Dublin

[Zulu]

Implement spending caps at county board level.
We regularly hear it costed X to prepare such and such team last year.
Now there would be ways around it, but if you stuck a cap on what a county could spend on an individual senior team, would that make it any better?
The county boards would love a rule like that.
Making it apply to each individual team would avoid the likes of KK getting a leg up on Cork, Dublin etc. who have to support competitive teams in both codes.
I'll start the ball rolling and say you cannot spend more than €500,000 preparing a team.
Now that's way more than most counties will spend, but you have to start somewhere and that will specifically target the top teams.

But you can't monitor that effectively, which you admit yourself, and why should we be looking at solutions that bring the best back into the pack rather than looking to improve the chasing pack?

The 'other sports' you referred to earlier do it already.

Care to elaborate? I hope you're not referring to salary caps either as that's entirely different but enlighten us on what happens in these sports

[INDIANA]

You can monitor it effectively.
The way around it is all the external funding that bigger counties are able to bring in, that would allow them to bypass the 'transparent' funding pathways.
Your solution Zulu, is no solution.
The money is not there to bring most counties anywhere near to Dublins standard, although it's not purely a question of money.
By your rationale, if one of the Sheikhs decided to hand Kildare a blank cheque every year it would be up to everyone else to find some russian oligarch or chinese tycoon to bankroll them.
It's a race to the bottom and to be honest I find it immoral that counties would spend exorbitant amounts of money preparing one team.
That money could be put to much better use developing and supporting the game within their own county.

How do you expect the GAA to be able to enforce a €500,000 cap for all 32 counties and in both codes? It's impossible.

I'm also not saying we should be spending huge sums of money on IC but I don't see how capping spending so that we all can only invest X amount is a workable solution to anything.

Where should we force counties to cut down their spend - on S&C? On medical care? On travelling expenses? On gear or food for players?

I think the training weekends abroad should be banned personally.Not necessary.

[OgraAnDun]

You can monitor it effectively.
The way around it is all the external funding that bigger counties are able to bring in, that would allow them to bypass the 'transparent' funding pathways.
Your solution Zulu, is no solution.
The money is not there to bring most counties anywhere near to Dublins standard, although it's not purely a question of money.
By your rationale, if one of the Sheikhs decided to hand Kildare a blank cheque every year it would be up to everyone else to find some russian oligarch or chinese tycoon to bankroll them.
It's a race to the bottom and to be honest I find it immoral that counties would spend exorbitant amounts of money preparing one team.
That money could be put to much better use developing and supporting the game within their own county.

How do you expect the GAA to be able to enforce a €500,000 cap for all 32 counties and in both codes? It's impossible.

I'm also not saying we should be spending huge sums of money on IC but I don't see how capping spending so that we all can only invest X amount is a workable solution to anything.

Where should we force counties to cut down their spend - on S&C? On medical care? On travelling expenses? On gear or food for players?

I think the training weekends abroad should be banned personally.Not necessary.

To a certain extent I agree with this, but at the same time it's a nice reward for the players who train hard all year round with little reward.

[Beffs]

I'm having a hard time seeing how a 5 day, warm weather training camp in the middle of April is going to benefit you massively in August or September. I understand the sports science behind them, but there is such a big gap between when these training camps take place and the champo really gets going, can they really be of that much use, in the heat of championship? I think it's interesting that the Dubs don't go on them.

[Syferus]

I'm having a hard time seeing how a 5 day, warm weather training camp in the middle of April is going to benefit you massively in August or September. I understand the sports science behind them, but there is such a big gap between when these training camps take place and the champo really gets going, can they really be of that much use, in the heat of championship? I think it's interesting that the Dubs don't go on them.

Dublin's riches are of far more interest to everyone else. Distraction tactics by Indiana, as usual.

[Beffs]

I'm having a hard time seeing how a 5 day, warm weather training camp in the middle of April is going to benefit you massively in August or September. I understand the sports science behind them, but there is such a big gap between when these training camps take place and the champo really gets going, can they really be of that much use, in the heat of championship? I think it's interesting that the Dubs don't go on them.

Dublin's riches are of far more interest to everyone else. Distraction tactics by Indiana, as usual.

What that has to do with my post, I have no idea.

[Syferus]

Read your last line. Thanks.

[Beffs]

Yeah, the Dubs don't go on them. Which backs up the point that they are of limited value/over rated. What does that have to do with anyone else's posts?

[OgraAnDun]

I'm having a hard time seeing how a 5 day, warm weather training camp in the middle of April is going to benefit you massively in August or September. I understand the sports science behind them, but there is such a big gap between when these training camps take place and the champo really gets going, can they really be of that much use, in the heat of championship? I think it's interesting that the Dubs don't go on them.

I think the primary benefit of them would be the team bonding aspect that comes with it.

[Beffs]

Yeah, that worked out real well for the Cork footballers, didn't it? 

You can do plenty of team bonding at Carton House or Fota. Or at any number of other venues around the country. You don't need to get on a plane and fly to Portugal to do that.

[OgraAnDun]

Yeah, that worked out real well for the Cork footballers, didn't it? 

You can do plenty of team bonding at Carton House or Fota. Or at any number of other venues around the country. You don't need to get on a plane and fly to Portugal to do that.

I said that was the benefit to the teams from a training/tactical point of view. As I said in a different post, I wouldn't begrudge IC players a week away after all that they put into the game. Is going abroad that much more expensive than Carlton House? Honest question, is the place not meant to cost a fortune? Besides, anyone can turn up and watch what you're doing.

[DuffleKing]

Yeah, that worked out real well for the Cork footballers, didn't it? 

You can do plenty of team bonding at Carton House or Fota. Or at any number of other venues around the country. You don't need to get on a plane and fly to Portugal to do that.

I said that was the benefit to the teams from a training/tactical point of view. As I said in a different post, I wouldn't begrudge IC players a week away after all that they put into the game. Is going abroad that much more expensive than Carlton House? Honest question, is the place not meant to cost a fortune? Besides, anyone can turn up and watch what you're doing.

It'd be cheaper to go to portugal or similar, flights, accommodation and better weather included than either of the venues you cite.

[Jinxy]

You can monitor it effectively.
The way around it is all the external funding that bigger counties are able to bring in, that would allow them to bypass the 'transparent' funding pathways.
Your solution Zulu, is no solution.
The money is not there to bring most counties anywhere near to Dublins standard, although it's not purely a question of money.
By your rationale, if one of the Sheikhs decided to hand Kildare a blank cheque every year it would be up to everyone else to find some russian oligarch or chinese tycoon to bankroll them.
It's a race to the bottom and to be honest I find it immoral that counties would spend exorbitant amounts of money preparing one team.
That money could be put to much better use developing and supporting the game within their own county.

How do you expect the GAA to be able to enforce a €500,000 cap for all 32 counties and in both codes? It's impossible.

I'm also not saying we should be spending huge sums of money on IC but I don't see how capping spending so that we all can only invest X amount is a workable solution to anything.

Where should we force counties to cut down their spend - on S&C? On medical care? On travelling expenses? On gear or food for players?

The quickest and easiest way to reduce spending is to have fewer training sessions.
Everyone agrees the ratio of training sessions to games is ridiculous anyway.

[Croí na hÉireann]

Dublin minor hurlers knocked Kilkenny out of the championship yesterday. Kilkenny really need to get their act together.

Ran in to the father in law this morning.
Dublin beat the minors he said, exasperatedly.
The footballers or hurlers I asked.
Great start to the week.

[The Aristocrat]

21 pages of slander, jealousy and self pity.!

Cap the money all you want, Dublin teams with their natural footballing ability will be dominating for the foreseeable future, so get use to it unless you go and join the set up in your own counties and get your own counties in order.

Kerry have one of the biggest companies in the world sponsoring them and get anything they want. for example GPS trackers for their U-16 Girls team.