The Cost Of Dublin's Domination Is Becoming Clearer

[AZOffaly]

No need to split them, the Dubs must stay.

With such an imbalance in population and good participation in GAA in Dublin ,how can meaningful Leinster championship survive, in football at least?

By addressing the financial and quality coaching imbalance. Dublin always had the population. Simply cutting it in two is solving the wrong problem.

[armaghniac]

By addressing the financial and quality coaching imbalance. Dublin always had the population. Simply cutting it in two is solving the wrong problem.

Dublin's population differential is increasing. When the GAA was founded Dublin had only twice or maybe three times the population of any of the bigger counties, and a quarter of them were unionist. Now it is eight times and growing. This population difference didn't impact on the GAA in earlier years, as Dublin was less well organised than rural counties, once the level of organisation becames as good the population will be begin to tell. Improving coaching out of Dublin may well a bit, but only a bit.

[AZOffaly]

Improving coaching would be the biggest thing in my view. You can still only play 15, so if you are picking the best 15, and they are properly coached all the way up, and have the same opportunities as anyone else, then the 15 v 15 games should be more competitive.

In some senses population might even be a disadvantage, as talent can be lost through the gaps.

[The Hill is Blue]

We need to split Dublin into 2, 3 or 4 "county" teams.

Imagine the state English soccer would be in if there was one 1 club in London.

How many ways would you split Kilkenny?

[From the Bunker]

In fairness, all the money in the world and home games in the knock out stages of the League and Home games in the Championship can't guarantee you success and trophies. You also have to have a large and up coming set of players and a decent back room team. Players need to be set up in Jobs and Uni-courses that allow them to be semi professional. You also need a meals on wheels setup to keep the boys in line with diets. Money can't buy you any of these things. It's not about money, its about commitment. You can have all the money in the world but it wont give you commitment to a cause from the Management team and players. Will it? Ask any Dublin fan and they will tell you!

[deiseach]

How many ways would you split Kilkenny?

Two - County Kilkenny and County Brian Cody. A bit unfair on rump Kilkenny, but there you go.

[From the Bunker]

We need to split Dublin into 2, 3 or 4 "county" teams.

Imagine the state English soccer would be in if there was one 1 club in London.

How many ways would you split Kilkenny?

Why? What is their funding like?

[Croí na hÉireann]

We need to split Dublin into 2, 3 or 4 "county" teams.

Imagine the state English soccer would be in if there was one 1 club in London.

How many ways would you split Kilkenny?

One. And get them playing football.

[Kurtz]

This is what I dont understand.  People complain about Counties like Roscommon and the state of their grounds
Yet the larger counties, who are usually the ones doing the complaining, have more money at their disposal.
makes no sense

[Jinxy]

This is what I dont understand.  People complain about Counties like Roscommon and the state of their grounds
Yet the larger counties, who are usually the ones doing the complaining, have more money at their disposal.
makes no sense

If they didn't blow all their cash on the bus they'd have the price of a lawnmower.

[Rossfan]

This is what I dont understand.  People complain about Counties like Roscommon and the state of their grounds
Yet the larger counties, who are usually the ones doing the complaining, have more money at their disposal.
makes no sense

If they didn't blow all their cash on the bus they'd have the price of a lawnmower.

At least we have concrete terraces behind the goals

[Dinny Breen]

Interesting debate on this last night on OTB - their GAA coverage is miles ahead of their rugby coverage.

Best quote was from Michael Moynihan

This is an existential crisis for the GAA, what is it there for?

http://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/Off_The_Ball/GAA_on_Off_The_Ball/123954/The_47__Dublins_unfair_proportion_of_GAA_funding

[Stad]

Reading this thread I think the question is would Dublin have won 3 out of the last 5 if they didn't get Irish Sports Council money and money from elsewhere? Would they have won any? Looking at it objectively I think it's fair to say that they would not have. They hadn't won any since 1995 and then suddenly they win 3 out 5. A coincidence? Doesn't seem likely.
So if they already have the best team in the country because of money paid to them, then surely they will only continue and improve on this? Seems a bit unfair. Surely they'll win at least 7 out of 10, how can they be stopped?

[JoG2]

Reading this thread I think the question is would Dublin have won 3 out of the last 5 if they didn't get Irish Sports Council money and money from elsewhere? Would they have won any? Looking at it objectively I think it's fair to say that they would not have. They hadn't won any since 1995 and then suddenly they win 3 out 5. A coincidence? Doesn't seem likely.
So if they already have the best team in the country because of money paid to them, then surely they will only continue and improve on this? Seems a bit unfair. Surely they'll win at least 7 out of 10, how can they be stopped?

You implement 'The Plan'

This plan has a few prerequisites: you'll need a team full of good footballers, a mixture of tenacious defenders, hardy pups, a Cluxtonesque 'keeper, a smattering of speed merchants and a very reliable free taker and a referee who'll buy any aul crap from players (most  if not all do)

1. Pack the defence, 15 if needed, regularly. Smother the Dubs, even in the wide expanses of Croke Park (in reality there are many pitches with the same of not bigger dimensions) there is only so much room in side the 45. 29 grown men running around like buck can get a bit claustrophobic

2. Never have 1 defender tackling the man in possession, get 3 or 4, but preferably 5 hammering at him. The ball will soon spill and the ref will thinks its actually physically possible that 5 grown men can all tackle the ball at the same time.

3. Hunt in packs hand passing the ball 2/3 meters left or right (those pesky foot passes can often skew off the boot and land anywhere but where you want them to go). Keep this going until you reach a point where you know your reliable free taker can score from. At this point, when the next touch of a defender lands on the man with the ball, fling yer neck back and a make a bee line for the turf. 80/90% of the time you'll get a free. This craic has to be practiced at every training session , it has to become an art form. A player might go too hollywood on it and alert the ref to the skullduggery and you'll actually have to be fouled for the remainder of the match to get a handy point

4. Sledge the absolute bejesus outta them. Castrate their minds with a good old tongue lashing, pretty much no topic is out of bounds. If a player reacts, and some do (you'll have your homework done on who the likely boys are), go to ground holding you face.

5. When the Dubs have their moment to shine, feign a head injury to kill any momentum. A head injury or a potential head injury (the ref wont know) will soon bring them down a peg or two

6. Pull, haul, drag etc your opposing man off the ball. See how far you can go re 3rd man tackling, blocking runs etc...the black card is seldom used, and even less at the business end of the season.

[Syferus]

The Dubs' own fans stop turning up for the endless drubings is probably the only thing that will make HQ act strongly enough to properly correct the imbalance.