The Official Cavan GAA Discussion thread.

Gallant_JJ

Looking at a few games over the weekend, the standard is poor. One step in the right direction surely would be to reduce the Senior Champ to 12 teams. The likes of CuCus and Drumgoon and a few more of their ilk are out of their depth.

Tom Joad

Gallant_JJ wrote: »

Looking at a few games over the weekend, the standard is poor. One step in the right direction surely would be to reduce the Senior Champ to 12 teams. The likes of CuCus and Drumgoon and a few more of their ilk are out of their depth.

I would agree with this but would go much, much further and for all the talk about our management structure etc, etc, We are going nowhere until we urgently sort out the club situation. The standard of club football is shockingly bad and getting worse.

We simply have way too many clubs with way too many clubs playing senior with no business near senior football.

We have the worst record in Ulster when it comes to Senior club football.

A few depressing stats:

- No Cavan team has ever won an Ulster Club Championship (an honour we share with Fermanagh)
- It is 20 years since a Cavan club made a Final (Bailieboro, who are no longer even Senior). Fermanagh have had 2 finalists since that time.
- 2008 was the last year a Cavan club won a game in Ulster - the longest drought of any county by a good distance.
- Since 2005 Cavan clubs have only won 2 games in Ulster (both Gaels wins I think)

So accepting that the statistics don't lie and we are the worst county in Ulster at club level, since our last club victory (a game not the championship!!) in Ulster the number of senior teams has increased by 5!

And I just picked up a programme (the closest to me) from a NFL game this year and of the 30 players on the panel, only 16 were playing with senior clubs, the rest were playing junior or intermediate club football.

They are frightening statistics and despite all the great work being done at underage level in the county, until someone addresses the serious club issues in Cavan football we are going nowhere.

willabur

Tom Joad wrote: »

And I just picked up a programme (the closest to me) from a NFL game this year and of the 30 players on the panel, only 16 were playing with senior clubs, the rest were playing junior or intermediate club football.

Given that Senior competition in the county is so poor then this point for the moment is moot as there is feck all difference between the bottom ten teams and what is in the intermediate championship

baconsarnie

Tom Joad wrote: »

They are frightening statistics and despite all the great work being done at underage level in the county, until someone addresses the serious club issues in Cavan football we are going nowhere.

Isn't this a well established fact? How many reports do we need to tell us the bleeding obvious? And will clubs ever put legacy & history aside and take the steps to make championship football competitive?

As an aside, was back home and walking the dog early on a Sunday morning. Unlike 10 years ago rather than see members of the senior panel staggering home at this hour, the panel were out on the pitch, working on drills etc in preparation for the championship.

Now, whilst that level of dedication is heartening the obvious thing was that there were so many lads there who were just making up numbers. The team was well drilled, organised etc but the sad reality was/is that this is a small parish, struggling to get 20 lads to play a game.

It is of no benefit for anyone that this archaic system persists. It's great to see commitment at all levels, but there's no point having a championship based on the illusion that teams (based on some historical parish grouping) can put panels together to compete- when clearly this isn't the case.

Rant over*

(* to be re-posted, sadly, when the county champioship starts in 2016/17/18...)

rrs

Under age success that Cavan have had at Minor and U21 is grand to an extent, but need a strong Club set up to along with that. Minors and U21's are playing against players of their same age.

2 teams are going down this year in the Senior Championship so that's a help. There should never have been 17 Clubs in Senior Championship, Crosserlough were relegated but then reinstated. It also reduces the quality in the Intermediate Championship with that many teams in Senior.

Tom Joad

willabur wrote: »

Given that Senior competition in the county is so poor then this point for the moment is moot as there is feck all difference between the bottom ten teams and what is in the intermediate championship

Fair point but it highlights how bad it is when half of the best players in the county are not playing in the senior championship.

Crash Bang Wall

Any tasty encounters this weekend?

Tom Joad

Crash Bang Wall wrote: »

Any tasty encounters this weekend?

Ramor v Kingscourt in Breffni Sunday afternoon worth a look.

Tom Joad

Kingscourt were 7 points up and cruising but Ramor reeled them in and won by a point. Hard to see Kingscourt being at the final stages of the championship this year - have some quality players but very light in other areas. I did hear that Padraig Faulkner was due home soon which would help.

Castlerahan beat Crosserlough by 4 points and Gowna beat Lavey. Denn beat Drumalee by 5 points in the other senior games.


Next senior championship games is Gaels v Lacken in Breffni on Saturday evening. Lacken usually give the Gaels a decent game but I don't think Lacken are as strong this year.

Thunderbirds

Tom Joad wrote: »

Kingscourt were 7 points up and cruising but Ramor reeled them in and won by a point. Hard to see Kingscourt being at the final stages of the championship this year - have some quality players but very light in other areas. I did hear that Padraig Faulkner was due home soon which would help.

Castlerahan beat Crosserlough by 4 points and Gowna beat Lavey. Denn beat Drumalee by 5 points in the other senior games.


Next senior championship games is Gaels v Lacken in Breffni on Saturday evening. Lacken usually give the Gaels a decent game but I don't think Lacken are as strong this year.

Think this is the strongest Lacken team in years. Midfield is probably the strongest in Cavan. If was in a small pitch I'd say Lacken but Breffni so Gaels by 4 plus.

Tom Joad

Thunderbirds wrote: »

Think this is the strongest Lacken team in years. Midfield is probably the strongest in Cavan. If was in a small pitch I'd say Lacken but Breffni so Gaels by 4 plus.

That was from talking to a few Lacken people and seeing them earlier in the year - I was told that they were trying to coax Trevor Crowe back as they were a bit light!

Gaels gave them a bit of roasting in the championship last year - I was at the match and Lacken lost their discipline at crucial times and then fell apart.

Would expect Lacken to be coming strong in the next few years as a lot of that Southern Gaels team are gelled in.

What's the story with the Gaels -who's managing them now?

Thunderbirds

Tom Joad wrote: »

That was from talking to a few Lacken people and seeing them earlier in the year - I was told that they were trying to coax Trevor Crowe back as they were a bit light!

Gaels gave them a bit of roasting in the championship last year - I was at the match and Lacken lost their discipline at crucial times and then fell apart.

Would expect Lacken to be coming strong in the next few years as a lot of that Southern Gaels team are gelled in.

What's the story with the Gaels -who's managing them now?

Fermanagh man Corrigan. Would expect the Gaels to win championship. Kingscourt and Castlerahan gone backwards. Ramor not strong enough. Mullahoran may be their main rivals.

Tom Joad

Thunderbirds wrote: »

Fermanagh man Corrigan. Would expect the Gaels to win championship. Kingscourt and Castlerahan gone backwatds. Ramor not strong enough. Mullahoran may be their main rivals.

Rumour was that Corrigan had walked??

Wouldn't disagree with your assessment on championship - Gales big favourites on what I've seen with Mullahoran nearest rivals. If Ballinagh can get Podge, Gaynor and Niall McDermott all back fit they could get very close. They were my team of the championship last year and were very unlucky to lose to Kingscourt in Gale force conditions.

Akabusi

Tom Joad wrote: »

Rumour was that Corrigan had walked??

Wouldn't disagree with your assessment on championship - Gales big favourites on what I've seen with Mullahoran nearest rivals. If Ballinagh can get Podge, Gaynor and Niall McDermott all back fit they could get very close. They were my team of the championship last year and were very unlucky to lose to Kingscourt in Gale force conditions.

I don't know about Mullahoran, Ballinagh seem to have their number and would be my pick to win out and be a bigger challenge to the Gaels. Can't right off Castlerahan either, they will get stronger as the championship goes on

Crash Bang Wall

Kingscourt and Castlerahan definitely gone backwards....Castlerahan struggled to beat a poor Crosserlough side and Kingscourt lost poorly to both Mullahoran and Ramor....credit to Ramor for their comeback...very impressive

Gaels Championship to lose for me...so much talent in their forwards

rrs

Corrigan is still over the Gaels.
Cavan Gaels have lost a few key players since last year Chesty and Dominic Reilly, to go along with losing Enda King and Cathal Collins, Cormac Nelligan the year before. All big physical players who were good footballers too.

Ramor, Lacken, Ballinagh all capable of beating the Gaels.

Thunderbirds

rrs wrote: »

Corrigan is still over the Gaels.
Cavan Gaels have lost a few key players since last year Chesty and Dominic Reilly, to go along with losing Enda King and Cathal Collins, Cormac Nelligan the year before. All big physical players who were good footballers too.

Ramor, Lacken, Ballinagh all capable of beating the Gaels.

Cathal Collins back?

Tom Joad

Fantastic achievement by Paul Brady - winning his 5th world handball championship title. Incredible stuff.

rrs

Thunderbirds wrote: »

Cathal Collins back?

Don't think so, there was talk earlier in the year that he was returning to play with the Gaels
. Karl Crotty and Gavin Duffy 2 other experienced players no longer playing either.

Akabusi

Kingscourt and Cu Cu's was a draw. Kilashandra/Cootehill and Mullahoran/Ballinagh games called off due to the weather. Now if only there was a 3G pitch available so that these games could have been played

Tom Joad

Akabusi wrote: »

Kingscourt and Cu Cu's was a draw. Kilashandra/Cootehill and Mullahoran/Ballinagh games called off due to the weather. Now if only there was a 3G pitch available so that these games could have been played

A broke county board would never stand for that Ballinagh will be happy as they have a few coming back from injury. Extra week is good news for Mullahoran too as Paul Brady can have a rest.

Kingscourt going nowhere. Ramor got another tough match and could challenge. Lacken too reliant on a few players to trouble the gaels.

Thunderbirds

rrs wrote: »

Don't think so, there was talk earlier in the year that he was returning to play with the Gaels
. Karl Crotty and Gavin Duffy 2 other experienced players no longer playing either.

Collins was listed in subs Saturday

Blue in hope

Collins was listed in the subs, He was in the dugout but not togged out.

Tom Joad

From Cavan GAA

The Draws for Hotel Kilmore Senior Football Championship Round 3 and Relegation will take place at CCC meeting this evening Monday at 7.15pm. It will be broadcast live on www.wearecavan.com and published immediately afterwards on Cavan GAA media outlets.

Gallant_JJ

Winners Kingscourt/Cuchulainns v Losers Ballinagh/Mullahoran

Denn v Lacken

Gowna v Castlerahan

Loser Cootehill/Killeshandra v Killygarry

Thunderbirds

Gallant_JJ wrote: »

Winners Kingscourt/Cuchulainns v Losers Ballinagh/Mullahoran

Denn v Lacken

Gowna v Castlerahan

Loser Cootehill/Killeshandra v Killygarry

County board made huge error here. Should have being 2 pots instead of an open draw.

Blue in hope

Why should there be two pots? They were all losers of a game _except Kingscourt who have already lost two. The losers of this round go out of the championship and the winners go straight to the quarter.

Thunderbirds

Blue in hope wrote: »

Why should there be two pots? They were all losers of a game _except Kingscourt who have already lost two. The losers of this round go out of the championship and the winners go straight to the quarter.

Round one losers and two losers should have being seperate. And that's according to the cavan gaa website.

Crash Bang Wall

Thunderbirds wrote: »

Round one losers and two losers should have being seperate. And that's according to the cavan gaa website.

Never mind that....what poor unfortunate teams have to play at the ridiculous time of 7:30pm on Sunday evening?

Thunderbirds

Crash Bang Wall wrote: »

Never mind that....what poor unfortunate teams have to play at the ridiculous time of 7:30pm on Sunday evening?

They've being using that time slot for a while. Ridiculous time if you've kids.