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What level are they looking for on the test as a pass?

[we managed to play Dublin in a challenge game]

Armagh have played Dublin regularly in friendlies since Dessie Farrell took over. Himself and Geezer are former club team mates.

I'd be more concerned how Bumpy O'Hagan and the county board thought it was a good idea to allow a bunch of young U-20 rookies to travel to Donegal to play a well conditioned team who have had a foreign training camp and weeks of hard training under their belts. It certainly wasn't done with the welfare of those young players in mind and just as well Donegal fielded a good few rookies themselves or it could have been a whole lot worse.

Wouldn't be too worried about the young lads. A chance to test yourself against top players in front of a good crowd- above all a senior appearance for your county which a lot of them may see few of again. Out and play with no pressure and no expectations as everyone knew Donegal would win well- out and put a shift in.

Well I'd beg to differ. There are Sigerson Cup teams or other U-20 county teams that can be used for that purpose. There were lads playing last night who have barely established themselves on their club senior teams never mind facing senior inter county players. The difference in terms of physical development between a good 18-19 year old and a well seasoned 25/26 year old player is huge.

Maybe it will sound the ultimate death knell for the pre season competitions though which have become even more pointless since the provincial competitions have become separated from the All Ireland series.

Doesn't matter what me or you think, at end of the day Geezer makes the call and I can see his thinking. 

For what it's worth I agree with you. Rather see(relatively) older lads who've been around a couple of years but not nailed down a starting spot like Cian McConville or Justin Kieran as well as likes of Ciaron O'Hanlon O O'Neill and Mark Shields etc who've been injured and not played much last year or 2. Maybe give a few of the best U20's there a chance along with those older boys.

Anyway come June/July we aren't gonna give a shite who played in the McKenna cup lol.

Geezer is the boy, he makes the big calls and he stares off into the distance mysteriously thinking of the next cutting edge thing he will do.

And yet, he has won zero as a manager.

While not holding up Cavan as the perfect example, we managed to play Dublin in a challenge game this year already and also to field a proper team in the McKenna Cup.

And got a much bigger hiding than our u20s got in Ballybofey.

Not the first time teams have played an u20 team or been off on team holidays in this window. Couldn't care less - McKenna Cup is a pot filler for the Ulster Council and no more at this stage.

National League is the focus at this stage.

There have been snooker players suspended in the past for taking beta blockers - which slow the heart rate and overall body rhythm. Hard to think they wouldn't aid performance in darts also.

My own club, club next door and a handful of coaches I know operate in that way.

Coaches declare additional income after the expense of doing the job and pay tax on it.

Of course it exists - ffs most get it through a DD. Those people surely declare the income in their return.

I would have thought they're all (bar the stupid ones) paying tax on income beyond expenses.

Not sure how anyone thinks they would know about it if that was the case.

What's the story with Varane at this point?

I have equal amounts of comtempt for McGregor and Brolly for different reasons. Both self publicists and needy.

The usual from Brolly. Abuse and denegrade people and everyone should take it as a joke. When he gets it back, then running for the solicitor.

Absolutely no fan of McGregor but unlike ordinary folk, the threat of being sued won't cow him in any way. Like most bullies in these types of scenarios, the legal threat will end up nonsense.

I may have missed the explanation for this but did Glenullin not won the intermediate championship in Derry last year?

Ah here, Fury won the fight all right but he has embarrassed boxing really. He was the heaviest he ever fought at and that probably tells its own story. Longterm, Fury's speed and timing wasn't there. Everyone ages differently but that looked worrying

The up side is that after last night theer is no hiding place - he has to fight Usyk now. The down side is that every MMA fighter is going to believe they can compete with top level boxers and we're in for a spate of these crossover fights.

Their pitch is 1.3 miles from Davitt Park 

County management is a full time gig, he'll be in Laois more than Armagh. It will prove the point that politicians do SFA.

Fergal Logan, Brian Dooher, Andy McEntee, Dessie Farrell, etc.?

Why would it be any different from anyone else juggling county management with working full time

What would Derry do now for a few Paddy Bradley's or Conleith Gilligan, or Skinner for that matter. Forwards like that are as hard to find as golddust.

Gilligan was a super club player but I never would have classed him in a category anywhere near the Bradleys, Mark Lynch, Muldoon, O'Kane, McFlynn and a whole lot more in county terms.