NFL Division 1

[thewobbler]

Tonto1888 you're right, Kieran did give a generally fair review of the match over the course of the interview.

But focusing for so long on one decision by the referee doesn't sit right with me.

Armagh were absolutely brilliant to watch last night. They really were. But the result wasn't taken from them by a refereeing decision. The truth is that Galway made more out of less, and the more that Armagh earned was decimated by individual errors from their players, more than on a par with anything the referee did.

That's where the game was lost. It happens. Don't make it about the referee.

[Wildweasel74]

Strength in Depth at Kerry looks ok to me, 1/3rd of the team from the final out and Donegal only beat them by 4 away from home.

[Smokin Joe]

Lads, that McElory incident is straight forward - once you kno whether he was beyond the 65m line or not.

If he was beyond the 65m line then the ref got it right and it is a 20m / 2 point free.  If he didn't go beyond the 65m line then the ref was wrong it was as simple as that.
As David McKeown has said, the ONLY time a breach is a free on the half way line is when you cause the breach by virtue of contesting for the ball and cross halfay.

Surely if he deliberately goes beyond the half way line the infraction is committed. The 4m only comes into it if he's not intentionally crossed the half way line.

If you are not interfering with play or getting an advantage then the refs seem to allow you to be 4m over halfway.  I haven't seen that situation blown for a breach since they gave the 4m leeway.

[Armagh18]

Lads, that McElory incident is straight forward - once you kno whether he was beyond the 65m line or not.

If he was beyond the 65m line then the ref got it right and it is a 20m / 2 point free.  If he didn't go beyond the 65m line then the ref was wrong it was as simple as that.
As David McKeown has said, the ONLY time a breach is a free on the half way line is when you cause the breach by virtue of contesting for the ball and cross halfay.

Awk your hole. Why give a free at all if hes not interrupting  play which he obviously isn't

[David McKeown]

Lads, that McElory incident is straight forward - once you kno whether he was beyond the 65m line or not.

If he was beyond the 65m line then the ref got it right and it is a 20m / 2 point free.  If he didn't go beyond the 65m line then the ref was wrong it was as simple as that.
As David McKeown has said, the ONLY time a breach is a free on the half way line is when you cause the breach by virtue of contesting for the ball and cross halfay.

Surely if he deliberately goes beyond the half way line the infraction is committed. The 4m only comes into it if he's not intentionally crossed the half way line.

If you are not interfering with play or getting an advantage then the refs seem to allow you to be 4m over halfway.  I haven't seen that situation blown for a breach since they gave the 4m leeway.

I've seen it gone both ways but the rule seems pretty clear. That's what needs to change and until it does referees shouldn't be criticised for enforcing it properly.

[David McKeown]

Lads, that McElory incident is straight forward - once you kno whether he was beyond the 65m line or not.

If he was beyond the 65m line then the ref got it right and it is a 20m / 2 point free.  If he didn't go beyond the 65m line then the ref was wrong it was as simple as that.
As David McKeown has said, the ONLY time a breach is a free on the half way line is when you cause the breach by virtue of contesting for the ball and cross halfay.

Awk your hole. Why give a free at all if hes not interrupting  play which he obviously isn't

Because that's what the rule says?  I'm all for changing the rule but until that's done referees should probably enforce it as written to try and get some consistency.

[J70]

Strength in Depth at Kerry looks ok to me, 1/3rd of the team from the final out and Donegal only beat them by 4 away from home.

I thought the same. And did they not win the AI with a couple of what we thought were vital players missing? No one was talking about Joe O'Connor this time last year. Some of their men who scored today were subs in the final who didn't even get on that day.

We, on the other hand, had nine of our AI starters out and three more came on as sub, albeit Murphy and Gallen fairly late. I expect if we get another win, McGuinness will be giving a good bit of playing time to some of the new lads who impressed in the McKenna Cup.

[blanketattack]

How things stand after two rounds.

Early days yet but Mayo looking well placed to win another Division 1 title though can current form be brought into the championship?

Interesting that Jack O'Connor chose not to play David Clifford today, mind games before they meet again this summer?  Sean O'Shea basically kept Kerry in the game today,last week v Roscommon and indeed last year against Meath shows their strength in depth is no where near as strong it should be for defending All-Ireland champion.

Monaghan in a really sticky patch now but in the past they have been a team to make a great escape.

Strange comment.
Kerry down the 2 Cliffords, 6 Dingle players, 2 Rathmore players, Gaeltacht players, G O'Sullivan, G White, D O'Connor, and Sean O'Brien and Mike Breen came off injured at HT. That's down 16 players, 5 of whom won All-Stars in 2025 including the POTY and 3 players with previous years All-Stars and still put it up to a close to full strength Donegal team, at home, hell bent on revenge.

I think most people would consider that evidence of strength in depth.

[moonster]

How things stand after two rounds.

Early days yet but Mayo looking well placed to win another Division 1 title though can current form be brought into the championship?

Interesting that Jack O'Connor chose not to play David Clifford today, mind games before they meet again this summer?  Sean O'Shea basically kept Kerry in the game today,last week v Roscommon and indeed last year against Meath shows their strength in depth is no where near as strong it should be for defending All-Ireland champion.

Monaghan in a really sticky patch now but in the past they have been a team to make a great escape.

Strange comment.
Kerry down the 2 Cliffords, 6 Dingle players, 2 Rathmore players, Gaeltacht players, G O'Sullivan, G White, D O'Connor, and Sean O'Brien and Mike Breen came off injured at HT. That's down 16 players, 5 of whom won All-Stars in 2025 including the POTY and 3 players with previous years All-Stars and still put it up to a close to full strength Donegal team, at home, hell bent on revenge.

I think most people would consider that evidence of strength in depth.

How things stand after two rounds.

Early days yet but Mayo looking well placed to win another Division 1 title though can current form be brought into the championship?

Interesting that Jack O'Connor chose not to play David Clifford today, mind games before they meet again this summer?  Sean O'Shea basically kept Kerry in the game today,last week v Roscommon and indeed last year against Meath shows their strength in depth is no where near as strong it should be for defending All-Ireland champion.

Monaghan in a really sticky patch now but in the past they have been a team to make a great escape.

Strange comment.
Kerry down the 2 Cliffords, 6 Dingle players, 2 Rathmore players, Gaeltacht players, G O'Sullivan, G White, D O'Connor, and Sean O'Brien and Mike Breen came off injured at HT. That's down 16 players, 5 of whom won All-Stars in 2025 including the POTY and 3 players with previous years All-Stars and still put it up to a close to full strength Donegal team, at home, hell bent on revenge.

I think most people would consider that evidence of strength in depth.

You left out Brendan Cawlwey 

[moonster]

Good win for Donegal against kerry B. The reality is Mayo and Donegal back training early, will be to sustain to July whick kerry will have taken out the footballs.

Kerry season will be peaking for All Ireland QF.  With missing players KErry will likey win next 3/4 All Irelands will lack of quality opposition.

[AustinPowers]

Keeper got a touch on that 2 pointer no?

I thought that touch over  thing was scrapped?

[AustinPowers]

Not obessessed but Square ball never called anymore,there been a few goals last yr were def square balls

Monaghan's  goal was a Square ball

[AustinPowers]

It is of course difficult not to get angry with refereeing decisions in tight games.

But when your keeper has fluffed two goals, and your forwards kicked a dozen shots wide/short that we'd expect under-16 forwards to convert, making a big deal out of a single refereeing  decision is just daft.

The referee did not cost Armagh the game. Just repeat it a few times Geezer. Then regroup.

Refs need called out more on basic errors for sure. But it didn't cost us the game, had it in our own hands and made a balls of it.

Do they?

I'd suggest this. If a manager wants to to hang a referee for one decision, then he first has to hang any players of his who made a bad decision during the game.

Call out by all means. But don't hide behind your own facts.

Fair is fair.

Not sure McGeeney was calling out the referee more than he would his players - although maybe not in public! He did complain though that there was no proper format to discuss issues with referees.

It was 4th official who called breach and McGeeney did call him out because he knew exactly the reason for it. ( Sitting in the stand I called out rule error at time)

Aside from yesterday it is important that this is cleared up. It looked like McElroy had a head injury from an earlier foul - I feel referee got call wrong there too. If it was a more serious head injury players could be reluctant to call for help if rules forbid it. That could effect any team.

And before anyone suggests the Armagh medical team should have caught it earlier I'm not sure it is that easy. Besides I don't think even McGeeney is brave enough to call out the Armagh physio. 

Should McElroy have  went down holding his head instead of going to the line?  Maybe the ref would have stopped play for a head injury (even though it wasn't a  head injury)

[tonto1888]

Tonto1888 you're right, Kieran did give a generally fair review of the match over the course of the interview.

But focusing for so long on one decision by the referee doesn't sit right with me.

Armagh were absolutely brilliant to watch last night. They really were. But the result wasn't taken from them by a refereeing decision. The truth is that Galway made more out of less, and the more that Armagh earned was decimated by individual errors from their players, more than on a par with anything the referee did.

That's where the game was lost. It happens. Don't make it about the referee.

I agree with ye though I do think he was responding to a question. Even with the breech given, we should have dealt with the ball in. We do that and theres no issue. Dont think any Armagh person is blaming the ref. We were the masters of our own downfall on Saturday evening

[marty34]

Just wondering are there teams who are more prone to forget to leave 3 up or is it just random?

Haven't been to any NFL games yet but club teams last year were very disclipined, for the most part.

You'd think senior inter-county teams would be sharp on their communication.