Roscommon GAA Discussion Thread

rossie1977 · 19-08-2011 7:06pm

finns been superb all season though, was great in the minor league where he started every game and played really well against new york and then got dropped

four of our starting forwards don't score enough thats pretty clear looking back, finn has a total of 4-11 this season, compare that to liam conlon who has scored a total of 0-1 and he starts in the forwards

if tipp hold donnie smith roscommon are in massive trouble from open play imo

wow sierra · 19-08-2011 7:43pm

sendit wrote: »

Are the Roscommon minor & Under 21 hurlers playing the the B Championships this year? There normanly strong enough

Under 21 Hurlers playing Kerry tomorrow in All Ireland B semi final - 2pm in Toomevara, Tipp.

Minors playing final V Meath Saturday 27th - don't know venue.

nice_guy80 · 19-08-2011 9:08pm

a lot of GAA teams are realising the value of having quality fresh players to come in and change a game, especially when the opponent you come in to mark is tiring

Syferus · 22-08-2011 2:00pm

So we lost. Starting slow caught up with us yesterday, it took us about 40 minutes to get a handle on the game and from then on we were by far the superior side but you just can't give teams of Tipp's quality a 40 minute spot before kicking into gear. The determination it took for us to battle back after conceding that goal right after half-time was heart-warming, Tipp had drawn back everyone to defend afterwards and we still were able to pass our way to scores and opportunities.

I can't be too disappointed, this minor team have represented the county with real pride and skill this year and a good few of the key players will be there to have another stab at it next year. The saddest part is I still think this team was very capable of winning an All-Ireland but that's history now, all the players can do now is use that disappointment to feed into next season, be it at minor or u-21 level.

yop · 22-08-2011 2:12pm

No 4 had a great game I thought and the No 13 was excellent. Just a lot of mistakes and nerves but a good side them. Good to see "new" teams like Ros and Tipp coming through.
Great support up there from Ros.

Syferus · 22-08-2011 2:17pm

yop wrote: »

No 4 had a great game I thought and the No 13 was excellent. Just a lot of mistakes and nerves but a good side them. Good to see "new" teams like Ros and Tipp coming through.
Great support up there from Ros.

Don't know how 'new' it is, though! Both Roscommon and Tipp have been at here or here abouts at minor level for about half a decade, Roscommon even beat Tipp on the way to the 2006 All-Ireland title.

yop · 22-08-2011 2:25pm

Read something in the program it been outside of the normal teams in semis, God knows, must have mis-read it!

Syferus · 22-08-2011 2:57pm

yop wrote: »

Read something in the program it been outside of the normal teams in semis, God knows, must have mis-read it!

It was Tipp's first since 1984 alright but it'd be wrong-headed for this to be framed as a novel pairing in the context of what both counties have been doing at underage for quite some time now.

rossie1977 · 22-08-2011 7:08pm

yop wrote: »

Read something in the program it been outside of the normal teams in semis, God knows, must have mis-read it!

i had to laugh at that article in yesterdays program, they said tyrone, cork, kerry and i think mayo were regulars at this stage last few years and basically stated roscommon and tipp were newbies even though cork have only reached one minor semi final since 2002 and that was last year and roscommon won minor in 2006, contested 3 quarters since (only losing to eventual champions galway in 2007 and tyrone in 2008)

onto ydays match, the warning signs were there in the armagh game and like i said the other week tipp would take their chances if presented then unlike armagh, i think our lads left in behind in connacht, they clearly didn't show the bite, drive and determination last two games they showed in june and july, once again we were destroyed in midfield after totally dominating midfield against mayo and galway, the tactic of kicking it into the corner in the first half was daft and every time the tipp lad won, shannon waited far to long to make the changes, kelly should have been taken off at half-time, sweeney needed to come on earlier and donnie smith should have been playing through the middle

Mountainlad · 22-08-2011 8:23pm

Well Tipp are relatively new. Also, Ian Fahey is about 6'6 maybe an inch smaller, no less. Winning high ball against him was always going to be difficult.

Syferus · 22-08-2011 8:48pm

Mountainlad wrote: »

Well Tipp are relatively new. Also, Ian Fahey is about 6'6 maybe an inch smaller, no less. Winning high ball against him was always going to be difficult.

Agreeed. I think our real failing in midfield was letting some of the breaking ball be mopped up by the Tipp middle third.

Mountainlad · 22-08-2011 9:54pm

Syferus wrote: »

Agreeed. I think our real failing in midfield was letting some of the breaking ball be mopped up by the Tipp middle third.

Missed a good bit of the second half, but from what I saw of it first half, Tipp seemed to be moving the ball quicker. That made a big difference, and that the ball wasn't used wisely by Roscommon early on.

Syferus · 22-08-2011 10:13pm

Mountainlad wrote: »

Missed a good bit of the second half, but from what I saw of it first half, Tipp seemed to be moving the ball quicker. That made a big difference, and that the ball wasn't used wisely by Roscommon early on.

Yeah, it was only past 40 minutes Roscommon started to really kick into gear and pass the ball like we knew they could. By that time Tipp had really started to shut up shop so it just highlighted the ability of our team to be able to slice Tipp's deference open enough to get within two, we had two or three goal chances in the final 15 and Corcoran missed two relatively point-able free as well. We just started way too slow, even starting to play five minutes earlier and we'd have had ever chance of winning the game. Another 'glorious' defeat for the wall.

Certainly don't think the team 'left it behind' in Connacht, their skill, determination and nerves were better than most senior teams against Armagh in the quarter-final and there was plenty of good play in the last period against Tipp.

yop · 22-08-2011 10:34pm

rossie1977 wrote: »

i had to laugh at that article in yesterdays program, they said tyrone, cork, kerry and i think mayo were regulars at this stage last few years and basically stated roscommon and tipp were newbies even though cork have only reached one minor semi final since 2002 and that was last year and roscommon won minor in 2006, contested 3 quarters since (only losing to eventual champions galway in 2007 and tyrone in 2008)

Ah so I wasn't seeing things!

For a while I was wondering if I should up the drugs!

Syferus · 27-08-2011 2:57pm

Just back from the Dermot Earley memorial unveiling ceremony in Gorthaganny, there was a great turnout from around the county, Kildare and the army. Most of the 70's-80's team that played with Dermot where there, as was Micheal O'Muircheartaigh (who's an even greater man in the flesh than he is on radio) and even Kildare senior players, not least of which being Johnny Doyle. The president unveiled the statue - of Dermot eternally in action for Roscommon - and gave a great speech, as did David Earley, Dermot's eldest son.

The memorial is right beside his family home, where his 91 year-old mother still lives, adjacent to the primary school that he went to (and the reason his father moved to Gorthaganny in the first place) and across the road is the field where he kicked his first football, so it's as fitting tribute as you could imagine to perhaps the greatest Roscommon player of all time, and easily one of the greatest men ever to be born on these isles. He embodied everything good we want to see in ourselves and he is, rightfully, nothing short of a hero to the people of Roscommon.

The memories will live forever.

Lt. Gen. Dermot Earley DSM, 1948-2010

rossie1977 · 29-08-2011 2:12pm

western gaels laid down a marker yesterday with a comprehensive win against recent roscommon champions castlerea, cathal cregg by all accounts had a wonderful game, the semi final with st bridgets (should they beat strokestown as is expected) is sure to be a cracker

Syferus · 29-08-2011 4:58pm

rossie1977 wrote: »

western gaels laid down a marker yesterday with a comprehensive win against recent roscommon champions castlerea, cathal cregg by all accounts had a wonderful game, the semi final with st bridgets (should they beat strokestown as is expected) is sure to be a cracker

I'd imagine it'll be the county final in all but name. Was supprised Gaels won, let alone so well. They have Higgins, Cregg, McDermott and Ward from the seniors but outside Derek Moran a big portion of the good panel players from the 2009 county final are gone. Brigid's gave a hammering to Gaels in the group stage this year but you'd hope that Gaels will be extra motivated to finally win the county title their team sheet has deserved for a few years now.

My head says Brigid's but my heart wants Gaels to bring the county championship back to west Roscommon.

yabadabado · 12-09-2011 5:07pm

Anyone go to the semi-finals yesterday?Was away for the weekend so couldnt go and I didnt get to listen to it on the radio,were they good games?

rossie1977 · 13-09-2011 3:26pm

yabadabado wrote: »

Anyone go to the semi-finals yesterday?Was away for the weekend so couldnt go and I didnt get to listen to it on the radio,were they good games?

they were both poor enough matches, i expected western gaels to at least put up a fight but 6 points from a team with more county players than any club in roscommon is an awful return

Syferus · 14-09-2011 12:53pm

rossie1977 wrote: »

they were both poor enough matches, i expected western gaels to at least put up a fight but 6 points from a team with more county players than any club in roscommon is an awful return

Brigid's are a step ahead of everyone in Roscommon and, indeed, Connacht at this point. Gaels have four or five players of high quality, Brigids have a team filled with players from well-known footballing families and a depth that means their B team is able to challenge for the intermediate county title, so the result was about right.

I can't see Elphin stopping Brigid's and I doubt any Connacht team will hold much fear for them at this point.

Fr Tod Umptious · 06-10-2011 10:46am

So Rossies, what's the story with O' Donnell ?

Why did he step down ?

I though he would be around for a bit longer, young team, gaining experience etc.

rossie1977 · 06-10-2011 12:59pm

he has a very young family and work commitments and of course he was bitterly disappointed with how results went this year, he did his 3 years and has left the county in a much better place than the one he found it in, he has brought through some fantastic young talent and turned people like finneran and claffey into decent footballers

Syferus · 06-10-2011 7:09pm

It doesn't feel like the right time for him to exit but it's hard for anyone to question the quality of the development he's nurtured at all levels from minor to senior over the last half decade.

We need a managers with a vision and purpose, and soon, or we'll be risking a golden opportunity to be competitive at the highest level. It's a statement of faith by O'Donnell in the team as well; he's not short of county pride so he has to believe this team is in a place where a new manager would able to achieve the levels of performance he could. Let's just hope we do a good job finding a new manager.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater · 06-10-2011 7:18pm

Yeah the appointment of the next manager will be of equal importance to Fergie's appointment. He's brought this panel right the way through from promising Minors to AIM Champions and managed to filter a lot of those lads into the senior team. He's produced a panel that can genuinely now call themselves contenders for Connacht on a yearly basis and hopefully, in the near future, bigger things.

Its now very important that we appoint someone who can consolidate this position and bearing in mind that we have a very young panel with an average age somewhere in the region of 24, this Roscommon team, under the right guidance, are capable of giving us plenty to smile about over the next few years.

Fair play to Fergie, we owe him a debt of gratitude for the job he has done, the best of luck to him.

Billgirlylegs · 07-10-2011 12:43am

Fergal O Donnell did a great job.
The writing was on the wall when he said there was a lack of progress this year.

Hopefully there is an internal successor who can give it a decent shot for 3 or 4 years. They need to get back up the NFL divisions and get through a few tough Qualifier encounters rather than worrying about winning Connacht titles.

Syferus · 07-10-2011 3:27am

Billgirlylegs wrote: »

Fergal O Donnell did a great job.
The writing was on the wall when he said there was a lack of progress this year.

Hopefully there is an internal successor who can give it a decent shot for 3 or 4 years. They need to get back up the NFL divisions and get through a few tough Qualifier encounters rather than worrying about winning Connacht titles.

No, no, no.

I see way too many people bandying around this idea that beating a few decent teams (ala Meath, Wexford, Derry) or even a 'top tier' team will do much more for Roscommon than winning a few Connacht titles. We've not beaten Mayo or Galway in a decade so thinking important challenges that will develop the team can't be found inside the province is foolish. Couple that with a Sligo team that will surely perform better next year and you've got four teams with real ambitions on Connacht and that's more of what will drive any of the Connacht teams to success than a tour of the country.

I'd take Connacht titles each and every single year, in the end people will remember 2001 and 2010 and while beating Cork in 2003 was a very good result, even coupled with a mazy run through the entirety of the back door, it didn't develop the team all that greatly. If anything our experiences in Connacht in 1998 and 2001 are what fueled that run in 2003 so there is no real rhyme or reason to the idea that qualifiers 'develop' teams above and beyond a good, hard provincial run.

I'd only ever have any designs on the back door if and when we lose.

yabadabado · 08-01-2012 8:43pm

Anyone at the FBD game today?Just saw the score anyone able to give a bit of a report.

rossie1977 · 22-03-2012 1:53am

great win by our under 21s against mayo last night, thats 3 wins over mayo last 3 years at this level

i can't wait to see donie smith playing senior for roscommon, he already probably should be in there as none of our half forwards bar cregg know where the posts are

JR79 · 22-03-2012 12:08pm

Its been along time since we've beaten Mayo 3 years in a row! Its great to be competitive at underage & for these young players to have beaten Mayo & Galway on their way to senior level. We have decent underage teams now & all the hard work that been done over the years is paying off. We have some very talented players on the current u21 team & will be a good accet to the senior panel.

Syferus · 22-03-2012 6:46pm

rossie1977 wrote: »

great win by our under 21s against mayo last night, thats 3 wins over mayo last 3 years at this level

i can't wait to see donie smith playing senior for roscommon, he already probably should be in there as none of our half forwards bar cregg know where the posts are

Well Keenan plays as a back and so did Rodgers v. Wexford so Cregg is the only one of the line that's consistently a forward. We've got David O'Gara coming back now too so it's not like we don't have plenty of options. Midfield remains my only real worry.

Roscommon GAA Discussion Thread

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