Connacht Club SFC,IFC and JFC 2014

[moysider]

Who was managing Corofin last year?

Were not Corofin favourites to win the AI months ago? Somebody knew something. What has brought about this huge leap in form? I m not buying it s down to a couple of forwards. Corofin were always solid, dogged and dependable but this is different.

For years Corofin only had one decent scoring forward, Alan O'Donovan, and even he wasn't really an intercounty standard player. They probably have 3 or 4 better forwards than him now. That makes a big difference. Defensively they are not all that different. Ronan Steede has come on leaps and bounds for them in midfield alright. Not sure they are doing anything drastically different to before. Just have more scoring potential.

Not buying that entirely GBB
As well as O Donavan being a very good club forward, Sice and Kieran Comer were county players for years. Steede is transformed as you say and something or somebody has caused his transformation and that of the team in general. Their fitness and athleticism was remarkable. They responded to everything mentally and physically more quickly than Tubber all over the field. That just doesn t happen by accident.
Things need to be kept in perspective as well. For all the quality players Ballintubber have, none of their defenders would be considered inter-county standard. Michael Hall might be in a couple of years. He was missing today. They could also have done with Michael Plunkett in the forwards.

[galwayman]

One area of concern for Corofin going forward imo is they don't have reliable free takers really.
Ian Burke and Gary Sice will score some but miss a lot as well.
They had one 45 early on today as well that was taken by a back and didn't threaten the umpires.
Wonder would it be worth playing O Donovan for his free taking ability?

[GalwayBayBoy]

Who was managing Corofin last year?

Were not Corofin favourites to win the AI months ago? Somebody knew something. What has brought about this huge leap in form? I m not buying it s down to a couple of forwards. Corofin were always solid, dogged and dependable but this is different.

For years Corofin only had one decent scoring forward, Alan O'Donovan, and even he wasn't really an intercounty standard player. They probably have 3 or 4 better forwards than him now. That makes a big difference. Defensively they are not all that different. Ronan Steede has come on leaps and bounds for them in midfield alright. Not sure they are doing anything drastically different to before. Just have more scoring potential.

Not buying that entirely GBB
As well as O Donavan being a very good club forward, Sice and Kieran Comer were county players for years. Steede is transformed as you say and something or somebody has caused his transformation and that of the team in general. Their fitness and athleticism was remarkable. They responded to everything mentally and physically more quickly than Tubber all over the field. That just doesn t happen by accident.
Things need to be kept in perspective as well. For all the quality players Ballintubber have, none of their defenders would be considered inter-county standard. Michael Hall might be in a couple of years. He was missing today. They could also have done with Michael Plunkett in the forwards.

It's possible that they are fitter than before I guess. I think it's difficult to quantify that however with the naked eye. Certainly seem full of running anyway.

[maigheo]

Think you are a bit off there Moysider regarding Michael Hall.He plays with Breaffy.Would rate Michael Plunkett  and I think He could be  a potential county player in a few years

[orangeman]

Apparently the Corofin A v B games are legendary.

[moysider]

One area of concern for Corofin going forward imo is they don't have reliable free takers really.
Ian Burke and Gary Sice will score some but miss a lot as well.
They had one 45 early on today as well that was taken by a back and didn't threaten the umpires.
Wonder would it be worth playing O Donovan for his free taking ability?

Teams left now will have a close look at Corofin. Ballintubber were on the telly a couple of games and some flaws were obvious and I thought Corofin did a job on them today.

I also thought Ballintubber looked wrecked today. Provincial champions will take a few weeks off and train on and be flying for semis.

Anyway best of luck to Corofin going forward.

Ballintubber are a young team and won t be going away. Possibly need a new approach. They will learn a lot from today.

[seafoid]

I am pretty sure Stephen Rochford was the manager last year.He did go for the mayo minor job a few years ago.He had a power point presentation for his interview and was well prepared but did not get the job as I suspect the job was already given out before the interviews.He was told the reason he did not get the job was that he would not be familiar with under age players thro out the county even tho he was doing extensive coaching at the time and was highly regarded as a top class coach.Jeez it would make you weep sometimes with the sh-t that goes on in the county board.

James Horan would agree with you

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/james-horan-on-his-time-at-the-helm-of-mayo-1.2010683

KD: The critical thing, it seems now, is that Mayo do not let the respect in which they are held slip. You did an interview with Michael Gallagher in the Western People and you spoke about the county board and how they responded to the GAA's decision to hold the replay in Limerick: wasn't that about Mayo as an entity not being respected?
JH: Yes. That is a huge thing. I think the team, over the four years, have earned and built a huge respect. They are seen as being, and are, a serious outfit. But Mayo needs to be seen as a serious outfit. Mayo GAA Inc needs to be seen as a serious outfit and I am not sure we are at the moment. I am talking about the team, the county board, the Mayo set-up: the juggernaut itself.
KD: The way Kilkenny hurling is?
JH: The way Kilkenny hurling is. I always go back to Clive Woodward's book when he took over England when rugby was turning professional and it is about what he was trying to do to bring all the blazers with him, the people who didn't know what professionalism was. And it was fascinating to see how he tried to get them all facing the right way. So with Mayo: I think the team has a clear vision of what is needed to work in a high-performance environment. But I am not sure that everything else around it has. That is as nice a way as I can possibly put it. And it is critical. The team needs to relentlessly improve and always will do. Every team does. But when you are up in the top four in the country and we are talking about the width of a post or the bounce of a ball being the difference, the tiny, tiny little things that are around the team can be something that can make that difference. So that awareness and understanding is needed.

[moysider]

Think you are a bit off there Moysider regarding Michael Hall.He plays with Breaffy.Would rate Michael Plunkett  and I think He could be  a potential county player in a few years

f**k! My radar well off there. Apologies. Even if I am a Neanderthal from the north I can t excuse that

[mouview]

Ballintubber and Mayo senior clubs in general have plenty to think about after that.
Huge gulf.

How much is down to Rochford as manager? He was passed over for Mayo minor job a couple of years ago.

All the other clubs in Galway have some thinking to do too. I predicted at the start of the Galway c'ship that Corofin would walk it, as it so happened. Barring accident the AI club winners will be the team that beat them, if any, which I doubt. As already stated, they're better this year tanks to the emergence of a lot more attacking options. Ian Burke was a standout in the most recent U-21 AI win, and would have been on the Galway senior team this year only that he was in the States for a while during summer I think. Lundy stood out for GMIT earlier this year in the Sigerson, particularly v a fancied Maynooth side in a match played in Tuam, a performance that fast-tracked him onto the county team. Daithi Burke and Ronan Steede have stepped up to the plate at midfield and the returning Ciaran McGrath, who missed a year through cruciate injury, has added even more bite and pace to the defence. Two Silkes as yet not the finished deal though and goalie Tom Healy can be caught out.

All in all, the form of their better players gives Kevin Walsh something tangible to work with, but the gulf between the 2 club teams today has been the gulf in reverse between the county teams over the past few years. Mayo might get another year for an unhindered COnnacht run at Sam!

[Maroon Manc]

Is Ian Burke ready to make an impact for Galway? He lacks pace which isn't everything but he's not the biggest physically either. He looks like he could do with putting more muscle on, could be another year before he starts to make a big impact unless some of those who've seen more of him than me disagree?

[GalwayBayBoy]

Is Ian Burke ready to make an impact for Galway? He lacks pace which isn't everything but he's not the biggest physically either. He looks like he could do with putting more muscle on, could be another year before he starts to make a big impact unless some of those who've seen more of him than me disagree?

Possibly. I think he was always going to take a while to transition to senior as even at U-21 level he was a small enough lad. He needs time to put some muscle on his frame. Not blessed with great pace either but players who are as intelligent in their movement and as skillful as he is always have a chance to make it if they apply themselves. I mean Cillian O'Connor is hardly a speedster either for example although physically he's a bit bigger than Burke.

[criostlinn]

I am pretty sure Stephen Rochford was the manager last year.He did go for the mayo minor job a few years ago.He had a power point presentation for his interview and was well prepared but did not get the job as I suspect the job was already given out before the interviews.He was told the reason he did not get the job was that he would not be familiar with under age players thro out the county even tho he was doing extensive coaching at the time and was highly regarded as a top class coach.Jeez it would make you weep sometimes with the sh-t that goes on in the county board.

Powerpoint presentations no less. Where was he goin with a powerpoint presentation. Sure that was only going to bamboozle them bucks.
He went for the Mayo u21 job in 2013. Job given to Tony Duffy because  "neither Rochford nor his selectors possessed sufficient knowledge of the underage talent within the county at this level".

Just take a look at Rochford's involvement with underage development in Mayo to understand what kind of a bullshit excuse this was.
He had Martin Carney and Martin McIntyre on the backroom team and also "an experienced coach from outside the county". Sounds like the package was to much for the county board or maybe they weren't to fond of his vocal support for the football review action plan.

With this in mind, looking at the performances of the Mayo u-21's the last two years would only depress you

[Maroon Manc]

Is Ian Burke ready to make an impact for Galway? He lacks pace which isn't everything but he's not the biggest physically either. He looks like he could do with putting more muscle on, could be another year before he starts to make a big impact unless some of those who've seen more of him than me disagree?

Possibly. I think he was always going to take a while to transition to senior as even at U-21 level he was a small enough lad. He needs time to put some muscle on his frame. Not blessed with great pace either but players who are as intelligent in their movement and as skillful as he is always have a chance to make it if they apply themselves. I mean Cillian O'Connor is hardly a speedster either for example although physically he's a bit bigger than Burke.

O'Connor does have a bigger frame, there's probably not a lot between them age wise either and O'Connor has been playing for Mayo for 4 years. We can all get a bit carried away with players but I hope expectation is too much with him this year, eventually we have a player who will become an important player for the county but likely not for another 18 months.

[macdanger2]

Are John Mitchells any good?? Or would Oilean Aran be expected to win this??

[tiempo]

Are John Mitchells any good?? Or would Oilean Aran be expected to win this??

JM are a formidable team not to be taken lightly, should be a good game tomorrow, 3-4 points either way imo