Kerry v Cork, Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney, 7th of July 2013, MSFC Final

[From the Bunker]

Hard to know yet, where different counties lie this year. Donegal, Dublin, Kerry, Cork, Tyrone and Mayo are roughly in that order for to win Sam. Donegal have still to be favourite as they have beaten 4 out of 5 of the (so called) Contenders in the last 14 months. Dublin AI Champions from 2011 have to be second. Their biggest fear is not getting carried away with the hype (the usual Dublin Problem). Kerry are next for just being Kerry and having secured a quarter final place. Their biggest problem is they are a 50 minute team. Then we have Cork, who have the players. But do they have the hunger or Manager. i don't think so. They'll could beat one of the big hitters but not two. Tyrone, not at the well yet. Some good players but not enough to get past the semi-finals. Mayo will probably meet Donegal (if they get that far) in the semi final and they will be smothered to death. No marquee forwards and injuries will mean another barren year.

So it looks like Dublin/Donegal final! Surprise packet - Kerry. Ouside the 'Top 6' I fancy Derry, especially if they draw Mayo in the Quarters.

[Jinxy]

The one good point about it was realising again the value of watching with the sound muted on Canning and that ... pause, take deep breath ... Carney,.

Carney was "executing" all round him as usual but today's really new in word was "venomous"
And to think they had Maloney just doing the half time stuff.

Very much so.

[Captain Obvious]

So no opinion of you're own on the structure of the GAA season other than this one's grand? Good to know you care.

what structure would improve it though. I'm fundamentally opposed to having 32 counties in the championship but I'm in the minority.

I actually think the hurling has the structure right and why football thinks a similar structure is beyond them is the height of arrogance.

Only fifthteen teams are in the race for the Liam McCarthy Cup how would that structure improve the football championship? Nicky Rackard,Lory Meagher cup teams are unlikely to ever make the step up to the top tier.

Most won't have much interest in second rate football competition, it will only make the gap wider between the top sides and the rest.

[lynchbhoy]

I think that Dublin and Kilkenny hurlers playing so often in successive weeks have shown that at least the hurling intercounty season could be condensed into a smaller time.
With less dual players now (sadly), it could also open up the possibility of playing football and hurling alternatively on a Friday, Sat and Sunday over a weekend.
However, this condensing of the season (enabling more time for club fixtures) would prob go against the PR of the organisation. A prolonged summer of Gaelic games keeps them in the spotlight for kids to see and thus attracts them.

So while I'd like to see shorter intercounty seasons with a countrywide fixtures list (created by or before 1st January each year) - it is also a fantastic feeling for the championships to be on from end of May to end of sept.

For the sake of PR, I'd almost leave it as the shambles it (fixtures) is.

[lynchbhoy]

the oul lad said to me at the start of the season that counihan had to go as cork manager.
While I kind of agreed then, I am certain now.
that mess yesterday was worse than anything I have seen this season (including roscommon when they played mayo).
IF Cork managed to get a decent tactical man on the sideline, they would be some proposition.

it looks like Cork still pick 15 men and send them out to play in the old style of toe to toe type football.

Cant think of who could talke the helm, the oul lad suggested billy morgan yet again, but maybe former dual star and tactically astute current hurling manager Jimmy Barry Murphy could do a serious job here.

the rebels as we know have serious talent.
yesterday they looked like rabble for 50 mins of the game and not rebels. They only played in the last 20 mins and could have won it !

[Fuzzman]

Didn't get to see any of this game yesterday.
How did Gooch play at 11?

Another terrible picture of him today in the Irish Times.

[Mike Sheehy]

Phoney war. Pointless game. Neither side cares who wins, never mind the rest of us. Simply an opportunity to experiment for both sides and to try and kid each other for when/if they meet in a knockout game. (And, having said all that, I still think the qualifier system is the best worst option we have.)

The one good point about it was realising again the value of watching with the sound muted on Canning and that ... pause, take deep breath ... Carney, so that I could hear the sound from the other room where her indoors was watching the tennis.

It may not be knockout but we very much care who wins.

[ballinaman]

Hard to know yet, where different counties lie this year. Donegal, Dublin, Kerry, Cork, Tyrone and Mayo are roughly in that order for to win Sam. Donegal have still to be favourite as they have beaten 4 out of 5 of the (so called) Contenders in the last 14 months. Dublin AI Champions from 2011 have to be second. Their biggest fear is not getting carried away with the hype (the usual Dublin Problem). Kerry are next for just being Kerry and having secured a quarter final place. Their biggest problem is they are a 50 minute team. Then we have Cork, who have the players. But do they have the hunger or Manager. i don't think so. They'll could beat one of the big hitters but not two. Tyrone, not at the well yet. Some good players but not enough to get past the semi-finals. Mayo will probably meet Donegal (if they get that far) in the semi final and they will be smothered to death. No marquee forwards and injuries will mean another barren year.

So it looks like Dublin/Donegal final! Surprise packet - Kerry. Ouside the 'Top 6' I fancy Derry, especially if they draw Mayo in the Quarters.

Yerra....nicely done, we're new to the yerra game!

[Frank Casey]

John Bannon writes in today's paper. Both sets of supporters were annoyed at the man in black yesterday and the second biggest cheer of the day (the biggest greeted the announcement that the Cork team contained some changes from that in the programme) came when Eoin Brosnan in his acceptance speech thanked the best referee in Ireland for his performance.

I was seated a few rows behind the Cork dug out and it was hard to know at times yesterday whether Conor Counihan was transfixed in thought or just plain didn't know. His uncertainty as to what his best 15 is, his over-loyalty to certain players and his slowness to react sometimes baffles.

There is no truth in the rumour that Micko is being lined up to take over

Duffy will rue some dubious calls
Monday, July 08, 2013

By John Bannon

I would imagine Marty Duffy will be a little disappointed when he reviews on TV some aspects of his performance in Killarney yesterday.

He was spot on with a couple of decisions such as Graham Canty's yellow card for pulling Darran O'Sullivan after Canty had released the ball in the 45th minute and then identifying that Paudie Kissane had throw the ball when he slipped going through on goal.

However, a brilliant tackle by Colm Cooper in the 42nd minute was unfairly punished by Duffy and Kerry's understandable remonstrations saw the free brought in from 20 metres to 13m from which Daniel Goulding pointed the free. Marty will know himself he got that wrong when he looks at it again.

Paul Kerrigan can also count himself unfortunate to have picked up a soft yellow card for fouling Shane Enright in the 13th minute.

At the same time, Damien Cahalane should've been cautioned for a high tackle as should have Darran O'Sullivan in the 15th minute for a similarly deserving foul.

On another note, quite why Goulding kicked over a 45 in the second and final minute of the two provided by Duffy is a mystery. How Cork thought they were going to score again with time having elapsed is beyond me.

For the first time this summer, I wasn't at a match this weekend and, having watched three high quality games, the GAA's marketing line "nothing beats being there" couldn't be more accurate.

Brian Gavin and his sharp team of umpires had an excellent game in Nowlan Park on Saturday night. With the huge build-up to this game, the spotlight was placed very much on the referee but he came out with his reputation enhanced by the whole experience.

He was helped, of course, by two teams who played the game in an excellent spirit as much as it was full of intensity and importance.

Gavin showed early on he was going to give frees for fouls committed and while some might say he was fussy on occasions he was nonetheless consistent throughout the entire game.

He was right to give a foul in a scoreable area against Kieran Joyce on Lar Corbett, something other hurling referees have shied away from doing in recent times.

In the 43rd minute, he penalised Richie Hogan for dropping the hurl, again another correct decision but one that is not seen all that often in the game.

Johnny Ryan's game in Croke Park yesterday was a more open game and he had to call on Hawk-Eye twice during the game.

Ryan gave great advantage to Paul Ryan for Dublin's second goal after he was held by Kevin Hynes.

However, he did add to the confusion of what merits a red card when he only issued David Burke with a yellow card when he retaliated to a Danny Sutcliffe challenge.


[urlhttp://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/duffy-will-rue-some-dubious-calls-236248.html][/url]

[lynchbhoy]

on that cooper tackle.
he certainly won the ball well, but referees have been told to give a free should this be done with the 'far' arm swinging in.
If cooper had dispossessed the guy by using his 'near arm' then he wouldnt have been penalised.
its a bit of a silly rule, and I am not sure when and where it came in, but I have seen this being blown in even the lowest of divisions in the Dublin leagues.


I wonder if Paul Galvin will get a retrospective ban for punching Noel oleary in the face off the ball yesterday?
No doubt that oleary prob 'deserved' it -but the cameras caught Galvin doin it while Canty was tussling for the ball with a kerry player (Walsh?) nearer the camera.

a bit later on, I think Oleary got a yellow for what I thought was landing with hs foot on Galvins head or back (hard to tell) in an act of later retaliation imo.

those two need a camera following them for the entire game. it would make interesting viewing!

anyhow, luckily enough Anthony Tohill was not on the sunday game panel last nigt to highlight this and cause a furore in Kerry!
Still think that given previous precedent, there could be a ban for Galvin in this !

[orangeman]

on that cooper tackle.
he certainly won the ball well, but referees have been told to give a free should this be done with the 'far' arm swinging in.
If cooper had dispossessed the guy by using his 'near arm' then he wouldnt have been penalised.
its a bit of a silly rule, and I am not sure when and where it came in, but I have seen this being blown in even the lowest of divisions in the Dublin leagues.


I wonder if Paul Galvin will get a retrospective ban for punching Noel oleary in the face off the ball yesterday?
No doubt that oleary prob 'deserved' it -but the cameras caught Galvin doin it while Canty was tussling for the ball with a kerry player (Walsh?) nearer the camera.

a bit later on, I think Oleary got a yellow for what I thought was landing with hs foot on Galvins head or back (hard to tell) in an act of later retaliation imo.

those two need a camera following them for the entire game. it would make interesting viewing!

anyhow, luckily enough Anthony Tohill was not on the sunday game panel last nigt to highlight this and cause a furore in Kerry!
Still think that given previous precedent, there could be a ban for Galvin in this !

There won't be a word about it.

[AZOffaly]

Remember the old Sky 'Player Cam'? Imagine having one of those on Galvin and another on O'Leary in a Kerry Cork game? They are like two old Alsations raising their hackles every time they meet.

[Syferus]

To be fair Galvin seems to have one punch knockout power in his fists. Should look to take up the boxing.

[Mac2]

Remember the old Sky 'Player Cam'? Imagine having one of those on Galvin and another on O'Leary in a Kerry Cork game? They are like two old Alsations raising their hackles every time they meet.

What about Cannings ugly sisters remark, hilarious stuff altogether, can't get enough of himself and Carney's wit.

[Zulu]

he certainly won the ball well, but referees have been told to give a free should this be done with the 'far' arm swinging in.

That's not in the rule book so it can't have been a free. Duffy was totally wrong but it's to be expected at this stage.