Galway GAA discussion thread

threeball

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

People use that argument to defend Walsh when it really doesnt reflect well on Walsh at all. Why dont players want to play for Walsh?

Its not Walsh. People do not want to commit their lives to Gaelic football or Hurling and all that it entails especially when the prospect of actually winning an All Ireland looks faint. Its a problem right across the GAA. Its being ignored and the inter county game is dying as a result. People are burying their head in the sand about that fact but its happening.
Mileage and 2 games a year in good weather is hardly an incentive to burst your hole for 1-200 training sessions and I wouldn't blame anyone for not bothering.

Utopia Parkway

aidan24326 wrote: »

And in truth Galway won a soft Connaught title this year, catching Mayo on an off-day and then beating a shockingly poor Roscommon team. So when you add in failure to gain promotion from a mediocre division 2, there has been no real improvement.

How can you win a soft Connacht title by beating Mayo up in Castlebar and beating the most highly regarded Roscommon side in over 30 years in the final? And both were division 1 sides to boot which must actually be rare enough in a Connacht context.

I've seen much better Galway sides win way softer Connacht titles than that.

As for Walsh I would seriously question how Galway were mentally prepared for the Tipp game. However he did win a first Connacht title in 8 years so he probably does deserves more time.

TCDStudent1

threeball wrote: »

Its not Walsh. People do not want to commit their lives to Gaelic football or Hurling and all that it entails especially when the prospect of actually winning an All Ireland looks faint. Its a problem right across the GAA. Its being ignored and the inter county game is dying as a result. People are burying their head in the sand about that fact but its happening.
Mileage and 2 games a year in good weather is hardly an incentive to burst your hole for 1-200 training sessions and I wouldn't blame anyone for not bothering.

While I take your point, I know of certain players that turned down call ups because they didnt feel the current setup was particularly good.

Really can't see the reasoning for Kevin Walsh getting a 3 year term but it's only one part of a much bigger problem.

I loved Kevin Walsh as a player and he was a key part of our AI successes. Everyone wants to see him succeed but I don't see that he has moved this team forward to any significant degree and when the chips have been down the last couple of years we've been very slow to react on the line imo. Having said that I think everyone who sees club games knows the overall standard in the county is poor at the minute and Kevin Walsh can only work with what he's got. I don't see him leading us much further up the pecking order but I suppose the reality at the moment is who else would want the job?

This year if we're being honest Mayo sleepwalked to defeat against us in the Connacht semi-final. When they upped it for 5-10 minutes before half time we were badly exposed, problem was they drifted through the rest of the game thinking they'd win it with a half arsed approach and when we hit them with the goal they couldn't recover. Was a fine win but needs to be placed in context.

I expected something from Roscommon this year but they peaked in February/March before collapsing in a heap, yet still if they had any composure at the end the first day they'd have sneaked a Connacht title against us when they should have been dead and buried. I won't take anything from Tipperary's performance against us in the quarter final, they played some superb football and a 9 point victory did them no justice but for me that was the most embarrassing Galway performance I've witnessed in Croke Park in either code. By the time management tried to take some action to try and prevent Tipp getting free possession from kick outs we were well beaten.

Looking forward, the likes of Bradshaw, Conroy, Sice etc. have their best football behind them. Long term Bernard Power is going to be targetted hugely by the opposition if we persist with him. Kyne was brutally exposed against Tipp along with the rest of the full back line. I don't really see the basis on which to build a new team. We need the likes of Duane, O'Curraoin and Lundy back for starters but really what's there to entice lads back. The squad isn't good enough, the money isn't there to pump into the team and at present our ambitions are limited.

It sounds harsh to say but the celebrations for winning a Connacht title this year for me were embarrassing. Ok it was some reward for the players and their efforts but a county like Galway should be winning a Connacht title every 3/4 years at worst and this Connacht title while welcome isn't the start of a bright new dawn or anything like it. For starters, we've a limited senior team but we need to get into Division 1. Division 1 doesn't automatically mean success but its proper games at least. We're mired in mid-table mediocrity in a woeful Division 2 for years, playing in fits and starts in most games.

Longer term, I think there needs to be a systematic review of Galway football. The minors were a positive of the summer but overall we've ignored underage for far too long. We've had a couple of decent underage teams but overall the quality has been poor and that's carried through to senior. Club football is unwatchable at the moment being blunt about it. Outside Corofin and maybe the likes of Mountbellew/Moylough most the rest of the teams aren't going anywhere fast.

Looking towards the immediate future, nothing against him but Gerry Fahy who hasn't been successful with any team in years was put over the u21s this year. That's a crucial grade for bringing through our future players, we're not flush with talent at the moment so we should be looking to keep whoever we have interested. If we're not serious about that grade how can we keep lads interested. I know good work is going in all over the county but there doesn't seem to be any plan to bring things together. We've got to get things right from underage up or no matter who the senior manager is they won't have the raw materials to work with.

I remember a scene from A Year Til Sunday where they were on the bus coming back with Sam and the radio reporter was saying hopefully we don't have to wait another 32 years to see scenes likes this again. Well next year is half way to another 32 from 2001 and an All-Ireland seems as remote as ever. Really imo the county board need to set an objective of having Galway competing for the All-Ireland in 10 years time. That sounds bleak but we need to face reality. Until we face up to how football in the county has been let decline to its current state we won't begin to turn things around.

Micheal Donoghue is an interesting one. 2016 was mixed in my view. Other years after we lost the All-Ireland we made no impact the next year but we went relatively close this year. Having said that we nearly had to with the way the Anthony Cunningham situation played out.

Really, we didn't really unearth any new players during the league and losing to a terrible Cork side at home in the play off was a big setback. The fall away against Kilkenny in the Leinster final was disappointing, Clare was a good performance and against Tipp we threw everything at it.

For me We're not a million miles off but finding the few players we need is going to be difficult and the 1B games (Limerick and maybe Wexford aside) aren't much of a testing ground. Like with the footballers there is some lads who won't help us get to the next level at this stage. Moore, Collins, Smith, Tannian these lads have been good servants but being honest their time has passed. The likes of Donnellan is coming to an end too. We need Johnny Glynn back for 2017. We need as always to try and find a couple of players in the full back line and a couple of impact players. Up front the likes of Cathal Mannion, Jason Flynn etc. need to do it on a more regular basis. The likes of Padraig Brehony needs to nail down a spot as well. Tuohy was a positive in 2016, Conor Cooney came back and showed some good form. Probably need more from the likes of Conor Whelan and Niall Burke.

I think Championship 2017 will be even more competitive. Tipperary look well set to push for 2 in a row. We know Kilkenny will bounce back with Cody there. Waterford know they are close and have an influx of successful u21s, Limerick and Clare will be much stronger too I'd say. Facing Laois, Kerry and Offaly in 2017 is not much help ahead of facing the likes of KK, Tipp, Waterford etc.

aidan24326

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

I would not agree that it was a soft Connacht title. It is very rare that Galway have to beat 2 division 1 teams to win a Connacht and that is what they did this year.

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

How can you win a soft Connacht title by beating Mayo up in Castlebar and beating the most highly regarded Roscommon side in over 30 years in the final? And both were division 1 sides to boot which must actually be rare enough in a Connacht context.

Roscommon were a pale shadow of a division 1 team by the time we played them. They peaked too early in the year and were clearly flattered by some of their early season results. I do think there's potential in this Roscommon team but against Galway they were terrible and saying they're a division 1 team doesn't change that.

Winning Connaught was nice and at least it stopped the rot but I'm just trying to keep it in context. And while the win in Castlebar was a sweet one the reality is that Mayo are still by far the best team in Connaught.

Hulk Hands

If beating one of the top 3 away from home first time out, plus another D1 side, is a soft Connacht title, i'd love to see a tough Connacht title. A soft title would be one like 2011 where Ros beat Sligo by a point and that was basically it.

People are generally taking the negative spin to this and Walsh last season. There were 4 games. 2 were superb and far above what we thought the team was capable of. 1 was ok, team was put in position to win in poor conditions and inexperience caught them out a bit. And one clusterfcuk against Tipp. I'm inclined not to allow 3 games of progress be completely dumped in the bin because of one off day where everything that went wrong, did. Just as Mayo weren't a poor team or "finished" just because Galway beat them comprehensively, Galway aren't a shambles and KW a poor manager just because of one capitulation in a sole game.

TCDStudent1

Hulk Hands wrote: »

If beating one of the top 3 away from home first time out, plus another D1 side, is a soft Connacht title, i'd love to see a tough Connacht title. A soft title would be one like 2011 where Ros beat Sligo by a point and that was basically it.

People are generally taking the negative spin to this and Walsh last season. There were 4 games. 2 were superb and far above what we thought the team was capable of. 1 was ok, team was put in position to win in poor conditions and inexperience caught them out a bit. And one clusterfcuk against Tipp. I'm inclined not to allow 3 games of progress be completely dumped in the bin because of one off day where everything that went wrong, did. Just as Mayo weren't a poor team or "finished" just because Galway beat them comprehensively, Galway aren't a shambles and KW a poor manager just because of one capitulation in a sole game.

There was a lot more than 4 games. You need to include league matches when evaluating Galway's year.

Hulk Hands

Borders no.2 wrote: »

The minors were a positive of the summer but overall we've ignored underage for far too long. We've had a couple of decent underage teams but overall the quality has been poor and that's carried through to senior.

We've had a minor All Ireland win in the last 10 years and two U21 AI's in the last 6 alone? Sorry to be cherry picking just part of your long post but I think statements like that show the unrealistic expectations some seem to have for Galway.

About 25 counties play football seriously. Out of all those, a county like Galway should be winning an AI about every 10-12 years on average (exactly where our 9 on the honours roll fits). We're slightly overdue on a senior scale (plus the two in close succession show theyre often cyclical) and well ahead of schedule at underage levels. Maybe it's because Mayo have had their golden generation competing regularly (and winning none yet), that people have had their heads turned. You can forget how putrid Mayo football has been for long periods, and they've little of the distraction Galway from other sports which are as big if not bigger than football in Galway currently. Added in is the not insignificant culture around the city, especially during summer, which lends itself more to having fun and socialising that scrubbing away on a GAA pitch (a huge factor in the famous 52 dropouts).

Many of our parents, or even some here, wouldve went from the dazzling highs of possibly the greatest side of all time (64-66) through 32 years of absolute muck before seeing a proper side again. Note that was through a time when Galway was football mad from the legacy of that 60's side and had a large North Galway population. Times change, and while I think every side may have to reevaluate their expectations in football and hurling soon (seeing over 1k 6-8yr olds on a single Dublin clubs pitch every sat morn does that), Galway fans need to reign things in more than most.

Mr Velo

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Borders no.2 wrote: »

The minors were a positive of the summer but overall we've ignored underage for far too long. We've had a couple of decent underage teams but overall the quality has been poor and that's carried through to senior.

(seeing over 1k 6-8yr olds on a single Dublin clubs pitch every sat morn does that), Galway fans need to reign things in more than most.

What club have 1k 6-8 year olds training on a Saturday morning? I thought we were doing well with 55 6-8 year olds at our club.

Hulk Hands

Hulk Hands wrote: »

We've had a minor All Ireland win in the last 10 years and two U21 AI's in the last 6 alone? Sorry to be cherry picking just part of your long post but I think statements like that show the unrealistic expectations some seem to have for Galway.

About 25 counties play football seriously. Out of all those, a county like Galway should be winning an AI about every 10-12 years on average (exactly where our 9 on the honours roll fits). We're slightly overdue on a senior scale (plus the two in close succession show theyre often cyclical) and well ahead of schedule at underage levels. Maybe it's because Mayo have had their golden generation competing regularly (and winning none yet), that people have had their heads turned. You can forget how putrid Mayo football has been for long periods, and they've little of the distraction Galway from other sports which are as big if not bigger than football in Galway currently. Added in is the not insignificant culture around the city, especially during summer, which lends itself more to having fun and socialising that scrubbing away on a GAA pitch (a huge factor in the famous 52 dropouts).

Many of our parents, or even some here, wouldve went from the dazzling highs of possibly the greatest side of all time (64-66) through 32 years of absolute muck before seeing a proper side again. Note that was through a time when Galway was football mad from the legacy of that 60's side and had a large North Galway population. Times change, and while I think every side may have to reevaluate their expectations in football and hurling soon (seeing over 1k 6-8yr olds on a single Dublin clubs pitch every sat morn does that), Galway fans need to reign things in more than most.

What you say there makes sense but for me I'm not overly bothered if we win underage All-Irelands or not. We won u21s in 2002 and 2005 and that never amounted to much.

The problem for me isn't that we haven't been winning underage All-Irelands which shouldn't be a barometer of future success anyway. (e.g. Galway hurlers or you can have good teams and just be unlucky or run into another very good team or e.g. Kerry went from 1994 until recently without winning a minor but it didn't really impact on them at senior level). My problem is that take out the u21 success in 2013 and either side of that we haven't even made an impact in Connacht. If we got to the semi-final every couple of years it'd be far more positive than an All-Ireland sandwiched by years of mediocrity.

Similarly with minor, we won Connacht the last two years which was a step forward but prior to that we hadn't won Connacht in a long time. I remember us losing one high scoring semi-final to Cork around 2009 or 2010. We won the All-Ireland in 2007 fair enough but I'd see the lack of competitiveness over an extended period of time as far more relevant to our future success than the odd underage All-Ireland captured against the grain.

threeball

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

While I take your point, I know of certain players that turned down call ups because they didnt feel the current setup was particularly good.

Like who? I don't see these 20 great footballers missing from the Galway Panel anyway. Its the players that make the difference. Mayo have had 3 managers but basically the same set of players and reached the same level of consistency year in year out. Jim Gavin or Jim McGuinness wouldn't make damn all difference to Galway right now. Players ultimately have to take responsibility for performances like the Tipp game.

Hulk Hands

Mr Velo wrote: »

What club have 1k 6-8 year olds training on a Saturday morning? I thought we were doing well with 55 6-8 year olds at our club.

Kilmacud. Maybe 6-8 year olds is incorrect but they were definitely all under 10. Boys and Girls tbf. Still, scary when you see the sheer numbers

westsidestory

Strange one.

We were due to play a football challenge match in Galway this Saturday 15th October but opposition have now pulled out as struggling for numbers due to league games etc.

Any team interested in playing us? We're a low level adult Junior football team based in Dublin who have accommodation etc. arranged this weekend in Galway city!!

westsidestory

westsidestory wrote: »

Strange one.

We were due to play a football challenge match in Galway this Saturday 15th October but opposition have now pulled out as struggling for numbers due to league games etc.

Any team interested in playing us? We're a low level adult Junior football team based in Dublin who have accommodation etc. arranged this weekend in Galway city!!

Maybe you'd be best to reach out directly to the clubs given the notice period etc.

You'd have Fr.Griffins at Junior A(only), Salthill Knocknacarra, St.James and St.Michaels in the city(there's also a new Irish speaking club who's name isn't well known as of yet), and Moycullen, Barna and Claregalway on the outskirts.

westsidestory

gilberto_eire wrote: »

Maybe you'd be best to reach out directly to the clubs given the notice period etc.

You'd have Fr.Griffins at Junior A(only), Salthill Knocknacarra, St.James and St.Michaels in the city(there's also a new Irish speaking club who's name isn't well known as of yet), and Moycullen, Barna and Claregalway on the outskirts.

Thanks for help.

We've contacted a few of those and no luck so just trying this as a last shot. Don't want entire day spent in boozer!

fearruanua

westsidestory wrote: »

We've contacted a few of those and no luck so just trying this as a last shot. Don't want entire day spent in boozer!

ah sure look ye could be doing worse :D

westsidestory

fearruanua wrote: »

ah sure look ye could be doing worse :D

True, but best to keep the bucks away from the hostelries as long as possible!!

Dublin first up in the Leinster Q/F next year hopefully in Tullamore. Probably good to get an early focus since we'll be in Division 1B for the Spring. I don't see Dublin as being at the same level as they were from 2010-2013 but still they beat us easily in the league last year, should have beaten us the first day in 2015 and will have had 5 or 6 good league games under their belt so a tough tie to start. If we get through that it's Offaly or one of the qualifiers.

Football isn't good. More than likely Mayo in Salthill. Into semi-final straight off so potentially another long wait for a game again this year.

Utopia Parkway

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Dublin first up in the Leinster Q/F next year hopefully in Tullamore. Probably good to get an early focus since we'll be in Division 1B for the Spring. I don't see Dublin as being at the same level as they were from 2010-2013 but still they beat us easily in the league last year, should have beaten us the first day in 2015 and will have had 5 or 6 good league games under their belt so a tough tie to start. If we get through that it's Offaly or one of the qualifiers.

Football isn't good. More than likely Mayo in Salthill. Into semi-final straight off so potentially another long wait for a game again this year.

Footballers would have had to beat Mayo in either the semi or final next year anyway to retain their title so drawing them is immaterial in one way. Only downside is they get a game against Sligo beforehand to blow out the cobwebs while Galway have to go in cold. Last two games between the sides have been tight enough though. I expect the same in Salthill next June.

If the worst happens and they lose and least it'll be at the semi-final stage. Easier to regroup for the qualifiers after losing a provincial semi than a provincial final. Hopefully it won't come to that though. Best way is definitely through the front door.

Borders no.2

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Dublin first up in the Leinster Q/F next year hopefully in Tullamore. Probably good to get an early focus since we'll be in Division 1B for the Spring. I don't see Dublin as being at the same level as they were from 2010-2013 but still they beat us easily in the league last year, should have beaten us the first day in 2015 and will have had 5 or 6 good league games under their belt so a tough tie to start. If we get through that it's Offaly or one of the qualifiers.

Football isn't good. More than likely Mayo in Salthill. Into semi-final straight off so potentially another long wait for a game again this year.

I don't agree with this tbh and it's been the common opinion of that game.

Fair enough, they missed an easy free to win the game but we should have been about 12 points up in the first 10-15 minutes.
We butchered numerous goal chances and got nothing in return when simple hand passes were over hit or fumbled.
They came back into the game but it should have been buried after 20mins and the replay was just a case of the first day coming to fruition.

That's not to say how next year will go but I think people are giving them too much credit over that missed free when in reality they were lucky to even be in the game at HT.

TCDStudent1

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Footballers would have had to beat Mayo in either the semi or final next year anyway to retain their title so drawing them is immaterial in one way. Only downside is they get a game against Sligo beforehand to blow out the cobwebs while Galway have to go in cold. Last two games between the sides have been tight enough though. I expect the same in Salthill next June.

If the worst happens and they lose and least it'll be at the semi-final stage. Easier to regroup for the qualifiers after losing a provincial semi than a provincial final. Hopefully it won't come to that though. Best way is definitely through the front door.

It will be interesting to see if we have any new faces in the Galway panel next year. Corofin, Mountbellew & Salthill have had good club championships this year and have a lot of impressive young players playing for them. The likes of Kieran Molloy, Michael Daly, Barry McHugh, Colm Mannion should be considered at the beginning of next year. Eamon Brannigan kinda came from nowhere last year to retain his place for the championship. Hopefully Walsh will give some of these guys a chance and they take that chance. Michael Lundy is also back playing for Corofin. He will be a big addition to the panel. It would probably be in Galway's interests for Corofin not to win Connacht this year so that we play the league with a full contingent of players (and perhaps call up a couple of the Corofin lads who havent been in there before for various reasons)

sporter1

Who is playing in the minor final in Pearse stadium on Sunday?

gilberto_eire

gilberto_eire wrote: »

I don't agree with this tbh and it's been the common opinion of that game.

Fair enough, they missed an easy free to win the game but we should have been about 12 points up in the first 10-15 minutes.
We butchered numerous goal chances and got nothing in return when simple hand passes were over hit or fumbled.
They came back into the game but it should have been buried after 20mins and the replay was just a case of the first day coming to fruition.

That's not to say how next year will go but I think people are giving them too much credit over that missed free when in reality they were lucky to even be in the game at HT.

I don't know looking back on that game we played ok in the first half coming off a desperate league quarter final performance against Waterford but for most of the 2nd half Dublin were in the driving seat even if it was only by a couple of points and for most of the 2nd half I remember thinking I'd be delighted if we got out of there with a draw.

Either way I suppose it will have been two years ago by the time next summer comes around so it won't have huge relevance.

aidan24326

sporter1 wrote: »

Who is playing in the minor final in Pearse stadium on Sunday?

The opening game on Sunday is the Minor B final between Craughwell and Meelick-Eyrecourt at 1.30.

The Minor A final between Clarinbridge and Kilnadeema/Leitrim is on as a curtain raiser to the Intermediate Final the following Sunday in Athenry. Intermediate Final is Ahascragh/Fohenagh v Ballinderreen

obi604

question: is the senior county hurling final being played (now) a lot earlier this year ? From recollection, it's normally a bit later in the year.

Diabhal Beag

No All-Ireland this year to contend with I guess.

That final itself was shocking. Game was dead after the disallowed Gort goal. Thought it was a legit goal personally. David Burke also should've got the line after. Bad news from a Galway perspective is that Greg Lally limped off about midway through the second half. Be a shame to lose him again to injury.

obi604

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

No All-Ireland this year to contend with I guess.

That final itself was shocking. Game was dead after the disallowed Gort goal. Thought it was a legit goal personally. David Burke also should've got the line after. Bad news from a Galway perspective is that Greg Lally limped off about midway through the second half. Be a shame to lose him again to injury.

Why was the county final played last year in Athenry ?

Be a shame to loose Greg Lallyalright.

charlie1980

westsidestory wrote: »

Thanks for help.

We've contacted a few of those and no luck so just trying this as a last shot. Don't want entire day spent in boozer!

You sould have made a few phone calls to Tuam,they would round up a starting
15 after a night out on the gargle and give ye a game.

The townies are soft,they would have to call an AGM to get anything done.

Just finishing watching the game there.

That was an absolutely shocking decision for the Gort goal.

If it was under the old rules where the man can't enter until the ball it was debatable but he was well outside until the ball arrived.... I'd say he was at the edge of the D when the ball was hit.

Unless they're trying to say it was a free out which again, was not the case.

Tommy Kelly

Brutal County Final quality wise. Goal or no goal Gort only managed to score 3 points in the 2nd half, 2 of those were frees. Not good enough. That'll be all St. Thomas's will win this year too. No All-Ireland in that lot, they got beaten 3 times in the group ffs and by nothing to write home about either. 5000 attendance sums up the state of Galway Hurling too. Saying that damn all nuetrals will travel to a County Final in Galway city. Match should have been played in Athenry. Lally was walking grand by the time he got to the side line so I wouldn't be too worried about him. He was getting his calf rubbed (good leg) and sprayed a lot in the first half. Stiff or hardened muscles are common enough coming back from an injury like his.