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I wouldn't even say we underestimated Roscommon.....

No, I think you hit the nail on the head there. I'm a Rossie living in Galway and everybody from work colleagues down to the local (and national) media where signing Galways praises. It was just a matter of turning up and collecting their cup. The winning score line was going to be a cricket score. Confidence is all good and well but there was no humitily or even the usual GAA attempt at talking up the opposition, Ala Jim Gavin and Carlow/Westmeath for example. It was just smug condescending arrogance by and large from Galway and they got their answer today. Read the Tuam Hearld's piece for example....

That HAD to feed down to the players and it showed in their attitude today. That's not to take away from Roscommon's efforts, they were immence and fully deserving of their win. But Galway could have been, and are, a lot better than today's efforts.

I think it's doing a disservice to Roscommon to say galway underestimated them. They would have known from last years draw and the fact Roscommon have been playing division 1 football that it was a proper Connacht final.

Galway just didn't have the fight. I think this idea that Galway underestimated them gives our lads an easy out. Because if we played ye again next week I don't think the result would change.

We've known for a while we have a poor kick out strategy, our full back line is not fantastic and our half back line is porous enough. No Gaelic football supporter with any knowledge of the game would say it was a foregone conclusion. I don't think real Galway fans totally trust this team but thought that after beating mayo we'd learn from it and maybe win by 3 points.

I'll give you the media though, maybe our highlights reel with Shane Walsh making a donnellanssque run and Michael Daly popping a point makes us look better than we are to the casual observer. Our highlight reel obviously doesn't include some  junior defending that we are capable of.

Fair play to Roscommon they fully deserved their win. Was some pass for that goal in the first half

Well done Roscommon. We can have no complaints. Roscommon not only out fought us today but outplayed us too.
I wouldn't even say we underestimated Roscommon more so we overestimated ourselves. Fair play to Shane Walsh he really put a shift in when not many else were.
I don't think we can just point to our full back line, plenty of lads out there didn't show up. We really do need a  full back. People have been shouting about Lundy and Cummins should be starting. I think we saw where they are today.

Only positive is this year we have a chance straight away to turn it around. Walsh has us beating mayo twice in a row, and also into division one. I think he's the man who will hopefully light a few fires between now and Donegal.

Better now to get found out and make some changes rather than wait until we are knocked out. At least we've a second chance

Wooly's an eejit! An average player at the time he gets access because he's a bit of a character and used to play for Laois.

Brolly wiped the floor with him the other evening and Wooly is not immune to grandstanding himself when he feels like it. Comparing himself to Diarmuid Connolly was one of the funniest things I've heard in a while!

He compared himself to Connolly as in they're both a bit hot headed and can be eejits at times. Absolutely no comparison football talent related.

I like Wooly, think he brings a nice bit of fresh analysis from the footballers perspective. You'd think with all the newly retired footballers in the media that lifting the lid on what it's like in a county panel wouldn't be unique but it really is.

I do think he got it wrong with the doping story and was arguing over a total different thing and very protectionist rather than accepting no sport is immune.

But he really is good for gaa. Too many Canice Pilkingtons pretending to give us insight out there. Wooly isn't everyone's cup of tea but that's what makes him unafraid to offend. And unlike brolly he doesn't offend people for othe spectacle of it he actually would believe it. Also when he gets things wrong he readily admits he may have lost the run of himself.

Safe travelling to the Rossies.

Hopefully the drawn game last year is thick in Galway's mind and we produce a performance that a Connacht final deserves. 
I wouldn't be surprised to see a late change to galway team and a free taker start. Mike Meehan maybe? Probably more than likely side or McHugh.

I don't think Syf is a bad lad - seems alright to me.

Back on topic- a few good preview podcasts of the Connacht final - GAA Hour with Padraic Joyce and then Ray Silke and Nigel Dineen on Newstalk.

https://soundcloud.com/sportsjoe-gaa-hour/padraig-joyce-on-the-connaught-final-and-banty-mcenaney-facing-monaghan

40 pages about Connolly pointing a finger into a linesmans shoulder. Whereas we have a goalkeeper from the hurling all Ireland winners taking huge sums of money and deceiving an 80 year old man and there's little said in hurling quarters.

What a stupid post.

Very insightful Hardy. Really added to the debate there

Roscommon drew in the wind tunnel last year first day out. this year they seem to be going in much fresher
this game is going to be close
smart money is on the draw

That's a good point. I think a lot of people are forgetting the first day out last year, and just focus their preview on the big win in the replay.

I do think that an injury or sending off will decide this one, as Galway's panel can stretch that bit further than Roscommon's. Fifteen on fifteen it will be close. I imagine Galway had been preparing for the Mayo game for most of the time between league final and first round.
The Leitrim game will have brought on Roscommon's confidence a lot. Galway after being bitten by Tipp last year should stick to their goal of consistency and staying games even when not playing well.

I imagine Brannigan will come back in, with Daly maybe dropping out.
Anyone think Farragher might get a return to centre back if Ros are dropping back sweepers on Comer?

The thread is about Connolly.

I'm sure people will contribute to a thread about Gleeson if one was started.

I'm just looking at a bit of perspective here really. What Connolly did was tame enough. But I can see how it needs to be clamped down on so that it sets some standard for club football and protection of refs.

It's just interesting to hear podcasts and GAA shows filled with people castigating Gavin, Connolly or previously Aidan O'Shea taking a picture. But when it comes to a criminal offence it's all quiet.
Something just doesn't sit well with where the light sometimes is being shone.
It's funny that the media - obviously enough - get way more up in arms over any sort of media ban than the average supporter.

For what it's worth - I agree Gavin is behaving like a pup, Connolly's ban is deserved. I've no huge love for Mayo, but think people gave O'Shea a hard time over not a lot.

40 pages about Connolly pointing a finger into a linesmans shoulder. Whereas we have a goalkeeper from the hurling all Ireland winners taking huge sums of money and deceiving an 80 year old man and there's little said in hurling quarters.

Ah lads, I'd be interested in people's views on Galway-Ros. Don't want to be having to click ignore on a load of off topic nonsense

Welcome to GAABoard.com

Have been reading it here for last 10 years. Usually you've one lad mouthing off, but if you leave him be he goes quiet. Seems we've more lads arguing.

This is a massive game for both teams. Win and you're in a quarter final. Lose and you could be coming up against Mayo, Donegal or Meath to get back in the hunt. Connacht runners up get drawn against 3A winners I believe

Meath and Donegal aren't great shakes tbh and if the losers actually have a two week break they can give them a good rattle. I doubt Galway would like to see Mayo yet again so soon, though. For us it doesn't really matter, to get to a QF we have to beat a decent team in a big game in one of two possible chances, something we haven't done in a while. Anything else and the year is indeed a failure. People think there's not much pressure on us this year but not making a third very reachable QF on the trot is going to be a killer.

If it's a rare fine day in Salthill I'd expect a good match. I don't see our lads captipulating like in McHale because that memory and a much more settled panel will drive them on. We have some excellent attacking footballers and if they have the stomach for the physical exchanges there's not much to fear heading to Salthill.

That's a good point. we don't need to be playing Mayo again so soon. I don't see Ros capitulating, and I don't see Galway underestimating them either. That's why it'll make for a close game. Next year this game will be a Super 8 decider.

With regard kickout strategy, I think that we will push up on Ros with Damo Comer a good organiser and leader in at full forward. There are a few Galway forwards that don't seem to switch on when they have to hassle a lad or mark up on kickouts. Instead they seem to be just happy to get goal side and be passive which isn't a good thing. I think with Comer up there as a leader we should be more shrewd.

Ah lads, I'd be interested in people's views on Galway-Ros. Don't want to be having to click ignore on a load of off topic nonsense

Welcome to GAABoard.com

Have been reading it here for last 10 years. Usually you've one lad mouthing off, but if you leave him be he goes quiet. Seems we've more lads arguing.

This is a massive game for both teams. Win and you're in a quarter final. Lose and you could be coming up against Mayo, Donegal or Meath to get back in the hunt. Connacht runners up get drawn against 3A winners I believe

Ah lads, I'd be interested in people's views on Galway-Ros. Don't want to be having to click ignore on a load of off topic nonsense

Both counties are coming into this in a better position than last year.
The expectation is off Roscommon, and they really don't have a lot to lose. They look to be peaking for championship this season rather than the league. Galway have been bleating on all season about consistent performances being their main goal. Hopefully learning from the Tipp loss last season.

Roscommon's forwards versus Galway's full back line would worry me, but I'd say the strength of our bench and being able to make changes with injury/fatigue takes it's toll in 40th minute on will hopefully be the difference. I don't think Roscommon have the largest panel in the world. A sending off, or an injury to a key man could be the difference here.

I'd say Galway will be three point favourites for this. Will be good for the neutral to see players like Comer, Walsh, and the Murtagh's on show.

It had an impact but it was of your own doing. I don't think Mayo players will be saying today if it wasn't for that sending off. They'll know they didn't do enough to win that game when it was there for either team.

You were gobsmacked by jh analysis about Mayo not being of required pace or intensity. Well I don't think they were.
If Comer had hit O'Connor like that in 2013, Mayo lads would have buried him. There was no reaction. The Mayo I've seen regularly at the business end didn't seem to be there. Durcan had a bad wide when he came off the shoulder a la Lee Keegan. They just didn't click when they looked like they might and needed to!
The challenge of going down to 14 is something Mayo lads would normally relish, now it's just used as an excuse.

That was the good thing about following Mayo in all Ireland finals, they didn't want to hear about excuses or poor us. They just got on with it

Live on TV this weekend so probably deserves it's own thread so everyone can tell us how shit Leinster football is.

Neil Flynn is reported as a possibility for the weekend, can't see him starting but with him and Paddy Brophy in the wings Kildare will have even more impact off the bench.

The Meath HS forum are being very cocky but then Meath always expect to beat Kildare but the ability to ignore the hammering in the League and our underage dominance over them is remarkable some would say even arrogant. So we know Meath don't fear Kildare.

Meath have issues with their full back line, whether it's personnel or system they gave up an awful lot of goal chances against Louth and Paddy O'Rourke would not inspire me. Both teams are quite pacey so should cancel each other out but I think Kildare are more powerful around the middle 8, Byrne, Conway Cribben*2 Doyle and Moolick provide physicality and Kelly and Feely are more style. Kildare are susceptible to being ran at so if we can tighten those channels with maybe Moolick dropping back in addition to Conway's and P Cribben's workrate I give us a very good chance at limiting goal opportunities. Lyons is expected to pick up probably the form forward in the country Graham Reilly so with Lyins good going forward it might be a case of trying to get Reilly out of position to nullify his influence.

Kildare to win it's really about nullifying O'Sullivan and Reilly while limiting goal chances, I think Kildare have a much better range of scorers so if it goes to a shootout Kildare have artillery on the bench Brophy, Flynn, Dowling and Healy all capable of scoring 2 or 3 points from play.

Going to call it early before anxiety takes over. Kildare by 3.

Really looking forward to this game. Both teams were the most impressive I saw Galway come up against in div 2.
Is it on rte or sky do you know?