuff.

I know I'm rabbiting on, but its very positive and the county is behind these teams in a massive way - especially considering how the footballers don't seem to give a shite. There was a 'meet the players night' for the public, with the senior hurlers and footballers. The entire hurling panel were out, but the football 'stars' stayed away.
 
nahealai said:
The rugby yesterday wasn't as rough and tumble.

The Northies have a lot to answer for if this is the future of football.
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Typical lazy analysis to be honest. You'd think football was all smelling of roses before the last 15 years. The cynical fouls and dirty play have been a part the game for ever. Everyone in the south is so quick to blame the northern counties, but imo it's a bit of jealousy that in general in recent years we are simply better at playing the game how 90% of countries try to play it. Kerry, the great bastion for pure football are and always have been dirty when they need to be.
 
Irwynwastheking said:
Typical lazy analysis to be honest. You'd think football was all smelling of roses before the last 15 years. The cynical fouls and dirty play have been a part the game for ever. Everyone in the south is so quick to blame the northern counties, but imo it's a bit of jealousy that in general in recent years we are simply better at playing the game how 90% of countries try to play it. Kerry, the great bastion for pure football are and always have been dirty when they need to be.
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It was tongue-in-cheek, Irwin, but there is some semblance of truth to it. Northern football is far more cynical than football in any other part of the country, and has been since I can remember. Northern football also tends to have less kick passes per game than any other province, and coupled with the cynical fouling, it makes the game less of a spectacle. Of course it's very physical and fascinating to watch at times, but key skills of the game are less and less utilised. Look at Down today; loads of possession early in the game but it was all hand-passes out around their own half-back line, and Donegal were happy to retreat knowing Down wouldn't try kick it inside. The result was Down not having a shot on goal until the fourteenth minute.

Absolutely crazy. No wonder there's nobody going to the games anymore.
 
Full house today.

Also I didn't mean typical if you, rather typical if southern comments. Down have plenty of players able to score great points and goals as seen in the derry game, but they were poor in front of goal today. Coulter in particular was a huge disappointment.
 
Full-time in Portlaoise. Dublin 0-17 Kilkenny 1-14. TJ Reid with the equalising score from the last puck of the game.

Dublin will feel like they've left it behind them today.
 
Cork have ruthlessly exposed Clare today. I was sceptical of them all year to be honest - despite many tipping them for honours this year - but after their victory over Waterford the last day, I was starting to warm to them. Apart from the relegation play-off win over Cork earlier in the year, the only other time I saw them was against Tipperary in the League, and they were totally dominated. Today's result might give us a better guide of where Waterford currently are in the standings, and how far away Offaly are from making headway again.
 
nahealai said:
Full-time in Portlaoise. Dublin 0-17 Kilkenny 1-14. TJ Reid with the equalising score from the last puck of the game.

Dublin will feel like they've left it behind them today.
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Well I hope they haven't left it behind them but I have a feeling they might have just done that

Either way and I know I've said this a few times over the years already but having seen Kilkenny a few times this year now I'm beginning to wonder are the wheels starting to come off their wagon or is it just a case of the gap closing a bit? Apart from the league final I can't say they've looked as impressive as they were last year especially in backs where they have leaked a shit load of goals in the League and against Offaly in the Championship.

On another note the Hurling Championship seems to be blown wide open now, it's gone just like the league campaign where it seems literally any of the top 4/5 counties can beat one another on any given day add into that Laois can no longer be taken for granted, Offaly look like they are making some headway again and Waterford and Dublin whom many thought would be in a spot of bother this year or have begun to go backwards a bit are most certainly not gone backwards.

Not to sure what the feck happened Clare in that 2nd half today but they aren't as bad as they looked and I've a feeling whoever gets them in the qualifiers could be in for a land. Fair play to Cork though. The Munster final should be a cracker, impossible to call.
 
Also, anyone wants to look for a Provence fecked at the minute just need to look at Connaught. Galway's OK in the hurling and Mayo are contenders in the football, but the rest of the teams are brutal. London drawing with Leitrim just shows the state they are in.
 
Irwynwastheking said:
Also, anyone wants to look for a Provence fecked at the minute just need to look at Connaught. Galway's OK in the hurling and Mayo are contenders in the football, but the rest of the teams are brutal. London drawing with Leitrim just shows the state they are in.
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Connaught never really had a hurling championship and you're right the football side of things are in a bit of a state at the moment but feck me when the Galway footballers were last winning All-Irelands and to getting to finals in the late 90's and early 00's were they an entertaining team to watch. In fact Gaelic football in general before the Ulster teams started to dominate was a far more enjoyable sport to watch, the sooner the southern counties get back to be top dogs again the better.
 
The Black Pearl said:
Connaught never really had a hurling championship and you're right the football side of things are in a bit of a state at the moment but feck me when the Galway footballers were last winning All-Irelands and to getting to finals in the late 90's and early 00's were they an entertaining team to watch. In fact Gaelic football in general before the Ulster teams started to dominate was a far more enjoyable sport to watch, the sooner the southern counties get back to be top dogs again the better.
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Like Dublin or Mayo? And what system do they employ?
 
Irwynwastheking said:
Like Dublin or Mayo? And what system do they employ?
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Are you saying Mayo and Dublin play an Ulster style of football? The two teams have scored 74 points between them in three games this year, average just short of 25 a game. Ulster football is averaging 30 points between the two teams so far this year (151 points in 5 games).

What games are you watching?
 
lem8sh said:
Dublin and Mayo have players with natural ability that the Northern boys can only dream of. (Once again I omit Stephen O'Neill)
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BS. Dublin and Mayo happen to be the two form teams in the south at the moment and of course they are going to have some of the better footballers. You are too quick to disregard the talents of boys like the Bradleys, Cavanagh, Harte, even Coulter in his younger days. There's a load of great footballers in the north, but racking up big scores is harder.

Gee Male said:
Are you saying Mayo and Dublin play an Ulster style of football? The two teams have scored 74 points between them in three games this year, average just short of 25 a game. Ulster football is averaging 30 points between the two teams so far this year (151 points in 5 games).

What games are you watching?
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Honeslty, that's just about the worst argument I've ever heard. If you're going to tell me that Mayo putting up cricket scores against shite Galway and Roscommon teams or Dublin hammering Westmeath have been good games you're on another planet. I'd take a close Ulster game any day, and honestly if Tyrone play any of those three teams I'd expect them to put up a decent score too. If Donegal played any of them they'd wipe the floor with them.

Dude, that really is a nonsense arguement. I was at a club game on Saturday. Semi final of a cup between two division 2 teams in Sligo. It ended up 3-18 to 0-7 so a twenty point win. Do you think that that was a sign of how good one team was or how shite the other was or a mixture of both. Ulster is a much more competitive division and Donegal at the minute are a fine team with skillful talented able footballers. I hate how cynical they are and how much they get away with, but to deny that McFadden and the rest are very talented shows a blindness that I'm surprised at.
 
Irwynwastheking said:
Honeslty, that's just about the worst argument I've ever heard. If you're going to tell me that Mayo putting up cricket scores against shite Galway and Roscommon teams or Dublin hammering Westmeath have been good games you're on another planet. I'd take a close Ulster game any day, and honestly if Tyrone play any of those three teams I'd expect them to put up a decent score too. If Donegal played any of them they'd wipe the floor with them.
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If Donegal were playing a team with a forward line that contained players with footballing ability they would have been out of the Ulster Championship now. The Down forwards were a joke yesterday the amount of times they kicked the ball into the keepers hands and wide from perfectly good scoring positions was unreal there was nothing entertaining about looking at it, the Tyrone forwards weren't anything to write home about either the day they played Donegal, not a great match either. Ulster teams seem to be are set up in a way so that they kill off teams that are out to play football. When two Ulster teams meet it's just a bore fest altogether.
 
The Black Pearl said:
If Donegal were playing a team with a forward line that contained players with footballing ability they would have been out of the Ulster Championship now. The Down forwards were a joke yesterday the amount of times they kicked the ball into the keepers hands and wide from perfectly good scoring positions was unreal there was nothing entertaining about looking at it, the Tyrone forwards weren't anything to write home about either the day they played Donegal, not a great match either. Ulster teams seem to be are set up in a way so that they kill off teams that are out to play football. When two Ulster teams meet it's just a bore fest altogether.
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You're right and wrong there. Right in that the two Donegal games were shit, and that's down to Donegal being a dirty negative team. They played well against Tyrone but with the help of the ref at crucial times. The same again yesterday, had the ref called the game properly then Down would have won IMO. Down's shooting was shit yesterday as was Tyrone's a few weeks ago, but that was well below what both counties normally do. Down have fine forwards who normally are well able to point.

You and a lot of southern commentators are wrong in calling it an Ulster problem. Tyrone don't set up like Donegal, they don't set up like they did 10 years ago either. We play a much more attacking formation and played some of the prettiest football in the league. Armagh are trying to play nice stuff but don't seem to have the players anymore, Cavan are a young attacking team, and Derry have always been about the forwards.

Seriously, if you think watching any of Dublin or Mayo's games have been better spectacles then I have to disagree. They've been shit too. The problem is that outside of Tyrone and Donegal we've not seen two good sides play each other yet anywhere. Ulster gets all the flack but honestly it's a very lazy stereotype that the Sunday Game are happy to keep peddling and people are happy to keep swallowing. The game next weekend in Clones between Monaghan and Cavan won't be to best football of the summer, but it wont be the ultra defensive shite Donegal play either.
 
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