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It's odd isn't it?

Every single last person involved in sport knows that protracted knockout competitions are a steaming pile of dung until the element of jeopardy arrives.

And yet all around Ireland, all around the world, we keep introducing and extending these formats.

Other sports can at least use professionalism and a need for paying spectators as their excuse.

We cannot.

It's very odd alright. the more it comes to it, the more I'd go back to Championship as straight knockout and expand the League or such to cover games. But there's no doubt that more matches does not equal better Championship. Less is more, and too many games is too many missable games so people start to stay away. If every game meant you had to win, we'd be heading somewhere. Do your provincials and seeding from League or such, but 2 tiers, 16 teams, let them go at it. People would go mental for it

I agree on the goals very encouraging to see them go for the juggler instead of fisting over the bar. True on the Fermanagh game aswell but these are just observations I've made i'm not criticizing as it was a great performance the last day despite this; bit of a step up again this weekend but you don't know what your gonna get with Tyrone.

That's it alright, we went for those goals while we took our frees when they came. We will need to alright. Think we've a decent chance, and great time to try and catch Tyrone on the hop after we've had a game and they've been waiting since last round of the League. It'll be interesting

Cavan team named.

No Killian Clarke, McLoughlin or McVeety in starting 15.

Would love to see Cavan win this but unfortunately I think Tyrone will win this by 8-10 points. Cavan struggle to score from open play and will struggle to keep all the Tyrone fires out.

Ie. Canavan, McCurry, McShane if he back on form.

Yeah only the 3-4 scored from open play last day out. Quite the struggle

4 points from play is not a great return haha.

3 goals from play however is very good, but the worrying thing is its not a common theme for Cavan to score goals but hopefully that's changing.

How many goals did they score in the league altogether 3 or 4?

Garavn Jones scored more from play in the Fermanagh game v Cavan that any Cavan player scored from pay in all 7 gmaes combined.

So there's definitely an issue with scoring from play for Cavan. But its championship now and trends can go out the window.

Well it's 7 scores from play in a gale force wind conditions, so it's ok considering that. Some of those goals would be chances that some would take points from, so good we've goals in us anyway.

Wouldn't be too concerned with that Fermanagh League game. We were clearly holding our water for 2 weeks after. They were playing for their lives and we had nothing to play for that day

Cavan team named.

No Killian Clarke, McLoughlin or McVeety in starting 15.

Would love to see Cavan win this but unfortunately I think Tyrone will win this by 8-10 points. Cavan struggle to score from open play and will struggle to keep all the Tyrone fires out.

Ie. Canavan, McCurry, McShane if he back on form.

Yeah only the 3-4 scored from open play last day out. Quite the struggle

[I'd seen nothing to suggest Cavan would beat Monaghan based on the league.]

It's a tight Championship and always is.

Only 2 of the big 3 of Derry, Donegal and Armagh are going to make the Ulster final.

Not even a good wind up that.

There'll be a kick in Tyrone yet and Cavan will fear no one with the way they played at the weekend.

what exactly have tyrone shown for you to day there will be a kick from them

Canavan and McCurry are top top forwards. Plus the fact the huers beat us twice last year.

I'd seen nothing to suggest Cavan would beat Monaghan based on the league.

Nothing? Know we were poor vs yourselves, but we did well in away games, ran Donegal to a point, and finished 3rd while Monaghan were brutal in last 6 League games. Not saying we were favourites, but never nothing to see in this

Still can't work out why we don't have an All Ireland Senior, Intermediate and Junior Championship.  Works a treat at club level where every trophy is hard fought and cherished. It would deliver lots more meaningful, evenly contested and attractive games.
Everything else adds to the issue: ticket prices; state of grounds; tv coverage; other sports etc.
The quality of the product is an issue with the coaches, not the rules.
And how many people even knew Monaghan were playing Cavan on Sunday - it just crept up.

There are 3 grades, Kilkenny won the Junior in 2022 and didn't take their promotion the wa*ks, NY won it last year with a team of homegrown Yanks. Going back to the previous format loads of counites opted out, Kerry cleverly used it as a bridge between their minor and Senior setups, a lot of the Kerry lads would have AI's at Junior level. The reason not to split Sam / Tailteann into a further third tier (which I think would have been your point) was provided last weekend by Wickla and Waterford, 2 tiers is plenty

I wouldn't say 2 tiers is plenty and a couple of freak results doesn't change that.

Probably you are right, but think we need to hold fire a wee bit and let these 2 tiers settle. The current ones are still washing out the way it should work properly. It'll take a fews more seasons to settle, and when it becomes apparent where the lines of 3 tiers lie, then set a separation for a number of years time and work toward them with rankings or such, not the arbitrary way they did it here.

Owenbeg is the same.. I'd say there's quite a few about, no?

They look to be square alright, but at least are between the posts, not in front of them. Jeez thought most decent country grounds have round ones, no?

I know, you hit a shot, round posts you've a fair chance of the ball either going over or under, not straight back out at ye, zero to show for it

That's exactly it. I noted this Cavan v Donegal 2022. James Smith thundered a shot against the bar, and it rebounded straight out, instead of maybe the underside of the bar and a goal. Big difference in how a ball acts and they should be got rid fur round flush crossbars

Owenbeg is the same.. I'd say there's quite a few about, no?

They look to be square alright, but at least are between the posts, not in front of them. Jeez thought most decent country grounds have round ones, no?

I see Clones finally got some catch  nets behind the goals

Or were they there  last year? I don't recall seeing them  before

They need to sort out those crossbars next. Mad they've got square ones sitting in front of the posts

Please elaborate.

Just exactly that. They've a wooden square crossbar which sits in front of the posts (https://www.sportsfile.com/id/1108538/) instead of a round one between the posts. Means a ball could come off it weirdly instead of naturally on a round one between the posts.

I see Clones finally got some catch  nets behind the goals

Or were they there  last year? I don't recall seeing them  before

They need to sort out those crossbars next. Mad they've got square ones sitting in front of the posts

Beggan is the best kicking goalkeeper but at the fundamentals he is just average. Even with his forays up the pitch, while he has the ability to kick long range points with that right foot piston, he is quite slow and cumbersome in possession and got caught out yesterday not for the first time. You would have to question the judgement of a pundit who gave him MOTM yesterday after conceding 3 goals. That must be a first for a goalkeeper. I thought Paddy Lynch deserved it but Faulkner was very good too. 

It was Philly McMahon who gave it to him. I agree it was silly, but to give some context he gave it late into injury time and literally seconds before Lynch scored the 3rd one. He then even joked that he made the call too soon. Not sure why they need to make the call before the game is over though

I think even before Lynch got the last goal it was a ridiculous call. Like based on what? At that point Lynch had 9 points. 8 dead balls from 8, every bit as difficult as Beggans. Beggan has conceded 2 goals, Looked set to be on the losing team and I think had missed 2 or 3 dead balls. Utterly bizarre call. I can imagine he would have been pretty embarrassed by it

Oh yeah absolutely, was just adding the context as to what happened. It was silly to even consider him and he got caught up in the NFL and returning hype

Beggan is the best kicking goalkeeper but at the fundamentals he is just average. Even with his forays up the pitch, while he has the ability to kick long range points with that right foot piston, he is quite slow and cumbersome in possession and got caught out yesterday not for the first time. You would have to question the judgement of a pundit who gave him MOTM yesterday after conceding 3 goals. That must be a first for a goalkeeper. I thought Paddy Lynch deserved it but Faulkner was very good too. 

It was Philly McMahon who gave it to him. I agree it was silly, but to give some context he gave it late into injury time and literally seconds before Lynch scored the 3rd one. He then even joked that he made the call too soon. Not sure why they need to make the call before the game is over though

It was a nonsense call from McMahon whether it was made just before or just after the goal.

Lynch gathering a pass and kicking to an empty net shouldn't have made a difference to the decision.

He had kicked 8/8 frees, got a beauty from play and his contribution won Cavan the game. Beggan had failed to make a save for 2/3 shots he faced up to that point, had missed a free and a 45. Was one excellent save, a couple of frees and one shot from play in a game they were losing by 3 with time up really enough? I don't think so.

Oh yeah, completely agree. Even without the last goal Beggan mixed the good with the poor. Lynch or Faulkner were my shouts. This call seemed to be the pundit who doesn't know anything outside of the Division 1 teams, and got caught up in the Beggan returning stuff

[It's as if they're doing it on purpose to get rid of the provincial.]

The early championship doesn't help either. Bobble hats at championship just isn't right. They're going up against PL run in. And pricing fans out of it. 20 euro for a seat and 15 for terrace would be enough. U16s need to be free. The crowds were abysmal yesterday. It's 1980s attendances.  It's as if they're doing it on purpose to get rid of the provincial. The gaa do nothing to promote the championship either. Its dying a death. We only have 3 games now . The 2  AI semis and the AI final.

It's exactly this. Slowly suffocate a product so when you want to kill it, it'll be easier done. And it'll be a shame rather than trying to make them work

And oddly it'll be bad overall for the GAA. If there's one thing they understand is money. And bad attendance hits them in the pocket. They might have to move things back into summer to try and get crowds back. They need to

It's not just price. It's timing. League was 2 weeks ago. I was at Clones yesterday, but I don't live in my home county anymore. It's tiring driving around so often each weekend. That was my 8th game in 11 weeks, 5 of those away (although all 8 are away for me now). It's exhaustion after League, and haven't time to decompartmentalise the League and get over it. If April was back to club games, May for Championship, the you'd have the time and money to get back up for it after Lague was well over. And it'd be better weather, harder pitches and so on. And you'd still finish it in August and not be competing with other sports like the soccer derbies yesterday or rugby and so on. It needs a clear break for people to refresh and be ready to go back at it

Beggan is the best kicking goalkeeper but at the fundamentals he is just average. Even with his forays up the pitch, while he has the ability to kick long range points with that right foot piston, he is quite slow and cumbersome in possession and got caught out yesterday not for the first time. You would have to question the judgement of a pundit who gave him MOTM yesterday after conceding 3 goals. That must be a first for a goalkeeper. I thought Paddy Lynch deserved it but Faulkner was very good too. 

It was Philly McMahon who gave it to him. I agree it was silly, but to give some context he gave it late into injury time and literally seconds before Lynch scored the 3rd one. He then even joked that he made the call too soon. Not sure why they need to make the call before the game is over though