Waterford GAA Discussion Thread 3 ***Updated Mod Note Post 1***

Ballygunner comfortable winners this evening against Abbeyside.

Semi final draw :
Dungarvan v Passage
Mt.Sion v Ballygunner

Two good games to look forward to but I don't know when they're fixed for.

Super win for Mount Sion, they just seemed to want the win more. DLS were a point up at half time with Mullane getting the goal but Mount Sion came thundering into it in the second half and in true Mount Sion fashion, when they sensed DLS were vulnerable they took over and were deserving 6 point winners, outscoring DLS by 14 points to 7 in the second half. Some of Gleeson's points were outrageous, the lad is absolute class, as we all know.

The second game in Dungarvan was poor, with Ballygunner being flattered by the 14 point winning margin - they scored 3 goals in the last 10 mins. There were some terrible wides from both sides and the game lacked the real quality you'd expect at this stage of the championship.

Ballygunner v Mount Sion should be interesting. You'd have to fancy the Gunners but they will need to improve on today's form and the Sion will be full of confidence after beating DLS well today.

Any match reports from either game? What did Aussie score for MS and where did he play? Good to hear he's continuing his great form despite being a disappointed DLS man!

Anyone else up at the minor county final between Ballygunner and DLS on Saturday? DLS won by 2 points in the end but I'd say Ballygunner feel they left it behind them. Credit to DLS though, they got two class goals, taking their chances. Counter that with Ballygunner who didn't manage to find the net despite some excellent chances, although the DLS goalie was in inspired form. Decent game of hurling overall.

SW1985 wrote: »

Delighted for Stephen. He's had a tough run of it with injuries over the years. Does anybody know the exact situation with his hips these days? Did the operations fix the problems or is it always going to be an issue?

As far as I know, they're fine for now but he may need work on them again in the future. Pat (his Dad) is the same.

Edit: My Dad says he believes Stephen is grand here on in as this op went much better than his first ones. (Credible source, I'm related.)

culbaire wrote: »

It is time for the Boards to put the foot down and ensure that the club championships are not compressed into a few weeks. The fixture pile up is taking a heavy toll on players. Players are not getting chance to recover from injuries and in some cases are carrying injuries into fixtures. A lot of clubs are badly stretched. Time for delegates at meetings to put the foot down and ensure that fixtures are better spaced. This means standing up to Managers of Co teams. Otherwise we will have very few clubs in the not too distant future.

Agree totally. Saw a comment by the manager of Ballyboden St Enda's I think after they were knocked out of the football in Dublin yesterday claiming it was a disgrace the way club players are being treated. County players only account for up to 5% of all players yet the club player is held up because of this.
The problem is the club delegates. These are fellas who more often than not are just sent to county board meetings as token gestures to sit there and say they had someone in attendance from their club. No debate is taken place on the state of the club scene in Waterford and if all business is wrapped up within an hour then that is classed as a good meeting. The state of the club scene will not improve in Waterford unless clubs stand up for themselves. But unfortunately we are stuck in the eternal East/West divide. Also smaller clubs don't want to rock the boat with intercounty managers incase it affects their player for Waterford and the bigger clubs have the squads to deal with playing challenge matches without intercounty players.
To ask amateur players to play 6 matches in a 7/8 week period when they've only played 3 games in 4 months is an insult to all concerned. But at the end of the day intercounty = money to the county board and the revenue from the club scene is so pitiful in comparison that the county board just want to get all games played off as quickly as possible so they can say to the Munster board that they got their competitions finished in time.

seananigans wrote: »

Can the club championship be promoted better ? video clips promoting players targeted facebook ads, promo's , they could make an effort to get a buzz going it might pick up , have some open gate games to bring interet family friendly activities includedon the seconds pitch etc.

When you see how the club game is promoted in Cork it puts us to shame. Dedicated radio programs and a newspaper that does full page spreads on all games. Generates a buzz about all divisions and you could see the crowd on tv yesterday for the county final.

mickotallow wrote: »

When you see how the club game is promoted in Cork it puts us to shame. Dedicated radio programs and a newspaper that does full page spreads on all games. Generates a buzz about all divisions and you could see the crowd on tv yesterday for the county final.

If i'm not mistaken last year or the year before the cork county final was on the same day as the loi final in the aviva cork had the bigger attendance

PTH2009 wrote: »

Didn't we have a dedicated Waterford Club Gaa highlights show on that old NTL channel that used to show that Waterford @ 8 programme and used to have all the ads and the awesome power ballad music playing on it ???

The old chorus used to show senior games.

deiseach wrote: »

For the purposes of discussing the club game, can someone explain how the Kilkenny club championship operates, specifically the idea that games are not postponed due to the inter-county championships. Do clubs do without their county players? Do county players 'go back' to their clubs?

Clubs never ever play any round of the league / championship without their county players. Its run around the kilkenny intercounty calendar.

The 1st round is normally always 2nd/3rd week of April
2nd and 3rd round is the 2nd and 3rd week in May
Then there is a break until the 4th round which goes ahead the 2nd week in July (always the week after the Leinster final)

Then another break where the 5th round gets played the week after the All-Ireland Senior semi final, normally 3rd week in August.

Then the league finals and championship 1st round goes ahead a week or 2 after the All Ireland final and then QTR-final, semi and final every 2 weeks after that.

Clubs never play without their county players. If Kilkenny get knocked out and go the qualifier route there will be a forced change to the club programme but that has rarely happened thus far.

seananigans wrote: »

Can the club championship be promoted better ? video clips promoting players targeted facebook ads, promo's , they could make an effort to get a buzz going it might pick up , have some open gate games to bring interet family friendly activities includedon the seconds pitch etc.

The issue is the fixture PILE UP and the large number of injuries being carried by players. Players are not getting enough recovery time. It has to stop. Players welfare is at stake.

brian2614 wrote: »

Long time follower of this page and currently dual player with my club.
The Waterford CB only care about 1 thing,the county hurling team.The sooner people within the county and on here realize that the better off they will be.Lads are slowly losing interest in GAA in Waterford because of the way the normal club player is being treated.Its a f**kin joke.I read on twitter how one so called media correspondent claimed the delay was down to the "success" of our Snr hurling team and U21 team.To be fair the U21 success speaks for its self but remind me again what "success" had we at Snr level??
I have friends from other counties who laugh their bollox off when they hear the stuff that goes on in Waterford GAA.
You could type for hrs here going on about the 2 death traps of grounds we have and believe me they are!!!Games been thrown in at a drop of a hat midweek,f**k the lads who have to get off work or travel back from colleges up the country.Fellas having to chase their insurance when they get injured.Why would ya?
That's only the tip of the iceberg...

Can't argue with your points as you as a club player are witnessing it first hand,but as mickotallow stated in his post,until the clubs start sending proper delegates to county board meetings we will still have the same problems. Hundreds of club players are working around at most 32 county panelists and are being held up as a result. The sooner we go back to the club having first priority over their own players the better. The game at club level will be non existent in 10 years if something isn't changed radically. But we have the same nodding donkeys at these meetings and the"I'll scratch your back" scenario so realistically it isn't going to change anytime soon. It must be the only sport where clubs get a loan of their own players to play championship games in! If you're to think about it logically you could only laugh. We have a scenario now where the county panel have met already setting out there plans for next year and we're barely in October! Where will it stop? But definitely clubs need to pull together on this and make a stand once and for all so as to gain possession of their own players. But the whole set up is rotten from the inside out and the inner politics always have the final say so lets be honest here,we're wasting our time!

thesultan wrote: »

There needs to be a master fixture plan. Its needs to incorporate replays at senior and minor level. People should be able to plan weddings, holidays etc... well in advance.

Scrap replays altogether

Maybe introduce a best of 5 penalty shootout to determine a winner if it's level after ET

seananigans wrote: »

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/hurling/exclusive-extract-from-ken-mcgraths-autobiography-this-is-what-youre-preparing-for-all-your-life-to-do-this-425127.html

Can't wait for it. Hoping it will be a great read. Hope he makes a killing on it he deserves every penny he gets from it having put his body on the line,like so many others for the cause of Waterford hurling. Legend.