National Football League Discussion

Hammer Archer · 29-01-2022 9:58pm #1

Don't see any discussion thread for the league yet.

Earlier wins for Derry in division 2 over Down and Limerick over Longford in Division 3.

Armagh 9 up at half time and have been mostly comfortable during the second half, though a glimpse of hope for Dublin with a goal a while back. Uncharacteristically atrocious shooting by Dublin with 13 wides so far, particularly by Fenton.

ShamoBuc · 29-01-2022 10:44pm

Fantastic win for Armagh, fully deserved.

Fast long direct balls into the forwards while attacking while stacking the defence for defending. Worked very well for them.

Dublin were poor and will not look forward to travelling to Kerry next week.

Hammer Archer · 29-01-2022 10:54pm

Big result for London in division 4, beating Carlow in Dr. Cullen Park. More impressive given that it's their first competitive game in nearly two years.

cj maxx · 30-01-2022 3:43pm

You’d think the camera man at Donegal-Mayo game would be told to clean the rain off the bloody camera. Can’t see the game on tv

Mantis Toboggan · 30-01-2022 3:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118554832#Comment_118554832

It's awful you'd think they'd know to set up on the other side.

Fr Tod Umptious · 30-01-2022 4:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118554848#Comment_118554848

I'm not a TV OB engineer or anything but I don't think it's that simple.

Where are you going to mount a camera on top of that stand ?

Of all the games and highlights I've seen from Sligo I've never seen the camera face anything other than the stand, so I'm sure there is a valid reason for that.

They showed a shot of the main camera at HT, it was up on a platform and very exposed.

That's just the reality of the weather and the infrastructure at the vast majority of GAA grounds.

ShamoBuc · 30-01-2022 4:39pm

It was a pity about the camera position and the problems with the weather, but considering the lead they had and being a player up, Donegal should have closed that game out. Good draw for Mayo.

Kerry let a bit of a lead go aswell at the end, good result for Kildare.

Kerry v Dublin should be good next week.

Cork lose by 2 goals, poor again from them.

threeball · 30-01-2022 8:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118555098#Comment_118555098

The GAA continously give lip service to the league. The pitches in general aren't up to winter football or hurling. Zero camera facilities. And now on top of that it starts in almost February and ends in March.

So the most competitive competition is over before it even gets going. We really need to go to 3 divisions, invest in infrastructure and give the competition the respect it deserves.

The championship should go back to straight knockout to free up the space and probably only teams that finish the league in division one or two should be allowed play in it.

PTH2009 · 31-01-2022 9:09pm

Looking like another league that Dublin won't be winning but the results the past weekend were a little freakish giving the amount of draws

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater · 31-01-2022 10:52pm

Re camera facilities, I can remember seeing games on TV where the camera is drenched at so many county grounds, weirdly, they never seem to set up in the stand at a lot of places like Castlebar, Salthill, Killarney, Wexford and Tullamore off the top of my head. Must be a nightmare for the cameramen but it makes a game damn near impossible to watch when a gale is blowing half of the Atlantic in on top of you at a place like Pearse Stadium.

threeball · 02-02-2022 12:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118562502#Comment_118562502

Can't set up in the stand in most GAA stadiums as there's big stupid pillars in the way to obscure the view of the pitch. They invest nothing in customer experience either those that pay at the gate or those watching on TV.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater · 02-02-2022 1:44am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118568486#Comment_118568486

That's a fair point, the ones in Castlebar in particular are very annoying considering the stand is relatively new.

Say Your Number · 05-02-2022 8:43pm

When's the last time Dublin were 13 points down in ANY game.

potters ground · 05-02-2022 8:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118587859#Comment_118587859

Possibly/probably against kerry in 2009 .. 17 points that day

potters ground · 05-02-2022 8:50pm

retalivity · 05-02-2022 8:52pm

Dubs for Div2??

theoneeyedman · 05-02-2022 9:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118587912#Comment_118587912

Early days yet. They are way off where they need to be though.

These first 2 games can sometimes throw up strange and suspect results, with teams at different places with fitness etc. There is a break now, and then 2 consecutive games, we'll get a more real picture of where teams are after those 2 games.

Kerry got a run of scores in the second quarter, but Dublin had a few goal chances (good save, disallowed goal and a 2v1 butchered) that could have had a big bearing on the game, as well as the Black card which had a big bearing on the result.

There does seem to be something missing though, the players on the squad don't appear to be at the same level as before, and the coaching team is still very unproven. Be interesting to see if they can turn it around. They do have a bye in Leinster to get things right though, they can ease into the last 16 while working on things

theoneeyedman · 05-02-2022 11:15pm

Another decent result for Clare, and by all reports they left a point behind against Cork this evening.

A steady D2 team, deserve real credit for operating consistently at this level for several years in a dual/divided county. Second best team in Münster?

The_Kew_Tour · 06-02-2022 12:06am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118588612#Comment_118588612

Yes they are, but its not some sort of big achievement.

windy shepard henderson · 06-02-2022 4:00am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118588612#Comment_118588612

cork are huge into their tradition and that , they can really raise their game against the really big teams even when they are not going well , clare dont , clare play well and lose to the mayo's kerry's ect cork are still the best team in munster to challenge kerry in my opinion

tonight was probably a fair result when cork have mcguire and sherlock back from the bars they will start pulling up trees , we quietly argue in clare that this is our expected level of football anything else is a fail , people outside the county probably see us as weeker that

i would never see us as a divided county though , yeah we lose good footballers to hurling all the time it is expected , cleary fitzgearld malone and young shane meehan would be serious footballers all hurled tonight for clare

windy shepard henderson · 06-02-2022 4:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118587912#Comment_118587912

i dont think so ,but somthing in the camp is not right for sure

theoneeyedman · 06-02-2022 11:29am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118589231#Comment_118589231

Apologies if my 'divided' description is misconstrued, it is by no means meant as an insult or a jibe, a dual County is probably a better description. The divided was meant more in a geographical term, with a lot of football concentrated in the west traditionally. Clare are a solid D2 outfit, have been for years was my point, and seldom get the credit. Seems like every year when the predictions are being made pundits tip them to go down, but they are usually comfortably midtable and looking at threatening the top 2 more that the bottom 2

mightyreds · 06-02-2022 3:40pm

Armagh looking very very good again this week

theoneeyedman · 06-02-2022 4:57pm

Hilarity at the end, one straight red for Armagh, and FOUR straight reds for Tyrone!! Never saw the likes of it - nothing too serious happened just the now customary handbags/wrestling. I've never seen a ref react like that, not saying he was wrong or anything, but wow 😅

Division 2 progressing nice for Roscommon at present. Looking like 2/3 from Galway, Derry and Ross will go up, unless there is another bolter from. The pack.

crackity_jones · 06-02-2022 7:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118590947#Comment_118590947

This morning I saw this fixture was down for today and thought: "Hmmm, red card or two in that one, I'll wager."

5 of them was something else, even for these two loving neighbours.

I think the ref just lost patience with the constant BS throughout the game. Every other passage of place seemed to end with a player on the ground and an opposing player getting carded. Tyrone lost the heads during the "short tumult"* and Gough went red card crazy.

There will be appeals.

*https://twitter.com/TyroneGAALive/status/1490349487088451584?s=20&t=6dSyz46_BvZZIB6Jbl6GLw

theoneeyedman · 06-02-2022 7:57pm

There will be appeals surely.

The GAA has an issue with this wrestling and body slamming though. That schemozzle was typical, 20 plus lads pulling and dragging other, and not a blow thrown. Players have sussed they can grab and throw opponents to the ground, but if they don't strike they probably won't get sent off and won't be suspended (today was an exception with the sending offs). GAA need to give clear direction that this wrestling will not be tolerated. As well as being unseemly, the throwing to the ground and head locking lads to the floor is dangerous, and IMHO should result in a red card. It adds nothing to the game surely.

Swaine · 06-02-2022 8:00pm

Didn't spot one strike in that melee and yet he hands out 5 reds. Crazy stuff.

Say Your Number · 06-02-2022 8:01pm

Another win for London in Division 4, saw Sligo demolish Carlow, scoring 20 points in the second half with the aid of a strong wind, they played some nice football and seem to have turned a corner after a grim few years.

Xander10 · 06-02-2022 8:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118591649#Comment_118591649

It is annoying that this is tolerated in GAA and yes if refs handed out red cards consistently in such cases it might bring a welcome end to it.

Swaine · 06-02-2022 8:03pm

Conor Meyler on a yellow and clothes lined a player a few minutes later and the referee lets him away with it.

Gough lost the plot completely.

tanko · 06-02-2022 8:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118591649#Comment_118591649

Exactly, the usual pathetic refereeing from Gough. He shouldn’t referee another game after that display. I’d be surprised if they all don’t get off on appeal.

Xander10 · 06-02-2022 8:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118591682#Comment_118591682

He is better than Lane

crackity_jones · 06-02-2022 8:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118591633#Comment_118591633

I just saw the row there again on TG4 and in fairness to Gough it wasn't a "Feck this, they're all off" job. He kept a very close eye on the row as it progressed, consulted all of his officials, and took his time making his decisions. And as you have highlighted, I would say most of those reds were for this body-slam that has recently appeared in the game. Something fairly innocuous at first glance - these are very well trained, strong men - but one day it might result in a serious neck injury and then it will be taken seriously.

Like rugby, where there are so many camera angles you dare not strike with a closed fist, players in the GAA now know that so long as they don't punch anyone they run a very low risk of getting the line. So, as is the case in rugby, players have come up with new and imaginative ways to goad the opposition. I won't describe them. We all know what they are.

There'll be the usual chatter and bluster about this game in the days ahead and you'll probably hear the the age old "Ah, this isn't soccer we're playing!" and "Sure there wasn't a decent punch thrown in the whole thing!" as if that makes these melees acceptable.

tanko · 06-02-2022 8:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118591691#Comment_118591691

That’s not saying much.

Treble double · 06-02-2022 8:22pm

Exactly no strike, because players know they will be caught on camera and done. If lads thought they were in danger of getting a box they wouldn't be as quick to enter these pathetic looking pulling and dragging matches. You would be in more danger of getting a box coming out of the parish hall after bingo than in one of these unsightly capers.

06-02-2022 9:47pm

Looked like the umpires picked out one or two and the lino another one at least. Looked like one or two kicks or hits at lads on the ground too. Officials were right to let them at it and embarrass themselves, nothing to be gained by separating them.

Anyone who’s ever reffed has probably secretly dreamt about being able to line 5 lads up and show them all the red like that!

Jack C · 06-02-2022 10:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118591682#Comment_118591682

To me it was the behaviour of the players that was pathetic not the refereeing. I'm sick of this sort of sh*te in both football and maybe slightly lesser extent in hurling. Is this what we want our kids to emulate. If yellow and if necessary red cards were handed out quicker for any hint of this sort of stuff players might think twice before acting the boll*x. And never mind the tv analysts complaining that "the sending off ruined the game as a spectacle."

theoneeyedman · 06-02-2022 10:25pm

Referee needs to be supported bow though, the suspensions must all be upheld or else it's a farce,and ALL referees should give reds for similar incidents.

Swaine · 06-02-2022 10:37pm

Referee should be suspended.

ShamoBuc · 06-02-2022 11:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118592543#Comment_118592543

Why?

The ref is there to apply the rules. Contributing to a melee is a Red card offence.

They contributed and were given a red.

He took his time, consulated with his team and did what needed to be done.

I'm delighted the ref took that approach and I wish other refs would do similar in the future.

Those melee type situations need to be stopped, that's why the rule is there.

It will be interesting to see how the appeals will go, as from what I saw, they were guilty of breaking the rule.

enricoh · 06-02-2022 11:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118592543#Comment_118592543

Saw in the Twitter clip above one of the Armagh fellas in pain after getting thrown again the concrete kerb. It was only his back though - best to leave it until a fella gets the skull cracked open

ShamoBuc · 06-02-2022 11:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118592951#Comment_118592951

'..... but there were no punches thrown....' ... '....era t'was only handbags...'

dirkmeister · 06-02-2022 11:58pm

About time all this boll!x acting was cracked down on.

How supposed adults can act like that and yet it’s the referee getting all the grief on social media never ceases to amaze me.

Barlett · 07-02-2022 12:07am

Agreed , the fact that a ‘melee’ is still accepted as part of the game is laughable at this stage.

crackity_jones · 07-02-2022 12:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118592469#Comment_118592469

The problem is you'll see the red cards in a February league game. People will scream and shout about the unfairness of it all and come the Championship little will have changed. The GAA could stamp this out with refereeing like we saw today, but the question is will they follow through. The black card, after plenty of resistance, is now a very decent disciplinary tool at the refs' disposal which has rid the game of a lot of cynical behaviour. They could do the same with these dumb melees, but they need to ignore those who will be shouting loudest tomorrow morning.