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Donegal GAA thread

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We all love the Ulster Championship but I think the we should really be thinking about being ready for the group stages of the All Ireland series.
I wouldn't be rushing any lads back until they are match ready, time enough till the group games for anyone that's still not 100%.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3173 - 09/04/2024 16:44:43    2536947

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Replying To PeterQ92:  "Whats the story with tickets for the Derry game. Will any be on public sale?"
All I hope is that the right people get them. But I know that won't happen thell be people there on Saturday week who wernt at a game all year. Some neck

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2608 - 09/04/2024 18:10:17    2536963

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "
Replying To Commodore:  "Response to LOCKJAW

What if we scrap the National League and the remold the Provincial Championships into a League format,

- Top 2 teams in each Province qualify for All Ireland series and contest a Provincial Final.
- Bottom 2 teams in each Province automatically enter Tailteann Cup.
- Remaining 16 teams play one single knock-out round, with 8 winners enter All Ireland series, 8 losers entering Tailteann Cup.

For Ulster, this would mean 9 games for all teams before the All Ireland Championship or Tailteann Cup Championship.
Currently if a Ulster team wins the National League and wins Ulster from Preliminary round, they play 12 games.

This approach would free up time on the Calendar, keeps the Provincial Championship and league finals, but probably would get slated by Dublin and Kerry, as they might argue they won't face a competitive game until the All Ireland series. However it might help drive the GAA to drive improvements in other provinces."
Yeah that's certainly a novel idea as well. I don't think I'm the only one in thinking this, the current format has too many games and they're not played at a historic "Championship intensity". So you have too many games that families can't afford to go to, plus they're not "championship" in the true sense of the word. I don't want to come across as an old dinosaur here, but I think we need to get back to that good old cut-throat football if we're to recapture the public imagination.

But I guess the other side of that is county players training to games becomes a factor. In the format I proposed in my last post you could conceivably lose in the prelim in Ulster, wait a few weeks, then lose your first game in the Championship last 16. So that's a whole lot of training put in for two championship games. County managers would likely kick up a fuss then. The GAA would also lose out on matchday revenue as there would be fewer games, but if attendances are dwindling as it is?

So as I said earlier, it's an impossible job to satisy all stakeholders."
I didn't have too much issue with the championship group stage. I suppose firstly from a Donegal point of view I really admired how Donegal applied themselves and gave a very good group performance and I'm really glad I went to the Clare game.

From an overall point of view you just can't have three out of four teams getting out of a group. There's just not enough jeopardy in it. There's seems to be an obsession in the gaa about not having dead rubbers. In pretty much every competition the world over the ends up happening and just don't focus on them matches

Last year Monaghan vs Donegal last group game would have been knock and Donegal would have got to a quarter final. As it turned out Monaghan actually benefitted. Kildare was an easier match than tyrone. Cork beat Mayo and mayo would have been gone. Kerry had to beat Louth to get through. Kildare vs Roscommon would have been knock out and Roscommon were gone. The Armagh, Galway, Tyrone, Westmeath had a pile of permutations and Tyrone would have been gone. That would have been very exciting.

After that I wouldn't mind an open draw in the quarters to give lesser teams more of a chance.

Ulsterchamps_32 (Donegal) - Posts: 800 - 09/04/2024 19:48:19    2536986

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Replying To panamasam:  "Take Dublin out of the Leinster championship and it would be an excellent championship. The reason it's become so uncompetitive is largely financial."
Put Dublin into the Ulster Championship.

Put Kerry in Connacht.

High_and_wide (Donegal) - Posts: 84 - 09/04/2024 20:54:31    2536997

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Replying To rorysboys:  "All I hope is that the right people get them. But I know that won't happen thell be people there on Saturday week who wernt at a game all year. Some neck"
You're never happy, if people don't go you're crying, if they go you're crying cause they are not the 'right' people.
Attendances all round the country for the league and provincials are telling a story, there's too many games lumped together and there won't be any major public interest in any of it until we get to the last 8 stages of the All Ireland series.
Ulster folk will have some big games to attend and some big rivalries will meet, apart from that it's just dross till we get to the knock out stages of Sam Maguire,
that's just the way it is, you can cry all you like, league and provincials are jus warm ups for the big one.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3173 - 09/04/2024 20:59:35    2536999

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Rorysboys was complaining when the bandwagoners didn't go to the Division 2 final and now he is complaining at them possibly going to the Derry match. He will still be complaining if Donegal bring a big crowd to Croke park in a quarter final.
Tiresome stuff.
I haven't bothered to look for a ticket yet, I don't understand the hype for this match. If any left overs go on Ticketmaster for the Ulster games I will go.

PattyONeill (Derry) - Posts: 263 - 09/04/2024 21:07:27    2537003

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Replying To SurelyToGod:  "I don't see it. He's after a lengthy lay-off from a hamstring tear/surgery, and has played only 60 mins since August. He's working his way up to full match-fitness, and until then his minutes need to be managed very carefully. Fair play to him for getting back into the reckoning after the injury, McGuinness must rate him. He looked good last year for the most part, but the demands of the half-back line are quite different this year, so there's a lot more work to do to prove his worth in starting team.

Don't get me wrong, I think he's good, committed, and at 22 he's got potential to improve. With our current injury crisis, he could easily start. Just think he needs time to ramp up."
Caolan has been training for a long time, he will be 100% for the match and should start if Eoin Ban not ready.

Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 470 - 09/04/2024 21:52:58    2537008

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Replying To rorysboys:  "All I hope is that the right people get them. But I know that won't happen thell be people there on Saturday week who wernt at a game all year. Some neck"
The Tickets are given out through the Clubs. That's the fairest way.

Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 470 - 09/04/2024 21:56:12    2537009

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Replying To PattyONeill:  "Rorysboys was complaining when the bandwagoners didn't go to the Division 2 final and now he is complaining at them possibly going to the Derry match. He will still be complaining if Donegal bring a big crowd to Croke park in a quarter final.
Tiresome stuff.
I haven't bothered to look for a ticket yet, I don't understand the hype for this match. If any left overs go on Ticketmaster for the Ulster games I will go."
If you dont understand the hype for the match you were right not to look for a ticket. Your obviously not a GAA follower.......

Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 470 - 09/04/2024 22:03:54    2537010

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Replying To PattyONeill:  "Rorysboys was complaining when the bandwagoners didn't go to the Division 2 final and now he is complaining at them possibly going to the Derry match. He will still be complaining if Donegal bring a big crowd to Croke park in a quarter final.
Tiresome stuff.
I haven't bothered to look for a ticket yet, I don't understand the hype for this match. If any left overs go on Ticketmaster for the Ulster games I will go."
You don't understand the hype for this match?
Div.1 v Div. 2 league champions, local Derby, ulster cship, Harte v McGuinness. Does it get any better?

PeterQ92 (Donegal) - Posts: 154 - 10/04/2024 05:29:04    2537028

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Replying To Scenicparish:  "If you dont understand the hype for the match you were right not to look for a ticket. Your obviously not a GAA follower......."
The person is on Hoganstand commenting on GAA and you say they are not a GAA follower?

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3173 - 10/04/2024 07:24:58    2537031

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Replying To panamasam:  "
Replying To Commodore:  "Response to LOCKJAW

What if we scrap the National League and the remold the Provincial Championships into a League format,

- Top 2 teams in each Province qualify for All Ireland series and contest a Provincial Final.
- Bottom 2 teams in each Province automatically enter Tailteann Cup.
- Remaining 16 teams play one single knock-out round, with 8 winners enter All Ireland series, 8 losers entering Tailteann Cup.

For Ulster, this would mean 9 games for all teams before the All Ireland Championship or Tailteann Cup Championship.
Currently if a Ulster team wins the National League and wins Ulster from Preliminary round, they play 12 games.

This approach would free up time on the Calendar, keeps the Provincial Championship and league finals, but probably would get slated by Dublin and Kerry, as they might argue they won't face a competitive game until the All Ireland series. However it might help drive the GAA to drive improvements in other provinces."
Really like your proposal but unfortunately the problem for it ever happening is the sway of the 2 counties in your final paragraph."
Yeah Dublin and Kerry would definitely be opposed, because the current National League format benefits them more due to the lack of competitive Provincial games for each. However the current format is also hiding the imbalance in funding in those Provinces, which needs to be addressed in order to make it more competitive, so there is still a strong argument for change.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1332 - 10/04/2024 07:36:59    2537034

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "You're never happy, if people don't go you're crying, if they go you're crying cause they are not the 'right' people.
Attendances all round the country for the league and provincials are telling a story, there's too many games lumped together and there won't be any major public interest in any of it until we get to the last 8 stages of the All Ireland series.
Ulster folk will have some big games to attend and some big rivalries will meet, apart from that it's just dross till we get to the knock out stages of Sam Maguire,
that's just the way it is, you can cry all you like, league and provincials are jus warm ups for the big one."
You never stop making excuses for not going. What I'm saying with tickets limited that I hope the people who followed donegal all year get the tickets.. so hopefully tirconnel you'll do the decent thing and let the real followers go. . I'll be in the stand hopefully to cheer my county to a huge win.

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2608 - 10/04/2024 07:43:29    2537037

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "The person is on Hoganstand commenting on GAA and you say they are not a GAA follower?"
It doesn't mean a your a gaa follower if you write on the hoganstand. Definitely not lad. lol

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2608 - 10/04/2024 07:47:26    2537039

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Does anyone know what day tickets for Derry game foes on sale iv ordered through the club but keep eye out on general sale, thought heard clubs are getting small amount?

Tom123 (Donegal) - Posts: 25 - 10/04/2024 07:51:06    2537040

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "We all love the Ulster Championship but I think the we should really be thinking about being ready for the group stages of the All Ireland series.
I wouldn't be rushing any lads back until they are match ready, time enough till the group games for anyone that's still not 100%."
100% agree. We need them for either the round robin, or if we beat Derry, the semi final one week later

High_and_wide (Donegal) - Posts: 84 - 10/04/2024 08:46:03    2537046

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Replying To Scenicparish:  "Caolan has been training for a long time, he will be 100% for the match and should start if Eoin Ban not ready."
100% McColgan should start in the corner in my opinion. He was a livewire going forward in Croke Park and did some great defending too. For me he starts ahead of Curran, or alongside Curran if Moore is needed further out the field.

High_and_wide (Donegal) - Posts: 84 - 10/04/2024 08:49:18    2537047

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Replying To Tom123:  "Does anyone know what day tickets for Derry game foes on sale iv ordered through the club but keep eye out on general sale, thought heard clubs are getting small amount?"
I have season ticket and got mine yesterday

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1332 - 10/04/2024 12:08:37    2537096

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Replying To High_and_wide:  "100% McColgan should start in the corner in my opinion. He was a livewire going forward in Croke Park and did some great defending too. For me he starts ahead of Curran, or alongside Curran if Moore is needed further out the field."
For the purpose of this reply let's assume McCole is fit.

McColgan is a quick, fit wing-back, and in a very small sample size we've seen he can take a score, and will break lines, and is committed. I simply haven't seen enough of him to say he could or should start in the full-back line against Derry in Championship, it's totally unknown to anyone not involved in the training squad. You couldn't even say you've seen him do it at club level.

Curran is a known quantity. He's a solid and consistent man-marker, building up a strong resumé with the players he's nullified. He has had consistent success marking inside-forward, wing-forwards, central playmakers and deep playmakers. His ball-carrying ability and off-the-ball running are often over-looked because of how well he's taken care of his 'primary' tasks. He's fully match-fit, covers lots of ground, and has played the most minutes of the backline in league.

Even if McColgan had played the entire league campaign, I would still need to see a better player than what I saw last year to rejig the team and start him at an experienced full back / man-marker's expense.

SurelyToGod (Donegal) - Posts: 452 - 10/04/2024 12:35:44    2537107

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Replying To rorysboys:  "You never stop making excuses for not going. What I'm saying with tickets limited that I hope the people who followed donegal all year get the tickets.. so hopefully tirconnel you'll do the decent thing and let the real followers go. . I'll be in the stand hopefully to cheer my county to a huge win."
Where did I make an excuse? you are the type of arrogant fan Donegal could do without declansboy.
Anybody who pays there money has a right to be there, they are the 'right' people.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3173 - 10/04/2024 13:09:09    2537117

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