Connacht Senior Football Championship 2021

[Rudi]

No complaints about the result,  a degree of inevitability about it from a long way off. Negative tactics taking 15 back behind the ball, the likes of Diarmuid looked leg weary taking on shots he would normally get. Despite the current group been together for quite sometime we still can't defend individually or  collectively. Today Enda, Stack, Mullolly & C Daly can be happy with their performances. The free taker for Galway looks like a great find, Galway will be well able for Mayo. Judging them on a hard wet pitch would be dumb. They showed more positivity than ourselves & deserved their result.

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/kevin-mcstay-i-was-surprised-by-roscommon-s-defensive-set-up-1.4612125

Roscommon have had two championship games in two years and lost both. What does that do for the best group the county has produced since 1990? There is no new wave coming up behind them because the underage development has not been at a level to allow for that.
So it becomes a predictable shuffle. A team goes forward for a few years and then slips back dramatically.
I don't see things changing when the pandemic has passed because by then morale will be shot. Roscommon made a huge effort to make it to that next level but they are back at square one now.
I am not sure that crowds will come back in the numbers we take for granted. Why go to watch Leitrim or Sligo or Roscommon get pulverized by Galway and Mayo over the next few years? These teams and counties are lost: they are out of solutions.
If the GAA doesn't step in then we will have two or three counties dominating and the vast majority in retreat. Many counties will look at the cost of participation in terms of finance and time and figure it is not worth it.
The top teams are like a runaway train. Galway and maybe one or two others might catch it. But don't pretend that makes an All-Ireland championship.

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/kevin-mcstay-i-was-surprised-by-roscommon-s-defensive-set-up-1.4612125

Appearing in the last four regularly and bossing your province. That was the ambition I had for us in Roscommon. There are so many counties like Roscommon. I met them regularly in Division 2 and the lower tiers of Division 1. It was a discussion we often had. Can we become consistent enough to get to the next level? And we couldn't do that.
The best we could do was win a Connacht title and then get a draw with Mayo in an All-Ireland quarter final. Now, Roscommon have not played in an All-Ireland semi-final in 30 years. 1991. It is a long time ago. And they haven't got a result in Croke Park in 40 years.
Monaghan have been the most consistent of the middle-tier group. Yet they have made it to just one All-Ireland semi-final. It is a poor return from the collective.
So there is a clear gap that all these teams are trying to bridge. Right now, Galway look best placed, with Armagh also looking very promising. But it is not happening for most counties and there is little sign of it happening.
I feel this is the biggest challenge facing the GAA. If they could fix this and get those 10 or 11 teams competing properly then we would have a full hearted, unpredictable All-Ireland football championship, with 16 teams capable of competing with one another and producing shock results.
This is a deep rooted issue and it is really sucking the life out of squads throughout the land. Management, players, supporters and the county boards are finding it increasingly hard to even touch that dream - summer days in Croke Park, giddiness in the county, flags out. Those are becoming rare sights - everywhere.
Galway have grabbed hold of this possibility and I think their potential is predicated on the five young lads that Galway brought through.

In 2017 Roscommon won the Under-17 Connacht final against their team. Three years later they were annihilated in the Under-20 final. And Galway got those five central players - the Kelly brothers, Tierney, Sean Mulkerrin and Dylan McHugh from that group. Roscommon had zero players on the match day 26 on Sunday.

[Cunny Funt]

In 2017 Roscommon won the Under-17 Connacht final against their team. Three years later they were annihilated in the Under-20 final. And Galway got those five central players - the Kelly brothers, Tierney, Sean Mulkerrin and Dylan McHugh from that group. Roscommon had zero players on the match day 26 on Sunday.

His research is poor there. Sean Kelly, Mulkerrin, Dylan McHugh was not on the Galway u20 team last year they are all older than that.

Matthew Tierney was on the Galway U17 team in 2017 none of the rest was.

[Rossfan]

2 cliches spring to mind.
Paper never refused ink and
Don't let the facts get in the way

[Maroon Manc]

Very very poor stuff from McStay (Finnerty & O'Laoi are younger then McHugh & Sean Kelly) although its bizare that Roscommon a county with a smaller playing population then most don't have a player from their u17 side that reached the AI final that year. Any on the bench?

Galway only had 4 starters from the 2019 Connacht final that started last Sunday, that's one hell of a change.

Galway didn't do as well under their own longer kickouts as I'd have expected although reckon they won more then they lost overall. Sean Kelly excellent as usual, Molloy showing signs that he looks comfortable at this level and a very good 2nd half form McHugh after an average 1st half. Good to get a result without Conroy, Walsh & Comer contributing heavily. Tierney & Paul Kelly both look more than comfortable at this level. I doubt Paul Kelly will be allowed to play for the u20's against Mayo next week, wonder will Culhane be allowed? Forgot about Cathal Sweeney too. They'd be huge losses to the team.

Galway going to have to play a lot better to beat Mayo, can't afford to defend like they did in that first half which was pathetic stuff; Defending in the 2nd half a lot better. Its a shame that it doesn't look like John Daly will play any part, his recovery from this injury is taking a long time.

[Blowitupref]

Very very poor stuff from McStay (Finnerty & O'Laoi are younger then McHugh & Sean Kelly) although its bizare that Roscommon a county with a smaller playing population then most don't have a player from their u17 side that reached the AI final that year. Any on the bench?

Galway only had 4 starters from the 2019 Connacht final that started last Sunday, that's one hell of a change.

Galway didn't do as well under their own longer kickouts as I'd have expected although reckon they won more then they lost overall. Sean Kelly excellent as usual, Molloy showing signs that he looks comfortable at this level and a very good 2nd half form McHugh after an average 1st half. Good to get a result without Conroy, Walsh & Comer contributing heavily. Tierney & Paul Kelly both look more than comfortable at this level. I doubt Paul Kelly will be allowed to play for the u20's against Mayo next week, wonder will Culhane be allowed? Forgot about Cathal Sweeney too. They'd be huge losses to the team.

Galway going to have to play a lot better to beat Mayo, can't afford to defend like they did in that first half which was pathetic stuff; Defending in the 2nd half a lot better. Its a shame that it doesn't look like John Daly will play any part, his recovery from this injury is taking a long time.

Injuries, retirements and players opting out has played its part there.

[seafoid]

2 cliches spring to mind.
Paper never refused ink and
Don't let the facts get in the way

That's typical. Focus on a mistake.The argument in the article is bang on
Football is a mess

[Rossfan]

We had years of if gurus in the media ochóning "Fixtures are a n
mess" but not 1 offering any possible solution.
Now that that's been put to bed it's Football (inter Co) is a mess but again not a solution offered.

[galwayman]

In 2017 Roscommon won the Under-17 Connacht final against their team. Three years later they were annihilated in the Under-20 final. And Galway got those five central players - the Kelly brothers, Tierney, Sean Mulkerrin and Dylan McHugh from that group. Roscommon had zero players on the match day 26 on Sunday.

His research is poor there. Sean Kelly, Mulkerrin, Dylan McHugh was not on the Galway u20 team last year they are all older than that.

Matthew Tierney was on the Galway U17 team in 2017 none of the rest was.

Was just going to post the same. A bit of basic research would have told him that. Sean Kelly is 4 years older than Paul ffs.

[galwayman]

Very very poor stuff from McStay (Finnerty & O'Laoi are younger then McHugh & Sean Kelly) although its bizare that Roscommon a county with a smaller playing population then most don't have a player from their u17 side that reached the AI final that year. Any on the bench?

Galway only had 4 starters from the 2019 Connacht final that started last Sunday, that's one hell of a change.

Galway didn't do as well under their own longer kickouts as I'd have expected although reckon they won more then they lost overall. Sean Kelly excellent as usual, Molloy showing signs that he looks comfortable at this level and a very good 2nd half form McHugh after an average 1st half. Good to get a result without Conroy, Walsh & Comer contributing heavily. Tierney & Paul Kelly both look more than comfortable at this level. I doubt Paul Kelly will be allowed to play for the u20's against Mayo next week, wonder will Culhane be allowed? Forgot about Cathal Sweeney too. They'd be huge losses to the team.

Galway going to have to play a lot better to beat Mayo, can't afford to defend like they did in that first half which was pathetic stuff; Defending in the 2nd half a lot better. Its a shame that it doesn't look like John Daly will play any part, his recovery from this injury is taking a long time.

Paul Kelly and Cathal Sweeney are ineligible having played on Sunday. I assume Tomo wasn't used on Sunday because of the upcoming u20 game.
He would be ahead of Costello in the pecking order of forward subs  I would imagine.

[seafoid]

We had years of if gurus in the media ochóning "Fixtures are a n
mess" but not 1 offering any possible solution.
Now that that's been put to bed it's Football (inter Co) is a mess but again not a solution offered.

It's going to have to involve money. Ros have very little compared to Dublin.
After that the choices come down to amalgamating counties or dividing Dublin into 5 counties....
I would prefer the latter.

[Blowitupref]

MacHale park chosen as a test event. 3,750 will be at the Mayo v Leitrim game on Sunday now instead of 500. The plan is to have 5,000 at Connacht final will be some mad rush for tickets.

[Halfquarter]

2 cliches spring to mind.
Paper never refused ink and
Don't let the facts get in the way

That's typical. Focus on a mistake.The argument in the article is bang on
Football is a mess

Football might be a mess, but Roscommon should be able to match Galway.
Galway are no world beaters, liable to implode when the pressure comes on.

[Cunny Funt]

Mayo v Leitrim tickets on sale now.

https://am.ticketmaster.com/gaa/cfsf1107