Stephen O'Neill retirement official

[parttimeexile]

A fantastic player who was virtually unmarkable on his day. he possessed power and pace in abundance and combined with his accuracy off both feet he was arguable the most potet forward in the country in the last 5 years.

However,  i'm unable to credit his virtues without mention of the dirty streak which lurked below his undoubted talent. I'm sure John toal has a little less pain in every step this morning.

Are you actually being serious. There was an accidental clash. No player would deliberatley go out to injure someone and especially an injury of the magnitude of John Toals. I would think if you asked John Toal himself he would tell you he would not have thought it was deliberate. Do you think whoever injured Brian Mc Guigans eye did it deliberately? Accidents happen so get over it.

[full back]

A change of management will see him return no doubt.

How so ss?

[full back]

There was an accidental clash. No player would deliberatley go out to injure someone

Bullsh1t

[supersarsfields]

So do you think SON deliberately meant to hurt Toal FB?

[orangeman]

Yep absolute bullshit - a gentleman on and off the field.

[Uladh]

I would think if you asked John Toal himself he would tell you he would not have thought it was deliberate.

are you for real? that was a very deliberate foul. and i can assure you that john toal wold tell you nothing of the sort.

accidents happen in this game and fellas get hurt all the time and i'd doubt if o'neill intended ending anyones career. fact is he went late and hard and ended toal's career. i find it difficult reading the virtuous eulogies of his talent without menioning his flaws. and, in case ther is any confusion, i couldn't care less about anyone else's perceptions of what is in or out of order.

[mackers]

We've been over this before, nobody is suggesting that Stephen O'Neill intended to end John Toal's career, but what he did do was deliberately come in late with the intention of hurting him. Parttimeexile, I think if you spoke to John Toal that would be his feeling on the matter. It was NOT an accidental clash and I know for a FACT that John Toal doesn't think so.

[red hander]

'Tyrone's NFL disciplinary record might be a bit better this year.
Didn't he get 3 red cards in one campaign?'

Well, as someone who was at all the games he was sent off in, I don't think the problem with Stevie was that he was a dirty player ... far from it.  The problem with Stevie was that he just wasn't a very good tackler ...

What he got sent off for was on the clumsy side rather than the dirty side ... I've seen far worse on a football pitch go unpunished than what Stevie got red-carded for, particularly from your heroes in the championship game at Omagh in 2006

[orangeman]

This thread isn't about SON and John Toal - it's about his retirement -

[full back]

So do you think SON deliberately meant to hurt Toal FB?

Read my post again sarsfields
I was replying to part time saying no player would go out to injure someone
Am not going to comment on the ONeill/Toal incident

[bennydorano]

I always thought he was a very inconsistent player prior to the 2003-05 period, 2005 was his year and he was on another level, those standards could never be repeated.  Don't hink he was dirty myself, but there are plenty who have reservations especially regarding the Toal incident.  

If Harte is his problem, he could be back sooner rather than later as I doubt very much if Tyrone are capable recapturing their recent glory years.  New name on the Anglo-Celt this year as well I reckon.

[supersarsfields]

We'll we'll agree to disagree on that then Mackers because I def don't believe SON tried to hurt Toal that. To me he was a great player who was exceptional at taking scores. Granted he was an untidy tackler but I would not agree he was malicious

[supersarsfields]

That what I was trying to get clear FB. I wasn't sure if you were talking about the SON Toal incident or just Part Times comment in general.

[thejuice]

Pity to see a good player dropping out at 27. He did struggel with injury but Mickey H reckons that had little to do with it. Pity though. He could have had 7 more years in him if his legs held up, much like another well known Tyrone forward.

I reckon after a break and some good form at club level he'll be back in the white and red.

[orangeman]

What's the chances of him being back for the championship ?