The posts last week about Keegans sending confirms that the job of a referee is near impossible! So many for and so many against, and that was after watching it as many times as you want!

Mayo got the raw end of the stick but when a game is so intense its bound to have some talking points. I'm sure the ref didn't go out to favor one team over the other.

Every year there's complaints about refs.

The problem is there's no defined and respected set of rules. I for one really feel for a ref, but I also feel for Mayo after Saturday.

Did it cost them the game, not so sure as I thought Kerry were so strong towards the end, it was as if they would not accept defeat.

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1415 - 01/09/2014 21:19:07    1646451

since when is 2 hops allowed?
since when can mayo player trip a kerry player and get no card?
since when can kerry players be bushed in the back and get no free?
since is it not a foul by having your hand near a players head no where near the ball?

kerryluck (Kerry) - Posts: 2517 - 01/09/2014 21:45:41    1646475

Kerryluck

If you think Kerry were hard done by the referee you should watch the match again. Ref was poor. I don't think the ref intentionally favoured Mayo but the Kerry lads knew once Enright wasn't carded for the penalty that he would let an awful lot go. You play the whistle in football. If cards were handed out early the game wouldn't have ended up in a free for all at the end. Mayo lads weren't prepared to test the referee as much as Kerry were. Reminded me of the Mayo Cork league final in 2012 when Cork did the same thing.

A lot of things cost Mayo the match the ref was just one of many (poor kick outs, no full back, two best players knocking each other out, only three players playing their best). In fact it was Kerrys poor shooting that kept Mayo in the game.

But it has to be said that Enright should have been sent off and it would have been an entirely different game. Would Mayo have one? Who knows? Doesn't matter now. We will store the injustice and return the stronger.

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1134 - 02/09/2014 09:17:12    1646526

kerryluck
County: Kerry
Posts: 2239

1646475
since when is 2 hops allowed?
since when can mayo player trip a kerry player and get no card?
since when can kerry players be bushed in the back and get no free?
since is it not a foul by having your hand near a players head no where near the ball?

I honestly do not know what Game Some Kerry people where watching? In no way is it Kerry's fault for the terrible performance of the Ref. He was bad on both sides but the Major calls went against Mayo.

1: Shane Enright actually fouled 3 times after the Yellow Card, Kerry should have been down to 14 Men.
2: 1st Penalty for JOD
3: Easy frees being given to the Star
4: Easy frees being given in extra time

The so called Purist of the game, the same folk who slated Tyrone for being cynical and playing Puke football and now have blinkers on when looking at the performance of their team the last day. Every time Mayo tryed to get their running game going, they were pulled and dragged. AOS was fouled again and again. Now I understand theses are things that have to be done to win games, but do not slate teams like Tyrone because they won the important games against Kerry of Playing Puke football when the so called Purist of the game are doing similar tactics.

ballaghmen (Mayo) - Posts: 318 - 02/09/2014 09:58:24    1646558

ballydalane
County: Kilkenny
Posts: 166

1646021
I raised this point a few pages back, I think the main problem with GAA refs at all levels of the game, especially club level, is that too many of them try to manipulate the scoreline in order to "make a game of it".

...in a nutshell.

He had a poor game. Mayo got some handy frees in the second half of the Croker game but Reilly was dreadfully poor last weekend. Poor performances by Meathmen this year - players and officials.

HighKing81 (Meath) - Posts: 129 - 02/09/2014 11:47:16    1646652

http://www.hoganstand.com/Football/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=223597

Add to this the comments made by an ex Mayo player last night on OFF THE BALL on Newstalk...

Pretty harsh I felt and a bit ott....

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 3738 - 02/09/2014 12:11:18    1646678

HighKing 81

I agree with the poor standard of refereeing. There is also a lack of respect towards referees in the GAA. Rugby provides a weekly example of how referees should operate (miked up so everyone can here what he is calling and why) and how teams should articulate their concerns (meeting before match and 1 designated person to speak to him during the match). Rugby's use of a video ref and two properly trained and experience linesmen who will highlight issue is a clear example of good match officiating. Also the standard of umpire at all levels of the GAA is an absolute disgrace and always has been. Most are only there for a free ticket to the match and a free dinner after.

Players deserve better for their efforts

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1134 - 02/09/2014 12:14:53    1646682

Overall, the Ref had a horror show; Players train hard for 8-10 months or maybe more during the year and subsequently deserve a much improved level of officiating from referees; He was such a disgust that if I was still playing one may contemplate, why bother..??
At present this is also a prevalent issue at club level; Its time that referees stepped up their own training instead of a meeting now and again with some tea and biscuits. I would not be a fan of our own county man but on Sunday he took the game by the scruff of the neck with the yellow card in the first minute which set the tone for the rest of the game. Also, notice that Murphy received a yellow card for the closed fist tackle to the torso; this went unpunished in any format on Saturday (AOS being the most prominent receipient) and Colm O'Rourke defending same re "the spirit of the game". A foul is a foul. Sort out the officiating GAA or it may impact on numbers playing in the future..!

Steaf35 (Cavan) - Posts: 12 - 02/09/2014 12:15:03    1646683

Any one on here complaining about ref Saturday has a very short memory.
In Mayo's last game vs Cork the ref could have awarded two penalty's to
Cork and awarded none, plus the nonsense at the end of the game. There was
no huge whining like this over that game.
In the end Mayo were probably a little better than Cork over 70 minutes,
and Kerry were the best team Saturday.

mps17 (USA) - Posts: 13 - 02/09/2014 12:58:46    1646718

The refferees decisions are key in every game in the country, some days they go for you and some days they don't, we in Kerry have had a lot of days when they didn't but because people generally dislike us nothing is ever made of it, also why didn't mcstay nit pick coldricks reffing from the first game ? Seems very inballanced punditry IMO.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 02/09/2014 13:05:47    1646723

Surprised the Sunday game allowed McStay to come out with those sort of comments. If you can be objective about your own County maybe dont go on the panel that week.

HEREBENJI (Donegal) - Posts: 422 - 02/09/2014 13:23:24    1646752

Im always one for protecting referees and recognise its a very hard job. Missing technical fouls like the double hop can happen. Even some of the handy frees are subjective. He has to make a decision on the spot and I sympathise with that.

But again, Enright staying on the field is what I have an issue with and here's why. The ref didn't 'miss' anything - there was no split decision to me made. Once he made the decision to give the penalty that means that Enright is guilty and the nature of the offence means that he has to get a card. I don't care if its black or yellow - to not give him a card is INEXCUSABLE. There is simply no defending the ref on that one.

I dont know whether he thought that because Mayo were already 3 points up and now had a penalty that was punishment enough but the scoreline should not come into his thinking.

benjyyy (Donegal) - Posts: 1422 - 02/09/2014 13:25:58    1646761

Mayo complaining about a referee
Now how often have we heard that before....
I suppose cos he's from Meath he cheated them even more
Time to change the tune

Let slip a 5 point lead in first game and a 7 point lead in the replay.

They lost to a better team, pure and simple, time to move on

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1954 - 02/09/2014 13:27:54    1646765

kerryluck
County: Kerry
Posts: 2240

1646475
since when is 2 hops allowed?
since when can mayo player trip a kerry player and get no card?
since when can kerry players be bushed in the back and get no free?
since is it not a foul by having your hand near a players head no where near the ball?


Exactly:)

Cranky360 (Mayo) - Posts: 834 - 02/09/2014 13:43:44    1646788

KingdomBoy1
County: Kerry
Posts: 2330

1646723
The refferees decisions are key in every game in the country, some days they go for you and some days they don't, we in Kerry have had a lot of days when they didn't but because people generally dislike us nothing is ever made of it, also why didn't mcstay nit pick coldricks reffing from the first game ? Seems very inballanced punditry IMO.


Look at your self in the mirror and read your comment out hile looking at yourself in the mirror, if you can keep a straight face, come back to me then....lol

Cranky360 (Mayo) - Posts: 834 - 02/09/2014 13:48:33    1646793

Mayo fans and their excuses...

Ahhh thank God for GAA tradition!

It's great to know that somethings will never change isn't it!

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20601 - 02/09/2014 13:57:11    1646802

Bad refereeing and Mayo whinging the old reliables of the GAA

hound (Meath) - Posts: 234 - 02/09/2014 14:14:36    1646823

Dear Mayo fans. Can we let this die please. We have a top class team but we are still 2-3 players short. We will be back again next year. I haven't heard one of our players mention the ref in the aftermath of the game. COC was interviewed yesterday and congratulated Kerry saying they did what they had to do, we are not helping the players cause going forward by harping on about this, at least our players are gracious in defeat. We are better than this, leave it be.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 7907 - 02/09/2014 14:15:17    1646824

fair play TheFlanker
thats the way to take a deefeat...gracefully

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1954 - 02/09/2014 14:25:28    1646842

people make the point about the ref keeping up with the pace of the game, but to give a free, you have to SEE a foul. I can understand a ref missing an incident, but to see whats not there.....very odd!

FrackTheTurf (Galway) - Posts: 171 - 02/09/2014 14:34:05    1646860