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I would say that's more of a fixture issue that needs addressing.
 

Well yes that is certainly part of the problem but with minor, U21 and senior IC championships running through the summer it can be hard for CB's to fix games with any confidence. And if the senior county team are going well then the whole thing is often shut down until they are knocked out.

You keep saying that we're there only sport that expects players to play at two levels, rugby and soccer, to name two, expect there players to play at club and international level and expect their players to balance those commitments - what's wrong with the GAA doing the same?

In fairness POG there is no comparison there. For starters the other two are professional sports and secondly the world cup etc. are played during the club off season. Anyway you seem to be looking at this from only the inter county players perspective, I think it is the club player who will really benefit from having a set season that can be played regardless of who his county team is doing. 

I can't see how it is feasible to have an IC tier alone when most players will only play the league games and maybe only two championship games.

Well obviously it would entail a changing of the current structures, maybe playing the league on a home and away basis with the All Ireland played on a strict knock out basis.

County players only playing county football is nonsense. That'll never happen.

It's happening already to a large degree, like I said we all come from different backgrounds so some of you might have a different experience but I haven't seen any of our county players yet. And even if they did turn up I'd tell them to just watch the session as they will benefit more from the break than the training. I should clarify that I don't want county players to only play county but I think it might be coming and there are advantages for the clubs if it does. As a club player and coach I'm sick to death of going from one week to the next without knowing if we are playing or not. And if the county team draw a championship game the whole thing goes to pot, we are the only sport in the world where the very best players are expected to continue playing simultaneously at the top level and a lower level. This also has the effect of increasing the levels of prepartion that club teams have to engage in, I'm not saying seperating club and county is the solution but I am saying it should be on the table, to not consider it would be foolish.

Lads I know what you're saying and I agree with much of it but I do think we need to address where we are going and how we want to get there. The problem is that we are all coming from slightly different perspectives, POG is coming from the 6 counties, Indiana is coming from Dublin and I'm coming from Munster. Not only that but different counties from the same province can have different objectives. I just feel that we need to be realistic and sooner or later that will mean a seperation of club and county football and hurling. And while I accept that that may lead to a semi-professional IC scene maybe that is the only viable option. For the record I'm entirely opposed to a professional GAA and I'm only trying to paint a possible future scenario.

The GAA are becoming a joke and an embarrassment - we haven't a decent rule book, if a player actually serves his suspension it makes the headlines, the club scene is dying on it's arse and we think we're great because we've TV deals and some new logo - talk about building a house with straw!

Agree 100%.

I didn't comment at all on who was a truer gaa man.

In fairness POG you did suggest it.

God love the IC players   Lets not forget it's club players who have the rougher deal here and they aren't getting cash for it. 

I'm not sure they are POG but if the govt. are willing to give money to any GAA man I'll not complain.

SO you think IC players should only play with the county, sure that would only be a handful of games a year - a majority of them, if it weren't for clubs, would have a long summer but with all their yapping and whinging maybe that's what they want. 

I don't necessarily think they should but I do think that it may be coming and it may not be a bad thing, we are probably the only sports organisation that asks the best players to compete at various levels and then gives out to them if they complain. Remember that many lads are dual players at club level an IC player can be expected to train and play for at least 3 seperate teams in a given year. Would it be so bad if club players could play their championship without having to worry about how their county team got on in the AI?

Zulu I think you're comments just speak volumes about your attitude, many in the gaa, myself included, would be screaming out for something to be done to address the issues in club football/hurling -  one of them being to allow county players to play a bigger part in their clubs.

That's where you're wrong POG, I currently coach the U6, 8, 10 and 12 football teams in my club aswell as the U21 and senior teams. I play with the junior football team and could play for the senior team except for the fact that I coach them. I'm also heavily involved in Sigerson football and financially support all GAA activity whenever I can regardless of the club or county. I apologise if that comes across as some sort of boast but I'm only trying to give context to my opinion. But over the past number of years I have come to the conclusion that club teams would be better off without their county players. That you automatically think that that makes you a truer GAA man than me speaks volumes for you rather than me. IC players put so much time and effort into the county team that it is unfair to expect them to train and play for their clubs during their time off from the couny team. It is also unfair for club players to be at the beck and call of the IC manager. IMO it is time for the club player top go his own way and let the county player play at his rightful leve and have club players play regular footballl.

There's going to be a new Cork president who although anti grant is a realist and realises like others that he has to back down in the face of the Donal Og, Sean Og and most recently Zulu Og - The Cork lads have reallt shown the way.

It's time we became like them and realise that whatwever the Cork players and posters say, it is best just to go along with it.

Taking county players away from the clubs is a silly idea. Rugby did this - look at the state of club rugby.
Zulu wants county players simply to play for their counties - how many games a year would players from the weaker counties get per year ? And as you have all the answers Zulu,how much could you afford to pay them ?

OM that is a rubbish post laced with childish sarcasim, your comparison to rugby is pointless and well off the mark, underage rugby has never been as strong. I'm not from Cork by the way and if you are so concerned about club players why are you bothered about how many games IC players from weak counties would get?

OM why don't you try and back up your opinion with some kind of argument rather than simply mis-quoting Cantona. How am I lead by the nose?

You've inadvertently proved my arguments ! County players not playing with their clubs and that's ok with you ! What a laugh !     

That's good thinking Zulu - keep it up !

Care to elaborate OM?

Quote
Many county players aren't available to their clubs now and rightly so IMO if county players stop playing for their clubs in the future then that may not be such a bad thing. But hopefully it won't be for money but out of realism.
Interesting.

Same question to you POG.

This notion that Congress is infallible in the way that the Pope is and Emperor Hirohito was until 1945 is bizarre. A few years ago, Congress voted for a sin bin. Look what happened. A few years ago, Congress voted to exclude Division 4 teams from the All Ireland Qualifiers.  Look what happened.

Both these decisions were reversed, as they were both regarded in hindsight as mistakes. And yet today, the pro-Rule 11  & anti-grants lobby are told to forget the issue ever happened and "move on" as if they were undesirables blocking the public road.

Who said they were mistakes, the sinbin should have been given at least 2 National League seasons and big Joe should have been ignored. The decision to exclude division 4 teams from the championship created an extra weekend for clubs and added a bit of spice to both division 3 and 4, the logic of reversing this decision has to be questioned. As usual short sighted, parochial, self serving views over rule rational opinion in the GAA.

I think he is anti grant and his support base was Ulster so I'd say he wouldn't be a natural ally of the GPA but he didn't get this far in the GAA without being a realist.

I have argued consistently that the GAA hierarchy have been sneaky in their approach and have turned their coats on this issue. That's the bit that really annoys me - it's not the fact that players are getting some money in itself, it's the whole principle and how the hierarchy conducted themselves on this sorry issue.

OM didn't you argue consistently that the Cork players were wrong to strike considering the fact that the clubs voted for the CB proposal. I pointed out to you the undemocratic and debateable nature of those voted but you still thought that the players were wrong because democracy had spoken? I'm not having a pop at you OM but democracy in the GAA is riddled with politics and is rarely an expression of the grassroot view, in saying that I believe the GAA did the right thing today. 

The issue was never debated at grassroots level. Upon the intervention of Conway it was found the original proposal that the top brass were going to railroad through was flawed! I have no problem with players getting the general perks going at that level but i draw the line at this "expenses" lark. You can't have a little bit of professionalism- you are either amateur or you're not. And we're not anymore.

Indiana we haven't been truely amateur for many years now, but I don't believe that this grant will lead to the scenario you paint. Many county players aren't available to their clubs now and rightly so IMO if county players stop playing for their clubs in the future then that may not be such a bad thing. But hopefully it won't be for money but out of realism.

FT Roscommon 0-14 Mayo 1-14

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Two good matches today  - Limerick put it up to a good Cork side whereas Tipp were simply too good -


Any word of the semi finals ? They're on next Sunday but any word of venues ?

Will be announced tomorrow or Tuesday morning.

Didn't see much of either game but the Cork/Limerick game seemed very poor and I'm afraid the Limerick could be in for a very tough championship. As for Waterford I think they are trying to peak for late summer and that can excuse some of their early season form. In saying that I don't think it will do them much good, there simply isn't an AI in this squad.

Oops - I wish to apologies to anyone who put money on Limerick

Apology grudgingly accepted I had quite a few pound riding on this result, it will take me a while to get over this one. That's twice in a few weeks I've went heavy enough and got burnt, Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.