Messages

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GAA Discussion / Re: Tailteann Cup 2022

« on: June 24, 2022, 02:01:34 PM »

Isn't that just a backdoor for them teams again?

Of course, backdoor is part of championship last 20yrs but it guarantees games. Gives teams a stab at a cup their level plus gives a route back to teams if they get an unlucky draw early.

Provincial make up leaves it very difficult to settle on a fair format plus what to do with London and NY. Impossible to please everyone but for teams who are serious about building and progressing there's something there for them if they can hit form.

It's just a very rough draught, obviously would need some work.

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GAA Discussion / Re: Tailteann Cup 2022

« on: June 24, 2022, 12:16:50 PM »

I understand people's concerns about the round robin producing dead rubbers and lack of interest. One solution I could see would be introducing a route back to AI series plus an intermediate competition.

Beaten provincial quarter finalists (17 teams) all go into round robin, 4 groups, seeded on league standing.
1st in group advances.
2nd and 3rd go to TC quarters.

Beaten provincial semi finalists (8 teams) plus 4 group winners do a round robin of 4 groups (2 games). Should be not much waiting around for games as defeated SF's can play each other while the last round of other series is being completed. Top of the group plays beaten provincial finalists for place in AI QF. Other 2 in group play in intermediate QFs.

Fixture congestion could be an issue (teams might have to play 9/10 games if they advance far enough), but maybe tweak the league. 5 divisions?

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GAA Discussion / Re: Tailteann Cup 2022

« on: June 23, 2022, 02:02:49 PM »

Ok thanks, heard it mentioned but wasn't sure if it was for definite.

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GAA Discussion / Re: Tailteann Cup 2022

« on: June 23, 2022, 01:44:58 PM »

Yes I think it's been good but little will have improved for some teams e.g Down had a very poor year with 2 bad defeats.

Still it's the way forward and will evolve with a round robin and possible intermediate competition introduced. But think they need leave the hare sit for a while before tinkering too much.

That's not a Tailteann cup issue and I think the Tailteann cup has been a success overall in it's first year.

Down seriously need to look at themselves in the mirror.

Of course I understand that but based on the format, there are always going to be teams who play 2 lose 2 no matter what, regardless of what they put into it.

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GAA Discussion / Re: Tailteann Cup 2022

« on: June 23, 2022, 01:07:16 PM »

Yes I think it's been good but little will have improved for some teams e.g Down had a very poor year with 2 bad defeats.

Still it's the way forward and will evolve with a round robin and possible intermediate competition introduced. But think they need leave the hare sit for a while before tinkering too much. 

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GAA Discussion / Re: Tailteann Cup 2022

« on: June 23, 2022, 12:36:04 PM »

CP saying they were concerned about travelling costs is PR bull. But I'd imagine the logic behind it was that it's a burgeoning competition with weaker counties involved and a local derby or shorter travel distance would help improve attendance to a low-key fixture. AI qualifiers are different in that it's already an established format with better, stronger supported teams with genuine routes to a possible AI semi-final. So attendance would be taken for granted with possible glamour ties likely to come out of hat.

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Cavan / Re: Official Cavan GAA Thread

« on: June 20, 2022, 12:20:22 PM »

Probably McLoughlin my man of the match.

Good win in the end but we certainly rode our luck. Sligo will be kicking themselves, passed up a lot of goal chances but their wides were particularly bad. Especially towards the end they had some decent chances to really tighten us but failed to get it between the posts. We missed a few ourselves. Last goal chance for Thomas Galligan really should have been put over the bar to put the game to bed. Could have come back to bite us. Niall Murphy looked a class apart when he came on and caused all sorts of problems but we were dodgy enough looking in defence before that.
 We got off to a good start with good attacking intent and looked like it would be a walkover but became ponderous after a while. I thought we stopped attacking the spaces behind them. Runners off the ball stopped making the hard yards or lads on the ball were slow to spot the runs and went with the easy backwards/lateral options. Dodgy penalty got them back in it and incredibly they could have gone in ahead at the break. We kept ticking over second half but there were some very hairy moments and had Sligo a bit more quality/composure we would have been in serious bother.
 Patrick Lynch got on a good bit of ball but he had a very sticky marker and recycled everything he got. Probably could have done with more support. Once again in a tight game we were very slow to use the bench and only emptied it to waste time in the end. No one really played badly and we had some very good individual performances on the day but a lot of lads played in their comfort zone and took little risks.

Westmeath in the final it is. They look a big upgrade on anyone, bar Donegal, we've faced so far. Will be a very tough assignment but one we should be looking to win. They had a great win and put up a massive score on Offaly. The Faithful boys are a decent footballing team but undercooked and will take a few more years to develop. In truth Westmeath bullied them. They certainly won't be able to do the same to us but they are a powerful outfit, move the ball well and Heslin is a top forward and match winner. For them, this is also a game they will be fully expecting to win and will have no fear whatsoever of facing us. So all in all, a great final in prospect.

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GAA Discussion / Re: Tailteann Cup 2022

« on: June 17, 2022, 07:00:57 PM »

I suppose end of the day it's a new competition that was needed. There's always going to be mistakes made trying something new and going forward we can learn and tweak things for the better. Personally I'd prefer a smaller ground with a full house but understand the reasons for using CP. It's hard to say if a game at a closer regional venue would attract a bigger crowd but it would absolutely have a better atmosphere.

As regards developing weaker counties I'd like to see a reward for the winners to actually help in development e.g a number of fully paid schools coaching staff for say a period of 5 years. Something less for beaten finalists. I think an intermediate competition would be good too for teams in the middle 10/12 bracket. A better level of competition for teams off the elite level and a realistic stepping stone for teams in the weakest tier once they gain promotion. It would also ensure development prize money for the lower tier would go to weakest teams. 

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Cavan / Re: Official Cavan GAA Thread

« on: June 17, 2022, 06:33:11 PM »

I think it's very important for both players and management that we play well this weekend and get the win. We should have plenty of options and more than one game winner considering it's bottom 16 competition. A loss would be disastrous actually.

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Cavan / Re: Official Cavan GAA Thread

« on: June 17, 2022, 01:14:55 PM »

Having forwards that can get out and win ball and do something with it will always help teams play at a better tempo. Patrick Lynch has come on leaps and bounds in that regard and if he can continue to improve and other lads in the forward line step up it could be transformational for us in the coming years especially if it's backed up elsewhere on the field with new additions from good underage teams.
 Hopefully he stays injury free and handles the expectations. Really looking forward to seeing him in the club championship. Crosserlough could have a big year with James Smith back to his best too. They're going well in the league too blooding some very decent young players.

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GAA Discussion / Re: Tailteann Cup 2022

« on: June 17, 2022, 12:50:45 PM »

I think kids buy into the lure of CP more than adults and are excited about going. From that point of view it seems an OG charging them in.

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Cavan / Re: Official Cavan GAA Thread

« on: June 17, 2022, 12:29:14 PM »

It's on RTE. Doesn't look like Niall Murphy will be back for Sligo so a big loss for them. We on the other hand look like having a full squad to call on. Hard to see past a Cavan victory. As long as we don't completely screw up and ship goals I think we will be comfortable enough.

Ulster club fixtures out. We have Fermanagh champions first so very tough but not impossible. Obviously if Derrygonnelly can get out of Fermanagh they will be delighted with draw and looking to build on some good form in this competition. Winner plays Armagh/Monaghan/Down. Would be great if Cavan champions could finally get a win in this competition and get to a semi with a bit of momentum (and no hangover).
 I'm really looking forward to the club championship. Have a feeling it will be a cracker and eventual winners will be in great shape for first round.

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GAA Discussion / Re: Tailteann Cup 2022

« on: June 17, 2022, 11:25:12 AM »

Wonder how much these games will cost between semis and final if attendances stay low. It's been said it takes 30k people just to cover running costs for CP. By my rough calculations, if the combined attendance between semi and final is only around the 20k mark, that's a shortfall of 40k just to cover running costs of the two days. At 25euro a head that's about a million euro outlay.

I don't think playing in an empty CP is such a carrot for players. When we say it's everyone's dream to play in CP, I think it's a given that you're playing in front of a full house. This competition is to help develop weaker counties. Maybe if they forgot about the bells and whistles and the PR spin and put the money up to county boards it might be a better carrot. Say the winner get's a number of full time school development coaches fully paid for 5 years, the beaten finalist gets a smaller number for 2 years or whatever, it might be a better carrot for counties to buy into. Put the games in regional venues depending on participants and have a decent atmosphere. If some counties don't want to buy into the competition then that's their loss.

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Cavan / Re: Official Cavan GAA Thread

« on: June 07, 2022, 02:58:29 PM »

Yeah good win. Unusually for a derby against Fermanagh we got off to a flier and pretty much kept them at arm's length throughout. Expected the win but thought it would be tight for about an hour or so. Players coming back into form and from injury so should have a strong squad to pick from here on in.
 Sligo look like the weakest of the teams left. They've had a poor enough championship so far, made hard work of an easy enough run. I suppose there might be a big game in them but they will have to show considerably more than they have done to cause us panic. They have pace so Croker might suit them but from our point of view it's one we really should be taking buy the scruff of the neck and try run up a decent score.

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General discussion / Re: Things that make you go What the F**k?

« on: June 04, 2022, 11:28:32 AM »

The Guards having to ask people to stop sharing videos of the crash on the m50 today.
What the f**k is wrong with people, why would anyone video it in the first place then start sharing it.
Apparently it’s pretty gruesome.

Just read that there now on Twitter. What the f**k has Ireland become? What sort of ghoul videos or photos the aftermath of a fatal accident AND THEN SHARES IT. I'm not sure I want to share the same air as someone who does that.

It's happened me twice I passed by fatal accidents, both times I was a passenger and in a foreign country. One of them the body on the road was already covered but the second one was pretty gruesome (motorbike and lorry). I just caught a quick glimpse but immediately had to look away with shivers down my spine. Don't understand how anyone can look at that yet alone anything else. There was a million things going through my mine but one of them was certainly not to take out my f*****g phone to get a video.