johnocarroll17 (Limerick) - Posts: 408 - 18/05/2022 17:04:44    2418505

oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1380 - 18/05/2022 17:04:49    2418506

howdareu (USA) - Posts: 220 - 18/05/2022 17:28:49    2418508

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7345 - 18/05/2022 17:30:15    2418509

Stmunnsriver (Wexford) - Posts: 2842 - 18/05/2022 20:18:16    2418537

Just on the timing off Fermanagh v Longford, 6.30pm on same day as Champions League Final and Heineken Cup final,GAA really arent giving it much of a chance, will do well to get 500 there now, dont think Dublin V Mayo would be fixed for same time if had to play that weekend. Great planning by GAA having round one on such a busy sporting weekend with 4 provincial final also,its bound to get so much coverage!!

Be interesting to see the prices of tailteann cup games saying as Mr Carthy so concerned about cost of supporters with North South Divide in Tailteann Cup

macca999 (Fermanagh) - Posts: 1098 - 18/05/2022 20:33:49    2418542

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2249 - 18/05/2022 21:45:55    2418552

oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1380 - 19/05/2022 09:21:44    2418573

weatherfieldgael (UK) - Posts: 60 - 19/05/2022 09:48:47    2418584

howdareu (USA) - Posts: 220 - 19/05/2022 10:09:05    2418595

howdareu (USA) - Posts: 220 - 19/05/2022 10:10:39    2418596

oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1380 - 19/05/2022 10:53:56    2418613

howdareu (USA) - Posts: 220 - 19/05/2022 11:54:09    2418636

I am actually looking forward to this.

I think Offaly and Westmeath will make it through from the south.

Would not be surprised if a dark horse like Sligo made it from the north section.

skirge7 (UK) - Posts: 248 - 19/05/2022 11:55:22    2418638

Predictions for this weekend:

Wexford v Offaly - Offaly by 5
Wicklow v Waterford - Wicklow by 3

skirge7 (UK) - Posts: 248 - 19/05/2022 11:56:28    2418639

oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1380 - 19/05/2022 12:04:26    2418643

howdareu (USA) - Posts: 220 - 19/05/2022 12:28:36    2418657

So ahead of the games this weekend (and hopefully maybe then we can get the thread back on track), we are where we are with this tournament, and we should try and discuss the games now.

But I've a final thought before it starts up, and it's a long one. And it's an overall look at where we are as an association, and what this tournament means overall. We need to look holistically at where we are. I don't think anyone can deny that we have only a few top teams that can win at any time, and here and there a team breaks through to compete, but they too tend to come from counties with a strong base and tradition and they'll come up temporarily and such, and some swap out (with the exception of Dublin, Kerry etc. who are always there). We really need to see what we can do to help teams bridge across, and also not to just cut out the teams at the bottom, let them play themselves and fall further and further behind. That's a recipe for losing the game forever in some counties. The gap has and will widen as we separate out counties to themselves at their level.

The issue I have is the platitudes and head patting that is being done with this tournament. It looks on the surface that the GAA is doing something, giving back to the weak counties, but even a half glance at the setup shows massive holes. I cannot see how the weak counties only playing each other will bring each other on. If anything, it cuts them adrift on their own, and with their own league and now Championship, they will rarely if ever get to play a top team (unless it's a hammering in a provincial). The likely winners of the TC are also probably going to be the teams who temporarily drop down from Div 2 or such. The usual Div 4 teams who might go up to Div 3 for a year the odd time are not winning this, yet they're the ones who need to win it the most.

Anyone in a decent level job, with basic H&S knowledge, will know about the hierarchy of controls. We can apply it here. The one thing you need to do when something is failing or not working is a root cause analysis. You need to look at what is actually causing the problem. If you look at the end product of the problem, and try and fix it alone without identifying and fixing the actual root of the problem, then it'll never be fixed. You can paper over it for a small time, but the root cause exists and will rear again. The root cause has existed in the GAA for a long time now. We tried to paper over it with All Ireland B, Tommy Murphy, and are trying so again with Tailteann Cup. What's the saying about madness and doing the same thing over and over again? I know some teams got a run out of these wins, but was anything sustained?

I think the solution is staring us right in the face. If we look at any successful team, from the likes of the 6 in a row Dublin team, to great Kerry teams of old, the Tyrone breakthrough in 90s and 00s, to even once offs like Leitrim 94, Cavan 97 and 20, Tipperary 20 and everything in between. What is the common denominator? Every single one of these teams can be traced back to successful youth teams. I am very hard pushed to think of any solid example of a team that came through to win a provincial or All Ireland with no basis of success at youth. I'm sure someone will have an example of the exception that proves the rule though (Sligo 07 maybe, although they had no provincial success, they had a lot of minor and U21 finals in previous 10 years to 07). It's why we see Kildare rising, and why I expect the likes of Offaly and maybe Sligo to do well in the coming years.

And it is why the GAA is failing these counties. Something needs to be done. And it's surely worth trying. Some county boards, without being rude, just don't know how to do it themselves. They're unable to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, and simply don't have the money, manpower, knowledge and such to effect this change. Kids sense this, and will move to other sports and such as the ineptitude eventually gets through, and then the adult teams don't have the quality feeding through. We need the GAA to stand up, and actually fix the root cause where it exists. Actually pump the money in, put top people with the knowledge to lead a board along with the boards. Employ coaches and set them loose in the weak counties, set up structures with set development goals, S&C, and actual targets for these to achieve. And get counties to a point where they have youth at a level where they can compete consistently

Like, we can continue to do what we do, and see gaps widening and such and cutting off teams, or we can try something. No one is saying it'll be easy, but it's not exactly rocket science either when you look at the underlying data. Get youth right, and you'll see Senior success invariably follows. I've been critical of the TC above, but only in its format, and the ignoring of the many issues which this Championship alone will not fix. I do think we need something, but compartmentalising counties and not putting any help at all there is not the answer to any of the problems.

Are we not a cash rich enough association? If we can find funds to put into Dublin years back (not a dig, so don't bite) then surely we can do similar for weak counties. What is there to lose? As if we do nothing, there is quite a lot to lose as these counties will just be continually lost. It's very easy to set up a tournament and pretend this sorts out things even when you make a hames of it, it's a very different story putting in the long time to fix the actual problems and effecting real change to act like the association for all that it claims to be.

Loughduff Lad (Cavan) - Posts: 2383 - 19/05/2022 12:41:53    2418667

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7846 - 19/05/2022 13:07:52    2418685

oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1380 - 19/05/2022 13:13:49    2418688