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Joyce is great,is he enough to drag them past Mayo in may?

I think Padraig Joyce is probably a small bit past his best at this stage but he can still be a big influence for Galway. Even the last day I thought he looked the classiest footballer on the pitch.

Where on Earth have all the other Galway posters gone?

Well I was away all last week and some of the other Galway posters haven't emerged from their winter hibernation yet it seems.

Good win for us all the same. Have to follow it up at home to Kildare next.

Galway shot to the top of the Division 1B standings as they looked sharp in Ger Loughnane's first National League Division 1B game at the helm with a 3-25 to 0-12 win over Antrim at Pearse Stadium.

Kevin Broderick scored 1-02 in the opening half at Pearse Stadium - he batted home a 16th-minute goal for the Tribesmen, who had former minor captain John Lee debuting at centre-back.

David Tierney nabbed the hosts' second goal, just before the break, as they led 2-09 to 0-05.

Eugene Cloonan, who struck five first half points, took his tally to 1-10 with a late goal. The Saffrons' scorers included Karl McKeegan, Liam Watson, Patrick Richmond and Brendan and Michael Herron.

Galway were forced into a defensive reshuffle before the throw-in, losing both corner backs to injury, with Damien Joyce ruled out due to the flu.

Antrim's midfield duo of McKeegan and Brendan Herron were by far the visitors' most effective unit throughout, and the pair shared out three points in the opening minutes.

But Broderick's goal helped Galway wrestle back control and with Richie Murray firing over an excellent line ball, Loughnane's charges led 1-04 to 0-03 by the midpoint of the half.

Michael Herron and Watson, who was an effective presence at centre forward, kept Antrim ticking on the scoreboard before Tierney sent an unstoppable shot to the Saffrons' net, having rounded goalkeeper DD Quinn.

The mismatch continued into the second half as two shots from a sharp-looking Cloonan and another from Niall Healy sent Galway into a 2-12 to 0-05 lead.


Antrim managed to reel the hosts back in with a brace from Watson and a lovely flicked effort from Richmond, but there was a touch of inevitability about the closing half-hour.

Quicker to the ball and showing some neat touches in front of goal, Galway topped off their opening day win with man of the match Cloonan, who cracked over three brilliant '65s, notching his goal and Niall Healy ending his afternoon's work with his third point.

Twelve months ago, Antrim shocked the men from the west with Johnny McIntosh, who hit 1-07 that day, central to that victory.

Unfortunately the Oisin Glenariffe clubman is currently recovering from a groin operation, but it is very doubtful if he would have made a difference in Salthill.

Loughnane had his players primed for this one, and despite a flurry of positional changes, there was nothing new Antrim managers Dominic McKinley and Terence McNaughton could do to thwart Galway.

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Yeah that's the final score.

Galway 3-25
Antrim 0-12

Bloody hell, what sort of professional footballer tries to deliberatly ruin a fellow pros careerer, never mind a team mates. I wonder will he ever play again for Liverpool?

where was this report taken from?

News of the Screws.

By Dominic Herbert & Anthony Kastrinakis



A FUN sing-song turned into a vicious punch-up as Liverpool ace Craig Bellamy saw red and waded into team-mate John Arne Riise in a drunken rage.

The sensational bust-up erupted in the early hours of Friday at the team's Portuguese hotel after a marathon boozing session.



An eye witness says the feuding Premiership stars:




TRADED INSULTS during a bar's karaoke contest when Riise refused to take the stage,



SCREAMED ABUSE as they faced each other toe to toe,



TOTTERED back to their training camp base at 2am,



FOUGHT in a hotel as Bellamy lashed out at Riise's £5 million legs with a golf club, until the pair were



SEPARATED by head coach Rafael Benitez.


The outrage has massive implications for both players and the club, who have just been taken over by new American owners.



Tycoon co-chairmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks who invested £470 million were said to be furious that their name has been dragged through the mud just before a vital Champions League clash with Barcelona on Wednesday—their most important match this year.



Insiders have predicted it could spell the end of 27-year-old bad boy Bellamy's career at Anfield.

The astonishing incident kicked off at Monty's Restaurant and Bar in the upmarket Algarve Vale do Lobo resort where Welsh international Bellamy and Norwegian World Cup hero Riise, 25, were winding down with colleagues after five days' training in preparation for Wednesday.



An inside source revealed: "There had been a lot of drinking and everyone was enjoying themselves.



"But it all went wrong when Craig tried to drag John up for a song.



"There was a karaoke competition going on, but John's a quiet one off the pitch and wasn't having it at all.



"It started off as a bit of a lark with some of the other lads having a go but then it got completely out of hand. John went ballistic because Craig wouldn't take no for an answer. He was screaming at Craig to leave him alone, saying he wouldn't do it and yelling insults.



"Everyone was completely stunned by it because they were really having a go, standing there toe to toe swearing at each other. There were about 20 players in the bar including all the senior guys, like Steven Gerrard, Peter Crouch and Dirk Kuyt.



"They were warned to keep a lid on it and it appeared to calm down.



"It was really late, about 2am, and the players eventually started drifting off to bed. But Craig, who was sharing with Steve Finnan, was so wound up he couldn't sleep.



"He suddenly grabbed a golf club and went looking for John. And when he found him he waded in, hacking at his legs with the club.



"All hell was let loose and John suffered a lot of bruising. Craig was out of control and shouting that John had belittled him in front of the lads."

Eventually coach Benitez was called to separate the two stars. The boss was said to be horrified and called both players to an emergency summit after they sobered up.



Benitez had plenty to worry about. Unconfirmed reports in a local newspaper said one footballer had also been handcuffed after allegedly trying to headbutt a policeman.



And it was claimed other players smashed electrical equipment in the resort with their golf clubs.



Staff at the four-star Barringtons Centro Deportivo hotel were ordered to keep quiet about the disturbance.

"The players flew back to Britain on Friday and were trying to keep a lid on the shameful incident.



But our source said: "With Liverpool just about to play one of the most important matches in their history this is the last thing they need.



"The break was meant to be a bit of rest and recreation with light training to get the team acclimatised for the Nou Camp on Wednesday, but this fight has ruined everything.



"It has heaped disgrace on the club when all the attention should be focused on what happens on the pitch. The new owners can't understand how grown men can behave like this. They believe the club's reputation is in the gutter and find it incredible that this should happen just before the Barcelona game.



"If Liverpool lose the match because of this there'll be hell to pay."



Riise's teammates are shocked at Bellamy's attack on a fellow professional and friend. A source said: "To smash a golf club into a fellow player's legs is unforgivable.

"It's the worst place ever to attack a footballer. Damaged legs are no good to anyone in this business and Riise is known for his trademark blockbusting shots.



"It's like deliberately trying to break someone's leg on the pitch — however cross or angry you are, it's a no-brainer. You just can't do it.



"John was mortified when Craig came bursting into his room like that. Anything could have happened."



It is not clear what punishments the players face. But hard-line Spaniard Benitez is unlikely to tolerate such loutish behaviour ever again and at the very least is expected to fine both men heavily.



One insider said: "Some people feel it's time to ship Bellamy out so he can be someone else's problem."



A Liverpool spokesman said: "We're not prepared to make any comment."

There are a lot of players on a rugby side that are only any use for their tackling/size and running ability.
While it is athletic in ways, I think we all know lads who are 'rugby players' that couldnt be construed as 'athletes' and this goes up to the top tier in club rugby!

I think this is one of rugbys strengths in that all sizes with their varying athletic abilties can play the game.
Can't watch it myself.

it used to get on my wick when various fat over fed no necked individuals (beefed up from eating rather thn weightlifting)
would swan about the place and let on they were as athletic as my then fit self - who trained like a hoor for three nights a week, and game/training at weekends , was able to run all day and all night etc - and have these tools compare themselves in the same breath

walking in a straight line was as much as their athletic prowess extended to.

Others I had respect for, but a lot of these front/back row plus winger/centres - they were mostly used to standing on a pitch 70 mins of the 80 (bit like the Derry FF line) and not imo 'athletes'

certainly good that all sizes can 'play' a sport , but not when they go around (collars up) spouting about it.
A lot of the lads I knew who played rugby round the midlands were failed GAA & failed soccer players.

They must have been intimidated when they saw such a physical speciman as yourself let alone your multi-talented sporting ability.

I played a few games when younger, but only a couple of senior (junior) league matches. my last game of rugby ended up with me hammering the ball down the field from just outside my own 22, and ensuring it bounced into touch - about 15 metres short of the oppositions try line - with my left (weaker) foot.

The couple of games I played at full back , I found to be very easy and catching/kicking/finding touch/taking marks/ tackling etc etc etc - it was too easy.

Sounds like Ireland missed out on a future international.

Yes they do, but they're obviously not rugby fans. Ah least in football every player can kick to some degree, the roar when the most skillfull player in rugby kicks the ball off the pitch say s it all. well done, you hit the sideline. Dropgoals are treated like they're an amazing display of skill, and they're invariably from directly in front of the posts.

You have tried kicking a rugby ball I presume. It's a lot more difficult than kicking an O'Neills.

At the end of the day I've had non GAA people say to me "what's so skillful about gaelic football? All they do is run around, throw the ball at each other and most of the time they can't even kick it over a bar from 30 yards away". Of course you have to explain to them the finer points.

There's a skill in all sports so it'd be churlish to say there's none in rugby. Try telling a New Zealander that there's no skill in rugby.

Yip, there isn't much skill about it....a very tactical game, alot of brut force but not much serious skill involved imo anyway.

Sure some people say the same about gaelic football.

it's one skilless sport.

Really.

GALWAY (SH Antrim):

A Ryan;
D Joyce, S Kavanagh, F Moore;
D Forde, J Lee, D Collins (capt.);
E Lynch, D Tierney;
R Murray, M Kerins, F Healy;
D Hayes, E Cloonan, K Broderick.

Thanks for the tips lads.

Any more would be welcome.

I think it was John Inverdale who did the BBC piece not Craig Doyle wasn't it?

Personally I thought it was better than what RTE tried pre-match although the documentary on the opening of Croke Park thaa was shown on RTE was very good also.