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Galway Football thread - 2 Like(s)
Replying To S1234: "Safe to say I was right all along Mayo where never far off it and 100% ahead of Galway ...." Indeed, over the past 15 or 16 years Mayo always had a real chance of winning before a ball was kicked each year. Apart from one year when McLoughlin scored a late point to keep them up, they have comfortable retained division 1 Status. It is is remarkable really that they replaced several generational players, players who put in All Star preformances in every game, without dropping down. Their odds reflected this too, with other division 1 teams like Roscommon and Monaghan given almost no chance by the bookies. One thing sets Mayo apart from almost any other team, in that they give it their all every time. On what we have see this year and last they are well ahead of Galway with the gap likely to increase before it closes again. Galway, Kerry, Donegal and Armagh are aging teams, especially when it comes to their key players. Senior Club Teams in Galway are dependent on players in their late 30s and even 40s to a greater degree than other counties (Gary Sice for 1). And while Galway v Mayo games are often decided by a point or 2 regardless of current form, I think the chance of us beating ye in a must win game is slim. The loss of Kobe is of course huge, but the up and coming youngsters will now have a real belief that too can taste ultimate glory.
giveitlong (National) - 06/08/2026 17:24:25
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International Rules - 2 Like(s)
Replying To FullOfPorter: "If getting an international opportunity organise it in the form of playing other international GAA clubs/regions, not some half baked crossbred game with another sport that is dire to watch." Good luck with getting a competitive game from that. The compromise rules were very enjoyable while they lasted.
ORIELMAN85 (National) - 06/08/2026 17:39:02
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Galway Football thread - 2 Like(s)
Replying To giveitlong: "Indeed, over the past 15 or 16 years Mayo always had a real chance of winning before a ball was kicked each year. Apart from one year when McLoughlin scored a late point to keep them up, they have comfortable retained division 1 Status. It is is remarkable really that they replaced several generational players, players who put in All Star preformances in every game, without dropping down. Their odds reflected this too, with other division 1 teams like Roscommon and Monaghan given almost no chance by the bookies. One thing sets Mayo apart from almost any other team, in that they give it their all every time. On what we have see this year and last they are well ahead of Galway with the gap likely to increase before it closes again. Galway, Kerry, Donegal and Armagh are aging teams, especially when it comes to their key players. Senior Club Teams in Galway are dependent on players in their late 30s and even 40s to a greater degree than other counties (Gary Sice for 1). And while Galway v Mayo games are often decided by a point or 2 regardless of current form, I think the chance of us beating ye in a must win game is slim. The loss of Kobe is of course huge, but the up and coming youngsters will now have a real belief that too can taste ultimate glory." They've come out of nowhere to win an All Ireland and benefitted from a relatively run to get to the final after losing 2 games along the way. They were outstanding in the final and should have won by a lot more.
They had poor championships in 22, 23, 24 & 25, only for Kobe who's now gone to Australia they wouldn't have beaten Meath so I wouldn't get carried away.
Th is Mayo team won't go near winning another All Ireland unless Kobe comes back, they have huge issues from kickouts and teams will find a way to play against their press.
Plenty of people in Mayo worried about their Senior clubs, its 11 years since they won Connacht Senior Club championship.
As for Galway Thompson who looks like a potential player of the year too come back in and the likes of McGlinchey, Coen, Mulhearn & Mulryan all look like they could make an impact at this level. Its far from doom and gloom, we've a lot of top players still in their 20's.
TheBishop (National) - 07/08/2026 09:12:15
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Mayo, Tyrone, Dublin, Kerry, Galway, Donegal Or Armagh - All Ireland Champions 2027? - 1 Like(s)
Hopefully none of those 7.
Seanfan (National) - 06/08/2026 11:27:55
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"It's Worrying For Hurling!" - 1 Like(s)
Replying To logger: "What learnings? Two-pointers if the goalie scores, and I wouldn't put it beyond Nicky Quaid.
When has Nicky ever scored a point? Maybe I'm forgetting here but he doesn't do it regularly anyway. Perhaps he should have said Mark Fanning here." Long range scores are all well and good, but the last thing hurling needs is more incentives for not working the ball into the forwards to make goal scoring opportunities
If they were going to fiddle with scoring the only change I would trial is 4 points for a goal and indirect frees for "technical fouls"
Football had a problem with defending on top, and low scoring, hurling does not have that scoring problem
Yadse (National) - 06/08/2026 12:28:30
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International Rules - 1 Like(s)
Replying To tirawleybaron: "There is a reality coming down the tracks for mens gaelic football.
The all Ireland semis and finals took in over €24m in gate reciepts. (83,000 x €100)
The current football product will attract bigger crowds in earlier especially if the competitiveness remains.
The other GAA sports - Hurling, lgfa, camogie, tailteann cup, will always be amateur as there is no market to sustain those sports at a professional level.
However, with the commitment needed from multiple counties to win Sam Maguire - there is a business case developing for having 10 semi professional football counties at a minimum (Dublin, Kerry, Galway, Mayo, Tyrone, Donegal, Armagh, Kildare, Meath, Louth) as they would have the attendences to support it in a tailored competition.
Roscommon, Monaghan, Westmeath might have the teams now to joint them, but don't have the population to do it.
Cork , Limerick, Clare, Waterford, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Wexford would be involved in hurling which doesn't have enough general appeal to ever become a runner for a semi professional operation.
The day will come when the the top end of the gaelic football pyramid will produce enough talent that Aussie rules will take 20 or so a year. The only way to stop it is to have a paid opportunity at home. That is the inevitable conclusion" It's far from an inevitable conclusion. You might want to take out the GAA annual report if you honestly think the GAA or the counties listed could sustain 10 semi-professional teams. How would Mayo pay for it for example, a county that is well known to be up their neck in debt, debt that Croke Park owns (lets call it what it is, a bailout) and to which is preventing capital investment in the overall game until it's paid off. Ye will be a long time paying off 25k a month and on very, very favourable terms may I add (https://www.the42.ie/mayo-gaa-finance-6715779-May2025/).
Creating an 'elite' faction to the GAA will certainly kill it off. All counties go professional or no professional, which to be clear, I would never be in agreement with in the first place.
And so what if 20 players a year head out to Australia, off they go. This idea that the GAA must over react to a minute proportion of their players heading to aus is laughable.
Square_B (National) - 06/08/2026 12:33:10
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Monaghan GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To veterngaa: "Scotstown won the league without Beggan, McCarron, 2 x Hughes etc They have Meehan back and brought in Keenan, Gallagher, Foley, McElwaine and McCaffrey along with Finely and Darcy Foy. There will be players outside the 24 with 6/7 county medals not getting a look in.
There forwards are
McCarron
Mattie Maguire
Francis Maguire
McElwaine
Mallon
Max Maguire
Shane Carey
James Hamill
Jason Carey
Defenders
O'Toole
McCarthy
Kieran Hughes
Darren Hughes
McArdle
Connolly
McCaffrey
Meehan
McPhillips
Where do you go picking that team …" When you see them names it just reinforces the incredible manager that McCauge is wining championships with scotstown…….some achievement…..
mick2007 (National) - 06/08/2026 14:08:35
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International Rules - 1 Like(s)
Replying To tirawleybaron: "There is a reality coming down the tracks for mens gaelic football.
The all Ireland semis and finals took in over €24m in gate reciepts. (83,000 x €100)
The current football product will attract bigger crowds in earlier especially if the competitiveness remains.
The other GAA sports - Hurling, lgfa, camogie, tailteann cup, will always be amateur as there is no market to sustain those sports at a professional level.
However, with the commitment needed from multiple counties to win Sam Maguire - there is a business case developing for having 10 semi professional football counties at a minimum (Dublin, Kerry, Galway, Mayo, Tyrone, Donegal, Armagh, Kildare, Meath, Louth) as they would have the attendences to support it in a tailored competition.
Roscommon, Monaghan, Westmeath might have the teams now to joint them, but don't have the population to do it.
Cork , Limerick, Clare, Waterford, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Wexford would be involved in hurling which doesn't have enough general appeal to ever become a runner for a semi professional operation.
The day will come when the the top end of the gaelic football pyramid will produce enough talent that Aussie rules will take 20 or so a year. The only way to stop it is to have a paid opportunity at home. That is the inevitable conclusion" I rarely give them praise, God forbid, but Roscommon have a better case to be in any semi pro set up than Meath. Bigger ground, better attendances at their games etc. Monaghan have ferocious support too. Westmeath has a passionate football base also.
I assume semi pro in that scenario would mean a home and away series with 18 games in a 10 team league. 9 at home, 9 away. I can't imagine there is an appetite for that at all at the minute or in the medium term.
ohwow (National) - 06/08/2026 14:11:55
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"It's Worrying For Hurling!" - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Yadse: "Long range scores are all well and good, but the last thing hurling needs is more incentives for not working the ball into the forwards to make goal scoring opportunities
If they were going to fiddle with scoring the only change I would trial is 4 points for a goal and indirect frees for "technical fouls"
Football had a problem with defending on top, and low scoring, hurling does not have that scoring problem" Exactly. The two-pointer in football was designed to incentivise long-range shooting. Hurling doesn't have that problem.
And I've actually made that point myself before too as regards indirect frees for technical fouls, including in my submission to the Hurling Advisory Committee's rules review survey. In particular, I'd be strict on the handpass, and would penalise any pass where there's not a clear striking motion and/or clear daylight between the palm of the hand and the ball at some stage of the motion.
Bearing in mind that a direct free from even 80 to 100 metres could lead directly to a score, it's probably too much of a penalty for a handpass that might just about have been technically legal in the first place. But if you make it an indirect free instead, I think referees would be much more inclined to blow up for all the dodgy ones, until we get to a stage where every handpass is clearly legal.
Pikeman96 (National) - 06/08/2026 15:36:28
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International Rules - 1 Like(s)
How many players do the Aus Rules Clubs "poach" from Ireland annually?
5? 6?.....?
Our dear neighbours to the West have lost Mullin and McDonald.
How many years apart?
Seanfan (National) - 06/08/2026 15:52:17
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Monaghan GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Matchwatcher: "I assume you are being sarcastic?
Said it before, once they took Jack it ended the Senior Championship as a contest.As long as Rory and Jack are there they'll continue to dominate. Doesn't matter who's managing Scotstown or any other team. Scotstown have too many good players not to win." No I was being serious…… they're performing miracles with such limited resources midboggling achievements……
mick2007 (National) - 06/08/2026 16:54:41
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International Rules - 1 Like(s)
Replying To GreenandRed: "Dire to watch for you. Most sports are poor to watch in comparison to new rules Gaelic Football. It has enough support to be a full time professional sport in Australia and has more competition there from other sports. Regardless of how AFL games look, or them recruiting GAA prospects the GAA could take a few tips from the AFL on how they publicise their sport." The GAA seem to want to keep Gaelic games a secret!
Local Tidy Towns Committees are better at publicising things than the GAA.
Seanfan (National) - 06/08/2026 18:50:46
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Monaghan GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Scotstown are clear favourites for championship maybe the biggest favourite in ireland. But imagine if Clontibret parish had all three clubs playing for them.
Clontibret-Doohamlet-Cremartin
Desman (National) - 06/08/2026 22:24:13
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Mayo, Tyrone, Dublin, Kerry, Galway, Donegal Or Armagh - All Ireland Champions 2027? - 1 Like(s)
Settle lads, it's only August..
There will be a lot of changes before the ball gets thrown in for the championship in 8 months time
eoinog (National) - 06/08/2026 23:48:30
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