Galway GAA discussion thread

Utopia Parkway

It's true to say that Corofin don't really have a "town" to pick from but they do cover a very large geographical area south of Tuam so they do have a big pick of potential players by most clubs standards.

Borders no.2

gilberto_eire wrote: »

Not good enough?.

What more can a team do than walk their provincial final?.

I suppose now people will say Ballintubber were only a poor side but many had tipped them to win and they do have a few class players in their ranks.

Vincents weren't exactly world beaters last year and Castlebar fairly gifted them a few goals.
I'd certainly fancy Corofin against them anyway.

Paddy Power actually have Corofin as favourites(unless they were your own 2nd favs and not the bookies) and rightly so IMO.

Their issues a few years back were they were back loaded in terms of county standard.

They now have a genuine county forward in Lundy, no disrespect to leaving Sice out in that regard but he's more a man of many positions as opposed to being an out and out forward.
Others like I.Burke are really putting their hands up as well in regards to county selection.

They'll be hard beat either way if somebody does stop them.

Fair play to them, some achievement when you think the area isn't even a town of note.
The Newtownshandrum of football.

Take it easy. I said it was their first proper test and they came through with flying colours. They were 2nd favourites before yesterday's game. I didn't go checking the odds immediately after they won but to me St. Vincent's are a better balanced side. Weaknesss in Corofin weren't exploited to date but I think Vincent's will press them very high the next day and they will experience a level of pressure on the ball they have come nowhere near to experiencing yet. Any team who wins the ultra competitive Dublin championship two years in a row is a serious team.

Vincents had Castlebar in their pocket last year, I never doubted for a second that they'd win that game.

I was surprised how easily Corofin won yesterday. Ballintubber were well hyped before this game and had beaten some good teams in Mayo comfortably so I'm not going to suggest they were poor. Corofin tied up their key players impressively but Ballintubber were very naive in all honesty.

If Corofin can get over Vincent's you'd have to put them as favourites but another consideration at that stage is that very few of the Corofin side will ever have won a game at Croke Park.

If Corofin go on and win it I'll be pleased for them as they have kept coming back through some disappointing defeats and I'll gladly eat my words.

In relation to Corofin being a small area, the village is small but it has a huge catchment area for a rural team, they have made the most of it over the years and have a great setup in place but in terms of past winners I'd put Caltra in the sort of group you are talking about, they genuinely have a small pick.

From a Galway perspective Micheal Lundy's continuing development is a major positive, he's the type of player we have badly missed in recent years and Ian Burke showed the sort of form he displayed at u21 a couple of years ago and hopefully Kevin Walsh will bring him in.

wonder88

Spot on about Lundy and Ian Burke borders. I would give Corofin a good chance to win it now. You always need a bit of luck and they have not used any so far. Also Vincents big star will be playing constantly for 2 years now and even he (a great player) could have an off day if the 2 teams meet.

homeofhurling

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Take it easy. I said it was their first proper test and they came through with flying colours. They were 2nd favourites before yesterday's game. I didn't go checking the odds immediately after they won but to me St. Vincent's are a better balanced side. Weaknesss in Corofin weren't exploited to date but I think Vincent's will press them very high the next day and they will experience a level of pressure on the ball they have come nowhere near to experiencing yet. Any team who wins the ultra competitive Dublin championship two years in a row is a serious team.

Vincents had Castlebar in their pocket last year, I never doubted for a second that they'd win that game.

I was surprised how easily Corofin won yesterday. Ballintubber were well hyped before this game and had beaten some good teams in Mayo comfortably so I'm not going to suggest they were poor. Corofin tied up their key players impressively but Ballintubber were very naive in all honesty.

If Corofin can get over Vincent's you'd have to put them as favourites but another consideration at that stage is that very few of the Corofin side will ever have won a game at Croke Park.

If Corofin go on and win it I'll be pleased for them as they have kept coming back through some disappointing defeats and I'll gladly eat my words.

In relation to Corofin being a small area, the village is small but it has a huge catchment area for a rural team, they have made the most of it over the years and have a great setup in place but in terms of past winners I'd put Caltra in the sort of group you are talking about, they genuinely have a small pick.

From a Galway perspective Micheal Lundy's continuing development is a major positive, he's the type of player we have badly missed in recent years and Ian Burke showed the sort of form he displayed at u21 a couple of years ago and hopefully Kevin Walsh will bring him in.

whats all this Vincents talk Rhode will win leinster wait and see.

Always_Running

homeofhurling wrote: »

whats all this Vincents talk Rhode will win leinster wait and see.

Because they are the defending Dublin,Leinster and All Ireland champions. Would Rhode have even reached the Leinster final if they played portloaise,Garrycastle on their side of the draw? I doubt it.

homeofhurling

well they would be in a connacht final if they had to play the sligo or leitrim winners, this is their 4th final, and yes they beat portlaoise a few years ago alot better portlaoise team that is there now.

Hulk Hands

Rhode aren't actually a bad side. Id find it hard to see Corofin being stopped with what ive been hearing out of their training sessions etc. A semi between Corofin and Vincents will be the real final. Winner will go into the final as over whelming favourites,

aidan24326

I was sceptical of Corofin before Sunday because the ease with which they were hammering everyone in Galway suggested some poor opposition. But Ballintubber came with genuine credentials as a team that had beaten teams who contested the last 2 All-Ireland Finals.

But Corofin blew them away and the result was probably even more clearcut than the final scoreline suggests. To me they were as impressive as I've seen from a club team in a long time. A semi final between themselves and Vincents has the makings of a cracker, two serious teams. Ian Burke definitely looks like a guy that should be on Kevin Walsh's radar, and Gary Sice is surely playing himself into contention for a recall also.

threeball

aidan24326 wrote: »

I was sceptical of Corofin before Sunday because the ease with which they were hammering everyone in Galway suggested some poor opposition. But Ballintubber came with genuine credentials as a team that had beaten teams who contested the last 2 All-Ireland Finals.

But Corofin blew them away and the result was probably even more clearcut than the final scoreline suggests. To me they were as impressive as I've seen from a club team in a long time. A semi final between themselves and Vincents has the makings of a cracker, two serious teams. Ian Burke definitely looks like a guy that should be on Kevin Walsh's radar, and Gary Sice is surely playing himself into contention for a recall also.

Burke is a nice player but as with most of the galway team he needs to put in some serious S & C between now and April. He won't survive at county level unless he at least can reach a compact but powerful physique like JOD.

I think Sice would be a great option as wing forward with Lundy on the other side. His defensive qualitys would mean he would track back well and he has the power and engine to mix it in the middle third also.

If we had a front six of Sice, Walsh, Lundy, Burke, Meehan (if he returns), Armstrong we'd have serious firepower. Develop a good tight defensive system and we could have a very good year next year.

Utopia Parkway

Ian Burke does look bigger than his U-21's days so I'm sure he's already on the weights. I think his transition to senior football was always going to be slower because of his size. He was small even at U-21 level.

I think a good comparison with him is Cillian O'Connor. Neither of them are particularly quick but both have great movement and ball skills. O'Connor is a bit bigger though which is a definite advantage for a young player breaking through.

threeball

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Ian Burke does look bigger than his U-21's days so I'm sure he's already on the weights. I think his transition to senior football was always going to be slower because of his size. He was small even at U-21 level.

I think a good comparison with him is Cillian O'Connor. Neither of them are particularly quick but both have great movement and ball skills. O'Connor is a bit bigger though which is a definite advantage for a young player breaking through.

He was always going to be a bit bigger than at U-21, we all do. The issue is, for a guy that should have designs on being intercounty he needs to be much stronger than he is. That fact that he is slower makes this even more important. If you can't outrun them then you'll have to out muscle them as skills are only part of the package you need to compete these days. Even the Gooch threw on a good bit of lean mass.

MfMan

threeball wrote: »

Burke is a nice player but as with most of the galway team he needs to put in some serious S & C between now and April. He won't survive at county level unless he at least can reach a compact but powerful physique like JOD.

I think Sice would be a great option as wing forward with Lundy on the other side. His defensive qualitys would mean he would track back well and he has the power and engine to mix it in the middle third also.

If we had a front six of Sice, Walsh, Lundy, Burke, Meehan (if he returns), Armstrong we'd have serious firepower. Develop a good tight defensive system and we could have a very good year next year.

'Probably not' and 'No'. Paul Conroy retire? ;-) Don't forget Damien Comer, though I'd like to see him getting a run at no. 6. Also, I'd like to see if Peadar O Griofa is at last injury-free and how Williamstown's Gary Kelly is shaping up.

Hulk Hands

Not sure if Ian Burke is totally cut out for inter county at this stage, he did take his time breaking into the Corofin team this year remember and bar that game in the U21 final, has never really stood at at county level. Wait and see hwoever, if he puts in more performances like Sunday he'll be sniffing around the team for sure. Sice, Walsh and Lundy would be a very nice half forward line. Conroy's still a lock for FF, while i'd say Danny Cummins is close to that too. It's been slow steps with Danny but to be fair he's improved year on year and is a decent intercounty player at this stage.

Borders no.2

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Not sure if Ian Burke is totally cut out for inter county at this stage, he did take his time breaking into the Corofin team this year remember

Not 100% on this but think he was away in summer for some of the early rounds. May have been last year though.

Always_Running

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Not 100% on this but think he was away in summer for some of the early rounds. May have been last year though.

he was American this Sumner and was a starter for Corofin last year and was named the u21 County footballer of the year.

Diabhal Beag

Hulk Hands wrote: »

It's been slow steps with Danny but to be fair he's improved year on year and is a decent intercounty player at this stage.

I dunno would I agree on this. Thought last year he was very disappointing. Between Meehan, Conroy and himself they were the only consistent forwards the previous year but he didn't carry that on last year. Himself and Martin are lethal for going missing for long spells of the game.

Rob Thomas

I can't see Danny Cummins making a consistent county performer at this stage. IMO his decision making is very poor and I agree he goes missing for long periods. To me he is the perfect example of a good player at a weak club who is too used to doing it on his own and has never been in a position to play with and trust good players around him. Bradshaw is another and it shows in his game too.

Lundy has come on in bounds over the past couple of years. He was only a sub on the Corofin team which lost to Castlebar last year, (although he had been on the team the previous year). He's a great talent for Galway to have now. I think it's obvious that Sice will be back too. Brian Silke is in as a selector and that should smooth any issues with him returning. Anyway, Kevin Walsh is going to want to see everyone for himself, he would be silly not to.

Ian Burke needs to be brought in and used in the league once Corofins year is over. If we don't use young guys in the league they will never get to the standard needed. Ronan Steede is another who should be called in as soon as he is available. He has athleticism which has been missing around midfield for Galway for a long time.

Armstrong is no longer up to it at county standard, he has shown that over the past 2 seasons and there is little point in my view persisting with him. For different reasons, not all down to himself, he has never fulfilled his promise really.

Corofin were exceptional last Sunday, their skill fitness and aggression levels are off the chart for a Galway club side. They have a great chance of winning the All Ireland. Vincent's are a strong outfit themselves but they won't have it all their own way against Rhode the next day.

RobbieRuns

Have to say that Danny Cummins is one of the few players that makes me want to go and pay to see the county team these last few years. He is probably the fastest forward in Galway and one of the quickest in the country, he is a true two footed player, leaps like a salmon. His performance in the U21 all Ireland final in '11 was brilliant, he was the only player who never stopped trying in the debacle of the Mayo game in Pearse stadium two years ago.

He was not served well last year by Mulholland constantly wanting to play Armstrong, who was returning from injury. Cummins scoring record per game was very good which meant that he could not drop him, so he kept taking him off which never installs confidence. Not playing him in the second half of the Kerry game last year in Croker was a huge mistake (bringing Armstrong on). He barely touched the ball in the first half as we were lobbing loads of wides from distance due to a blanket defence, ridiculous decision to bring a player with his pace off on a big pitch like Croker.

I actually like the fact that he prevails even though he is small in size and plays for a small club. He has lots stacked against him, what is he now 24?

Who was the Cork player in the game in Croker two years ago after Cummins skinned him early on and got a great point said "I was never so glad to see a player go off injured" ? After Shane, he would be the next name on the sheet in the forwards for me, the lad is a class act who has been fighting hard despite his size and his club. I really hope that he keeps fighting and proving to people that size does not always matter.

MfMan

RobbieRuns wrote: »

Have to say that Danny Cummins is one of the few players that makes me want to go and pay to see the county team these last few years. He is probably the fastest forward in Galway and one of the quickest in the country, he is a true two footed player, leaps like a salmon. His performance in the U21 all Ireland final in '11 was brilliant, he was the only player who never stopped trying in the debacle of the Mayo game in Pearse stadium two years ago.

etc.

Hard to agree with this. No doubting his speed or good attitude, but as a putative inter-county corner forward, his finishing is very lacking. I don't know how many times he has failed to score goals from one-on-ones or glaring positions in front of goal. Has a bit of a habit of hoofing it up in the air also and his decision-making and awareness of players around him isn't always the best either, see 2nd half v Mayo this year.

Utopia Parkway

Danny is a good player but an inconsistent finisher. He could easily have had 5 or 6 points from play against Mayo this year but ended up with just one I think. Constantly won the ball out ahead of his marker and turned him but just couldn't finish to save his life. Hit 3 or 4 terrible wides.

RobbieRuns

Does anyone know the scoring totals for the championship last year? I would obviously say it was Shane who was top scorer as he played every second and was the main free taker. Who was second and third? Who scored the most from play?

sonnky

RobbieRuns wrote: »

Does anyone know the scoring totals for the championship last year? I would obviously say it was Shane who was top scorer as he played every second and was the main free taker. Who was second and third? Who scored the most from play?

Ya Walsh was Galways top scorer and third overall with 1-29. 1-12 was from play. Danny was joint top scorer from play with 2-9, this was 3rd best in the championship. If Danny could actually convert more of his chances he would be a very valuable asset.

RobbieRuns

sonnky wrote: »

Ya Walsh was Galways top scorer and third overall with 1-29. 1-12 was from play. Danny was joint top scorer from play with 2-9, this was 3rd best in the championship. If Danny could actually convert more of his chances he would be a very valuable asset.

Thanks sonnky, my point is that he finished joint top scorer for us, 3rd best in the whole championship (without taking frees) and....... He was taken off in every game, so he would have had less minutes on the pitch than anyone else in the forwards ! So if he can do that, playing poorly as lots are suggesting...... What can he do if he is at his peak, playing with the full confidence of the manager.

Don't get me wrong, I see the misses that occur, and then I see his confidence dip, a wide or two and he thinks, "they're going to take me off now". He does try some daft things for sure. What he needs is a good coach and a manager that raises his confidence levels, makes him believe in himself so that the pressure comes off him and he plays to his full potential. I also see a remarkable talented footballer who keeps getting in the position to score (which is why people notice the misses so much). 3rd best in the championship, all from play ??? What would he be like if he was on form?

Always_Running

Connacht junior football a poor standard or Liverpool champions fairly strong? john Mitchels 1-14 arann island 1-9 result.

Borders no.2

In fairness they are British junior champions the last two years. They ran Emyvale to 3 points last year so no disgrace for the Islands. They've had a great year. I'm sure the Liverpool side will be competitive in the All-Ireland semi-final.

Utopia Parkway

Always_Running wrote: »

Connacht junior football a poor standard or Liverpool champions fairly strong? john Mitchels 1-14 arann island 1-9 result.

Aran have been out 12 weekends in a row to be fair. Their manager even said in the papers before the game that they were running on fumes. Moycullen hammered them in the league last weekend. Just looks like all the big games (and celebrations afterwards) in recent weeks finally caught up with them. Mitchells are a decent side as well it must be said but yeah Aran will probably feel they didn't really do themselves justice over there.

Borders no.2

A comfortable enough win for Gort over Beagh in a fairly uninspiring game in Athenry. Portumna v Gort in the final. Would fancy Portumna but there is plenty of evidence that they are very beatable, just don't think Gort are the team to do it.

Rob Thomas

Borders no.2 wrote: »

A comfortable enough win for Gort over Beagh in a fairly uninspiring game in Athenry. Portumna v Gort in the final. Would fancy Portumna but there is plenty of evidence that they are very beatable, just don't think Gort are the team to do it.

The break since their last game might harm Portumna but probably not as much as it would a less experienced team. They possibly are the best team to cope with a large break given all their experience of waiting for All Ireland Semifinals.

Hard to see past them, but it can be a lottery this late in the year.

I agree on a dry pitch and an ok day weather wise, they should have enough tot win.

Rob Thomas

Annaghdown nearly pulled off a big shock today in the league final v Corofin.

While they had to rely on a goal from a free to save a replay, they would have won it in Normal time only for Alan O'Donovan to come off the bench and kick a last second 45 for Corofin to send it to extra time.

Corofin had a lot of their subs out but still, amazingly Annaghdown scored 3 goals and Corofin, despite their free scoring all year failed to raise a green flag.

Royal Seahawk

Has the date for the opening championship game in New York been finalised yet? I'm looking to book flights to it as a Xmas pressie for the ould lad but can't find a date for it anywhere. Will there be many Galway supporters heading over, any events planned for the weekend over there etc?

Rob Thomas

Royal Seahawk wrote: »

Has the date for the opening championship game in New York been finalised yet? I'm looking to book flights to it as a Xmas pressie for the ould lad but can't find a date for it anywhere. Will there be many Galway supporters heading over, any events planned for the weekend over there etc?

Maybe ring the Connaught GAA office in Ballyhaunis 094 9630335, even if the fixture is not finalised they should have a good idea which weekend it will take place. They are responsible for the provincial fixtures.

nootroc

Galway vs New York – 3rd May 2015.
Following a recent meeting of the Galway GAA Supporters Club Committee (Tribesmen GAA) it is recommended that supporters should book their own flights to / from New York for the Galway V New York game in the Connacht Football Championship on 3rd May next. Tribesmen GAA urges supporters to book their flights as early as possible to avail of the best value on offer. Tribesmen GAA events will take place in conjunction with Galway Association of New York and we are in talks with hotel groups in New York about supporters rates. As soon as we broker a deal and have more information we will share it with you. #gaillimhabú

From Tribesmen GAA Facebook Page

You know the more players that Kilkenny lose, the more I feel Galway have a real chance to sneak one next year.

JJ is obviously a surprise, though I kind of felt Hogan and Walsh may call it a day since they were relegated to back up and had a fair few years behind them to commit to that situation again.

So we've went from thinking they may lose three players max, to being at five and counting.

People will say Cody will replace them, or that they weren't needed last year(Hogan and Walsh) and they still won the AI but you can't replace lads who won 6/7 All Irelands and numerous All-Stars.... that was a once in a lifetime group of players even for a county like KK.

While their starting 15 isn't impacted too much, if they hit some injuries the new lads will have serious pressure on them to fill the voids vacated, ones I doubt they'd be able to fill to the same degree.

With a weaker KK, it gives Galway a greater chance of getting straight into the Semi Final and a two game chance at the AI.
I think Galway would have won the 2012 drawn game if anyone but KK turned up that day, the lead coming up to HT would have been 10+ against anyone else.

We've had no retirements thus far and last years finalists have both lost a few, surely our position is improving as 2015 looms... if only by default.

Borders no.2

gilberto_eire wrote: »

You know the more players that Kilkenny lose, the more I feel Galway have a real chance to sneak one next year.

JJ is obviously a surprise, though I kind of felt Hogan and Walsh may call it a day since they were relegated to back up and had a fair few years behind them to commit to that situation again.

So we've went from thinking they may lose three players max, to being at five and counting.

People will say Cody will replace them, or that they weren't needed last year(Hogan and Walsh) and they still won the AI but you can't replace lads who won 6/7 All Irelands and numerous All-Stars.... that was a once in a lifetime group of players even for a county like KK.

While their starting 15 isn't impacted too much, if they hit some injuries the new lads will have serious pressure on them to fill the voids vacated, ones I doubt they'd be able to fill to the same degree.

With a weaker KK, it gives Galway a greater chance of getting straight into the Semi Final and a two game chance at the AI.
I think Galway would have won the 2012 drawn game if anyone but KK turned up that day, the lead coming up to HT would have been 10+ against anyone else.

We've had no retirements thus far and last years finalists have both lost a few, surely our position is improving as 2015 looms... if only by default.

Don't get your hopes up! It'll end in tears!

Last year was one of the poorest championships I remember in recent years, a few good games early in the year but it was poor enough fare overall. Having said that I honestly think we are as far away as ever.

Really Galway haven't added anyone to the panel who will improve it to any great extent and the management team once again looks uninspiring so we are relying on lads to step it up to a level we haven't seen consistently from any of them really over the last few years. Even Joe Canning has only showed the consistency needed on occasion.

In all honesty, we fell well short against KK both days last year when they turned the heat up. The comeback the first day was good but prior to that they had scored 1-8 without reply and started to coast a bit. After the first few minutes in the replay we were completely outplayed, we were only 4 pts down in injury time but KK were in cruise control. The players that were our first options for the replay summed up the lack of quality we have in certain areas.

Tipp was a game we should have finished off but it once again showed up the flaws in the Galway team and mental weakness that appear at some stage year in year out.

In 2015, if we can get over Dublin first day out, we should reach the Leinster final and I'm sure they'll fancy a crack at Kilkenny but I honestly don't see Galway as having it in the panel or on the sideline to win an All-Ireland.

Clare will be back in 2015, Tipp and Limerick will be eager to keep building, Cork will be eager to show they are a top side. Wexford are slowly rebuilding and I'm sure Waterford will have a good day or two in them. Kilkenny have blooded a lot of new players, the likes of Tommy Walsh and David Herity leaving them are irrelevant likewise with the likes of Eoin Kelly with Tipp as these lads had been phased out already. Losing the likes of JJ Delaney is a loss but Cody will replace him.

The whole year will revolve around Joe Canning again. If he can perform, hopefully he can lift the level of those around him but I'm not any way optimistic for 2015. I think the Liam McCarthy will be in Clare or Tipp this time next year.

Toplink

And so it begins...

http://tomasmccarthy.blogspot.ie/2014/12/galway-0-22-waterford-0-20-senior.html?spref=tw&m=1

galwaylad14

The pain, hope and torture starts again so. At least they won anyway but between the 2 teams there's probably less than 10 who'll actually be featuring when the serious business starts.

Of the Galway team that started I'd say Callanan, O'Donoghue, Collins, Conor Cooney, Higgins, Cathal Mannian and Flynn will feature in the Championship. Some of the others are young and may get there in time and should be kept on the panel, there's 3 or 4 there who I think have shown over the last 3 or 4 seasons that they're not up to the required standard but it doesn't seem like we have any better than them out there so they're probably still worth their places on the panel and then there's a few that I don't think should be near the panel at all.
Although I know that given the time of year there's a lot of lads missing between everything so you have to call lads in to make up the numbers for training/matches.

Toplink

Its worth remembering that JJ Delaney made his senior debut at 19 in the 2001 championship.

If some of these young fellas look good enough then they should be given a real chance ahead of guys in their late 20's who are not offering enough.

galwaylad14

I completely agree, that's not the point I was making. In my post I listed out the guys I believe are good enough this year. Irrespective of age. However there are lads knocking around the panel that are maybe 19 or so and maybe not quiet good enough yet but if they stay at it there's no reason they can't be good enough when they're 21.

It's vital to give youth a chance but you can't just throw in lads on the sole basis that they're young. They have to be good enough too

Borders no.2

Interesting to see some of the new faces being given a run there. The important thing for Galway over the winter and spring is to try to build the panel. Obviously most of the new lads who played in that game won't be seen later in the year but finding 1 or 2 new lads can make all the difference. When games are there to be won with 15 or 20 minutes left we need to have better options to bring on. We went nearly all the way with about 17 players in 2012 but longer term you need more depth and options if you are going to be competitive.

If we could find a couple of good backs and another forward who can make an impact it'd be a significant step forward.

Its good to see James Regan back fit and healthy but seeing him in the Galway panel at this stage doesn't fill me with much confidence.

I was wondering who the G Kelly on the bench is, I'm sure I should know but the name doesn't spring to mind at the moment.

donnem33

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Interesting to see some of the new faces being given a run there. The important thing for Galway over the winter and spring is to try to build the panel. Obviously most of the new lads who played in that game won't be seen later in the year but finding 1 or 2 new lads can make all the difference. When games are there to be won with 15 or 20 minutes left we need to have better options to bring on. We went nearly all the way with about 17 players in 2012 but longer term you need more depth and options if you are going to be competitive.

If we could find a couple of good backs and another forward who can make an impact it'd be a significant step forward.

Its good to see James Regan back fit and healthy but seeing him in the Galway panel at this stage doesn't fill me with much confidence.

I was wondering who the G Kelly on the bench is, I'm sure I should know but the name doesn't spring to mind at the moment.

Would it be Gerard Kelly of Tommy Larkins?

Toplink

Cunningham obviously see's something in Gearoid Mac that he likes or is he just being sentimental?

MfMan

Seeing J Cooney at midfield doesn't inspire too much hope either. Just cannot see what he does to be considered good enough.

galwaylad14

I find myself agreeing with ye on nearly everything ye have said there above lads about those few players ye have mentioned. Ya that's Ger Kelly from Larkins (well I can't think of who else it could possibly be anyway).

But in fairness there's none of the players from probably the top 5 or 6 teams in the county playing there so it would be impossible to field a team without a few lads who are fairly borderline (putting it nicely!) with the standard required.

I couldn't imagine Hynes and Cooney being our championship midfield or anything to be honest. 2 guys who've had lots of chances and just haven't been good enough to be blunt about it. Hynes was a good solid player 4 or 5 years ago but I think the whole messing around with him at full back may have hindered his development as a player in his more natural positions (anywhere around the middle), don't see him establishing himself as a starter again to be honest. Joe Cooney has good qualitites, he's great in the air and he's a good stick man aswell as having good vision for a pass. But he's too slow, both on his feet and in terms of his striking. Just doesn't do things quickly enough for that level, will be remembered as a great club hurler but not a county one I think. Probably worth a place on the panel though but only as a forward. His lack of pace is a total disaster in the half back line.

A guy who obviously wasn't playing here due to club commitments but that I'd have very high hopes for is Conor Whelan. He's just out of minor so maybe it's a year too soon for him but I think he's a great prospect. Lightning quick and well able to score off left and right, he's a tough little competitor aswell. Would be worth a go as a corner forward I think.

T0001

Glad to see Padraic Mannion getting a run. Great player for Ahascragh/Fohenagh although i thought he was more of a wing forward imo.

Toplink

galwaylad14 wrote: »

I find myself agreeing with ye on nearly everything ye have said there above lads about those few players ye have mentioned. Ya that's Ger Kelly from Larkins (well I can't think of who else it could possibly be anyway).

But in fairness there's none of the players from probably the top 5 or 6 teams in the county playing there so it would be impossible to field a team without a few lads who are fairly borderline (putting it nicely!) with the standard required.

I couldn't imagine Hynes and Cooney being our championship midfield or anything to be honest. 2 guys who've had lots of chances and just haven't been good enough to be blunt about it. Hynes was a good solid player 4 or 5 years ago but I think the whole messing around with him at full back may have hindered his development as a player in his more natural positions (anywhere around the middle), don't see him establishing himself as a starter again to be honest. Joe Cooney has good qualitites, he's great in the air and he's a good stick man aswell as having good vision for a pass. But he's too slow, both on his feet and in terms of his striking. Just doesn't do things quickly enough for that level, will be remembered as a great club hurler but not a county one I think. Probably worth a place on the panel though but only as a forward. His lack of pace is a total disaster in the half back line.

A guy who obviously wasn't playing here due to club commitments but that I'd have very high hopes for is Conor Whelan. He's just out of minor so maybe it's a year too soon for him but I think he's a great prospect. Lightning quick and well able to score off left and right, he's a tough little competitor aswell. Would be worth a go as a corner forward I think.

Whelan is a great prospect. Size is against him a bit but some of his pointsmin this year's championship were impressive.

galwaylad14

T0001 wrote: »

Glad to see Padraic Mannion getting a run. Great player for Ahascragh/Fohenagh although i thought he was more of a wing forward imo.

He's a class act, as good as his brother but he has some recurring injury (possibly his back) and apparently he can't train all that regularly etc. So that may limit his opportunities. Now it's probably over a year since I heard that
so maybe (hopefully) it has cleared up since.

T0001

galwaylad14 wrote: »

He's a class act, as good as his brother but he has some recurring injury (possibly his back) and apparently he can't train all that regularly etc. So that may limit his opportunities. Now it's probably over a year since I heard that
so maybe (hopefully) it has cleared up since.

Ya he tried out for the panel 2 years ago and then got riddled with a couple of injuries and a back muscle strain didn't go away and he had to pull out. He only started back full time for the club in July. Just as good as Cathal and tougher imo.

MfMan

T0001 wrote: »

Glad to see Padraic Mannion getting a run. Great player for Ahascragh/Fohenagh although i thought he was more of a wing forward imo.

Agree. Though he was excellent at wing-back in our last AI-winning Minor team.

T0001

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=228887

Something going on here. How can we be out €100k??

Utopia Parkway

T0001 wrote: »

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=228887

Something going on here. How can we be out €100k??

They are not really out 100K but as the accounts only go up to the end of October it means the usual gate receipts from the end of the championship can't be included because of the 2 month delay. I imagine those gate receipts will be added onto next year's accounts.