The biggest underachievers - players - Hurling & Football

[Six Inch Nail]

Frank McGuigan Snr

[full back]

Ulster football and Connacht football has underachieved to produce only 15 & 14 senior All Irelands in 119 attempts, these are huge underachievers.

Notable examples are:
Cavan's 5 All-Irelands from 39 Provincail Titles
Galway's 9/42
Mayo's 3/41
Armagh's 1/13
Monaghan's 0/13

And I have to mention my neighbours, Cork's 6 from 34 is laughable, but at least they will blame the hurlers.

Galway Hurlers deserve a mention too.

Thanks for your concern reg Connacht & Ulster football KM
You are indeed right, but the thread is about specific players

5Sams - interesting point reg Shorty Trainor
No doubt he has over achieved on the club scene - outstanding
But when talking about his lack of success on the county scene it is baffling

[North Antrim]

Underachiever to me is someone who burst onto the minor scene - was touted as the next great thing and then really disappeared for one reason or another.........

some interesting names....Dermot McCabe - again i cant agree with that one - All-Star on a poor Cavan team, prob there most consistent player over last 10 years, played for Ulster and Ireland. No not buying that one......

[Syd]

NorthAntrim.....What about Coyler from the town? He was good underage but i think its just because he was bigger than everyone else. He was a bit too fond of the "funny cigarettes" me thinks.....

[BallyhaiseMan]

For me the underachiever tag also incorporates those who have gone onto play senior level,yet havent reached the level they were expected to.

Liam Doyle of down is a good example,Of that great Down minor team in 1999 including Benny Coulter,Sexton,Michael Walsh,Murtagh,Brendan Grant etc,Doyle was hyped up into being the next True Down great,at least thats what we outsiders were led to believe.
Doyle has gone on to play for Down Seniors but he hasnt shown anything close to the ability he was and still is reckoned to have.

[North Antrim]

Dont think there was too many that thought Coyler was the next greatest thing.......yeah he bossed it at underage cos he was bigger but i always thought hhe wud never make it.....he NEVER wanted it bad enough and to be honest was a very limited player Syd!! Cos i get high

[the colonel]

we always have had hard games against ballycastle in the past 10-13 yrs and even in the last couple even though you knew coyler was a mad man he still could be a handful. ballycastle always rose against us.

[full back]

A lot of the guys mentioned on here that failed to translate underage form to seniors are ones that are over the 6 foot mark.
The simple reason that they stand out at underage is their height and when they go on to the seniors they are found wanting as many other players are the same size.
Go easy on the big fella's

[INDIANA]

a lot of the ones mentioned suffered serious injuries as well largely due to playing for every team under the sun from the age 17-20 that's the gaa's fault not the player- that's just bad luck getting injured not  a lack of effort- i think some of the circus clown comments above might take that into account as well. soem of them couldn't have been arsed but a lot of the ones mentioned suffered badly from injuries

[jungle]

I think some of the names mentioned as underachievers are laughable e.g. Benny Coulter who always shines for his county and has been a brillant player for Ireland in the international series. My own opinion is that by making it on to your county team at senior level you have already achieved.

[Bud Wiser]

Do ye not think that mentioning specific players is a bit unfair considering that they all did their best and may come on here and see their name being castigated for being an underachiever?   Why not be more diplomatic and just mention the entire Armagh team?

[ONeill]

I think some of the names mentioned as underachievers are laughable e.g. Benny Coulter who always shines for his county and has been a brillant player for Ireland in the international series. My own opinion is that by making it on to your county team at senior level you have already achieved.

Aye and don't roses smell nice.

This board is for hard-hitting honest thoughts. None of us could lace their boots but that's not the point. Don't be coming on here pontificating or ye'll get the head slapped clean off ye. Ye hear?

[The Real SlimShady]

because Bud, the thread is about underachievers not over-achievers! if it had been over-achievers Armagh would have ran away with it, given that they have only one team in their County worth a flying frick (for the past 20 years!), to utilise the few great players they had with all the heavy/dirty/sloggers and get an All Ireland out of it is some feat, puke football or not.

[Hollow Man]

some interesting names....Dermot McCabe - again i cant agree with that one - All-Star on a poor Cavan team, prob there most consistent player over last 10 years, played for Ulster and Ireland. No not buying that one......

McCabe won an All Star on a very good Cavan team which won a competitive Ulster championship, which included three teams who had won All Irelands in the previous five years.

He won it at wing forward (as opposed to midfield where he played).

He has been one of our best over 10 years, but in my opinion - as someone who has seen him play 10-12 times a year for 12 years for club and county - he didn't fulfil his potential ie he could have been renowned as one of the top 2 or 3 midfielders in Ireland.

If you examine my original post, you will see that I said McCabe didn't look after himself when he was younger, and suffered when he should have been in his prime.

He won that All Stra nd man of the match for Ireland when he was 21/22. Didn't do a whole pile from 22 on to be honest. He hasn't won a SFC with his club since 2001 (think this is right Cavan lads?) either.

[Bud Wiser]

D'ya know something Slim, I agree with you.  I have a great admiration for Crossmaglen given the circumstances they had to endure up there with the Brits.  When they did win the All-Ireland a lot of counties perked up and thought that if Armagh could do it they could.  Yep, take a bow Slim, even though I only had a small bait on and the hook barely in the water I agree with you on a serious note that all the Armagh team that won the AIF have given great service to the county, particularly when a lot of them could have walked away from it last year.

Surprised O'Neill didn't get to the bait before you and tell me Laois never won anything, but there you go.