Very, very dissappointed with the Boro this year. After last year I was expecting them to be the main threat to Ballyhale or maybe even push on an win a Championship. They seemed to go backwards this year under new management. The Village have probably passed them out in the pecking order imo. The only thing that will beat Ballyhale this year are injuries.
Anyone at the Mooncoin/Galmoy match? Heard both teams had Galmoy won by a point but the ref had it as a draw after normal time.
Exposure is something I think the gaa are missing with refs. I don’t think changing the fee from €50 to €100 will suddenly get a massive influx, but if they were treated with more respect and shown more limelight it would be more interesting to people.
(possibly do this already) but they should do some sort of profile of the refs for big games. For club and county match , similar to player profiles, give ref profiles in the match programme.
Make a bit of an announcement about the ref for the county finals on social media and let their clubs and friends congratulate or ‘share’ the info.
if I was a senior ref I would get all refs together and make a stand to the county board that if there is excessive abuse at any match from u13 to senior, the ref has the right to abandon the match and award the game to the other team. Or even simpler, an automatic penalty if a selector shouts abusive language. If they knew they had the backing of county board, it would only need to happen once or twice to make an impact.
Theres not an unlimited amount of lads who would like to be refs, but I guarantee there’s a good few more out there who would do it but for the fear of the abuse they’d get.
do rugby have the same shortage? If not, then you’d imagine the lack of abuse in that game, must be something to do with it.
not much effort put into that?
Thats not really going to convince anyone that might be thinking about it.
Yes, 8 mins played in an u14 match , until the bigger name club equalised ....
every game has a story about the ref. Minor errors are of course part and parcel of any sport, but blatant game changers should not happen. Should not.
Cuddihy is a really good hurler, some of his points yesterday were top drawer.
If Ballyhale were to win KK and he continued that form into Leinster club etc he could well get a call in.
When you think of it, is there anybody from Ballyhale who is not a good hurler 😂
First and foremost to affect any change . The gaa as a whole need to tackle the abuse of officials. It's common place at every game now . Always somebody with issue with official . Some posts here even prove that point . They all have their opinion and all know better how to do it than the guys putting themselves out there to do the job.
There needs to be zero tolerance attitude to it and one that's achieved you would have any amount of guys willing to take it up.
It's just got progressively worse over last number of years and social media has taken it to new levels . Ask any players coming to end of Careers playing to take it up and from 50 players I'd be surprised if you got 1 as it currently is . And Thier answer for not doing it , always is they wouldn't take the **** that's dished out . As previous poster says total mindset change needed by everybody before you can go forward. Same thing over and over with every recruitment at the minute . Get 20 to do course do first few games and lucky if you have 3 left from that 20 few weeks later all down to grief they take at games . They not even getting chance to develop before the get fed up of the grief
Again, like I said, a change of mindset needed. Zero tolerance for abuse and back chat. It's not tolerated in Rugby, where you very often have the same kids and parents involved. Why is it tolerated in Hurling / GAA?
If we want to address this problem fundamental changes are needed.
No issue with them reffing Go Games whatsoever and that should be encouraged (fairly sure this already goes on to be fair) but giving a 15 or 16 year old the responsibility of any game from U13 up is ridiculous. They're highly likely to be in school with the teams they're reffing and it puts crazy pressure on them. Imagine the abuse they'd take in school or online. None of them would want to put themselves out there.
Like I said, it needs a change of mindset. Why do U13 games have to be so competitive that they couldn’t show some respect to 15 or 16 year olds? You're talking primary school kids.
Sure it'd be a huge leap. But it would at least be a start to have them reffing Go Games, blitzes and the like. As you can see from the reaction here it is a big problem. And we definitely need a way of lowering the age profile.
Junior Q.F section A draw
Yesterday's match between Clara and Tullaroan was one of the most entertaining matches that I have been at this year and a credit to both teams. Clara had chances to win at the end of normal time but credit to Tullaroan for fighting back twice after conceding goals. Padraig Walsh was inspirational for Tullaroan ending up with 6 points and was the difference between the teams.
I thought that the Boro were slightly the better team but were sunk by a goal, possibly too many steps taken.
Not sure what happened the Bridge yesterday. Seemed to start extremely nervously and too many of their team who had played well this year never got into the game. Joey Cuddihy is finally showing some of the form that made him look like a good prospect at minor level. Could get a call into the county panel if he keeps playing well or is playing with an outstanding team makes him look good? Eoin Cody continuing in good form
Definitely more frustrating watching refs from the sidelines than it is playing! I have lots of sympathy with refs but hard to watch when your team is being reffed out of a game. In the game I was at this weekend the ref just kept playing until the other team equalised. There was over 7 minutes of injury time and the free count was hugely one way. The funny thing is he was much fairer in extra time but that was too late.
They must be reading.
Whomever suggested getting transition year students to ref an U15 game are you cracked? You can't have lads refereeing players the same age as them. Completely unfair. Even U13 are too old to have someone 15 or 16 reffing them in competitive action.
I found that while i was reffing, that the fee we were getting was used against us when a team, and their supporters , didnt like a decision against them. "the money you are on, you should get the calls right"...
Unless theres a recruitment drive by GAA , and junior football (soccer) also, there will be no improvements made in quality or quantity of refs to do games.
In junior soccer , its a massive problem too . Some schoolboy refs have to/choose to do 3 games on Sat + 3 games on a sunday.
Absoluteltly this would help but it really needs a fundamental mindset change in GAA. My suggestions
1. Absolute zero tolerance of back chat or verbal abuse. A la rugby. From kids u6 games up to Senior Inter County.
2. Get young players involved to referee juvenile games. I'm talking teenage / transition year age. All juvenile games up as far as 15s or Minor. And pay them well too.
3. Yes pay adult refs handsomely. And find incentives to entice high profile ex players away from their cushy commentary / analysis / podcasts etc to get involved. They tend to be among the most vocal critics yet I rarely see one stand up to the plate themselves.
Would it not be time now to pay referees €100 per match? I know referees can easily ref 5 or 6 matches per week but why not pay the €100. Would it encourage mere would be younger refs? Backing the refs to eject abusive mentors is also important. Im not talking about the giving out as all of us are guilty of that but blunt abuse from either side from the line should not be tolerated.
AT the match in Kilmanagh yesterday the verbal abuse the ref got from a Callan mentor was disgusting ignorance at its best he should have been told to leave the playing area children as young as five six listening to him.
Why was there only 1 stand open in the park yesterday? Bizarre with some restrictions still in place that everyone was being hunted into the same stand. Was like a cattle mart on entry yesterday as many had turned up without an online ticket and no entry without it.
The ticketing policy yesterday was ageist in my opinion, easy for all of us online now who can purchase and get entry on our smartphone but it alienates many elderly. What was the point of it all?
Agree with this, when you see some of the abuse that referees get on here (which could be considered mild compared to what they might receive from the stands), you would have to ask why anyone would even want to be a ref. So how can the county board get more involved. The game is so fast, and getting faster, that referees need to be able to run 10k over the course of the game to keep up with the game.
It's also a lose-lose situation for referees sometimes, as people want an open, entertaining game but will scream murder when they're not getting easy frees.
A number of years ago, it was suggested that there could be two referees on the pitch to marshall each half of the pitch, but this would lead to more issues and inconsistent refereeing, as well as being unsustainable with the lack of referees in the county. So what could be done to help referees? Is there any way to encourage younger referees and former players (such as John Mulhall) to get involved?
Re refs -
The people willing to ref just arent there. Simple as that. Same as other codes are struggling
Thats why theres so many old men, and or poor refs still reffing.
If there was more people willing to take up the whistle instead of standing on the sideline trying to referee every game they watch, and then hit the keyboard after games, then maybe that might help?
Grow up will you there was not a dirty stroke in the game any Boro player that went down with cramp or anything three lads were running in giving him the kiss off life.
Because the set up of the ccc is completely wrong.no system for refs to visible see how they can progress.tipperary have a system in place which kilkenny should be following but kk county board simply see refs as a necessary evil.they give refs no respect so that follows on to sidelines
Genuine question here (as you seem to be involved in refereeing). Why does it take so long for promising referees to get the bigger games? We had John Mulhall as referee at an underage game over 3 years ago and he is still the best referee we had in any game. I was expecting that by now he would be refereeing adult matches but all I've seen of him this year was doing the line at a Junior match. To me someone like that has all the attributes to make a good ref (played the game, knows the players, is as fit as most players and talks as he refs) so why does it take so long to promote him?
In the meantime we have referees still taking charge of underage games where he previously refereed underage games that the coaches played in!
I don't see how the comment above is insulting as it raises some valid points. Regarding why we're struggling to produce refs or ones at least able to keep up with the play. This may sound insulting but I don't mean to be be. But of the 4 games this week the first 2 didn't move out of the middle of the field with the guy in the tullaroan game very overweight. Do these guys train are there set standards. When I was playing if I turned up after not training or didn't move I wouldnt play the next day. The other 2 refs in nowlan Park were not a whole better.
I feel like giving the reply and the fact you felt it was insulting that you maybe involved in referring. Fair play if you are. Maybe you could elaborate on how referees are been let down by the county board. What support are there or should they there. Do referees actually train to suit the needs of a game. Or is it a case that they turn up and collect there €50. Seems as if its not just players the county board are letting down
Referees course is a 3 night course and then county board start appointing them to games.there is a rules test once a Yr and a fitness test that can't be failed.that is a system set up to fail.quick suggestions would be group training sessions and a buddy system were new refs would be helped for a Yr by a ref with 5yrs experience or more.fed back to refs from appropriate person on performance in a match not some one going to a cc meeting and slating refs after watching there own club
Like what? The lisdowney cornerback staying on the pitch so long when he should have been sent home with a full deck of red cards.
Was up in Thomastown last weekend at the OLG and Rower game and I thought the Rower would give them enough of it but they were completely outplayed. Lots of people I talked too earlier in the year picked the rower to go down and I can see why. Joe Lyng at 14 and Joyce at 3 look like lads that never played at a high level before even if they were hung out to dry. I’ve heard plenty of bad things about their management too so I fear for them. The only positive I took from that game was that that the 3 county lads were very big and obvious to pick out. Leahy was class at 12 the decision to move him to midfield was very strange. He hit 2 unreal scores and caught 4/5 balls and looked like his old self, confident and direct but not running into trouble. Paddy Deegan very good on the day playing in the forwards. OLG were very good on the day and backed it up with a good win yesterday.
Sadly the only senior game I saw today was the Ballyhale one. I think one Mullen played maybe? I couldn’t hear the commentary. Whatever anyone says about Colin Fennelly as a county hurler he is an absolutely brilliant club hurler, like Richie Reid and Joey Holden and I’d love to see him back in this year. He’ll be remembered as an extremely underrated hurler, even with KK was an absolutely workhorse when he was younger and always chipped in, apparently hard to handle too so I don’t know really. TJ’s position is prob FF,his skill and work rate and giving the ball to the best lad in the right position is second to none, what a hurler what teammate. I thought BB had a right chance today myself. If Ballyhale win the semi final they’ll win it out but it won’t be easy but as someone mentioned they’ve clutch players all over and know how to win and yet to be at 100%, typical!. With that being said James Stephans are the team to beat them and will give them everything like last year.
is that 3 league finals in a row for Thomastown does anyone know? I think their much better than glenmore but I thought the same last year. Glenmore have serious players but dropping Alan murphy from the frees was very silly. Not sure if true but somebody told me Thomastwon beat the Rapps the week before the Wexford county senior final, any truth in that does anybody know? Enjoying all grades this year, heard today Walter was back in the half back line/half sweeping for Tullagher the weekend. Big win for them as they were struggling. Love the club hurling.
Apologies if it came across like I was insulting referees, I thought I was asking genuine questions, some of which you've answered. As you've said, the referees are the most let down organisation in Kilkenny, and this probably means that the refs don't get the support they need. I don't know about the criteria at all and that's why I've put the question out there to possibly see how refereeing in Kilkenny can be improve. I have no doubt in my mind that the refs that are there are doing their best, but without proper support from the county board they could be falling short. As someone who is in the know, what suggestions would you have for improvements?
What do u know about refferring in kilkenny.what do u know about criteria in kilkenny.what do know about refs in kilkenny in regards to what makes an intercounty ref and how that relates to a club ref.did it ever occur to u that the referees are by far the most let down organisation in kilkenny by the county board.did u ever ask a referee how its run within the county or the difficulties they face #blame the ref because it covers up all ills
You raise an interesting argument about the standard of refereeing in Kilkenny. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Sean Cleere has been our only intercounty representative in the last 10 years. I think that says more about the standard in the county than anything. So, who are the top refs in Kilkenny at the moment and who could be considered inter county standard? Why are we struggling to produce referees that could be considered intercounty standard?
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