Messages

I don't know how a few of our lads got nominations and no Limerick forward??

Ger Farragher...no thanks...he doesn't work hard enough and is not aggressive enough.

Having Damien Hayes as the extra man around the middle of the field won't work much longer either though. Would prefer to see a player that can have a pop from distance play this role as it'd keep an opposition back line guessing

Fáilte ar ais

Is JC in FTJC  still Joe Sarsfields or does it now refer to  Joe Óg Sarsfields or Joe Portumna ?

Still the original of the species. Neither of the current JC's would lace his boots...yet

Ger Farragher...no thanks...he doesn't work hard enough and is not aggressive enough.

Having Damien Hayes as the extra man around the middle of the field won't work much longer either though. Would prefer to see a player that can have a pop from distance play this role as it'd keep an opposition back line guessing

Have a look at the 5 minute spell from Donnelans goal to his sending off. The game was decided during this period by an erratic ref. It's a shame that poor decision making has left Galway wondering "what might have been..."

Donnelan has his "goal" blown back by a referee that wouldn't give them a free all day instead choosing to give advantage sometimes where there was none...in this case he decided to blow...just as Donnelan was winding for a shot!
A few minutes later Michael Fennelly(yellow carded on 30 mins) timbers Donnelan off the ball as Joe Canning blazes his shot off the bottom of the post.
This incident is clearly caught on camera...how would the game have transpired if it was 15 Galway vs 14 Kilkenny for the remaining 25 minutes???
Donnelans swing back was pure frustration at these incidents that happened him in the previous minutes. When JJ grabbed his hurl he swung back in frustration to release it. He did not intend to catch him on the head. It was pure frustration and poor refereeing led to that frustration

If I was playing IC for the last 3 years and the government said we now want to give you 2.5K for doing that, then yes I'd take it. If in 3 years time the government said sorry lads but we can't afford to give you the grant anymore then I'd say fine and continue playing for my county. So to sum up I'm not playing for the money but if the government is willing to pay me for doing something I already do then yes I'd take it.

I agree with you. But the problem is that its' a GAA body giving out the money. I'd listen to your side of the argument if the sports council were dealing with this whole situation, but they're not.

So, if, in 10 year time the GPA turn around and say "we want more!" 
GAA say "But sure yer amateurs we can't give ye more than yer award from the sports council"
GPA "We want more coz the cost of living is gone up, we're missing out on overtime, i can't buy a house, the beemer needs a service, the missus needs new knickers and the young fella is gone crazy on the coco pops"
GAA "Tough titty we're not paying anymore"
GPA "Right so. We're going on strike!".............


By the way whose to say the above won't happen if the county boards now decide to take a hardline stance on all the freebies that were flying players way up to now. County boards would be well entitled to follow the guidlines on player welfare to the letter now, especially seeing as players are getting a furhter subsidy anyway.

Darbyo...you just seem to be sticking your head in the sand and refusing to accept that this is the beginning.

Rule 11 has been diluted and is not worth the paper it is written on after that decisiion at the weekend

The wedge has been struck it's first blow and this is a sad day...i feel like giving up

Is that your answer? I'm sorry lads but if that's the best you can come up with then it appears ye have no idea of what you're talking about. Your arguement seems to have boiled down to, 'I know what's going to happen in the future, how do I know?...I just do'

Soccer and Rugby started off at small money.....look at them now.

I firmly believe the GPA are here for the money and nothing more. Granted, through their lobbying, general conditions for GAA players have improved whereby there is a standard which should be applied across the board for all intercounty players regarding their treatment. But this is putting money in their pockets for playing the game. Simple as that.

I won't go through all the reasons why we should keep the game amateur but this grant is the end of amateurism and requires a rule change. The only place that can grant a rule change is congress and, whatever about opening Croker, changing the amateur status will never happen.

Read Rule 11 and you will have to agree with me

This "the money is small" argument is ridiculous. How small could this money be in 10 years time? This is the thin end of a pay-for-play/ semi-professionalism wedge.

At the end of the day the money is taxable by the revenue which will in time lead to a Bosman stiuation where players could move county at will.

The GAA membership were never consulted about this agreement whereby county boards are being asked to pay players a grant in direct contravention of Rule 11. So basically Nickey Brennan is asking GAA members to break the rules of the association.

If the central council reject these proposals(which they should) then let the GPA dish out the government money themselves if they wish. But the GAA should have no involvement in this business whatsoever.

Someone is Shouting "Stop!".

Over 400 Ulster gaels met in The Elk near Toome on Wednesday 5 December.
The meeting was called to see what the views of grass-roots GAA people were following the announcement days earlier of an inter-County GAA pay-per-play package agreed by some people in the GAA; the GPA; the Irish Sports Council; and the Irish Government.

Prior to the meeting email and telephone support had been received from concerned gaels in 28 different Counties across Ireland. Almost thirty different people, GAA men and women from across Ulster spoke from the floor on the night. The consistent threads across the contributions were:

The GAA is being presented with pay-for-play, however it's being dressed up
The Association's amateur status must be sacrosanct
Planned decisions on the proposals at this weekend's meeting of Central Council should be deferred
A full consultation on the proposals across all levels and units of the GAA needs to be facilitated.
It was also made clear that GAA players are respected for the honourable place and central role they have in the Association: proper player representation needs to be urgently looked at. Similar respect was voiced for the GAA as an organisation; for its structures and systems; and for its President.

At the end of the meeting there was unanimous support for the following resolutions:

There must be no change (other than properly mandated via Congress) to the GAA's amateur status as presented in its Rule 11: the current proposals fly in the face of that amateur status and Rule 11
The discussion of the current proposals planned for the forthcoming Management and Central Council meetings should be deferred
A full and proper discussion of these issues should take place across the GAA
Those present would proceed to use their own Club and County channels to voice their opposition to the current proposals.
Finally, the clear consensus was that should the current proposals be approved before a proper consultation with the membership is carried out, then a further meeting would be called to again gauge opinion.

This is turning...alot of clubs are refusing to pay anyone in future as they have found to their detriment that paying a trainer doesn't necessarily gaurantee success

Because I love football. Very simple. I would love to give more time to my career, but I love this to much.
Exactly, and its better to love football than playstation, but both are past times. Diffrence is you'll not get a grant for your playstation

I wont respond to that shite....did somebody mention the word respect

[Because I love football. Very simple. I would love to give more time to my career, but I love this to much.

[t

Good, I'm sure that's the same for 99.9% of intercounty players - so would 2k per year make you love it more? 

No it wont, i never said that I was for the grant, but with all the other people getting paid for their contribution to the gaa, whats wrong with a government grant

Has anyone in the GPA ever asked the GAA to do something about the high profile managers and the ridiculously arduous and long winded training methods being employed these days?

The problem is in the last few years inter county training has spawned a mini industry in the fitrness world and i feel the GPA are trying to push the association down a route where we pay players instead of stepping back and saying hold on a second there's no need for guys to be doing organised 4-nights-a-week training 8 months before they kick a ball in the championship.

2 words...poor refereeing

....I want someone to explain why an open draw championship similiar to the one outlined below would not work:

This is a hypothetical situation...

Munster and Leinster championships played during May & June.

Cork win Munster and Kilkenny win Leinster

As a reward for winning their respective competitions both teams are granted a seeding for the open draw championship to start in July.

Group 1
Kilkenny
Galway
Tipperary
Clare
Dublin
Antrim


Group 2
Cork
Waterford
Limerick
Wexford
Offaly
Laois



Lets say the groups end up the way they are above...

The semi-final line ups would read:
Kilkenny v Waterford
Cork v Galway


The relegation semi finals would read:
Dublin v Laois
Offaly v Antrim

The loser of the relegation final(Laois?) would play the winner of the Christy Ring Cup(Westmeath?) for the right to compete in the following years Liam McCarthy series.


Are people afraid of it because it's so easy, is fair and equal, and gaurantees every team 5 games?

I'd like to get the views of the Galwegians who post here on how far our hurling team have progressed this year...if at all.

The over-riding feeling leaving Croker was disappointment for the way the match went, but hope for the future provided lessons are learnt and taken on board.
I felt we could have actually taken Kilkenny the last day. When you think we had players struggling on the pitch like Hardiman, David Forde and Cloonan for a half an hour and still nearly took them it makes you wonder what might have been. The sideline let Galway down again with poor selection and the poor substitutions....

When I saw the team on the programme I thought we might have had half a sniff of taking Kilkenny. With the excepotion of Kennedy at corner back I agreed with every one of the selections. But yet again Ger you try to hoodwink everyone by sending them out in a totally different fashion. The only one you are fooling at this stage is yourself.


Why was Hardiman started when he clearly was neither motivated in the run up to the game or playing well enough all year anyway to warrant his spot at No.5?

Why didn't Broderick start?

Why, oh why, oh why, was David Forde brought on?

Why didn't he bring on David Tierney who has always hurled well against Kilkenny?

Why was Eugene brought on in such a high tempo game when his pace and agility has been suspect all year as well?


Hardiman wasn't up to it and Eoin Larkin showed him a clean pair of heels for the 1st half before he was withdrawn at half time. 30 minutes too late in my opinion as he was struggling from the word go.
Kennedy, while he cleared a few balls, was not imposing or pacy enough for my liking and having Hardi and himself on the same side of the field handed Kilkenny at least 3/4 scores in the 1st half.

I could go on ad infinitum about various things that were done wrong the last day. But I hope Loughnane is given another year. I hope they cut out the shitehawking and become less aggresive in the newspapers and much more imposing on the hurling field. I hope Sean Treacy is given the match runner role because Louis Mulqueen is the trainer and nothing more. He's having too much of an involvement for my liking and is more worried about being stuck in Loughnanes ear and being seen on the sideline. I want a Galway man going out on the field giving instructions to our Galway hurlers. Mulqueens job finishes on the training field and the only job i'd give him on match day is carrying hurleys.

Finally my player ratings for the last day and the year.

Colm Callanan - Has been a solid if unspectacular goalie. I thought he could have come out on top of Brennan when that ball broke through. But he's done OK.

Greg Kennedy - Was brought back in the hope he could roll back the years to 2001. While he was alright he wandered a bit and I didn't feel our young full back was getting much support from him....especially when the game entered the final stages.

Ger Mahon - Had played a fine game up until those last 10 minutes. The goal was not his fault. He followed his man out and didn't realise there was actually a switch going on. The ball broke inside to Brennan and the rest is history. He's still only 20 years old and you don't hear anyone slating Noel Hickey for his boo boo for Richie Murrays goal. I hope he's retained and given a chance at full-back, preferably with Joyce and Moore each side of him.

Fergal Moore - Was heading for a Man of the Match performance until he got injured. This guy has improved no end this year and will be at No.4 next year. Ollie Canning isn't as badly missed as we thought.

Shane Kavanagh - Hurled well the last day despite that disastrous sideline cut. He's big and strong and could do with horsing into lads a bit more as well. I would retain him at No.5 next year.

John Lee - Has been great all year. If he works on catching the ball instead of trying to take it on the hurl and clears a few balls himself instead of trying to lay them off he will be the complete centre back. Still U-21 and a frighteningly good prospect. Would make himself or Fergal Healy captain next year

David Collins - Named in the programme at No.7. Never set foot in this position all day. I refuse to criticise his form as he was never played in the positioon he got young hurler of the year award in 2005. I hope to see him at No.7 next year and given a chance to resurrect his form.

Fergal Healy - Has been the most consistent Galway hurler for the last 5/6 years. He was being taken off and then not getting started and generally being fucked around for the last couple of years. The fact that he has stuck with it is a testament to his determination and stubborness not to let poor decision making get him down. Well done Mr. Healy. Played magnificently the last day as he has in nearly every big game for Galway.

Richie Murray - He done alright the last day. Just alright. Has failed to live up to the billing so many times that i wonder is he ever going to turn it on. Would probably benefit from being sited at midfield on a consistent basis.

Alan Kerins - Probably his best year in a Galway jersey. His hurling has been sharp and his striking has improved no end. Might sneak an All-Star.

Niall Healy - Played well the last day. Another victim of the ridiculous rotation/team selection strategy adopted by Loughnane. I'm hoping for a big year from this guy next year.

Iarlaith Tannian - Failed to impose himself on the game and his man on Saturday. Where is the Tannian that thundered into Keith Rossiter and Wexford in Nowlan Park? In bloody corner forward that's where! Tannian did not set foot at No.11 all day on Saturday. He played in every position in the full forward line and wing forward. I want to see him in his proper position of centre forward for a few games next year and let's see if he really is as good as he has shown occasionally in the past.

Kerrill Wade - Not a bad first championship season for him. Didn't do an awful lot from play the last day. But a good winter in the gym beefing up a bit should sort him out and he should be able to contribute a bit more from play next year. Still U-21.

Damien Hayes - Full of energy and running at midfield but unfortunately his passing and striking wasn't up to scratch. A few times he did a big build up only to hit the ball 40 yards. If he let it off alot quicker to the inside forward line it would have worked better. I hope he re-finds his touch next year as he's a great player to watch


Derek Hardiman - Hardi needs to shit or get off the pot next year. His form has plummeted since the highs of 2005 and his fitness is seriously suspect. The rumours of his departure from the squad were not exaggerated and I don't think Loughnane should have bothered bringing him back and playing him. He was lucky to start and even luckier to be left on for the whole first half.

Kevin Broderick - Should have started. Noel Hickey and Co. hate a Broderick type of forward and to only give him 20 minutes in the 2nd half was a disgrace.

David Forde - There's no point in going on about him any further as it's not fair on Fordey. Except to say I hope the management have seen the light....finally.

Eugene Cloonan - Unfortunately inter-county pace has passed out Eugene. He was never a pacey forward but he could turn quick and strike. He doesn't even have that anymore as his back problems have robbed him of that ability. Noel Hickeys block down on his point effort was indicative of Cloonans season. No point in him being involved next year. He's just not able for this pace anymore.

David Tierney - Should have been used on Saturday and should be involved next year.

Mark Kerins - Time is up for Mark as well.


Joe Canning will hopefully be involved and the U-21s might turn up another one or two next year. Therefore would like to see this team tried in the league.


1. Callanan/Ryan

2. Joyce
3. Mahon
4. Moore

5. Kavanagh
6. Lee
7. Collins

8. Fergal Healy
9. Murray/Tierney

10. A Kerins
11. Tannian
12. Niall Healy

13. Wade
14. Joe Canning
15. Broderick/Hayes