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Underdogs 2018 TG4

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Credit to TNG for excellent opening show in the returned series Underdogs.
Its 10 years since it has been on and last night a high standard of player showed up at Trials before the selectors which includes Paul Galvin . There seemed a good mix of players from different counties and there was some poignant personal stories behind some of the players.
Looks like a lot of talent there and I for one look forward to following the series up until their fixture against an Intercounty team in October.

OpenStand (Limerick) - Posts: 672 - 07/09/2018 12:01:55    2140091

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Replying To OpenStand:  "Credit to TNG for excellent opening show in the returned series Underdogs.
Its 10 years since it has been on and last night a high standard of player showed up at Trials before the selectors which includes Paul Galvin . There seemed a good mix of players from different counties and there was some poignant personal stories behind some of the players.
Looks like a lot of talent there and I for one look forward to following the series up until their fixture against an Intercounty team in October."
Yes I enjoyed it but Jesus Paul will you take off that fecking cap and stop embarrassing all us north Kerrymen :D
I wonder what county team they will play, didn't they play and beat Kerry in the first one back in 2004 when a certain Mr Donaghy put himself in the shop window and the rest,. as they say, is history.

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 07/09/2018 12:26:32    2140099

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The Underdogs are playing Bhulf Tón na Mí tomorrow in Kilberry for anyone interested.

Toney (Meath) - Posts: 298 - 08/09/2018 14:30:58    2140331

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Replying To Toney:  "The Underdogs are playing Bhulf Tón na Mí tomorrow in Kilberry for anyone interested."
They played kilcummin two weeks ago as well, I don't know how they got on.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 08/09/2018 15:00:40    2140341

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Always interesting show and it'll be interesting if there's any undiscovered gems onboard this time.
Galvin's madcap though stole the show , I was expecting him to board a steam engine and put on overalls at any minute. Jesus but I suppose you have to be trying something daft in his line of business or you'll never stand out.

Dubh_linn (Dublin) - Posts: 2312 - 08/09/2018 15:16:03    2140343

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Replying To Toney:  "The Underdogs are playing Bhulf Tón na Mí tomorrow in Kilberry for anyone interested."
Wolfe Tones ?

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 08/09/2018 16:46:02    2140354

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Replying To s goldrick:  "Wolfe Tones ?"
Yes, Wolfe Tones. 12 noon throw in.

Toney (Meath) - Posts: 298 - 08/09/2018 17:59:40    2140366

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As their showpiece game will be against one of the Super 8 teams, I presume that it will be against either Galway or Kerry? Purely basing this on the Silke/Galvin connection and that there might be a higher level of the playing panel who have the cúpla focal on those teams?

LongfordSham (Longford) - Posts: 106 - 10/09/2018 10:11:18    2140631

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Replying To LongfordSham:  "As their showpiece game will be against one of the Super 8 teams, I presume that it will be against either Galway or Kerry? Purely basing this on the Silke/Galvin connection and that there might be a higher level of the playing panel who have the cúpla focal on those teams?"
Will they actually be playing a Super 8 team? From what I seen last Sunday, they wouldn't beat a county U20 side. They were rubbish. Wolfe Tones had a patched up team and hammered them!

Toney (Meath) - Posts: 298 - 12/09/2018 17:33:58    2141283

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Replying To Toney:  "Will they actually be playing a Super 8 team? From what I seen last Sunday, they wouldn't beat a county U20 side. They were rubbish. Wolfe Tones had a patched up team and hammered them!"
I went to college with one of the ulster lads on it, wont name names obviously but he told me that that's who they were building up to play at the end of it anyway. He also said that for the last couple of games they've lost its been pretty hard because they don't have a full strength team out. This along with lads still involved in the later stages of their club championships most times the day before they play underdogs games!

I suppose its a hard one really because say you've a club championship in Donegal or Kerry on a Saturday evening you have to travel to Meath or wherever to play for the underdogs, you cant exactly tell either teams youre gonna be missing.

I suppose it makes good for the cameras if they lose too, but would be good to see if they can get it together for the latter end of the show. I'd love to know the actual breakdown of the team regarding ; Counties, Clubs, previous experience with colleges or county squads etc.

Fair play to TG4 for bringing it back. Its an awful pity that RTE with all the funding they have for ridiculous reality shows on air now couldn't put together a serious Sports related reality show such as this.

LongfordSham (Longford) - Posts: 106 - 13/09/2018 09:10:52    2141343

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Any chance they could find a few full forwards from Tyrone?

OGarmaile (Tyrone) - Posts: 248 - 13/09/2018 10:25:28    2141358

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The Underdogs episode tonight encapsulates exactly where gaelic football has gone wrong. All the emphasis was on physical conditioning, rather than skills; it's like they were selecting a team of commandos. It's an amateur sport, and these extreme levels of fitness are not necessary for good health; but because one team is doing it, everyone has to do it. We're running to stand still and the joy and pleasure of playing football has been lost

befair (Down) - Posts: 237 - 13/09/2018 23:12:36    2141583

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Replying To befair:  "The Underdogs episode tonight encapsulates exactly where gaelic football has gone wrong. All the emphasis was on physical conditioning, rather than skills; it's like they were selecting a team of commandos. It's an amateur sport, and these extreme levels of fitness are not necessary for good health; but because one team is doing it, everyone has to do it. We're running to stand still and the joy and pleasure of playing football has been lost"
That's a fair comment and the line that really struck me was Galvin saying about the Westmeath fella 'He's a footballer not an athlete'.
Jesus I always believed you get 15 footballers first on a team and then worry about improving their fitness but, as you said, in the modern game it seems to be get 15 athletes first and then somehow try and get some skill into them.
Surely it's easier to get fit than to develop the basic skills at that age?

Rugby had this issue where for a while everyone just went for the big guys, strength, muscle and power etc. and we got some turgid stuff with huge men just trying to run each other over. But in the last few years the Kiwi's have shown the rest of the world the future with an emphasis on off-loading, going around rather than through an opponent, and a return to smaller guys who just are supremely skilled.
Hopefully a county will come along with a similar blueprint for Gaelic football and maybe it might be Kerry, the backs we have coming through are small enough but hopefully the new man can show that if your players have the skills they can ultimately trump a bunch of athletes.

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 14/09/2018 09:42:36    2141626

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Replying To befair:  "The Underdogs episode tonight encapsulates exactly where gaelic football has gone wrong. All the emphasis was on physical conditioning, rather than skills; it's like they were selecting a team of commandos. It's an amateur sport, and these extreme levels of fitness are not necessary for good health; but because one team is doing it, everyone has to do it. We're running to stand still and the joy and pleasure of playing football has been lost"
Paul Galvin mentioned that the Lad who survived last night (Ritchie?) had all the skills and knew what to do with a ball but wasn't in peak condition. For that reason he almost lost his spot on the panel. You'd think this would be the ideal guy for them to work on, try and get him into a bit of better shape and take it from there. Good show all the same.

Tim_NicebutDim (Monaghan) - Posts: 347 - 14/09/2018 09:42:48    2141627

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Replying To Tim_NicebutDim:  "Paul Galvin mentioned that the Lad who survived last night (Ritchie?) had all the skills and knew what to do with a ball but wasn't in peak condition. For that reason he almost lost his spot on the panel. You'd think this would be the ideal guy for them to work on, try and get him into a bit of better shape and take it from there. Good show all the same."
It would be expected that a lad going for the underdogs would be of a strong fitness standard - how else could he possibly even think about going up against an inter county team ? They will stuggle to beat any team in my opinion - not sure if Way Silke has the tactical knowledge to outwit an inter county set up. Nice to see Galvin involved. I'd be a fan.

EugeneFox (Galway) - Posts: 160 - 14/09/2018 11:36:54    2141657

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Replying To Tim_NicebutDim:  "Paul Galvin mentioned that the Lad who survived last night (Ritchie?) had all the skills and knew what to do with a ball but wasn't in peak condition. For that reason he almost lost his spot on the panel. You'd think this would be the ideal guy for them to work on, try and get him into a bit of better shape and take it from there. Good show all the same."
Yeah but to be fair if your showing up for a tv show to play against a top team you need to be showing up with some level of base fitness, if you've aspirations of making a county panel that's the least you should have. Then a show like the underdogs should fine tune you that bit more, they could have sent two of them packing last night. I didn't hear them say who they're actually going to be up against?

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1908 - 14/09/2018 13:11:00    2141696

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Replying To Bon:  "Yeah but to be fair if your showing up for a tv show to play against a top team you need to be showing up with some level of base fitness, if you've aspirations of making a county panel that's the least you should have. Then a show like the underdogs should fine tune you that bit more, they could have sent two of them packing last night. I didn't hear them say who they're actually going to be up against?"
Would agree.

EugeneFox (Galway) - Posts: 160 - 14/09/2018 15:59:52    2141749

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Looking forward to this weeks rendition of "how to run lads into the pits of hell" . Should be good entertainment

WaitingInTheLongGrass (Roscommon) - Posts: 165 - 18/09/2018 13:05:23    2142444

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Hey does anyone know what happened to the Kerry fella, Darragh O'Se that was picked as one of the two goalies in the first episode?
Last night there was no sign of him and they had some Dublin fella as keeper as well as the Mayo lad who was picked with O'Se in that first selection.

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 21/09/2018 10:10:47    2143117

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I have to say that I like the concept of the programme, but they seem to spend a good chunk of the episodes looking for names to send home rather than showing the skills on show, I understand its part of the gimmick but its overkill.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1908 - 21/09/2018 10:56:43    2143125

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