Tyrone v Kerry - All-Ireland SF 2021

[BennyHarp]

If Tyrone are forced to field on Sept 21st with players who are still feeling the effects of COVID, i just hope that no players suffer complications or God forbid collapses on the pitch as a result of the exertions placed on their bodies too soon after the virus. Even if a player thinks that they have recovered, and the desire to play in an AI semi final can make players take the risk, they may not be ready. I had Covid last October and three weeks later thought I was over it. I went for a light jog and couldn't catch my breath after a short distance and could barely walk home. I was absolutely shattered. Granted these players are infinitely fitter than i am but i wasn't playing an elite level sport at the business end of the season. I hope the GAA and all those suggesting Tyrone should "just get on with it" are happy to risk a worst possible scenario for the sake of a week or so delay to the championship. The repercussions could be huge. 

How long should it be delayed if there continues to be cases in the squad, or if players are still suffering the effects even though they're no longer positive?

I have no idea - but on this issue i would suggest that you have to take what the county are saying at face value. If they are saying there is a risk in asking them to field next Saturday then that has to be taken very, very seriously. Any fall out from a health complication due to this would be absolutely massive. From my own point of view, if Tyrone are still not in a position to field the following week then they should withdraw from the championship.

[BennyHarp]

If Tyrone are forced to field on Sept 21st with players who are still feeling the effects of COVID, i just hope that no players suffer complications or God forbid collapses on the pitch as a result of the exertions placed on their bodies too soon after the virus. Even if a player thinks that they have recovered, and the desire to play in an AI semi final can make players take the risk, they may not be ready. I had Covid last October and three weeks later thought I was over it. I went for a light jog and couldn't catch my breath after a short distance and could barely walk home. I was absolutely shattered. Granted these players are infinitely fitter than i am but i wasn't playing an elite level sport at the business end of the season. I hope the GAA and all those suggesting Tyrone should "just get on with it" are happy to risk a worst possible scenario for the sake of a week or so delay to the championship. The repercussions could be huge.

Lets say a player breaks his leg and after 6 weeks in plaster resumes light training, building up to a level were he may be fit for a game,  say an All Ireland semifinal, the doctors and fitness coach make the decisions as to whether the player is match fit or not, he may never get match fit depending on the injury or type of rehab required.

The virus or dealing with the virus afterwards should be dealt accordingly, the doctor and fitness coach carry out a fitness test to see if he is match fit, only then should he play. That's putting the welfare of the player as top priority. Letting a player decide if he's fit is what happens at junior b.

Any county that allows its players to just get on with it, is taking awful risks with peoples long term health

And this would be relevant if half the squad had broken legs - the extra time will give more players a chance to recover - Tyrone may still have to field without key men, but you have to take the risk seriously

[thewobbler]

Benny honestly I think you're tying yourself up in knots. You're either unwilling or unable to differentiate between Tyrone's county team and every other GAA team.

The situation surrounding Tyrone at present will be repeated up and down the country during club championship season. There will be a constant succession of clubs enduring a Covid breakout,  touched by Covid, recovering from a touch of Covid, recovering from a Covid breakout.

It's not just a "bit of admin". It's a f**king minefield of cheating, horseplay, bad luck, equality and equity that might never end.

GAA has a simple choice, same as has been made in every other sport across these islands. "Do we want sport when Covid is about?".

You seem to want to answer "yes, but only when there's no Covid about".

[nrico2006]

Since this young Kerry crop have started coming through who have they bet?

- 2017: knocked out by Mayo
- 2018: bet by Galway, knocked out in super 8s
- 2019: scrape by Tyrone, bet by Dublin
- 2020: don't make it out of Munster

It's hard to see Tyrone beat them now, but an All Ireland I could see them getting done on the day- by Dublin or Mayo

Only made the semi final once in the last three seasons

Two words : DAVID CLIFFORD

Clifford mustn't have played in any of those previous seasons that were identified.

[nrico2006]

There's something really rancid about how Tyrone have approached this in the media.

There's been a pandemic active for 18 months. Anyone with the temerity to throw out the  "player welfare" card after a season of sharing changing rooms, weights rooms, meeting rooms, video rooms,  needs a good f**king kick in the hole.

When groups behave like this, either they've a childlike belief in fairy stories "ah we won't catch it, sure we are the good guys", or they've made a premeditated decision that they will get preferential treatment if something does happen.

Either way, they have no right to use the player welfare card. None.

Of course they have a right to use the player welfare card.  At any point previous within the pandemic, there was no outbreaks within the squad - there is an outbreak now and forcing the players to play when potentially not fully recovered is a risk to their health.

As for them being audacious in highlighting concerns over the players welfare, the sharing of changing rooms, weights rooms etc. is what is required to play the game and I'm sure there were measures put in place to reduce the risk of transmission.  These activities commenced once the GAA re-started competitions last season and I'm sure Tyrone, along with the other counties, followed the guidelines provided as to how to facilitate training sessions, meetings etc.

[Captain Scarlet]

I am only scanning this thread here but how many players have been confirmed to have the virus?
In other counties there were individual cases, but there was testing going on all the time that picked up asymptomatic lads who sat it out for a week or so.

I am not wummin' here, but are the counties still not testing all the time in case?

[Milltown Row2]

There's something really rancid about how Tyrone have approached this in the media.

There's been a pandemic active for 18 months. Anyone with the temerity to throw out the  "player welfare" card after a season of sharing changing rooms, weights rooms, meeting rooms, video rooms,  needs a good f**king kick in the hole.

When groups behave like this, either they've a childlike belief in fairy stories "ah we won't catch it, sure we are the good guys", or they've made a premeditated decision that they will get preferential treatment if something does happen.

Either way, they have no right to use the player welfare card. None.

Of course they have a right to use the player welfare card.  At any point previous within the pandemic, there was no outbreaks within the squad - there is an outbreak now and forcing the players to play when potentially not fully recovered is a risk to their health.

As for them being audacious in highlighting concerns over the players welfare, the sharing of changing rooms, weights rooms etc. is what is required to play the game and I'm sure there were measures put in place to reduce the risk of transmission.  These activities commenced once the GAA re-started competitions last season and I'm sure Tyrone, along with the other counties, followed the guidelines provided as to how to facilitate training sessions, meetings etc.

No one is forcing anyone to play, this is it and completely lost on some posters, the team doctor and fitness coach make that decision, if a players is unfit to play or has health issues that would mean long term could cause things to be worse then that sole decision falls to the team doctor and no one else.

[Snapchap]

There's something really rancid about how Tyrone have approached this in the media.

There's been a pandemic active for 18 months. Anyone with the temerity to throw out the  "player welfare" card after a season of sharing changing rooms, weights rooms, meeting rooms, video rooms,  needs a good f**king kick in the hole.

When groups behave like this, either they've a childlike belief in fairy stories "ah we won't catch it, sure we are the good guys", or they've made a premeditated decision that they will get preferential treatment if something does happen.

Either way, they have no right to use the player welfare card. None.

Player welfare isn't a "card" being played. The management have a responsibility to be conscious of the long-term health of their players. If you are suggesting they broke covid rules, come out and say so (with the proof, obviously). If not, then cop yourself on.

[thewobbler]

There's something really rancid about how Tyrone have approached this in the media.

There's been a pandemic active for 18 months. Anyone with the temerity to throw out the  "player welfare" card after a season of sharing changing rooms, weights rooms, meeting rooms, video rooms,  needs a good f**king kick in the hole.

When groups behave like this, either they've a childlike belief in fairy stories "ah we won't catch it, sure we are the good guys", or they've made a premeditated decision that they will get preferential treatment if something does happen.

Either way, they have no right to use the player welfare card. None.

Of course they have a right to use the player welfare card.  At any point previous within the pandemic, there was no outbreaks within the squad - there is an outbreak now and forcing the players to play when potentially not fully recovered is a risk to their health.

As for them being audacious in highlighting concerns over the players welfare, the sharing of changing rooms, weights rooms etc. is what is required to play the game and I'm sure there were measures put in place to reduce the risk of transmission.  These activities commenced once the GAA re-started competitions last season and I'm sure Tyrone, along with the other counties, followed the guidelines provided as to how to facilitate training sessions, meetings etc.

I really don't think you're grasping what this approach leads to.

If we get to the point that teams can emotionally blackmail administrators, by pulling out the player welfare card when they don't get the perfect outcome, then we should shut the sport down. As it won't be played anyway.

Croke Park was extraordinarily generous to Tyrone in moving the tie back 6 days. They didn't have to, and it sets them a dangerous precedent which will, over the next few months almost certainly culminate in DRA hearings for club championship ejections.

Tyrone should have thanked their blessings.

But no. Let's not do that. Let's try for the emotional highground instead and try to bully the association into presenting a perfect path.

It's vile.

[thewobbler]

There's something really rancid about how Tyrone have approached this in the media.

There's been a pandemic active for 18 months. Anyone with the temerity to throw out the  "player welfare" card after a season of sharing changing rooms, weights rooms, meeting rooms, video rooms,  needs a good f**king kick in the hole.

When groups behave like this, either they've a childlike belief in fairy stories "ah we won't catch it, sure we are the good guys", or they've made a premeditated decision that they will get preferential treatment if something does happen.

Either way, they have no right to use the player welfare card. None.

Player welfare isn't a "card" being played. The management have a responsibility to be conscious of the long-term health of their players. If you are suggesting they broke covid rules, come out and say so (with the proof, obviously). If not, then cop yourself on.

I'm not suggesting they broke the rules.

I'm telling anyone who'll listen that teams who have been meeting up regularly indoors during the pandemic - even if they've been given permission to - need to have a good f**king look at themselves.

[Under Lights]

I am only scanning this thread here but how many players have been confirmed to have the virus?
In other counties there were individual cases, but there was testing going on all the time that picked up asymptomatic lads who sat it out for a week or so.

I am not wummin' here, but are the counties still not testing all the time in case?

21

[yellowcard]

There's something really rancid about how Tyrone have approached this in the media.

There's been a pandemic active for 18 months. Anyone with the temerity to throw out the  "player welfare" card after a season of sharing changing rooms, weights rooms, meeting rooms, video rooms,  needs a good f**king kick in the hole.

When groups behave like this, either they've a childlike belief in fairy stories "ah we won't catch it, sure we are the good guys", or they've made a premeditated decision that they will get preferential treatment if something does happen.

Either way, they have no right to use the player welfare card. None.

Player welfare isn't a "card" being played. The management have a responsibility to be conscious of the long-term health of their players. If you are suggesting they broke covid rules, come out and say so (with the proof, obviously). If not, then cop yourself on.

I'm not suggesting they broke the rules.

I'm telling anyone who'll listen that teams who have been meeting up regularly indoors during the pandemic - even if they've been given permission to - need to have a good f**king look at themselves.

Everyone knows the protocols by now. The minute that they identified a positive case within the squad they should have been put on additional high alert around these protocols. It begs all sorts of question around how rigidly these were adhered to. Were there players who played the Ulster final who should have been in isolation around that time? If the outbreaks intensified around the time of the Ulster final then Tyrone have to look inwardly at themselves and whether they applied the correct safeguards.

Trying to play the victim here having already been granted an extra week will not cut any mustard. It's bad luck but this will likely only be the beginning of a lot of headaches for GAA administrators up and down the country.   

[redhandofgod]

U20 Hurling final postponed for 10 days after 1 player tested positive, rest deemed close contacts, Tyrone have half the squad testing positive and game only moved 6 days.

[TheGreatest]

I am only scanning this thread here but how many players have been confirmed to have the virus?
In other counties there were individual cases, but there was testing going on all the time that picked up asymptomatic lads who sat it out for a week or so.

I am not wummin' here, but are the counties still not testing all the time in case?

21

Link or?

[Snapchap]

There's something really rancid about how Tyrone have approached this in the media.

There's been a pandemic active for 18 months. Anyone with the temerity to throw out the  "player welfare" card after a season of sharing changing rooms, weights rooms, meeting rooms, video rooms,  needs a good f**king kick in the hole.

When groups behave like this, either they've a childlike belief in fairy stories "ah we won't catch it, sure we are the good guys", or they've made a premeditated decision that they will get preferential treatment if something does happen.

Either way, they have no right to use the player welfare card. None.

Of course they have a right to use the player welfare card.  At any point previous within the pandemic, there was no outbreaks within the squad - there is an outbreak now and forcing the players to play when potentially not fully recovered is a risk to their health.

As for them being audacious in highlighting concerns over the players welfare, the sharing of changing rooms, weights rooms etc. is what is required to play the game and I'm sure there were measures put in place to reduce the risk of transmission.  These activities commenced once the GAA re-started competitions last season and I'm sure Tyrone, along with the other counties, followed the guidelines provided as to how to facilitate training sessions, meetings etc.

I really don't think you're grasping what this approach leads to.

If we get to the point that teams can emotionally blackmail administrators, by pulling out the player welfare card when they don't get the perfect outcome, then we should shut the sport down. As it won't be played anyway.

Croke Park was extraordinarily generous to Tyrone in moving the tie back 6 days. They didn't have to, and it sets them a dangerous precedent which will, over the next few months almost certainly culminate in DRA hearings for club championship ejections.

Tyrone should have thanked their blessings.

But no. Let's not do that. Let's try for the emotional highground instead and try to bully the association into presenting a perfect path.

It's vile.

Tyrone didn't pull out "the player welfare card", they provided proof that a very large number of their panel have got Covid-19. Counties can't "emotionally blackmail" anybody - if they don't hav cases, they can't pretend they do.

What exactly do you expect Tyrone to do? Not stand up for their players by trying to give them as much time to recover as they can? Just turn their noses up at an AI semi-final? Ask players to risk their health by playing the game with totally insufficient recovery time before hand? You'd be some man to take charge of a county board or a team management.