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International Rules - 2 Like(s)
Replying To tirawleybaron: "Most GAA players now start at 5/6 in their clubs. Its something similar in OZ.
So Kobe is starting at least 10 years behind his team mates on the skills of the oval ball.
Thats a lot of hours to put in to catch up - and most Irish lads never do.
So they end up being half backs (winning breaks and "tagging" the oppositions best players. Becoming "water carriers" in an inferior game (IMO).
It is a shame for GAA that we lose some of our very best footballers when they chose to be average water carriers on a professional team - unlikely to gain any money outside the sport - as sponsors don't really pay up to be associated with average players." Would you start and do a count of how many elite gaelic players go to the AFL. Most players who go are back inside 2 years. Lads spend longer away on college erasmus. Fair play to any lad or lassie that can get a free couple of years enjoying the Aussie life.
ORIELMAN85 (National) - 10/08/2026 23:26:27
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Westmeath Football thread - 2 Like(s)
Replying To Claretandblue: "It's far from a perfect structure and that's been well commented on here but what has been very noticeable in the opening two rounds has been the intensity and championship type tempo of the games. Teams know that losing one match could have a huge effect on qualifying so there's far greater urgency in the games. Caulry vs Garrycastle on Friday night was virtually a knockout game with both sides having lost their opening match and with tough games to come. The game was played at a great level of intensity with Caulry very unlucky. In Section A a side that could reach a county final will be eliminated, three draws out of six matches played suggests teams realise the importance of not losing early on, structure likely to be tweaked again next year but doubtful if scenario of four teams qualifying out of six will be reintroduced. Teams qualifying with one win out of five games hardly what supporters wish to see." I'd agree with your last sentence, but I doubt very much if that was the main reason forchanging the system. I think most people would believe that the clubs that supported the change, some of whom were well represented on the county executive, were motivated mainly by self-interest.
midlands (National) - 11/08/2026 09:07:00
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"It's Worrying For Hurling!" - 1 Like(s)
Replying To tirawleybaron: "Hurling also has 30+ counties entering its competitions.
Football is just less exclusive.
Football has been changing its championship since 2001. Changing its rules to try to make it a better watch as well as attractive to more people - which it is.
The only significant change to hurling was the round robin provincial system, which was introduced in a panic as a response to the football super 8's (which only lasted 2 years).
Hurling only copies parts of what goes on in football. I'd say its safe to say that the last great innovation in hurling (rules or structures) that was conceived, trailed and implemented by the hurling counties themselves (and later copied by football) was the All Ireland B championship in 1974. An innovation that removed 3 counties from the Leinster championship (Wicklow, Kildare, Westmeath). When football introduce an All Ireland B competition in 1990, no county left their provincial championship.
The reality is in 24 of the 32 counties , football is king. Even when football counties like Dublin, Galway and Offaly win a provincial or All Ireland - it doesn't seriously impact the development of hurling in those counties. Others that do well for a while - Kerry, Roscommon, Kildare, Meath, Westmeath, Carlow, Down, Derry etc - havent been able to challenge that.
In the large urban areas - Galway, Dublin city, Sligo, Athlone, Belfast, Drogheda, Dundalk, Derry, Enniskillen etc - hurling has made minimal inroads in 140 years.
With the current demographic swing to the eastern seaboard and Dublin area, unless hurling bucks up its ideas, it will go the way of other GAA sports that have all but disappeared. (Rounders and handball)." Again, an alternate view -
Hurling remains strong and popular in all the areas where it's always been strong and popular, and where people remain willing to develop and promote it.
It remains weak or even non-existent in all the places where people have little or no interest in doing anything to foster it in the first place. Won't even agree to basic Go Games for Under 10s!
As I keep pointing out - all the resources and supports in the world won't bring on hurling in those places if the local clubs don't want to work at it anyway. Horse, water, and drink.
Pikeman96 (National) - 11/08/2026 14:08:03
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Donegal GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Hi lads, in case anyone missed it and is wondering, I'm away for the next week or so. So there won't be any scores totted up for last weekend's games just yet.
I'll post this weekend's fixtures later in the week. Then when I'm home, I'll do the scores for both weeks and a leaderboard.
Yiamas!
Lockjaw (National) - 10/08/2026 16:06:04
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"It's Worrying For Hurling!" - 1 Like(s)
Replying To tirawleybaron: "Hurling also has 30+ counties entering its competitions.
Football is just less exclusive.
Football has been changing its championship since 2001. Changing its rules to try to make it a better watch as well as attractive to more people - which it is.
The only significant change to hurling was the round robin provincial system, which was introduced in a panic as a response to the football super 8's (which only lasted 2 years).
Hurling only copies parts of what goes on in football. I'd say its safe to say that the last great innovation in hurling (rules or structures) that was conceived, trailed and implemented by the hurling counties themselves (and later copied by football) was the All Ireland B championship in 1974. An innovation that removed 3 counties from the Leinster championship (Wicklow, Kildare, Westmeath). When football introduce an All Ireland B competition in 1990, no county left their provincial championship.
The reality is in 24 of the 32 counties , football is king. Even when football counties like Dublin, Galway and Offaly win a provincial or All Ireland - it doesn't seriously impact the development of hurling in those counties. Others that do well for a while - Kerry, Roscommon, Kildare, Meath, Westmeath, Carlow, Down, Derry etc - havent been able to challenge that.
In the large urban areas - Galway, Dublin city, Sligo, Athlone, Belfast, Drogheda, Dundalk, Derry, Enniskillen etc - hurling has made minimal inroads in 140 years.
With the current demographic swing to the eastern seaboard and Dublin area, unless hurling bucks up its ideas, it will go the way of other GAA sports that have all but disappeared. (Rounders and handball)." And in any case its the GAAs responsibility to protect and promote hurling. Not the responsibility of "hurling" itself.
The biggest problem is that there are too many half gael county boards in Ireland who arent doing their jobs properly!
Viking66 (National) - 11/08/2026 13:38:42
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Leitrim GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To gaelsboy: "Think mossie is retired now alright but if they can get out of their group I'm sure he could be got back, they need everyone they can get out" I doubt he's retired so millions. Thanks. Sure he's a young man with a young family please. He'd surely have to work for a number of years yet please and thank you.
bláthach (National) - 11/08/2026 13:05:00
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Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Neutral here but I can't get my head around the structure change.
Surely if you wanted 3 coming out of each group you keep the 2 groups of 6 but have 3 from the current Section A and 3 from the Current Section B in each group?
So for example;
Group A:
The Downs
Shamrocks
Garrycastle
Athlone
Tyrrellspass
Killucan
Group B:
Lomans
Kinnegad
Caulry
Tubberclair
Moate
Tang
Winner of each group straight through to semi finals. 2 v 3 from each group in quarter finals. Bottom of each play each other in relegation playoff
Ros13 (National) - 11/08/2026 11:21:43
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Anti GAA Agenda - 1 Like(s)
Replying To BarneyGrant: "There's a huge market for televised sport. GAA in surrendering two prime months by curtailing championships has cut a switch for our own back.
The accountants only see the short term gain in freeing up event time.
And yes. The turkeys voted for Christmas.." Tell us about the great marketing the GAA used to do for intercounty hurling and football in August and September?
GreenandRed (National) - 11/08/2026 10:50:39
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International Rules - 1 Like(s)
Is it strange that some people, who are less than supportive of the LGFA, of the standard of ladies football and integration seem concerned about the state of intercounty LGFA because some of it's better players go and play in the AFLW?
GreenandRed (National) - 11/08/2026 10:46:47
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Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Corofin123: "Condolences to Mark McHugh on the sad news his brother was killed in a Car Crash in Cavan yesterday, a great footballer himself was Jim.
RIP" apologies, his uncle.
Corofin123 (National) - 11/08/2026 10:04:13
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Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Claretandblue: "It's far from a perfect structure and that's been well commented on here but what has been very noticeable in the opening two rounds has been the intensity and championship type tempo of the games. Teams know that losing one match could have a huge effect on qualifying so there's far greater urgency in the games. Caulry vs Garrycastle on Friday night was virtually a knockout game with both sides having lost their opening match and with tough games to come. The game was played at a great level of intensity with Caulry very unlucky. In Section A a side that could reach a county final will be eliminated, three draws out of six matches played suggests teams realise the importance of not losing early on, structure likely to be tweaked again next year but doubtful if scenario of four teams qualifying out of six will be reintroduced. Teams qualifying with one win out of five games hardly what supporters wish to see." How often did teams qualify with 1group win over the 10 years that the system was in? Not often I'd imagine. Now we have a system where the 9th best team qualify and the 4th, 5th and 6th are all out? I think supporters would much rather the old system, as clearly voiced on this forum all summer long.
tparker120 (National) - 11/08/2026 09:58:35
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Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Condolences to Mark McHugh on the sad news his brother was killed in a Car Crash in Cavan yesterday, a great footballer himself was Jim.
RIP
Corofin123 (National) - 11/08/2026 09:48:15
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Monaghan GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Monaghanmad123: "Scotstown had 4 players on their junior side the other night who have started at least 6 senior championship finals each. 2 of them being man of the match in different finals. No club in junior is able to compete with that quality never mind the young lads who are aiming to break into their Ulster winning panel" It is a total farce. Been going on in Scotstown for year. I have heard that Truagh may have a little problem with their selection from the weekend. If clubs want to have 2nd teams in Junior, panels should have to be named at the start of the season with no movement allowed through the year. The carry on that is happening is the same as if Seans or Blackhill were able to bring in players from Harps and Blaney respectively during the season. The whole thing is a joke.
ORIELMAN85 (National) - 10/08/2026 23:19:14
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Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To mul: "The change to the structure this year is such a terrible decision for so many reasons. It was perfect the way it was.
Whoever initiated it needs to swallow their pride and go back to the way it was next year." It's far from a perfect structure and that's been well commented on here but what has been very noticeable in the opening two rounds has been the intensity and championship type tempo of the games. Teams know that losing one match could have a huge effect on qualifying so there's far greater urgency in the games. Caulry vs Garrycastle on Friday night was virtually a knockout game with both sides having lost their opening match and with tough games to come. The game was played at a great level of intensity with Caulry very unlucky. In Section A a side that could reach a county final will be eliminated, three draws out of six matches played suggests teams realise the importance of not losing early on, structure likely to be tweaked again next year but doubtful if scenario of four teams qualifying out of six will be reintroduced. Teams qualifying with one win out of five games hardly what supporters wish to see.
Claretandblue (National) - 10/08/2026 21:47:40
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Leitrim GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Greenandgold1994: "Ya they have a great chance. I see they have a local derby this weekend against Leitrim geals. If they win this one ya never know what they will do." Leitrim will be tough,should beat Aughawillan and manor could go either way ,manor will fancy there chances this weekend
Redlad6 (National) - 10/08/2026 21:39:07
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Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
The change to the structure this year is such a terrible decision for so many reasons. It was perfect the way it was.
Whoever initiated it needs to swallow their pride and go back to the way it was next year.
mul (National) - 10/08/2026 19:43:22
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Wexford Club Hurling 2026 - 1 Like(s)
Replying To ElGranSenor: "What three Wexford clubs did you beat?" Probably wouldn't good etiquette to mention specific teams as no doubt parents be on this board so keeping it positive I was really impressed by blackwater u11s and Gorey u12s
WEXILE (National) - 10/08/2026 19:31:00
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Galway Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To yew_tree: "Got knocked out last year with a last second kick v Donegal. I wouldn't say Mayo came from "nowhere"
If it's nowhere than a lot of teams are nowhere! Like a lot of things it's very as bad as it seems or as good on the other end. Mayo will need to evolve again next year and I think management know that." I agree with that in saying that I think the cards falls kindly for ye in a year where a lot
Of the big guns came a cropper early on -a tr final v cork and a semi final v Louth gave ye huge momentum and one think no mayo team
Lacked Over the years is belief that coupled with hunger and hurt made ye an unstoppable force in the final
Congrats and well done not
Sure yell back it up next year but having got
Over the line wouldn't be one bit surprised to
See ye win a couple
Over
The next few years !
rossy15 (National) - 10/08/2026 18:49:25
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