Dublin GAA Discussion Thread - Capital Punishment

Powerhouse wrote: »

It'd be a shame for Dublin to be playing out the final stages of such a potentially monumental championship while such a player watches on. It is yet another sign of a manager (and person) of exceptional substance in Jim Gavin that he doesn't act all hard and decide that Dublin don't need Connolly. Diarmuid will be more content in his old age as a result of this, and Dublin will have no 'what ifs?'. Everyone a winner I think.

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Could he not have walked back into the squad anytime in the past 12 months.

haha yeah.
What has happened is that he wanted to cash in America again, but since that option went suddenly - Dublin was in Croke Park steward parlance 'Plan B'.

Dublin are basically a last resort for Connolly, and he probably thought to himself 'I will be hanging around anyway. I might as well go back sure the weather is even nicer than America - the money is not as good though!'

There is no sense of a mystical 'what if' thing from Connolly regarding Dublin - I would say it is more of a 'what if' for him about his American visa!

Tombo2001 wrote: »

I think to be fair to Gavin - he gave it the importance it deserves, which in my view is not much.

You wouldn't know with Gavin. I thought it was quite deliberately slipped in. He knows what Connolly can do. He is also not tuned out to what the fans think of it all.

There is no doubt that he was treated appallingly by certain eejit pundits who had their own agendas and Connolly is not one who likes that attention.

I'm glad he is back and that he won't have the what if regrets when he gets older, at the very least.

Tombo2001 wrote: »

I think to be fair to Gavin - he gave it the importance it deserves, which in my view is not much.

The media will hype it up to the 9s, as Connolly is box office; but in my view the Dublin fanbase would be doing the team a big disservice by making Connolly out as some returning prodigal. Its an outstanding team with or without him.

I do get the sense sometimes with Dublin fans that they haven't progressed in line with the teams progression - booing the Cork free taker was a bit pathetic.

Much more relevant from Saturday was the phenomenal performance by Jack McCaffrey.

Much more interesting is the Dean Rock / Costello tactical decision.

I don't see much chat about it here but the team seems to have changed quite a bit - as things stand - from last year.

Eoin Murchan hasn't had a decent run out. McCarthy didn't start, Cooper and Rock didn't start...…

There is quite a bit of flux in the team.

Ya I'm actually more interested to see how Gavin deals with the Costello / Rock situation.

Costello was poor last day out missed few frees as well his general game was off for first time this season. Rock has made two sub appearances and been brilliant so I think he deserves a chance against Roscommon. It might do Costello no harm to start on the bench.

My only issue would be I think on his day Costello does bit more work on and off the ball. He has a higher ceiling for what he can do during a game scoring wise.

Last season Rock was going missing in a lot of games you would see him step up to take a free and forget he was even playing. I think the break has done him no harm.

Overall I think both are huge players for Dublin. Rock is a very intelligent level headed player and has been vital to Dublin over last few years in us winning so much.

Costello is deadly on form and he's really matured and pushed on in the team.

How does Gavin fit them both in without someone losing out though?

Dublin have some serious quality off the pitch as well as on and using it at right time is gonna play big part this season.

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

In fairness McCathey and Cooper were recovering from injury lay offs.
I think they will be back in sooner rather than later.
Rock did not start because of Costello's form.
But it looks like that Rock will win his place back after the last day.
Murchan is a good point - Philly seems to be pushing to win his place.

I think the Media badly need something to talk about - they do not seem to have a real top class 'Dublin rival' to write about. So the Connolly story is mana from heaven for them.

At least it will not be as bad as the time Ray Cosgrove was given the '007 treatment' by a tabloid back in 2002.
It got really silly.

As for booing the Cork freetaker. There is always an 'element' that travels on the hill that are prone to that type of thing.
And because Dublin have a larger support than most the 'element' is magnified.

Maybe so - if Dublin get to the final, then there are just four games left - with each game of increasing importance.

They will both have to start one of the super 8 games in my view.

Dirkziggler wrote: »

You think DC is only capable of being an impact Sub?

Dermot is fit as a fiddle and will get up to championship standard In no time. If the powers that be take a step back and allow him play football he will blow teams away

No I don't see him starting.
Who would you leave out? (assuming DC gets back to full championship fitness)
The Dublin forwards currently pick themselves bar the Costello/Rock rotation.
It would be awful hard to pick a fella to drop at the moment.

Tombo2001 wrote:

I do get the sense sometimes with Dublin fans that they haven't progressed in line with the teams progression - booing the Cork free taker was a bit pathetic.

That happens at any important GAA game with a big crowd, young lads gather in groups, it's never going to stop, it's not something that will go away imo. Too many fairweather supporters in the GAA across the board.

I don't do it, but did when I was younger. I remember at the 91 replays against Meath both sets of supporters at it, it was almost your duty, that's how it feels on the hill.

In the stand with your wife and kids, not so much.

It's always a good way to drop in pathetic and disappointing into a conversation. When it loses its universal stamp across all support bases and is identified as only coming from one set, we are in pathetic territory alright.

TBH it's part of being a good free taker.
The fist up to the Dublin supporters after the penno was scored was an up yours type gesture, and fair play to him.

IMO the GAA is different to other sports here, players don't get penalised for gesturing to opposition fans, it's a reward for all the abuse they get.

All those older Kerry and Meath lads have written about the joy of scoring into the hill when it's hopping.

https://twitter.com/RoyCurtis68/status/1150443250282651651

gormdubhgorm wrote:

No I don't see him starting. Who would you leave out? (assuming DC gets back to full championship fitness) The Dublin forwards currently pick themselves bar the Costello/Rock rotation. It would be awful hard to pick a fella to drop at the moment.

I agree.
Fenton and Howard have softened the loss of Flynn and Connelly. I think some of Connellys best contributions to Dublin have been his ability on the ball, showing kickouts etc. With MDMA and Bastic, Flynn and Connelly were often the ones that fielded the ball for Dublin.

His runs into space for the rapid kickout, all good stuff. His scoring has not been as important. Particularly against good Kerry teams he's collected a lot of ball.

Howard does a lot of that now, plus a little bit of fullback stuff, but he does not make the passes Connelly can. He runs it better though.

I think Connelly can play in packed defenses too, better than most.

corny wrote:

Why are Irish people so precious about booing? Whats the big deal?

Depends who's doing it Corny.

It doesn't become your average GAA supporter the behaviour is****

Disappointing,
Uneducated,
Uncivilized,
Similar to soccer hooligans,
Associated with common people,
Due to poor patenting,
From people from large families,
Huge families where you had to scream for food
Small houses, no land
Dirty houses
Dirty loud houses
Dirty bastxrds!!



Up the Dubs !!!


**** Excludes when the mass of their fans show up in the one place and do the same thing.

corny wrote: »

Why are Irish people so precious about booing? Whats the big deal?

That is a very good question actually.
In South American soccer they would have no problem with it.
Maybe it is because Ireland is a strong rugby country and there is a large crossover with the GAA?
No booing there complete silence - could never imagine that culture at a GAA game. The freetaker would have more chance of missing if that happened - could freak him out!

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

That is a very good question actually.
In South American soccer they would have no problem with it.
Maybe it is because Ireland is a strong rugby country and there is a large crossover with the GAA?
No booing there complete silence - could never imagine that culture at a GAA game. The freetaker would have more chance of missing if that happened - could freak him out!

Aussie rules they set up behind the goal with huge flags to distract the kickers eye line.

I've a feeling Connolly wont get too many minutes anyway, if im being honest.

Has he played well for Vincent since he came back from Boston??

Stoner wrote: »

That happens at any important GAA game with a big crowd, young lads gather in groups, it's never going to stop, it's not something that will go away imo. Too many fairweather supporters in the GAA across the board.

I don't do it, but did when I was younger. I remember at the 91 replays against Meath both sets of supporters at it, it was almost your duty, that's how it feels on the hill.

In the stand with your wife and kids, not so much.

It's always a good way to drop in pathetic and disappointing into a conversation. When it loses its universal stamp across all support bases and is identified as only coming from one set, we are in pathetic territory alright.

TBH it's part of being a good free taker.
The fist up to the Dublin supporters after the penno was scored was an up yours type gesture, and fair play to him.

IMO the GAA is different to other sports here, players don't get penalised for gesturing to opposition fans, it's a reward for all the abuse they get.

All those older Kerry and Meath lads have written about the joy of scoring into the hill when it's hopping.

I think you've illustrated my point to be honest.

Dublin vs Meath in the early 1990s were two genuine rivals - equals - going head to head.

No one is going into the game on Saturday evening thinking Cork are going to win. FFS, Cork looked like they had less than a thousand supporters there so shows how much confidence there was in their camp.

Its unlikely Dublin are going to win by less than ten points.

This was not a game between equals, and everyone knew it.

On top of that, Dublin fans were outnumbering Cork fans by 10 to 1.

And then - on top of that again - to also be jeering their free-taker?

Sorry - it just doesn't sit well.

As I said, Dublin fans haven't matured the way the team has matured; they need to cop on and cut that crap out.

CatInABox wrote:

In fairness to Cork supporters, there was two Cork games on this weekend, and not many can afford to go to two in one weekend these days.

Without going too much off thread,

Not allowing a double header was bad form IMO, for the Cork supporters but particularly for the Cork football team, the players.

They have been getting stuck in and a double header would have shown that to some Cork people.

CatInABox wrote: »

Was at the Connacht final back in 2010, Donie Shine lining up a free to win it for Roscommon, last kick of the game stuff, boos and jeers coming from all the Sligo supporters around the park. Sounded incredibly loud, but he stroked it over anyway.

All counties do it. It's been going on for decades. Seems it's only a problem when one county does it though. The phrase pearl-clutching comes to mind.

I wont try to defend the above, but I will say its a completely different situation.

Sligo win a Connaught title, that's a massive win for them. Its the last kick of the game.

The game the other day, there was little or nothing riding on the Cork free. It was just pure pettiness, trying to ridicule the guy.

Stoner wrote: »

Without going too much off thread,

Not allowing a double header was bad form IMO, for the Cork supporters but particularly for the Cork football team, the players.

They have been getting stuck in and a double header would have shown that to some Cork people.

CatInABox wrote: »

In fairness to Cork supporters, there was two Cork games on this weekend, and not many can afford to go to two in one weekend these days.

One of the few times I agree with Joe Brolly - even that little fecker said they should have had that Dublin game on the same day as the Cork v KK hurling match as a double header.
It was madness not to do it.

Squareball wrote: »

What a smart man our Jim is…..Drops the news of Connelly’s return and now the media will be in a frenzy for a couple of weeks………..Another two weeks with little talk about the “drive for five”.

Listening to all the pundits today all singing from the same hymn sheet, ie, 'the lads already there and putting in the graft will feel disgruntled, etc etc etc if Connolly is brought back in'.

And then I thought, none of these same pundits had any concerns for 'the lads already there and putting in the graft etc etc ...', when Rory O Carroll was brought back in.