Menu

Show posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

Show posts Menu

Messages - marty34

#2
GAA Discussion / Re: Club Championships 2025
November 23, 2025, 06:34:15 PM
Could Tyrone GAA not just now do a drainage job on the pitch?

Use Dungannon for the league games.

Plus how many times have I watched (on tv) matches in Omagh and the camera needs to be cleaned every 5 secs. WTF.

Can someone not build some sort of tv box or shelter? Or move it to the stand side?

It's a joke in 2025. 
#3
Down / Re: Down Club Hurling & Football
November 23, 2025, 02:30:50 PM
Quote from: Splash on November 22, 2025, 11:27:00 PMSleacht Néill are without doubt one of the most technically skilful teams in Ulster- if not Ireland. Their touch, their striking, their decision making, their reading of the game; are all phenomenal. There's a great slowed down video going about at the moment of McKaigue taking a touch on the outside heel of the hurl and putting the sliotar over the bar, for example.

I don't think it's right to say that commentary on their physicality is lazy.

Perhaps some of it is. Perhaps some of it is people saying their dual status gives them 'double the results,' or something to that effect. But with any serious interest will know SN are where they are due to playing hurling very well.

I think it's very hard though to say their physicality doesn't play a role in their game though. At the end of the day, the ability to win ball over their opponents, to break tackles, and to shoot from almost anywhere on the field at times, have all played massive factors in their success.



It is not the reason for their success, but it is no doubt useful to them and has not been a bad thing. Part of the reason that SN have been so competitive with the likes of Ballygunner, Ballyhale, Na Piarsaigh, etc., is becuase they have the physical ability to live with them.

You are spot on though- their primary reason for success is due to the high quality hurling they play, followed by a series of very good managers.


Great year for St John's. Upset the odds time and time again this year. No reason they can't be competitive with Slaughtneil and Loughrea. We will see.



Some valid points but you seem to be agreeing and disagreeing about it.

Hurling is a physical game, moreso than football.

I never hear anybody stating that Na Fianna, Ballyhale or Ballygunnar etc. are physical teams. It's never mentioned.....ever. But always brought up about SN. As I say, it's lazy analysis.

They have fantastic hurlers and this has been proven year after year. I think people need to give them more credit for their hurling ability, moreso than their S&C and strength etc.
#4
GAA Discussion / Re: Ulster Club IFC/JFC 2025
November 22, 2025, 04:01:30 PM
Tyrone should just stick to junior football.
#5
Antrim / Re: Antrim Football Thread
November 22, 2025, 02:00:29 PM
Quote from: HTownlad on November 22, 2025, 01:39:45 PM
Quote from: marty34 on November 22, 2025, 12:35:29 PM
Quote from: Round or stuffed on November 22, 2025, 12:02:14 AMHearing back from club that mark doran asked for club chairs and managers to meet at dunsilly during the week, good to see a county manager trying to communicate imo. Told there was talk of the league structure largely remaining the same

I'd say he couldn't care less about Antrim club football.

How many GAA clubs are there in north Belfast?

4 Us, Kickhams, Woletones and PP

Sorry for my ignorance but is Naomh Éanna considered a north Belfast club?

I presume them other 3 clubs are not senior.

On the way into Belfast at Glengormley (on motorway) I think there's ball catchers over to the right. I presume it GAA and council pitches?

There's also a lot of new builds over in behind that - would that be 'gaa type' people in them new developments?
#6
Down / Re: Down Club Hurling & Football
November 22, 2025, 12:41:40 PM
Quote from: Splash on November 21, 2025, 01:56:11 PM
Quote from: johnnycool on November 18, 2025, 01:36:41 PM
Quote from: DuffGael on November 18, 2025, 09:46:45 AM
Quote from: Splash on November 18, 2025, 12:11:28 AMDisappointed for Portaferry.

Came down to the wire. I think it really could have gone either way, and was in the  melting pot up until Slaughtneil's goal in the last ten minutes.

It wasn't as spectacular a game as we have seen in recent years, but that's the nature of these types of battles.

McGrattan obviously a huge loss. Coleman was very impressive.

Portaferry may feel certain decisions went against them, but the fact of the matter is the Ports had chances and unfortunately, they weren't able to capitalise at the right times.

SN are a serious side. The physicality they bring is very, very difficult to live with. Their ability to win ball goes a long way in helping their game. That is before even commenting on the quality hurling they play.

Portaferry will be disappointed. But I do think it is important to take a step back and look at how they have come on in recent years.

In 2022, Portaferry were put out of Ulster in the semi finals by SN- losing by almost 20 points. 3 years later and they have clearly shown they have caught up with the Derry men. It is massive progress in a short period of time.

I know that won't be much comfort to them over the winter, but it is well worth noting.

Portaferry are still very much the team to beat in Down and no doubt there's more to come from this team.

Best of luck to Slaughtneil now in Ulster. I'd say they should win the Ulster Final, but I do think it would be great to see St John's get over the line. Setentna weren't absolutely blown away in the other semi final, so hopefully they stick up in the Senior Championship for next year. Great to have more teams and more games.

Hard luck also to Clonduff camogs. Game was far closer than final score line might suggest (they lost by 7, but were a point or 2 behind Loughguile for the majority of the game). It is great to see them competing with teams like Loughguile, and hopefully there is more to come.

Portaferry are a serious outfit and will win Ulster in the next year or 2. hard luck to them at the weekend but they need a bit more off the bench going forward.

You need 20 plus hurlers capable of coming on and making a difference and there's no doubting Tom McGrattan is one they will need next year, but their need is further down the field and I don't see who that is coming from their bench and I've seen plenty of their juveniles and seconds the last several years.

They're still hot favourites to come out of Down as our needs are far greater than theirs.

Anyone I've spoken to reckons SN will beat St Johns with something to spare. I can't see how it can be so though, as it wasn't as if they got an easy route out of Antrim and I wouldn't bet against them, but SN's physicality and fitness is something to behold.




There are plenty of good backs in Portaferry, but I don't think they have a real marquee name the outside of one or two more established players, and they don't seem to have an obvious solution coming.

That is unless someone focused on developing as a real man marking defender, but I don't know how feasible that would really be.

I think SN should win Ulster now, but anyone thinking St John's won't put it up to them would do well to look back over their record up until now. They'll give Slaughtneil their fill of it, but SN's physicality and experience should see them over the line.

The key thing about SN is that they're seriously good skillful hurlers with a very good manager.

I think the football/physiciality thing is overplayed. It's lazy analysis really.

A great year for St. John's who have overcome the odds and have come through in tight games. I actually thought their chance had gone as they were so near this past 4 or 5 years but couldn't get over the line. They've regrouped well.
#7
Antrim / Re: Antrim Football Thread
November 22, 2025, 12:35:29 PM
Quote from: Round or stuffed on November 22, 2025, 12:02:14 AMHearing back from club that mark doran asked for club chairs and managers to meet at dunsilly during the week, good to see a county manager trying to communicate imo. Told there was talk of the league structure largely remaining the same

I'd say he couldn't care less about Antrim club football.

How many GAA clubs are there in north Belfast?
#8
Quote from: toby47 on November 21, 2025, 09:39:53 PMHow does that fans vs the board debacle end?

Get PL and Desmond out. Cowboys the lot of them.

Their whole game today was to avoid questions. Desmond didn't have the small ones to even turn up and send his son out to bat - wtf is he anyway and what connection had he got to be there to read out a statement.

Basically, they didn't want questions and tried to waste time. PL then read out what was clearly a pre-prepared statement i.e. a clear indication that the board was bringing the meeting to a close.

They then issue a statement blaming a minority of supporters for the disruption. Pure waffle.

The board want the hammer the hammer i.e. break the Green Brigade as they think that'll be it over and that supporters will fall into line again. Not this time.
#9
General discussion / Re: Poppy Watch
November 19, 2025, 03:52:57 PM
Quote from: AustinPowers on November 19, 2025, 11:07:17 AMThe Irish women getting abuse  now

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2025/1118/1544622-ward-backs-irish-players-poppy-stance/

Fair play to them.  Showing up a lot of lads who play in England.
#10
I thought we were pretty rubbish to be honest, but who cares?

John Mc Ginn's words after the game and he's right.  ;D
#11
General discussion / Re: Car Insurance!!!!!
November 18, 2025, 08:26:20 PM
Quote from: Tony Baloney on November 18, 2025, 07:11:06 PM
Quote from: Jim Bob on November 18, 2025, 07:04:51 PMIs there a code of conduct for solicitors in everyday life ?
Not really a car post but connected to a small car accident a family member was involved in recently.
It was her fault she collided with another car in a slow moving incident which led to damage to both cars. She is 18 years old and still innocent enough wee girl. When the guy got out of the other car , before she got a chance to apologise, he states 'you've just hit the wrong guy, I'm a solicitor. She owns up immediately while he proceeds to take photos of his damage. ( fair enough) he then asked for her phone which she in a state of innocence hands him. She wouldn't have known not to. He punches in his number and when he hands the phone back she saw that the name he had attached to the number was 'The guy I hit'
The wee girl was in a state at this and was in tears all evening. First time she had ever come across an obnoxious SOB like this
Can this sort of behaviour be reported to the law society. Surely a solicitor can't run about using his profession to intimidate the life out of people especially young ones like my family member

Sounds like a right ballbag. Report him anyway even if it comes to nothing.

Sounds like a tool alright. Bullying a young girl.

I bet if it was a lad, he wouldn't have said boo to him.

If there's no Ombusman for solicitors, get another solicitor to email his company and complain about his aggressive behaviour.
#12
It has got noticeably colder this past few days.

A bit of a wind chill also, which doesn't help.
#13
Antrim / Re: Antrim Football Thread
November 14, 2025, 06:30:30 PM
Quote from: ck on November 14, 2025, 02:27:26 PM
Quote from: marty34 on November 13, 2025, 09:50:31 PM
Quote from: ck on November 13, 2025, 09:18:19 PM
Quote from: Hoof Hearted on November 13, 2025, 09:13:34 PMSenior and intermediate champions this year had internal managers.

Yes but they had outside coaches. My own club have always had internal managers but they are usually not coaches so they hire in some expertise in that area. Has worked well at times.
I'm not a fan of paid Managers but I'm a realist and sometimes you have to appoint the best man. Players demand and expect this.

But who decides on what the 'best man' is?

Experience, track record, player feedback. It' not hard to measure against the inside man. Players have a lot of power these days and increasingly they are involved in the selection process. Players in my own club have actually gone out looking a manager in the past.

My issue with that is the amount of 'managers' who are moving from one club to the next, to the next, year after year....and haven't improved a team a bit. Just on the circuit.

This is what I mean by who decides?

The senior players and/or committee.

Regardless, does that manager make your team better or is it just because he was with X last year and Y the year before.
#14
Quote from: Captain Obvious on November 13, 2025, 09:42:35 PMGood win shows what this Irish side are capable of when they rightly apply themselves however the Armenia loss will still likely prove very costly.


Yeah, that was a poor defeat.

Looking back now, it was a joke of a defeat. 
#15
Antrim / Re: Antrim Football Thread
November 13, 2025, 09:50:31 PM
Quote from: ck on November 13, 2025, 09:18:19 PM
Quote from: Hoof Hearted on November 13, 2025, 09:13:34 PMSenior and intermediate champions this year had internal managers.

Yes but they had outside coaches. My own club have always had internal managers but they are usually not coaches so they hire in some expertise in that area. Has worked well at times.
I'm not a fan of paid Managers but I'm a realist and sometimes you have to appoint the best man. Players demand and expect this.

But who decides on what the 'best man' is?