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Messages - thewobbler

#1
GAA Discussion / Re: NFL Division 1 2025
February 17, 2025, 10:58:35 PM
Quote from: Norm-Peterson on February 17, 2025, 10:46:09 PM
Quote from: Truthsayer on February 17, 2025, 05:47:46 PMIs some social media pile-on Forker. Not so much here but on Facebook getting wild touch from ones on bout his job etc etc nasty aul shite from keyboard warriors...
It was a split second stupid hit... Murphy wasn't even injured. I've met him a few times... sound lad as most of them are.

Teachers are often short tempered people so it is no surprise to me. My old PE teacher was a short tempered man who was also a former footballer. I recall him getting sent off on TV too.

The 5 stages of a social media cycle involving a GAA player and an unsavoury incident.

1. Some people are genuinely disgusted and need to tell the world.
2. The WUMs sense blood and pile on.
3. The player indicates he's struggling mentally with why may he reading online.
4. Supporters circle the wagons and chase down any and every detractor whilst waving the mental health flag.
5. All goes away.

Players should just attempt to get to act three asap, it goes away quickly after that.
#2
GAA Discussion / Re: NFL Division 1 2025
February 16, 2025, 09:40:47 PM
Quote from: trileacman on February 16, 2025, 09:23:42 PMUnconvinced by the new rules. Obviously Cassidy just invented a rule book of his own today in Castlebar but overall football really isn't much different. It's still descending into basketball. Everyone back behind the arc, slow buildup, lateral passes.

Dublin Kerry was a cracker but Dublin Kerry league games in Kerry have been classics now for the guts of 10 years. Its desire and history that makes that a good game rather than the addition of new rules.

No I'm not seeing this. Mayo v Tyrone was always going to be low scoring today because the only player on the field - for the most part - who has ever been considered a scoring forward at this level is Darren McCurry. Not anyone's fault per se. It's just what can happen when two teams caught in a transition / rest older players quandary meet. It was always going to be laboured.

Down v Meath yesterday was a cracking game.
#3
Quote from: Milltown Row2 on February 16, 2025, 03:34:45 PM
Quote from: Armagh18 on February 16, 2025, 01:05:05 PM
Quote from: David McKeown on February 16, 2025, 12:53:19 PMIs the solo and go rule being properly refereed. I thought it was it says solo and go from spot of the free. Last night it was solo and go from where the ball was when the free was awarded. Then on top of that there were 3 or 4 times when players went and then solo'd ie after 4 steps meaning they were getting nearly 10m before they could be tackled.

What exactly is the rule?
You can take it from within 4m of where the foul took place (to allow for momentum) then you have 4m until the opposition can tackle.

That's not what it should be if that's happening, the free is from where the ref blows, the player should get protection for 4m (similar to the Mark) he can't get an extended 4 meters.

I heard one of the FRC gang on the radio 2 weeks ago and while he was clear as Cavan mud, I picked it up as they get 4m protection from their tap rather than their start point. So if a player takes off for 4m / 4 steps, then taps, he basically gets 8m. Which sounded to me like a ridiculous advantage but hey ho.
#4
GAA Discussion / Re: NFL Division 1 2025
February 15, 2025, 07:54:08 PM
Quote from: Blowitupref on February 15, 2025, 07:51:40 PMKerry 0-9 Dublin 0-1. 18 minutes played. Stats showed Dublin had majority of the possession but doing little with it.

Time will tell us whether they're doing this because of the wind, or if they just haven't got the memo that "there's much more chances now, so you don't need to eat the bastard thing".
#5
Down / Re: Down Club Hurling & Football
February 15, 2025, 07:44:35 PM
Down did very well to keep that so close. Really not sure it's possible we can progress to D1 level until a couple of big men are found.
#6
GAA Discussion / Re: GPA exceptionalism
February 15, 2025, 12:57:55 AM
 I'd accept it's not impossible, given that judges seem quite happy to open up litigious angles wherever they look.

But if someone's personal participation in an experience/opportunity is wholly discretional, wholly optional, non transactional and non contractual, then how could they later find the grounds for a lawsuit?

I'll put it like this. Should a GAA player win a claim against the association (rather than a civil claim against another competitor), well that's team sport finished in Ireland. Not GAA, but all team sport.

I don't think that kind of thing gets to court. It's not constitutional, but nor is it in public / government interest.
#7
General discussion / Re: The IRISH RUGBY thread
February 13, 2025, 04:03:49 PM
Quote from: johnnycool on February 13, 2025, 03:18:42 PM
Quote from: thewobbler on February 13, 2025, 02:56:30 PM
Quote from: JPGJOHNNYG on February 13, 2025, 01:41:44 PMThey have been unlucky with some draws to be fair and have been booted out by NZ several times and France who we were useless against throughout the eighties and nineties but what I can't understand is that they beat Argentina for fun over and over again but when we meet them in a world cup we seem to sh1t our pants. Argentina ffs

The answer is above, I do believe. Ireland have arrived in each of the last 3-4 RWCs with an ageing, battered core who then have to play 5 games in 4 weeks, as management have never taken the time to build up minutes and experience among the second string.

The effort Ireland put into the SA and Scotland matches last time around was uncalled for. One of the other was needed, not both.

All the same they were on the bad side of the draw with SA, NZ and or France in the groups of quarter final.

England had more or less a stroll on the other side of the draw



Look I'm not saying you can't find a favourable draw in a competition.

But being on that side of the draw meant Ireland were in for a tough quarter-final followed by a substantially easier semi-final. This mattered not if they finished their group in first or second place. Hence flogging the first XV against Scotland in the last group game made no sense. The key game to prepare for was the QF.

#8
General discussion / Re: The IRISH RUGBY thread
February 13, 2025, 02:56:30 PM
Quote from: JPGJOHNNYG on February 13, 2025, 01:41:44 PMThey have been unlucky with some draws to be fair and have been booted out by NZ several times and France who we were useless against throughout the eighties and nineties but what I can't understand is that they beat Argentina for fun over and over again but when we meet them in a world cup we seem to sh1t our pants. Argentina ffs

The answer is above, I do believe. Ireland have arrived in each of the last 3-4 RWCs with an ageing, battered core who then have to play 5 games in 4 weeks, as management have never taken the time to build up minutes and experience among the second string.

The effort Ireland put into the SA and Scotland matches last time around was uncalled for. One of the other was needed, not both.
#9
GAA Discussion / Re: GPA exceptionalism
February 13, 2025, 01:27:25 PM
MR2.

I don't know if I'm any more than a single voice of objection to continual progress, but I do expect I've thought about this more than most.

I personally have:

No interest in it being the best sport in the world.

No interest in coaches going into schools.

No interest in creating pathways for anyone to becoming better at coaching.

No issue with the sport not being televised to death.

——

Am I just being controversial? Perhaps.

But deep down I just don't understand this yearning for constant growth. The GAA is a parish based organisation for the people of Ireland. I do not understand the need to be bigger than that.
 
#10
GAA Discussion / Re: GPA exceptionalism
February 13, 2025, 12:00:15 PM
It's always been a puzzle to me as to why any amateur sportsperson/hobbyist who chooses to dedicate their life to their pursuits, would expect any financial reward for doing so.

I mean do we really need to put "it's amateur" in shiny neon lights around our facilities? Or will those unwilling to separate hobby world from real world just find another message to vainly ignore.

——

That said, I also would like to see some genuine leadership from the GAA regarding trimming their employment levels, and altering the growth goals of the association.

Because until this happens, then the GPA - much as it frustrates me - kind of have a point.

Why do we need so many full time and part time coaches in the GAA? Why do we need to continually "grow the game"? Why do we need super 12s? Why do we shovel so many games into Croke Park? Why do we need 4 sets of paid provincial officers? Why do we need to benchmark against soccer and rugby, instead of ploughing our own furrow in terms of pricing and marketing? And so on and so on. All nearly summarised as "why have we allowed capitalist concepts to steer a community association?"

The problem inherent in the amateur ethos of Gaelic Games is that over the last 40 years, partly through over commitment to a hobby, and partly due to hustle and bustle, so many people have both inadvertently and knowingly turned voluntary roles of a few hours a week, into full time roles. Of courses players are going to want some of this action. It's only logical. So let's start a rollback.
#11
GAA Discussion / Re: GPA exceptionalism
February 12, 2025, 11:07:21 AM
It's time for a game of chicken with the GPA.

Give them a time window next season, say 5-6 weeks, and give them carte blanche to hire any GAA stadium they like, and organise any competition format they like. They can then divvy up the profits any which way they like.

I don't think there's a chance in hell they'd take up the offer.

And it might help them understand that GAA followers don't go to watch players. They go to watch their schools, parishes and counties.
#12
General discussion / Re: The IRISH RUGBY thread
February 11, 2025, 09:29:51 PM
Trileac re the RWC, it should be a maximum of 16 teams. The 10 teams that have developed a rugby tradition get byes (to be reviewed every 2 cycles) and the other 6 spots are sorted out from a qualifying World Cup hosted one season before.

For that, something along the lines of those ranked 11-34 take part, are seeded accordingly, split into 6 groups of 4, round robin, and each group winner qualifies. The RWC draw/seedings then proper takes place at the culmination of that qualifying tournament.

Why I think this would work better is it would give the weaker nations a proper competitive tournament where they are in the spotlight, and with the most tangible of rewards for progress. It should also mean that these countries (with some financial support of course) should be able to build on established, settled teams given only one year of a gap.

Standards won't improve with their now 24 team format. It will only highlight that the gap between professional rugby players  and keen big buggers chasing a ball, has never been further apart.
#13
Quote from: Sportacus on February 11, 2025, 05:49:28 PM
Quote from: RedHand88 on February 11, 2025, 05:30:38 PM
Quote from: Sportacus on February 11, 2025, 05:18:24 PMJarlath says 83% of GAA funds are reinvested locally.  https://x.com/irish_news/status/1889342984753119382
Are they really?

Yes. The accounts are freely available online.
Thanks.  Had a Quick Look there at 2023.  Catering costs 8%. Operating costs 9%.  Stadium costs 9%. Matchday costs 9%.  Which of those are included as reinvesting locally?

I'm not sure any organisation would knowingly confuse income and profit.
#14
General discussion / Re: The IRISH RUGBY thread
February 11, 2025, 03:19:24 PM
Quote from: SouthOfThe Bann on February 11, 2025, 12:03:47 PM
Quote from: JPGJOHNNYG on February 11, 2025, 10:53:16 AMGatland has gone, no surprise Wales have been dire

As a man that isnt too well educated on rugby a whole I have a genuine question?

Is the game of Rugby in bother?

Wales in a mess, England clubs struggling big time financially, game losing popularity in Australia, New Zealand not the force they were either.

Caveat to this is the game has never been healthier in the likes of Ireland France and South Africa.

Rugby is always going to be a complicated financial proposition. Just to fulfil fixtures, clubs need to retain circa 40 player contracts per season and the guts of a dozen management / back room. So basically twice what a soccer club would need - plus you can't backfill your squad with youth players as they're not physically able for it.

The nature of professionalism suggests a need to create as many revenue channels as possible (ie games) but the very nature of rugby's physicality means games the frequency should be limited. So we currently have men playing 30+ times a season, to meet the payroll demands, whereas NFL players for example play 17-21 games. And all those games mean medical and insurance costs spiral. And all the coaching that goes alongside, tends to produce less interesting matches, thereby reducing interest levels apart among from the besotted.

Then the cherry on top is that so many people within the upper echelons of the game believe that the most strategic way to improve things is to expand the game globally. Which means their premier tournament has for the most part become a series of pointless and boring drubbings that hammer home just how far away developing nations are from competing, and with a key outcome of each game of ensuring that better players don't pick up knocks.

The 6N has been very watchable this year by the way. The sport can be very enjoyable. It's just going to be very complicated to make it sustainable as professional entity without some serious downsizing.
#15
Quote from: Smokin Joe on February 10, 2025, 02:17:34 PM
Quote from: thewobbler on February 10, 2025, 01:50:13 PM
Quote from: GTP on February 10, 2025, 01:44:38 PMWatched an under 16 challenge match over the weekend. Kickout going past the 40m arc has potential to see teams destroyed. The part of the rule that says the other team can intercept the ball inside the 40m arc has the attacking team running onto anything short with a free run at goal and keeper out of position. Defenders can't get back as they are static staying outside the arc for kickout. If the idea is more contests no one should be allowed to win ball in the arc with a free in if it falls short and against any player touching it inside.

This is easily solved by sensible refereeing ie if a keeper makes a clear attempt to kick to the arc, then it's game on.

Good man Wobbler. Your fix is for the referee to totally ignore the rule  ;D
Not sure that would be a proper RCCA fix.

I know. It seems like a mad flaw doesn't it?

Yet the best referees have been ignoring - or least taking liberties with - the rule book for years.

I don't play / coach /watch sports to watch young lads get fucked over by daft rules. I'm really hoping most referees feel the same way.