Galway GAA discussion thread

aidan24326 · 10-01-2017 02:40AM

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

Cathal Sweeney was superb 2 years ago. Very tigerish corner back. Eoghan Kerin did fairly well last year too.

But it is the line that is definitely a huge weakness.

Cathal Sweeney is decent but where is he now?

Kyne and Kerin both had their moments last year but were exposed badly against Tipp and with respect to them they really aren't much more than good club players. We're badly lacking in that line and have been for some time.

Utopia Parkway · 10-01-2017 02:29PM

aidan24326 wrote: »

Cathal Sweeney is decent but where is he now?

Think he is still recovering from his shoulder injury.

threeball · 11-01-2017 06:52PM

aidan24326 wrote: »

Cathal Sweeney is decent but where is he now?

Kyne and Kerin both had their moments last year but were exposed badly against Tipp and with respect to them they really aren't much more than good club players. We're badly lacking in that line and have been for some time.

That's extremely unfair on Kyne and to a lesser extent Kerin. Kyne had some immense displays last year and I don't care what defender you put in his position against Tipp, they would have got cleaned. You cannot have a situation where midfielders and half forwards are allowed pick and choose the ball they supply to top class forwards. Expecting any full back to handle this is completely foolish. Our problems started much further out the field and culminated in giving Kyne no support whatsoever.

Its not a world beating full back line but a lot of teams don't have amazing full back lines but get by, by not getting overrun from 5-12.

TCDStudent1 · 11-01-2017 07:15PM

threeball wrote: »

That's extremely unfair on Kyne and to a lesser extent Kerin. Kyne had some immense displays last year and I don't care what defender you put in his position against Tipp, they would have got cleaned. You cannot have a situation where midfielders and half forwards are allowed pick and choose the ball they supply to top class forwards. Expecting any full back to handle this is completely foolish. Our problems started much further out the field and culminated in giving Kyne no support whatsoever.

Its not a world beating full back line but a lot of teams don't have amazing full back lines but get by, by not getting overrun from 5-12.

Kyne played well against Mayo and Roscommon. He was very poor in every other match last year.

Hulk Hands · 11-01-2017 07:23PM

I thought it was only the Cavan match in the league he was poor tbh. Got motm in different outlets for both the Mayo match and the drawn Connacht final. Thought it was a very promising first year from someone who wouldnt be used to playing at that high level whatsoever being from a junior club and no county underage background

Hulk Hands · 13-01-2017 06:39PM

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2017/0113/844704-connacht-counties-spending-up-by/

Spending up here, but I find these figures a bit depressing in all honesty. Footballers spent well less than half what Mayo did and 2/3rds of what Roscommon did. There's different circumstances (no guarantee Mayo and Ros spent correctly), and certainly money isn't everything, but still it lends itself to general feeling that Galway just don't take GAA and football in particular as seriously as some counties anymore. From what ive heard, Kevin Walsh has been given very little leeway on finances during his term. The biggest and most prominent county in the province, we should be absolutely blowing counties like Mayo and Ros out of the water. The finances aren't great since the Hurlers cock up during the boom, but it's no worse than Mayo's by all accounts, and there are any amount of huge Galway business people both here and abroad who would likely help out (can think of a few off the top of my head) if asked and approached properly. Jim McGuinness spent a huge amount of time pestering Donegal business people to provide additional funds just prior to their success period.

13-01-2017 09:03PM

Hulk Hands wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2017/0113/844704-connacht-counties-spending-up-by/

Spending up here, but I find these figures a bit depressing in all honesty. Footballers spent well less than half what Mayo did and 2/3rds of what Roscommon did. There's different circumstances (no guarantee Mayo and Ros spent correctly), and certainly money isn't everything, but still it lends itself to general feeling that Galway just don't take GAA and football in particular as seriously as some counties anymore. From what ive heard, Kevin Walsh has been given very little leeway on finances during his term. The biggest and most prominent county in the province, we should be absolutely blowing counties like Mayo and Ros out of the water. The finances aren't great since the Hurlers cock up during the boom, but it's no worse than Mayo's by all accounts, and there are any amount of huge Galway business people both here and abroad who would likely help out (can think of a few off the top of my head) if asked and approached properly. Jim McGuinness spent a huge amount of time pestering Donegal business people to provide additional funds just prior to their success period.

Its still not exactly comparable when Mayo and Roscommon are spending about the same on their senior hurling than we do on our under age hurling teams.

Sure we're larger than Mayo but not double the size, plus how many Mayo people are in Galway versus the opposite... they prob have a higher population in real terms.

I don't care what we spend on football when we don't have a manager who sees benefit in developing a short kick out strategy.
The days of Fiontain O'Currain types playing are over, he's a good traditional midfielder but Dublin are the benchmark and the fact they pick utility players tells a lot.

Midfielders need to be all rounders, sure Mayo pick Moran and SOShea, but they still realised kicking it long is folly.

Tipp scored 1-5 off Galway kicks outs versus Nil.

We won't sit at the top table while we willynilly kick our restarts out after a minute of getting ready.
It needs to be quick and short. When we do that, we'll start to win and finances will grow as the bandwagon grows.

mjp · 13-01-2017 09:21PM

We mightn't be spending as much as mayolevek and Roscommon but you have to look at the support structure our teams have compared to mayo and Roscommon. Roscommon have Club Rossie who raised over 300k in their visit to newyork last yr alone and raise massive amounts of money from rossies abroad.
Mayo are also on a different level to us with fundraising structures and our gate receipts from league matches are only a fraction of thiers not to mention our pitiful number of season ticket buyers. If it wasn't for Pat Mc Donagh our co teams would be lucky to have set of gear bags and our co board are stuck in the dark ages when it comes to supporting them.

Utopia Parkway · 15-01-2017 04:57AM

Hulk Hands wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2017/0113/844704-connacht-counties-spending-up-by/

Spending up here, but I find these figures a bit depressing in all honesty. Footballers spent well less than half what Mayo did and 2/3rds of what Roscommon did. There's different circumstances (no guarantee Mayo and Ros spent correctly), and certainly money isn't everything, but still it lends itself to general feeling that Galway just don't take GAA and football in particular as seriously as some counties anymore. From what ive heard, Kevin Walsh has been given very little leeway on finances during his term. The biggest and most prominent county in the province, we should be absolutely blowing counties like Mayo and Ros out of the water. The finances aren't great since the Hurlers cock up during the boom, but it's no worse than Mayo's by all accounts, and there are any amount of huge Galway business people both here and abroad who would likely help out (can think of a few off the top of my head) if asked and approached properly. Jim McGuinness spent a huge amount of time pestering Donegal business people to provide additional funds just prior to their success period.

Do these figures include what the teams spend from their respective supporters groups because both Mayo and the Rossies raise a lot of money that way. Galway are way behind in that regard.

15-01-2017 08:05PM

GMIT had to have taken one of the most embarrassing preseason competition beatings ever.

5-25 to 0-01... ONE point... did they send out the KK footballers?.
This as well against the mighty Sligo.

I'd love to know who they played, looks like they sent the women's volleyball team to the wrong place.

15-01-2017 08:24PM

Some very lopsided results in Galway's group of the FBD. When you consider Leitrim beat GMIT very comfortably last week, Galway could really put up a big score on GMIT in the next game. Hardly ideal preparation for the league but a final against Roscommon or maybe Mayo would be a handy game to get before the real stuff starts.

aidan24326 · 16-01-2017 05:07AM

You'd expect a bit better from GMIT, they should at least be competitive. NUIG have beaten Mayo and given Roscommon a good test. IT Sligo gave Mayo a good game aswell, and it was a Mayo team that had a few of their established names back in action.

Hard to know what to make of the game in Ballinamore, I'd imagine it was a poor Leitrim team. It's good match practice and a good chance to introduce some new players (like McDaid who apparently did well) but beyond that it doesn't really warrant much analysis.

Hulk Hands · 16-01-2017 04:03PM

Kind of feel sorry for the IT's in these competitions. Unless they're going to take the absolute piss like LIT did with Canning or CIT are doing with Bubbles, it's hard for them to get the county players through the doors when they'll get the same scholarship offers from the Universities. Was easier a few years back but looks like the Uni's are putting more effort into securing players now

TCDStudent1 · 29-01-2017 07:57PM

Good win today. Not a brilliant performance- Roscommon's wastefulness probably won the game for Galway.

A few guys who participated in the FBD have probably earned the chance to show what they can do in the league. Barry McHugh, C. McDaid are 2.

Johnny Heaney was fantastic today.

29-01-2017 08:08PM

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TCDStudent1 · 29-01-2017 08:16PM

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Not many will remember who won the FBD in a couple weeks time never mind at the end of the year but still a trophy is a trophy and sends us into the league in good spirits. To win 3 away games is good for building spirit in the camp with plenty more lads to be integrated yet. Next week will give us our first real benchmark for the year ahead.

Congrats to Ahascragh/Fohenagh on their win in the club championship. Were underdogs but won quite well. They'll be up against it with Kilkenny opposition (Carrickshock) in the final who have some high profile players in their ranks. We have to remember with 24 senior teams in Galway versus I think 12 in Kilkenny it isn't the most even of matchups. Would be great to see Ahascragh/Fohenagh break Galway's All-Ireland duck at this particular level though.

I like that walsh has given an opportunity to lads who performed in last years club championship. McHugh. McDaid, Armstrong.

The forwards impressed me today. Midfield did not.
Defence did not except for Heaney.
Goalkeeper also struggled somewhat.

It'll be very interesting to see the team he picks next week. He has the likes of comer back and you'd imagine he'll want to give Daly a run in the team to see how he does. But then you have to drop somebody who played well in the FBD. It's a tough balancing act for a manager and he'll have to do it again when the Corofin players join.

ClanofLams · 29-01-2017 11:01PM

Topcat32 wrote: »

Sorry you are a joke in soccer, you have had one good rugby player, same as us, and lets not demean ourselves by bringing up bogball, when is your last all Ireland?

Two football All Irelands in the last twenty years, admittedly the last in 2001 but it's more than most counties have had in that period. Third on all time list behind Kerry and Dublin.

Greg Cunningham, Ryan Manning, Daryl Horgan, all going well in the championship not to mention David Forde who was Ireland's no 1 for a couple of years.

One good Rugby player? Ciaran Fitzgerald, Noel Mannion, Eric Elwood just some historic examples. Six Galway lads in Connacht squad that won Pro12 last year including current Irish International Tiernan O Halloran and former internationals John Muldoon and Ronan Loughney.

Topcat32 · 29-01-2017 11:06PM

ClanofLams wrote: »

Two football All Irelands in the last twenty years, admittedly the last in 2001 but it's more than most counties have had in that period. Third on all time list behind Kerry and Dublin.

Greg Cunningham, Ryan Manning, Daryl Horgan, all going well in the championship not to mention David Forde who was Ireland's no 1 for a couple of years.

One good Rugby player? Ciaran Fitzgerald, Noel Mannion, Eric Elwood just some historic examples. Six Galway lads in Connacht squad that won Pro12 last year including current Irish International Tiernan O Halloran and former internationals John Muldoon and Ronan Loughney.

Dean Kiely was a better keeper than David Forde, we also have a Heineken cup medal, and Gary Halpin, Willie Duggan were considerably better than the players listed above, if they were good they would obviously be playing for Leinster or Munster, arguably ulster

rebel girl 15 · 29-01-2017 11:24PM

Some serious rubbish being posted on the thread at the moment - keep it on topic, i.e. about Galway GAA and civil or else get out of here before you are put out

Topcat32 · 29-01-2017 11:44PM

Ok, some of my posts may have been rubbish in some peoples eyes, but I think its a fair comment that Galway have failed to win in part because of a focus on other counties apart from a focus on their own talent, which has been excellent over the last 25 years, if that has seemed snide I apoligise

30-01-2017 12:04AM

Topcat32 wrote: »

Ok, some of my posts may have been rubbish in some peoples eyes, but I think its a fair comment that Galway have failed to win in part because of a focus on other counties apart from a focus on their own talent, which has been excellent over the last 25 years, if that has seemed snide I apoligise

There hasn't been a focus on other counties.

Galways problems aren't that complicated.

We've a high population, but we also had, as of the 2011 census the highest non locals and non irish populations per person, of the cities, in the country.

So thats a population of 75k(ish) we're getting near zich off.
You're more likely to meet someone from Mayo in the city than a Galway person.

We're also a genuine dual county, so that population is further diluted, basically 50/50.
You're working off basically a population of roughly 80k per code when you take all the waste out.

I think we're doing rather well taking into account we're split between two codes and having a city offering both very little.

Topcat32 · 30-01-2017 12:14AM

gilberto_eire wrote: »

There hasn't been a focus on other counties.

Galways problems aren't that complicated.

We've a high population, but we also had, as of the 2011 census the highest non locals and non irish populations per person, of the cities, in the country.

So thats a population of 75k(ish) we're getting near zich off.
You're more likely to meet someone from Mayo in the city than a Galway person.

We're also a genuine dual county, so that population is further diluted, basically 50/50.
You're working off basically a population of roughly 80k per code when you take all the waste out.

I think we're doing rather well taking into account we're split between two codes and having a city offering both very little.

I just dont see how you are doing well at the moment, you have a population of 250 thousand, but if you think you are thats fine, you could do so much better, and with one all Ireland win you probably would

30-01-2017 08:57AM

Topcat32 wrote: »

I just dont see how you are doing well at the moment, you have a population of 250 thousand, but if you think you are thats fine, you could do so much better, and with one all Ireland win you probably would

I broke down and explained the population.

30-01-2017 02:32PM

Anyone at the game have any indication as to our kick out strategy?

Couldn't pick up on it on the radio, though since we're selecting Fintoin in midfield I've a feeling our management haven't learned anything about how the top 5 are retaining possession.

I honestly think it's stopping us from stepping up, we're clearly weaker than Dublin so we can't compound that by letting them win 80% of their kick outs while we win 30-60% of ours.
Having said that we would be a D1 team already if we copied the blueprint.
Tipp would never have beat us had we restarted like a Dublin, they scored 1-5 off our kickouts and we scored nothing off theirs... its suicide really.

Hats off as well to Galway Bay FM and their continued RUBBISH Sunday coverage.
The sports show started at 2.05 and procedded to update us on some Womens camogie that was moved venue, along with an interview of some local womens Intermediate Basketball teams coach coming later in the show.

All the while our senior men playing in a live game.
Does the producer think anyone but friends and family cares about some club camogie or intermediate amatuer basketball.
Switched to Shannonwest and they scarcily left the coverage at all... seems you constantly need to use rival coverage to hear a Galway game on a Sunday.

MfMan · 30-01-2017 05:24PM

gilberto_eire wrote: »

Anyone at the game have any indication as to our kick out strategy?

Couldn't pick up on it on the radio, though since we're selecting Fintoin in midfield I've a feeling our management haven't learned anything about how the top 5 are retaining possession.

I honestly think it's stopping us from stepping up, we're clearly weaker than Dublin so we can't compound that by letting them win 80% of their kick outs while we win 30-60% of ours.
Having said that we would be a D1 team already if we copied the blueprint.
Tipp would never have beat us had we restarted like a Dublin, they scored 1-5 off our kickouts and we scored nothing off theirs... its suicide really.

Hats off as well to Galway Bay FM and their continued RUBBISH Sunday coverage.
The sports show started at 2.05 and procedded to update us on some Womens camogie that was moved venue, along with an interview of some local womens Intermediate Basketball teams coach coming later in the show.

All the while our senior men playing in a live game.
Does the producer think anyone but friends and family cares about some club camogie or intermediate amatuer basketball.
Switched to Shannonwest and they scarcily left the coverage at all... seems you constantly need to use rival coverage to hear a Galway game on a Sunday.

In fairness to GBFM (and I'm as good to put the boot into them as anyone), the Sarsfields' camogie match was a Senior c'ship semi-final (that had an exciting finish), plus the Ladies footballers were playing the first round of the league. In addition Ahascragh' were playing the club c'ship semi-final too. All of these are entitled to be given preference over what was really only a tournament final.

Some of the (non-sport) GBFM presenters are risible though when reading out sports news, such is their lack of knowledge and feeling for sport.

30-01-2017 07:22PM

MfMan wrote: »

In fairness to GBFM (and I'm as good to put the boot into them as anyone), the Sarsfields' camogie match was a Senior c'ship semi-final (that had an exciting finish), plus the Ladies footballers were playing the first round of the league. In addition Ahascragh' were playing the club c'ship semi-final too. All of these are entitled to be given preference over what was really only a tournament final.

Some of the (non-sport) GBFM presenters are risible though when reading out sports news, such is their lack of knowledge and feeling for sport.

Do you really think theres any interest outside of the clubs involved in womens club camogie?, (or womens intermediate basketball) especially if the senior men are playing at that time.

The camogie/womens footbLl All Ireland finals in Sept can't get anything bar primary school children and they should be the pinnacle, shows the general interest in the higher end of that.

As much as I'd have liked to have seen the club hurling yest its still not something that should have got billing when the county were playing.

Shannonside only left the game to go to the Hastings cup which was fair enough.

Galway Bay FM spend as much time on rubbish reports of events that casual fans have zero interest in than the the live game.

This isn't restricted to FBD, they do the same thing when Galway are playing in the league.

I constantly find myself relying on our competitors sports casts to get proper coverage or you'll get 40% of the match.

No other station does it similarly when the senior men are playing yet GBFM spend most of the show discussing nothing events.

Hulk Hands · 30-01-2017 11:42PM

McHugh was quite impressive. A few of those frees were outside the 45' also on a wet day, we've been missing a decent long range free taker since Meehan left. He looks the main new player to keep his place during the league. Possibly Heaney to push one of the half back line for a spot for the year. Backs were loose enough early on, improved in the second half. Kick out's were poor generally to answer the question above.

TCDStudent1 · 31-01-2017 12:05AM

Hulk Hands wrote: »

McHugh was quite impressive. A few of those frees were outside the 45' also on a wet day, we've been missing a decent long range free taker since Meehan left. He looks the main new player to keep his place during the league. Possibly Heaney to push one of the half back line for a spot for the year. Backs were loose enough early on, improved in the second half. Kick out's were poor generally to answer the question above.

I'd say Heaney is a cert to get the number 7 position this year. He had a good year last year in fairness and did well when moved into the forwards. With the possible abundance of forwards we will have this year though, its hard to see that he will get a look in there.

Kieran Molloy & Liam Silke will probably be around fighting for the other 2 HB slots, along with O'Donnell & Bradshaw.

Hulk Hands · 31-01-2017 12:19AM

Liam Silke could work at corner back maybe. Only guessing there though

TCDStudent1 · 31-01-2017 12:24AM

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Liam Silke could work at corner back maybe. Only guessing there though

Yeah, maybe. Corofin have played him there in their last couple of matches if I recall correctly.

Galway GAA discussion thread

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