Roscommon GAA Discussion Thread

Doyle was injured yesterday, what's his story?

Thought we needed freshness yesterday, Hughes in particular I thought would play a bigger part. I thought Walsh was doing OK, he's a competitive lad and wasn't giving away frees like Davy was and always does.

Very quiet in here.

I wonder how that back 6 will line up, will C Daly drop to 3 with Stack to 6. I think Murray is lucky to start ahead of Hussey myself, Davy is a good Las but he gives too many soft frees away (did it again last week) and to me he's under pressure from Walsh and Hussey for a CB berth.

I also wonder what influence Kevin Walsh will have on the game - he's seen Roscommon up close and personal with mixed results over the years, has he learned anything I wonder. An interesting aside.

Disappointing performance and result again today. Cork were beatable, we should have had enough but again we were ponderous and lacking in attack, very one paced and slow to break forward. Lots of similarities on the 3 group games, except we didn't kick the wides today, but rather we took the safe options time and time again, probably too much so. The loss of Doyle was felt, he contributed well when introduced so one expects he was carrying that injury into the game. In a game of tight margins, in fairness we missed Donie for that second half as he was doing well and Cox took a long time to get into the game.

Not a day for recriminations or anything, we've fallen short of a 1/4 final again which IMHO was a minimum target. No point throwing the baby out with the bathwater, this is year one of the current regime and hopefully they will learn from it and move on next year.

I genuinely think it's a fitness/ s&c shortage. We're consistently being bet by "weaker" teams who just simply out fight us. Seems to happen if we're playing at Division 2 or higher Division 1 level earlier in the year.

But couple of positives today. We've been competitive all year. Enda Smith had a great year. We are competing at the highest level, it's not going to be easy.

Mark Mc Hugh is supposed to have said they need a full yr of S&C before they would be up to the condition of the top teams... he felt they were set back getting started so late....

Went to the first of these divisional championship games this evening,between West and North Roscommon.

I had doubts about this set up, but seeing the teams and this game what a fvckin farce.

Looks like most clubs and players don't care or haven't bought into it. North Roscommon on the program had 13 lads togged out from a team that lost in the junior championship quarter final last year, and these guys are not me fixed to play the winners of one the groups in THE SENIOR quarter final on a few weeks! Even allowing for favoritism by the manager, this is a farce..... pure nonsense. A lad came on after half time who missed a 14 yard free in the junior QF last year and..... Well let's say player fit jerseys aren't designed for his body shape!

I don't know who is driving this nonsense, but it's farcical to be honest. Making little of the championship.... Better to put on proper club structures and leave this sh1te alone, because nobody cares.

Nothing personal.... Just illustrating the fact this is being dressed up as a senior championship 'level game, it's bullshot to be honest-most of the lads togged out yesterday are not able to get the better of Senior clubs B teams, let alone their A teams. and as for the cup presentation afterwards, it was embarrassing!

Roscomon isn't big enough for this type of competition, and the players aren't there to play senior within the structures that are there (and I'm from one of the clubs that was covered yesterday.)

I don't know who is benefiting from this to be honest.

I see the 2022 club champions relegated from the senior club championship in 2023. A first in Roscommon, although not the first champions to contest relegation the year after. Very disappointing for Strokestown.

Brigid's looked very impressive today. Easy win, but the manner of their play was very impressive.

While the Gaels were very disappointing and their defending for the first half goals was truly awful, Brigid's look like a serious outfit.

They have good footballers right throughout the field, physically imposing and good footballing midfield and dangerous forwards.

Tactically, they look very well drilled and also appear very hungry.

They will be hard beaten in the county and maybe even Connacht.

It didn't look that way yesterday. Similar lineup to what we've had for the last few years and they played like a team past their best.

They offered very little threat up front. I think all their points came from frees. And it has to be said there were some awfully soft frees. The ref seemed to think he was reffing a soccer match. Any tiny bit of physical contact was whistled up. Boyle also got some very soft frees but there appeared to be a lot more for Pearses.

Boyle were the better side but struggled to support players breaking out of defense. I don't think they're fit enough to do the packed defense - fast breakout game they appear to be playing. Brigid's don't pack their defense so that could allow more space for the good Boyle forwards, but overall Brigid's will be solid favourites and with good reason.

Looking at the Pearses line up on Sunday it included C Keogh,D Kenny,J Tumulty,E Colleran all who played for Roscommon U20s this year. Brigids looking at their 5 championship results this year conceded just 0-38 and it's unlikely they conceded such a low score without getting numbers back in defence. It all suggest the Roscommon final will likely be a low scoring one and it will be important to have accurate free takers in order to win.

I thought Colleran played last year. I could be wrong, but either way, the bulk of the team hasn't changed and they looked stale.

I would say Brigid's low concession rate is because they were just much better than their opposition, dominating possession and having a very solid defense without packing it to any great degree. I'd be surprised if it's a low-scoring game, there's just going to be too many good footballers on the pitch.

I agree all the top teams get numbers back (though this is seemingly lost on virtually all pundits, who seem to pick on a few teams and never mention the rest), but from what I saw at the semis, Brigid's wouldn't pack their defense to the level that either Pearses or Boyle do. That was my point. Even on the Gaels kickouts, every single one of Brigids forwards were pushed up inside the Gaels 45. They are very attack oriented, with lots of players comfortable scoring. I suspect you haven't seen them play this year.

With regard to the Brigids / Pearses group game. Firstly, all Pearses games are low scoring, because of the ultra-defenseive approach Pearses take and in more recent times, their lack of a cutting edge up front. Secondly I don't see that having any relevance on the upcoming county final between Brigids and Boyle, especially considering the difference in quality between Boyle's forwards and Pearses'.

Brigids didn't play Pearses in last year's semi-final either.

Brigid's had a whole raft of injuries for that match last year, so I wouldn't use it as any sort of a barometer. They're at pretty much full-strength this year and all those youngsters they have are a year older and more experienced, plus they appear to be really well-coached.

Don't get me wrong here, I am not from Brigid's and would absolutely love to see Boyle win, but purely off their performances so far in the championship Brigid's will be strong favourites.

I was at that match last year (I'm not trying to stupidly cover myself here) and while that may have been the teamsheet I honestly don't believe that's the team that started. I know a Brigid's man I spoke to at the match who told me they had a lot of injuries and the match itself played out that way, as other than Ben O'Carroll the Brigid's team never really looked up to much.

How did they only lose by 3 points then? Well, I thought Boyle should have won by a lot more, but it was all about getting across the line to make their first county final in 95 (?) years.

Either way, I really hope Boyle win and I'll be cheering them on. And stranger things have happened, especially with the firepower they have upfront.