Colm O'Rourke vs. the GPA

[APM]

I know it's easy for younger lads on Twitter to roar dinosaur at O'Rourke and that he is living in the past BUT do the GPA not preach about work/life balance.
So, should the GPA be having a go at the county managers flogging their lads - wanting them out five times a week? Should they not be having a go at the same managers for calling trainings at 6am and all that other shite?

Do you know of any lads here from all our counties who have lost out majorly? In fact any lads I know had one or two scholarships and got jobs in decent companies with doors opened for them.

And best of luck to them. I genuinely think they deserve every perk, but there has to be a point where it stops.

That's a really important point that you've made.  Their position on this is completely incoherent. 

If you support work/life/training balance, why would you tolerate training 10 times a week - Did Tom Parsons not actually say that whether a player is training 2 or 10 times, it should make no difference - that they should be paid expenses?

Training 10 times a week is to train twice daily, at least three times a week and if you take account of games and rest, it is really training twice daily 5 days a week.  This is the lifestyle of a professional athlete. 

[toby47]

I know it's easy for younger lads on Twitter to roar dinosaur at O'Rourke and that he is living in the past BUT do the GPA not preach about work/life balance.
So, should the GPA be having a go at the county managers flogging their lads - wanting them out five times a week? Should they not be having a go at the same managers for calling trainings at 6am and all that other shite?

Do you know of any lads here from all our counties who have lost out majorly? In fact any lads I know had one or two scholarships and got jobs in decent companies with doors opened for them.

And best of luck to them. I genuinely think they deserve every perk, but there has to be a point where it stops.

Excellent

[seafoid]

This is an accounting issue.
Tom Ryan has the gimp of an accountant.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2022/0314/1286412-gaa-to-cover-mileage-for-four-sessions-per-week/The GAA has confirmed that it will cover up to four collective gatherings per week for player mileage expenses - but anything in excess of this will be borne by individual counties.

And the GAA says that the mileage rate for any additional training sessions/games will now be required to be negotiated locally between each county and their players.

In a circular to counties this evening, GAA Director-General Tom Ryan said: "For the purposes of clarity, the sole difference between the 2022 Charter, and the Charter that was in place pre-covid, is that the 65c per mile expense rate provided for in the new charter covers up to four collective training sessions/games per week only.

"The metric of up to four collective sessions is arrived at following consultation with yourselves (counties) in recent weeks and represents a level that is sustainable for counties and for players alike."

[GAABoardMod5]

If 4 lads get to training in one car, do all 4 claim mileage?

[toby47]

If 4 lads get to training in one car, do all 4 claim mileage?

In Derry, I believe yes

[Will it ever end]

Yes

[seafoid]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2022/0314/1286412-gaa-to-cover-mileage-for-four-sessions-per-week/Ryan also referenced the 2017 ESRI Report which highlighted two major concerns for players.

The first was the need for a reduction in the ratio of training versus games.

He pointed out that the move to a split season combined with the introduction of Round Robin championships have been positive moves in this context.

"The other major issue highlighted was that the time commitment issue needs to be examined to ensure that our games are played in a way that enables players to continue to enjoy them and that is not damaging to other aspects of their lives," he wrote.

[seafoid]

I have the feeling that Parsons is tearing the arse out of this.

[Captain Scarlet]

That's a very fair response from the GAA and quoting the ESRI back at them and even some of their own surveys shows lads want to be training less.
As I said after all these years it is the most pressing issue for county players and they never go to war over it. Also, and I see it on Twitter that people are after O'Rourke because RTÉ are paying him...sure Parsons is on big money judging by the fact that average GPA wage is 65k for ten employees...where does that come from?

I'd like to see them go to war with county managers over what is being asked of lads. That's the real player welfare issue.

[seafoid]

The 2017 ESRI report included the involvement of the GPA. You couldn't make it up

https://www.esri.ie/news/joint-gaagpaesri-research-project-aims-to-support-welfare-of-inter-county-players

[johnnycool]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2022/0314/1286412-gaa-to-cover-mileage-for-four-sessions-per-week/Ryan also referenced the 2017 ESRI Report which highlighted two major concerns for players.

The first was the need for a reduction in the ratio of training versus games.

He pointed out that the move to a split season combined with the introduction of Round Robin championships have been positive moves in this context.

"The other major issue highlighted was that the time commitment issue needs to be examined to ensure that our games are played in a way that enables players to continue to enjoy them and that is not damaging to other aspects of their lives," he wrote.

One of the main reasons I like the condensed championships, one game every three weeks was allowing managers to slog their players to death over the spring and summer, now the better ones know they've a game if not weekly but with a weeks gap between them and plan accordingly with their recovery sessions and the likes.

Keeps the lunatics from having players running up hills in gutters and pushing cars round car parks.

[thewobbler]

It's genuinely laughable that GPA stalwarts keep highlighting O'Rourke's salary, as if somehow by extension of playing an amateur sport, they cannot have a professional career outside the association. Perhaps same folks believe that doctors who operate on GAA players should do it for free too?

Clowns.

——

The GPA, in a way that seems hardwired into their DNA, once again misjudge the aptitude of GAA top brass, and the consensus of the general public.

In summary, if you want a semi pro game lads, where you train 8 times a week, then f**k off and create one for yourselves.

[Rossfan]

Doubt if any semi pros train more than twice a week with game at the weekend.
Most of them have jobs too.
As for issue at hand.... how does not talking to media further their cause?

[WT4E]

Parsons also tried to keep making the point of GAA surplus like it was being shared out to corporate shareholders. The surplus they make is put back into Capital Projects and Games Development.

[APM]

Irish News' Cahair O'Kane covered it well in today's paper:

https://www.irishnews.com/sport/gaafootball/2022/03/15/news/kicking-out-gpa-s-key-fumbling-at-an-open-door-leaves-serious-questions-2614746/

It would be worth asking if some of the those out voicing support for the GPA or critical of the GAA / Colm O'Rourke are:
1. Drawing an income themselves from GAA related activities
2. Engaged in the kind of intensive coaching requirements mentioned in the ESRI report