Mayo GAA Discussion Part 2

irishgeo

Mayo GAA season tickets seem to be available again on seasontickets.ie

Green_Tae

I think this is just one expression of the kind of siege mentality that exists within Dublin GAA. There is some justification to the sense of paranoia, e.g. "culchies trying to split us in two", etc. and now that Dublin are a huge sporting brand as evidenced by the AIG sponsorship deal, there is a sense of momentum building towards seeing that cash windfall redistributed to the rest of the country. This is more than fair in my view and perhaps that small holiday bonus is the first step towards a fairer allocation of resources?

This is just speculation on my part but in the modern era of corporate sponsorship HQ has to take a serious look at how that income should be handled and ideally redistributed.

PressRun

I think most people know at this point, regardless of whether some within Dublin want to admit it, that Dublin GAA have more than enough money coming into them on an annual basis. More than enough for several holidays, I would imagine. John Costello is taking the absolute piss with his statement. Of course the distribution of money needs to be looked at. It's ongoing joke as it stands.

seligehgit

The Mayo News Club Stars 2015:

At last night's The Mayo News / O'Neills Club Stars held in Knockranny House Hotel Castlebar Mitchels walked away with 11 awards plus Paddy Durcan won Senior Player of the Year and joint managers Declan O'Reilly and Declan Shaw won the Manager of the Year accolade.

And the winners are:

Rory Byrne
Tom Cunniffe
Eoghan O'Reilly
Paddy Durcan
Ger McDonagh
Barry Moran
Richie Feeney
Neil Douglas
Danny Kirby

Replacements:
Donie Newcombe
Shane Hopkins

Senior Player of the Year:
Paddy Durcan

Manager of the Year:
Declan O'Reilly and Declan Shaw

Unable at the moment to find a link to the other winners at the moment.

seligehgit

Very good article by Larry Tompkins in the Irish Independent,much of his suggestions are eminently sensible.

Former Cork boss says inter-county football is now 'sickening to watch'
Club game showing up county scene, says former Cork and Kildare hero

Larry Tompkins believes there is a growing level of dissatisfaction with inter-county football compared to club games like Portlaoise against Ballyboden1
Larry Tompkins believes there is a growing level of dissatisfaction with inter-county football compared to club games like Portlaoise against Ballyboden.Larry Tompkins has described much of modern-day inter-county football as "sickening to watch", while also rapidly eroding the skills of the game.



The All-Ireland winning former Cork captain, who made his senior inter-county debut with his native Kildare at the age of 16, says that even Kerry and Dublin - renowned for their sense of adventure - have been sucked into a defensive approach.

"Maybe not all the time, but we saw it in the All-Ireland final. When you see Kerry doing it, you know things have changed. Dublin got caught with a few sucker punches against Donegal last year, so they changed their approach too. Both felt it was they way they had to go," said Tompkins.

He gauges the wider public mood among the customers watching games in his pub on Cork's Lavitt's Quay and has found a growing sense of disenchantment.

"Compare most of the county games we saw this year with last Sunday's Ballyboden-Portlaoise Leinster club final, or the Corofin-Castlebar Connacht final a few weeks ago.

"The club games were great to watch. It was mostly football as it should be played, as opposed to the county game, which has squeezed out a lot of the skills," he said.

Tompkins believes that a few simple changes would make a significant difference, including kick-outs having to pass the 45-metre line, a ban on back-passing to the goalkeeper, and insisting that only frees kicked off the ground can yield scores. He would also ban goalkeepers from taking scoreable frees.

"What does it say about where the game has gone when goalkeepers are used for long-range scoring attempts from frees? Why can't outfield players kick the ball properly off the ground?

"If all attempts for scores from frees had to be taken off the ground - as used to be the case - outfield players would work on it and there would be no need to call up goalkeepers," he said.



Requiring kick-outs to pass the 45-metre line and allowing a player who makes a high catch to call a 'mark' is back under consideration, and Tompkins believes it should be introduced immediately.

"The benefits are obvious. People were saying it worked great in the International Rules game a few weeks ago. You wouldn't need to be a genius to know that it would be the same in our own game," he said,

"As for banning passing back to the goalkeeper, it might look like a small thing but it would have a real impact."

Tompkins, who managed Cork for seven years after his playing days, is not enamoured with the proposal to scrap the All-Ireland U-21 championship, questioning why it's necessary.

"The U-21 is run off quickly before the senior starts. It's a good competition in its own right and is a great way of finding out if a player has the potential to make the senior grade."

He does not accept the argument that players are suffering from burnout, arising from college and U-21 games early in the year.

"If there's damage being done, it's not caused by the games but by the training. In that case, the answer is simple: cut back on training. There's too much collective training going on anyway."

Tompkins has wide experience of the demands imposed on talented youngsters from his days with Kildare, having played minor, U-21 and senior for two years, and then U-21 and senior for five years.

"Lads want to play games, whatever the competition. So if there's a problem with burnout, don't drop the competition, curb the training," he said.

Tompkins accepts that club players are frustrated by the haphazard nature of the fixtures schedule but believes it could be addressed quite easily.



"You have clubs playing one championship game in April and then waiting maybe three of four months for the next one. I'd scrap the back door in county championships. But if you do that, the league needs to be made more relevant to the championship.

"That could be done by running the club leagues off before the championship and seeding teams for the draw, according to where they finished in the league. Then have a straight knock-out championship, which would be much easier to run," he said.

He queries why counties make championship draws in December/January and believes that if the leagues were used to decide seeding for the premier competition, it would be a boost for the club scene.

"Why is there a need for a club to know who they are playing in the championship until a week or two before the game? I'm convinced that it wouldn't take that much to improve the lot of club players if everyone put their minds to it," he said.

He supports Paraic Duffy's proposal to limit county squad sizes for Allianz League games so as to have more players available for club duty. However, he says it doesn't go far enough (Duffy wants it restricted to 26).

"Why not 22? Only six subs can be brought on so even with 22, one player has no chance of getting a run. You can have anything up to 30 players travelling for league games and nine of them can't get a game. It makes no sense, when they could instead play for their club that weekend," he said.

PressRun

Some new names being invited onto the senior panel, according to the Mayo News. I'm excited to see some new names in there.

john mayo 10

Didn't see the mayo news. Any names?

PressRun

Jason Gibbons, Shane McHale and Cathal Carolan have all been recalled. Then Donie Newcombe, Eoghan O'Reilly and Ger McDonagh from Castlebar Mitchels, Shane Nally and Caolan Crowe from Garrymore, Padraig O'Hora from Ballina Stephenites and David Kenny from Aghamore. The entire 2015 panel are invited back.

seligehgit

PressRun wrote: »

Jason Gibbons, Shane McHale and Cathal Carolan have all been recalled. Then Donie Newcombe, Eoghan O'Reilly and Ger McDonagh from Castlebar Mitchels, Shane Nally and Caolan Crowe from Garrymore, Padraig O'Hora from Ballina Stephenites and David Kenny from Aghamore. The entire 2015 panel are invited back.

It's great to see some relatively fresh blood coming on board, delighted Jason Gibbons has been recalled. Evan Regan in the mix, he was in last year's panel at various points.?TBH can't wait for the FBD..Danny Kirby mentioned?

PressRun

I didn't see Evan Regan or Danny Kirby mentioned, but I have heard about them possibly being in the mix in the coming year, so I wouldn't rule it out that they'll be there or thereabouts. I would imagine Paddy Durcan might be getting involved once Mitchels' club championship is wrapped up?

Fowler87

Good to see Carolan back. Type of half forward we've been missing last couple years

Oldtree

This bit sounds very positive too

Rochford revealed that he had spoken to ‘nearly 50 players’ since being ratified as Mayo boss, and said the response he had got from them was ‘very infectious and positive’.

http://www.mayonews.ie/sports/26946-rochford-and-o-shea-optimistic-about-2016-for-mayo

not long now

Cosmo Kramer

Regan, Kirby and Durcan were all on the panel last year so they're included in the list - 34 players on last year's panel and 10 new players is 44, so that's a good number to be starting off with. I was hoping we might see one or two more 2013 minors All Ireland winning minors be brought in for a look, but they'll hopefully get some exposure in the under 21 championship anyway.

wirelessdude01

Sure all the 2012/13 minors are in having hip replacements!!! In all seriousness though they need a good u21 campaign under their belts.

padd b1975

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Sure all the 2012/13 minors are in having hip replacements!!! In all seriousness though they need a good u21 campaign under their belts.

Yep, if they can't cut at that level, they have no business being anywhere near the senior panel.

PressRun

Some prospects still seem to be at U21 level or involved in the club championship. Rochford has been preaching patience probably for this precise reason.

irishgeo

my season ticket arrived last week despite the website saying they wouldn't be posted till after christmas.

neiphin

irishgeo wrote: »

my season ticket arrived last week despite the website saying they wouldn't be posted till after christmas.

thats a first world problem

davegrohl48

Very good u21 A final coming up Aghamore v Moy Davitts. Date to be confirmed, venue Mchale park. Mad late but semis were cancelled twice.

PressRun

An article in the Mayo News with Stephen Rochford. More of asking for some patience from the supporters, warning that there'll be "bumps in the road" while they try out new players, tactics, etc.

http://www.mayonews.ie/sports/26962-mayo-fans-need-to-be-patient-says-rochford

Fr Tod Umptious

PressRun wrote: »

An article in the Mayo News with Stephen Rochford. More of asking for some patience from the supporters, warning that there'll be "bumps in the road" while they try out new players, tactics, etc.

http://www.mayonews.ie/sports/26962-mayo-fans-need-to-be-patient-says-rochford

Since the managerial change I don't think anyone is expecting big things from the FBD or NFL.

NFL division 1 status plus the introduction of new players/systems will be sufficient.

However the bar for the championship should be as high as it has been over the past few years.

As I said before a final appearance should be well within their sights, and as I also said before isint that what they got rid of the last management for.

PressRun

We don't know what they got rid of the last management for, tbh. It's never been said. Still don't believe in any of this "Sam or bust" crap.

Fr Tod Umptious

PressRun wrote: »

We don't know what they got rid of the last management for, tbh. It's never been said. Still don't believe in any of this "Sam or bust" crap.

Based on what we heard the old management were not professional enough and the players thought they did not give them the best opportunity to win it all.

What is wrong with thinking that a team that has been to 5 consecutive semifinals, two consecutive Semi Final replays and previously two finals, should have their sights set on a final ?

irishgeo

neiphin wrote: »

thats a first world problem

no one likes a smart arse.

PressRun

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Based on what we heard the old management were not professional enough and the players thought they did not give them the best opportunity to win it all.

What is wrong with thinking that a team that has been to 5 consecutive semifinals, two consecutive Semi Final replays and previously two finals, should have their sights set on a final ?

From what I heard, there were a lot of reasons the old management wasn't working, and it wasn't simply to do with whether they did or didn't win an All-Ireland or whether they were capable of doing so.

I just don't understand the need for piling on pressure. It's always the same with Mayo supporters. People need to relax and let the thing run its course. For what it's worth, I do think that Mayo are going to have a good championship and I feel optimistic about the new managerial set-up, going on what I've heard about it so far. But I don't like this attitude that I've heard from a few supporters that sort of implies that, should things not go according to plan next year, there'll be a "I told you so" moment or that the players should be forced to eat humble pie. The current management plan to be in the job for the next three years. An All-Ireland could come in any one of those years. It might not be next year, but it could be the year after. I don't see what the problem is with letting a team and management adjust to one another without being constantly in their ear about an All-Ireland. I'm sure they know well enough what's ahead of them and what their aims are without supporters using every opportunity to get onto them about it.

Fr Tod Umptious

PressRun wrote: »

From what I heard, there were a lot of reasons the old management wasn't working, and it wasn't simply to do with whether they did or didn't win an All-Ireland or whether they were capable of doing so.

I just don't understand the need for piling on pressure. It's always the same with Mayo supporters. People need to relax and let the thing run its course. For what it's worth, I do think that Mayo are going to have a good championship and I feel optimistic about the new managerial set-up, going on what I've heard about it so far. But I don't like this attitude that I've heard from a few supporters that sort of implies that, should things not go according to plan next year, there'll be a "I told you so" moment or that the players should be forced to eat humble pie. The current management plan to be in the job for the next three years. An All-Ireland could come in any one of those years. It might not be next year, but it could be the year after. I don't see what the problem is with letting a team and management adjust to one another without being constantly in their ear about an All-Ireland. I'm sure they know well enough what's ahead of them and what their aims are without supporters using every opportunity to get onto them about it.

Why is it that a Mayo fan like myself cannot have an aspiration to getting to an All Ireland final in a year that the draw suits them without being shot down and told to back off the pressure.

davegrohl48

U21 A final Mchale Pk Wed 30th December @ 18:30. Aghamore v Moy Davitts. These are two good teams with plenty nice footballers. A bunch of u21s and minors between both sides.

TCDStudent1

PressRun wrote: »

From what The current management plan to be in the job for the next three years. An All-Ireland could come in any one of those years. It might not be next year, but it could be the year after. t.

The problem is that the longer it goes, the harder it is to win an all Ireland. This Mayo team already have serious miles and training put in over the last few years. And from what I've heard, the talent coming through isn't really an improvement on what's there. So Mayo cannot afford to be thinking of all Ireland's in 2017 or 2018. An all Ireland title has to be the players ambition in 2016. It'll only get harder for them in 2017 if they fail again in 2016.

davegrohl48

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

The problem is that the longer it goes, the harder it is to win an all Ireland. This Mayo team already have serious miles and training put in over the last few years. And from what I've heard, the talent coming through isn't really an improvement on what's there. So Mayo cannot afford to be thinking of all Ireland's in 2017 or 2018. An all Ireland title has to be the players ambition in 2016. It'll only get harder for them in 2017 if they fail again in 2016.

I think some of the talent coming through is as good as what is there. Outplaying by a distance current first teamers at the same age 20-21.
Fionan Duffy was the highest scoring forward from play with Brian Reape next if looking at club football in Div 1/2 and championship senior/Intermediate.
If they're not as good how are they scoring heavier in club football? Conor Loftus will be close, similar Regan. What is coming in outweighs what is potentially leaving in 2017/18. What is leaving would be guys 33+.
Coming in talented defenders/forwards with pace. Not too many midfielders though.

Fr Tod Umptious

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

The problem is that the longer it goes, the harder it is to win an all Ireland. This Mayo team already have serious miles and training put in over the last few years. And from what I've heard, the talent coming through isn't really an improvement on what's there. So Mayo cannot afford to be thinking of all Ireland's in 2017 or 2018. An all Ireland title has to be the players ambition in 2016. It'll only get harder for them in 2017 if they fail again in 2016.

That's the point, a lot of these guys do not have time on their side.

I said it here before and I'll say it again, I was never as happy with a 9pt defeat as I was in 2011 v Kerry.
What I saw that day was a young team that had so much potential.
The same the next year when they stepped up and got to the final, they were still young, still learning.
But since 2013 that optimism started to wane, the core of the team is getting on and playing a lot of football without winning it all.

Between two finals and two replays in a row they have almost gone as deep as possible into the championship.

It's really last chance saloon this year and next for the likes of Higgins, Barry Moran, Andy Moran, SOS, Cuniffe, Cafferkey.

They cannot really be looking to far down the road, and I think the events around H&C had something to do with that.

Most of the above mentioned were the core of the U21 team of 2006, it took them 6 years to mature into true AI contenders.
If this U21 team are as good as people have said then it could be as long as 2022 before we see them as real contenders, that's a while away