Galway GAA discussion thread

MfMan · 03-08-2013 10:22PM

InchicoreDude wrote: »

Wouldnt agree with those years at all. For example in 2010, Galways panel simply was not as good as Kilkenny's or Tipp's. In 1996 / 1997, Galway would not have had the same calibre of player as the Clare team in that era.

I think you have a point that players in Galway are perhaps not developed correctly. They actually talked a little about this on Championship Matters 2 weeks ago (more about football than hurling).

However, in my opinion, you are very much over-estimating how good the Galway panel have been over the last few years.

A moot point, but they were distinctly unlucky in '97. Had played well all league but crucially lost Mike Coleman to injury in the dying minutes of the last match v Offaly that ended his year. They came in cold v KK, a team who had already played a number of games and from Munster / Leinster that had the advantage of the back door not available to Connacht/Ulster teams, in Thurles in the c'ship. Dominated for a lot of the game but left Nigel Shaughnessy for far too long on DJ, who waltzed through taking obligatory 10 steps for a goal or two. Sideline lost that game very very badly. Hard luck on a team that were gelling well and had good forwards. If I had Phelim or Joe McDonagh that day I would have throttled them for accepting the back door rule that disadvantaged Galway even worse than before.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero · 04-08-2013 01:56AM

AngeGal wrote: »

Yeah I seen him playing for Mellows last year, he played fairly well but didn't look in the best of shape.

He's a doctor afaik, wouldn't have much time to train I suppose. There's another inter-county player who's a doctor, can't remember who though, think it may be a Tipp footballer.

grenache · 04-08-2013 02:14AM

THFC wrote: »

He's a doctor afaik, wouldn't have much time to train I suppose. There's another inter-county player who's a doctor, can't remember who though, think it may be a Tipp footballer.

Stephen Lucey of Limerick is a doctor.

Browney7 · 04-08-2013 11:37AM

grenache wrote: »

Stephen Lucey of Limerick is a doctor.

And scarily he managed to play hurling and football side by side for years

Starie1975 · 06-08-2013 11:03PM

I posted this up on the supporters website, though I'd share it with you guys.

Senior Football Championship
Saturday 10th Aug both at 7 PM
Tuam Stadium Killererin vs Cortoon Shamrocks
Pearse Stadium Annaghdown vs St Michael's

Sunday 11th Aug 2013
3 30 PM Duggan Park Caltra vs Mountbellew/Moylough
4 15 PM Pearse Stadium An Cheathrú Rua vs Naomh Anna, Leitir Móir
6 00 PM Pearse Stadium Corofin vs N.U.I Galway
6 00 PM Tuam Stadium Tuam Stars vs Salthill-Knocknacarra

Saturday 17th Aug both at 7 PM

Tuam Stadium Kilkerrin-Clonberne vs St. James
Pearse Stadium Cárna-Caiseal vs Milltown

Sunday 18th Aug 2013

4 00 PM Pearse Stadium Moycullen vs lossers of Killererin & Cortoon Shamrocks
6 15 PM Tuam Stadium Kilconly vs winners of Killererin & Cortoon Shamrocks

InchicoreDude · 06-08-2013 11:52PM

Starie1975 wrote: »

I posted this up on the supporters website, though I'd share it with you guys.

Senior Football Championship
Saturday 10th Aug both at 7 PM
Tuam Stadium Killererin vs Cortoon Shamrocks
Pearse Stadium Annaghdown vs St Michael's

Sunday 11th Aug 2013
3 30 PM Duggan Park Caltra vs Mountbellew/Moylough
4 15 PM Pearse Stadium An Cheathrú Rua vs Naomh Anna, Leitir Móir
6 00 PM Pearse Stadium Corofin vs N.U.I Galway
6 00 PM Tuam Stadium Tuam Stars vs Salthill-Knocknacarra

Saturday 17th Aug both at 7 PM

Tuam Stadium Kilkerrin-Clonberne vs St. James
Pearse Stadium Cárna-Caiseal vs Milltown

Sunday 18th Aug 2013

4 00 PM Pearse Stadium Moycullen vs lossers of Killererin & Cortoon Shamrocks
6 15 PM Tuam Stadium Kilconly vs winners of Killererin & Cortoon Shamrocks

Why are those 2 matches on the 17th? Why not put them on a week earlier and then have another full round on the weekend o the 17th/18th?

Starie1975 · 07-08-2013 09:13AM

InchicoreDude wrote: »

Why are those 2 matches on the 17th? Why not put them on a week earlier and then have another full round on the weekend o the 17th/18th?

Agreed!
It's looking like NUIG are finding it hard to get 15 players for the match vs Corofin. An SOS has been sent out via the Facebook page.

antoobrien · 07-08-2013 09:31AM

InchicoreDude wrote: »

Why are those 2 matches on the 17th? Why not put them on a week earlier and then have another full round on the weekend o the 17th/18th?

Because the clubs involved were told almost 3 months ago that's when they'd be playing their next match.

InchicoreDude · 07-08-2013 10:49AM

Will there be extra time played in these games if its a draw???

Big Pussy Bonpensiero · 07-08-2013 12:37PM

Massive game in Tuam between Tuam and Salthill, repeat of last years final. Would expect Tuam to win that one though, should have the hunger to pull them through.

Fireball07 · 09-08-2013 12:37AM

Your minor hurlers... good/bad/indifferent? How would they compare to other years?

Always hard to tell with Galway, but would you fancy your chances of beating us? Decent win against Laois, 9 points... okay, Kilkenny beat them by more, but how was the performance?

audman · 09-08-2013 12:46AM

Fireball07 wrote: »

Your minor hurlers... good/bad/indifferent? How would they compare to other years?

Always hard to tell with Galway, but would you fancy your chances of beating us? Decent win against Laois, 9 points... okay, Kilkenny beat them by more, but how was the performance?

To be honest I really can't be accurate in that I have only seen them play against Laois. I know it was their first game but I didn't know much about them before the game. Laois seemed up for it where as Galway never really seemed to go past first gear. When it was close going in to maybe the final third Galway just seemed to up the gear and gradually pulled away with it without ever reaching full throttle. That's my view on it anyway. I could be completely wrong but that's the way I seen it.

Utopia Parkway · 09-08-2013 03:31AM

Fireball07 wrote: »

Your minor hurlers... good/bad/indifferent? How would they compare to other years?

Always hard to tell with Galway, but would you fancy your chances of beating us? Decent win against Laois, 9 points... okay, Kilkenny beat them by more, but how was the performance?

Very hard to tell. You never really know how good or bad they are until the semi-final at least. They usually win the quarter-final fairly handily. Don't usually see very many poor Galway minor teams but obviously some are better than others.

Diabhal Beag · 10-08-2013 08:39PM

I know Kenny going is not breaking news but HS said that it was rumoured that Cunningham handed in a resignation after the Dublin match. Anybody know how true it is?

http://www.hoganstand.com/Galway/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=198461

Syferus · 10-08-2013 09:17PM

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

I know Kenny going is not breaking news but HS said that it was rumoured that Cunningham handed in a resignation after the Dublin match. Anybody know how true it is?

http://www.hoganstand.com/Galway/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=198461

Real pity if true and it would make him resigning now nearly an inevitability. It's unfortunate things went so pear-shaped this year. AC is still a fine manager and an even finer man, were it not his work with Brigids I can assure you they wouldn't have been climbing the Hogan Stand on Paddy's Day. I'd still like to see him have a shot managing our senior footballers if he was interested in the job.

The rot in Galway hurling clearly extends far beyond one manager or even one panel. Ye should have been able to capitalise on a weakened championship this year after last year but it just didn't happen.

It's an imperfect comparison but look at how unified and focused Mayo were after last year's AI final loss, it helped drive them to a new level whereas in Galway a combination of politics and hangover killed any momentum built up last year. It's night and day.

I hope Galway can get it right because whatever about the talent being there to win an AI, the talent is at least there to be better than this.

11-08-2013 12:04AM

Starie1975 wrote: »

Agreed!
It's looking like NUIG are finding it hard to get 15 players for the match vs Corofin. An SOS has been sent out via the Facebook page.

It really is ridiculous they are in the championship at all. They were unlucky one year in getting to the semi where Killererin won it in PJ time and went on to overall success but they haven't looked too bothered most years or can't get their best players together. If they are going to be in the championship they should be subject to relegation to intermediate like all other sides. A Corofin side with a point to prove and with strong competition for places will obliterate them.

11-08-2013 12:19AM

Here we are again discussing the management situation in Galway while the big prizes are being played for with Galway once again having a watching brief. To make it even more difficult to swallow this years top prize is being played out by the teams who like Galway would have been regarded among the also-rans.

Really while management have to take a certain amount of blame for how 2013 went, it can't continue to be the management's fault every year. Having said that, I don't think Kenny is any loss to the Galway setup. Fair play to him for his efforts the last couple of years but the mindless tactics we witnessed against Clare (in particular in the 1st half) and at critical junctures throughout the past two years had his fingerprints all over it.

I don't really want to see another management change but the performances this year have been so flat, gutless and the gameplan so incoherent that you'd wonder whether the present management team could possibly turn things around in 2014.

Micheal Donoghue is being touted but he could do with building a bit more experience on the sideline before going into the minefield of the Galway job.

Really its up to the players to stand up and be counted. All the supporters ask is for the players selected to do themselves and the county justice and that hasn't happened often enough in recent years.

O.A.P · 11-08-2013 12:26AM

Syferus wrote: »

Real pity if true and it would make him resigning now nearly an inevitability. It's unfortunate things went so pear-shaped this year. AC is still a fine manager and an even finer man, were it not his work with Brigids I can assure you they wouldn't have been climbing the Hogan Stand on Paddy's Day. I'd still like to see him have a shot managing our senior footballers if he was interested in the job.

The rot in Galway hurling clearly extends far beyond one manager or even one panel. Ye should have been able to capitalise on a weakened championship this year after last year but it just didn't happen.

It's an imperfect comparison but look at how unified and focused Mayo were after last year's AI final loss, it helped drive them to a new level whereas in Galway a combination of politics and hangover killed any momentum built up last year. It's night and day.

I hope Galway can get it right because whatever about the talent being there to win an AI, the talent is at least there to be better than this.

I agree with you and I hope he stays put. The problem in Galway hurling is higher up the chain, as has been said here already.
What more can we do or say its not easy to turn our backs (my back) on a sport I love because my team refuse to be a team.

MfMan · 11-08-2013 12:53AM

O.A.P wrote: »

I agree with you and I hope he stays put. The problem in Galway hurling is higher up the chain, as has been said here already.
What more can we do or say its not easy to turn our backs (my back) on a sport I love because my team refuse to be a team.

Maybe, but who 'higher up the chain' plays or is directly involved with the team? I think problems, perceived or otherwise, with Galway hurling officials really are overstated. The board, for as little as I know of them, seem ok, Joe Byrne in particular appears to be a progressive sort. The championship structure, despite the inflated number of senior clubs (which is the fault of the clubs themselves), is very competitive. For years, fans have been screeching about not holding up the local championship for the national one a-la Cork and KK. When the board refuses to hold up the championship in spite of management wishes they seem to get castigated again.

Of course, management too often appears to be changed on a whim, but the performance and almost sheer ineptness of them these year makes their tenure very difficult to persist with.

O.A.P · 11-08-2013 01:53AM

MfMan wrote: »

Maybe, but who 'higher up the chain' plays or is directly involved with the team? I think problems, perceived or otherwise, with Galway hurling officials really are overstated. The board, for as little as I know of them, seem ok, Joe Byrne in particular appears to be a progressive sort. The championship structure, despite the inflated number of senior clubs (which is the fault of the clubs themselves), is very competitive. For years, fans have been screeching about not holding up the local championship for the national one a-la Cork and KK. When the board refuses to hold up the championship in spite of management wishes they seem to get castigated again.

Of course, management too often appears to be changed on a whim, but the performance and almost sheer ineptness of them these year makes their tenure very difficult to persist with.

0

Toplink · 12-08-2013 04:08PM

So it sounds like AC is staying on...

Rumours floating around that Dinny Cahill is the favorite to get involved.

One wonders if Cunningham and Helebert can turn this ship around after the farce that was 2013. I see the Waterford panel had a meeting Michael Ryan and had a voted to get rid of him. Harsh but at least they are showing leadership.

Did our lads get a chance to air their views I wonder?

Moral must be at an all time low within the squad with all the recent squabbling on and off the pitch.

AC needs to lay down a few laws methinks. Questions is... Is he too close to the players to do this?

Syferus · 12-08-2013 05:06PM

Toplink wrote: »

So it sounds like AC is staying on...

Rumours floating around that Dinny Cahill is the favorite to get involved.

One wonders if Cunningham and Helebert can turn this ship around after the farce that was 2013. I see the Waterford panel had a meeting Michael Ryan and had a voted to get rid of him. Harsh but at least they are showing leadership.

Did our lads get a chance to air their views I wonder?

Moral must be at an all time low within the squad with all the recent squabbling on and off the pitch.

AC needs to lay down a few laws methinks. Questions is... Is he too close to the players to do this?

After the sorts of reports of their behaviour this season I doubt they deserve the opportunity. If you're going to give AC it in the neck the players deserve just as much of a bollicking.

Red Pepper · 12-08-2013 08:18PM

Is it true the St Thomas' lads drove down to Semple instead of taking the team bus?

Toplink · 12-08-2013 09:19PM

Syferus wrote: »

After the sorts of reports of their behaviour this season I doubt they deserve the opportunity. If you're going to give AC it in the neck the players deserve just as much of a bollicking.

Dont worry, I know there is plenty blame on both sides here. Its shambolic.

Yes I heard about the separate cars to thurles too. Also heard there was an altercation on a night out during race week between 2 of our esteemed panel.

Can AC curb this bull****? IS he too close to the Thomases lads? Are the Portumna equal culprits in this.

Might be time to make a few big calls.

InchicoreDude · 12-08-2013 09:35PM

Red Pepper wrote: »

Is it true the St Thomas' lads drove down to Semple instead of taking the team bus?

If that is true, then they should have been told to stay at home. I have no affinity to any hurling team. But that kind of carry on just isn't good enough.

WallyGUFC · 13-08-2013 01:49AM

Toplink wrote: »

Dont worry, I know there is plenty blame on both sides here. Its shambolic.

Yes I heard about the separate cars to thurles too. Also heard there was an altercation on a night out during race week between 2 of our esteemed panel.

Can AC curb this bull****? IS he too close to the Thomases lads? Are the Portumna equal culprits in this.

Might be time to make a few big calls.

Drop the lot of them if that's the case. Get in 15 lads that are willing to pull together and not bitch and moan amongst themselves. It clearly worked for the footballers, who did not have the 15 best available footballers in the county against Cork, but seriously pulled together. Natural talent will only get you so far if you're a lazy s**t with no pride in the jersey who's more worried about a petty club dispute. Drop them all.

13-08-2013 12:41PM

Have to say I'm sick to my teeth of our hurlers and travelling the country seeing the same gutless exits.

In fairness to our footballers bar the Mayo game the losses have generally been 1-3 points(mainly 1 point) while the hurlers have been beaten out the gate far too many times in recent memory.

Won't be happy to hear Cunningham stays on and that's not to do with performances this year but the mear fact that he's presided over a situation where infighting has developed.

If both stories are true in relation to St.Thomas's(and the 7s is) players it shows he continues to let them away with murder since they're his home club.
No manager should preside over our hurlers if the petty squabbles of club hurling are allowed to continue and develop within the squad.

First port of call next season should be to hold open trials for an lads playing senior or intermediate hurling.
Last years squad not above turning up. Anyone who doesn't show, let them head off and take any of the infighters with them.
If they don't want to hurl for their county then they can head off and dream about playing in an AI club final with 7k and where the squads are forgotten within a year outside of their small parish.
Real legends are created in county hurling(you only have to head around the county to see the footballers of 1998 hanging with pride on many walls).
The only player I could say who's shown pride in wearing the jersey over the past few years has been Damien Hayes. There are some winners in the squad(i.e they want to win, so give 100% no matter what jersey they wear) but he's the only player you could say seems to have pride in his county.

The second change needs to be our attacking structure, if we continue to use some hybrid rotating system, then we'll continue to see balls pucked down the wings into the corners to free opposition defenders. We've given so many ball away due to poor structure since the LF2012 it beggers belief that no effort was made to change this obvious flaw.

And lastly and this can't be overlooked as a moot point.... CANNING ON FREE'S.
Joe's free taking since the drawn AI last year has been to put it bluntly pathetic.
He went from a machine who would rarely miss, the best in the country to probably the worst free taker from any of the LMcC teams.
He missed a gimie in the AI drawn game with 3 minutes to go that could have seen us going for a winner instead of a draw.
He missed one or two against Dublin including the Hawk Eye reversal.
And he missed about 5 against Clare when on past form I'd have taken him off after his second miss.
We got Clare back to 3 points, all those missed free's and we could have been level or ahead and who knows where we'd be going this weekend.
It's easy to overlook them and say we lost by 6, but it's easier for the opposition to rise up when your free taker is missing simple shots and letting ye back on the attack.

Someone on the line should have had the balls to take the free's off him after his second miss, we let him play himself out of confidence. His reputation certainly exceeded him in the persistence to let him take the frees.
We can't seem to get C.Cooney up to speed and maybe this would be a great way, he's equally as good a free taker(well from Cannings current level he's 10 times better)

13-08-2013 01:00PM

On another note it seems the Galway Hurling Forum has been pulled, been down for about two weeks now.

No doubt there was loads of personal insults to players and management thrown out that brought the site into legal problems.

The fact the site was unmoderated only compounded matters, was actually close to applying for the thing myself given the amount of trolling and fighting that was going on the past while.

Shame to see.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero · 13-08-2013 01:45PM

gilberto_eire wrote: »

On another note it seems the Galway Hurling Forum has been pulled, been down for about two weeks now.

No doubt there was loads of personal insults to players and management thrown out that brought the site into legal problems.

The fact the site was unmoderated only compounded matters, was actually close to applying for the thing myself given the amount of trolling and fighting that was going on the past while.

Shame to see.

That website was a joke, little to no moderation with plenty of personal insults stretching back a while now, it was only a matter of time before it was taken down.

Great first post though, agree with everything. A big change is needed in Galway hurling before any progress is to made. I was a big fan of AC but his Thomas' bias was his Achilles heel, it has resulted in the depressing state inter-county hurling is now in. He has to go, no questions or doubts about it. It's a shame, because I think he is a very good manager, he'll do well at other counties, no doubt about it, in either code. There will be teams lining up for him when he leaves the Galway position.

Toplink · 13-08-2013 02:08PM

THFC wrote: »

He has to go, no questions or doubts about it. It's a shame, because I think he is a very good manager, he'll do well at other counties, no doubt about it, in either code.

Do you really think a good manager would have allowed James Skehill to play the AI final replay last year?

Do you really think a good manager would have allowed his lieutenants to step out of line?

Would a good manager allow his home club to cloud his vision for the county team?

Galway GAA discussion thread

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