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https://m.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/gpa-survey-majority-of-male-inter-county-players-in-favour-of-manager-payments-but-split-over-amateur-status/a1001500669.html?errorCode=0

GPA in the papers again.

An unseeded provincial championship makes a mockery of the all Ireland group stages if it means weak provincial are routinely coming through and getting slaughtered in all three games. Tom Parsons and the GPA should stay out of it.

Again on the preseason competitions, which should have been played last year to roll in the rule changes. Instead teams probably played the same number of challenges games but that's no problem for the GPA. It seems to be about getting headlines and creating the sense that the GPA (not players) has a veto on everything - they should be wound up.

Does anyone else find the criticism of Jim McGuinness and his strategy a bit OTT after the final. In particular from Spillane and Parkinson. It's not like it's a completely broken system of play.

They got to a final in convincing fashion. They won Ulster. Granted it's not flawless but no system is perfect, had Kerry an off day in terms of shooting 2 pointers we'd be having a different conversation.

A bit of tweaking and loosening up might be all it needs for them to get over the line.

Leaving Paudie Clifford free was ridiculous.

Agree but there's an element of building him up as the messiah only to knock him off his perch. Typical media crap

In terms of the rules suiting Kerry - is that surprising? the FRC based the rules in large part on that survey that almost 10,000 players, coaches, manager and GAA folk answered.

They released the report of what people said they wanted to see under the new rules.

The top five skills that people like are kicking, catching, scoring of long-range points, goal scoring and general creative play.
• The top three tactical skills were: 1 v 1 contests to gain possession of the ball; taking on an opponent in a 1 v 1 situation; and good support play during speedy attacking transitions.
• There was a strong dislike from people regarding dissent towards match officials and cynical/delaying tactics.
• In general, people want to see:
- A game where skill and risk taking are rewarded.
- A game which encourages forward momentum.
- A game of contests.

Full report is at the link

There's also a raft of data indicating that the people who responded to the various FRC surverys

Folk going as if the new rules are only popular because of some sort of GAA media conspiracy really need to give their heads a wobble. 

https://www.gaa.ie/api/images/image/upload/prd/kiulqmb3ytauroc5prmi.pdf

Also in terms of it being some conspiracy against Northern teams the makeup of the committee

PETER CANAVAN - Errigal Ciaran GAA, County Tyrone
COLM COLLINS - Cratloe GAA, County Clare
MAURICE DEEGAN - Stradbally GAA, County Laois
PATRICK DOHERTY - The Downs GAA, County Westmeath
ÉAMONN FITZMAURICE - Finuge GAA, County Kerry
SHANE FLANAGAN - Johnstownbridge GAA, County Kildare
JIM GAVIN - Round Towers GAA, Clondalkin, County Dublin
JAMES HORAN - Ballintubber GAA, County Mayo
ALEC McQUILLAN - Con Magees Glenravel GAC, County Antrim
MICHAEL MEANEY - Old Leighlin GAA, County Carlow
COLM NALLY - Newtown Blues GAA, County Louth
SÉAMUS KENNY (Runaí) – Simonstown Gaels GFC, County Meath

Plus Jim Gavin as chairperson

Michael Murphy and Malachy O'Rourke were there for a bit as well.

If this was some Kerry grand plan against the North, Eamonn Fitzmaurice must be one hell of a slick-tongued operator.

Not surprising at all that the rules would suit Kerry - in fact it was predicted.

Look anyone going down the route of it being a conspiracy against Northern teams, they're wide of the mark IMO.

But it took rule changes for Kerry and Clifford to get back to this level. Is anyone disputing that? Does anyone believe that Kerry were on their way to becoming champions in 2025 regardless?

I mean it took extra-time for Armagh to beat them in the semi-final last year, they lost the final in 2023 by 2 points and they won it in 2022, so there's a strong chance they could have won it this year under the old rules as well so anyone saying they definitely wouldn't have won it under the old rules would have difficulty making all that strong a case. Any rules changes that favoured attacking football were always going to favour a side who had the strongest attack.

This is spot on.

There is an eejit on this board who has described their win as almost fraudulent as they claim it required new rules to manufacture the Kerry win. Apparently, this is a northern viewpoint, although that may be a generalisation.

Is it possible we have malevolent bots trying to sow division and disinformation in the GAA board because these couldn't be  the views of actual people, could they???

 

Yesterday's game was the all Ireland final and worth a thread of its own. Instead we are talking about the rules - Again. Same as in previous years. Only difference was that in the past it was the media boring us about the need for change and now it's a bundle of anoraks* and conspiracy theorists who think the rules were changed to give Clifford the chance to score at will. Could we please give it a rest before Martin Breheny lands in with a post about the curse of hand-passing.

*Sorry for the generalisation and exaggeration - not all headers - have to acknowledge some sensible posters on here have genuine issues with the new rules

What if Kerry end  up winning 5 or 6  in a. Row?

Will they look at the rules again?

These new rules could end up being the Dublin financial doping of  its day.

How is that true?  No team has the financial pulling power of Dublin.  Are you saying Kerry is the only team with the capacity to capitalise on the new rules?

Some nonsense talked here. Lads embarrassing themselves. Same rules for everyone. Kerry deserved champions. Simple.

You can debate the merits of tight games versus free scoring shootouts. But for all the talk Kerry couldn't have won without primary possession send they won the midfield battle three games in-a-row.  Kickouts, Midfield and breaking ball was restored as a battleground and it is a new front upon which games can be won and lost, enhancing the competitive spectacle. To me that is the big win from the new rules and Kerry unexpectedly capitalised on it

There's some amount of knee jerk stuff going on here.

IMHO this season  has flattered Kerry rather than them being a particularly strong team. Whatever is in their DNA, Kerry teams are always more adaptable. Their ability to win breaking ball, and to man mark, is what set them apart, much more so than even having the Clifford's. Despite all their moaning about injuries, they arrived into the key weeks of the season with all their key players in top gear. Similar to 2009, the gap in quality after their first 15-17 players to their bench is huge, and (like 2010) they will be pulled quickly into the pack if 2-3-4 players have setbacks.

Similarly, Donegal are much closer than suggested above. They'd a tactical horror show yesterday, endured a couple of key early injuries, and fell into the trap of unloading pre-ordained substitutions rather than reading the room. Murphy coming back for them this season was huge, he clearly gave them a lift and a spark, but I would harbour a guess that like Mayo, they might just be a better unit without their big talisman.

Donegal possibly haven't been great since the Ulster Final. We don't know for sure because they had two handy games in the SF and QF. They definitely weren't at it in the group stages.

I thought they played better football last year with no Murphy. Everything had to go through him this year for some reason and Gallen was quieter, possibly as a result. Why play him for the entire game, every game, when you have such a long season.

Unbelievable how McGuinness got Donegal back to the top table from where they had got to in 2023. He is like cult leader in the way in which he seems to inspire players to devote to the cause.  But that can be a double-edged sword and Kerry made both team and management look very ordinary yesterday. If he walks then Donegal could have bother. If he stays and the team falls back next year, then the magic will be gone, if it isn't already. Their failure to deal with Paudie Clifford is purely on the management.

Kerry timed their run to perfection and they took out the three top Ulster teams on their way, including two recent all-Ireland champions. This must be O'Connor's sweetest win, given where they had come from, who they beat and the criticism they took at home.

From having no midfield a month ago, this all-Ireland was based on controlling the space between the two 50s in the last three games.

Clifford is a joy to watch. I think in the first ten minutes he touched the ball four times and scored two 2-pointers and won a 2-point free. His total time on the ball couldn't have been more than 5 seconds during this period - it was an immediate shot each time. Literally unmarkable.

He spent so much of the game drifting into the corner followed by McCole and leaving the space behind him. The impact he has when he hasn't the ball is huge as he is such a distraction.

Why is the parade a big deal?

I could have sworn I've seen numerous teams break early before, including Donegal in other games this year, unless I'm imagining things.

Armagh broke it last year, IIRC, to treat Blaine Hughes' injury. They got booed.

Can't take anything away from Kerry and that was no handy all-Ireland.  From the QFs on they beat the three Ulster teams comprehensively!

I don't know if they're taking drugs or not, how the hell would I know. I said it's remarkable what they do juiced or not. Where did i say I believe they're on drugs or I thought they were on drugs?
Relax yourself...

No harm meant ID
It's the "juiced or not" bit that grinds my gears. Feels bit like accepting that the deception is ok.

Juiced up or not it's still remarkable what they do and until you actually go out to them climbs and try them yourself it's only then you get the magnitude of them. POG is really something else and Jonas would be winning more only he's in the wrong era but it is what it is.

Are you serious? If that's what you think you would be better to watch the Enhanced Games.

If some or all of them are on PEDs then what you are watching isn't real. If it isn't solely about talent, preparation and commitment, then what is it about?  It's not a level playing field if success is in-part determined by who is taking PEDs, who has got the best PEDs and who can stay ahead of the testing regime.

PEDs have been an issue in cycling going way back to the 60s. Paul Kimmage has done a tremendous job by not backing off and challenging the bullshit. I would personally question whether one of the biggest issues with cycling is that the grand tours are simply too hard.

Derry's management merry go round has been a circus and this hard on Tally. But I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and ponder whether they have lined up Conleth Gilligan?

[Games shouldn't be won and lost just on kickouts. The FRC needs to fix this.]

To be fair to Armagh, they lost because they couldn't win their own kickout.  2024 rules they would not have gotten blitzed the way they did.  Didn't someone suggest a while back that the rule changes were tailor made for Kerry?  I know that's sour grapes but I had to write it.

I've been struggling with the kickout rules for over 5 months(since Kerry scored two goals off Derry kickouts at the end of their league game).  The team being scored on shouldn't be penalized the way the new rules punish them.  I've seen too many games in which one team goes on a 5-10 minute scoring spree because the opponent can't get any possession.

Yes I know each ball is 50/50, however if anyone has been keeping count I bet that the team winning its kickout immediately get a scoring opportunity maybe 10% of the time, or much less.  Whereas when a team loses it's kickout it seems to be under immediate threat at least 50% of the time.

Games shouldn't be won and lost just on kickouts.  The FRC needs to fix this.

This is nonsense

Disappointed with the performance yesterday but have to be impressed by Kerry and their intensity in the middle third. I did think Armagh would have been stronger in the middle eight and that it would have went down to the wire, but it wasn't to be.

I said previously on here that I feared we would get a trimming at some point if we didn't win enough possession in the middle as every time we don't have the ball, it is almost a guaranteed score/shot for the opposition. That was evident against Tyrone, Donegal, Derry, Dublin and Galway.

That might just be the new rules in action, but we have a very questionable defensive platform and we get fewer turnovers, compared to Donegal who seem that bit tighter at the back.

The key for Armagh yesterday was to win the midfield battle and we lost it spectacularly. This was a combination of a lack of work rate in midfield and some poor kickouts, but it certainly wasn't all on Rafferty as some would suggest.

Kerry had their tactics spot on and they closed out Grugan just as Donegal did. They also kept McQuillan quiet and as Kerry rose to the occasion our guys were found wanting.

I read somewhere that outside of Dublin and Kerry, no team has done back to back finals since Armagh in 03 and none has won back to back Sams since Cork in 1989/90.

So on that basis, Armagh have performed admirably as champions and these players and management owe the county nothing.

It looks like this is could be end of the road for some of this team (it was that kind of defeat) and we could be in for a dry spell because of how much we depend on lads like Murnin, Grugan & Campbell (if any of them decide to call it a day).

Galway's defeat has the same kind of feeling to it and they may be in a similar position after yesterday. That should be a reminder to Armagh followers to be very grateful that their team got over the line in the big one last year because both teams might be going into transitional period.

You now have teams coming like Tyrone, Down & Meath and no doubt Dublin will be back. Getting back to those heights will not be a simple exercise for Armagh.

If it is to be a transitional period I would certainly trust McGeeney with that job of by leading Armagh into it. Winning the All Ireland after 10 years in charge (something that must be a record and is rarely commented on) demonstrates that very well.