Replying To Liamwalkinstown:  "The question is there. Given countries like Norway, Sweden, Croatia etc are so infinitely superior to us at global sports, is the obvious reason, the prominence we place on GAA in this country? Kids are almost forced into it in school and anyone who shows any prowess has the pressure of the world on them to "play club" Is this stopping them becoming stars in other, more lucrative and high profile sports? Is GAA possibly even a negative for Ireland, in 2024? I'll go again, shall I !!"

Replying To TheUsername:  "Sure its all a massive conspiracy mate your own county board are Du6s want to bes sure - sure theyd have to be, good news tinfoil in cheap in Dealz in Athy for your hat making purposes, beware the radio waves! Always next year, every year a chara.........................!"

Replying To The_analyser:  "All in Clare and Roscommon was expecting Salthill for our game and are left puzzled by this choice of venue. One national journalist said the rossies will travel in big numbers as its a novel trip to Croke park. This will be out 12th trip to Croke Park to see the senior footballers in action in the last ten years its far from novel."

Replying To sligo joe:  "Comparing 70s/80s to the present era is apples and oranges. The Dublin team of the 70s that played in 6 finals in a row would also have a much smaller turnover of players. Panels are much more fluid now in all counties and it's a full panel game. Back in those days rarely was a sub used bar injury, a lot of games only one or two subs and often none."

Replying To sligo joe:  "So basically you want to reward the defensive team that stay in their own half pretty much all of the game and maybe try and sneak a win late on?"

Replying To Cnocrua:  "Just because scoring levels have gone up does not guarantee more excitement. Look at basketball where there are scores almost every 30 seconds but the first 3 quarters can be a bore. I think what people miss, or would rather see is the excitement of a battle for possession, which is often missing when completing a 3 yard handpass to someone unmarked. The drama of what's going to happen next might have fallen out of the game a bit. And to clarify I don't think anybody is disputing that today's players are better, fitter, more prepared and skilful than ever before."

Replying To Gleebo:  "How much store are people putting in Kildare's league victory over Dublin? A big psychological block lifted, surely? Wasn't hugely impressed with the semi-final win over Westmeath, but then semi-finals are fairly bad indicators a lot of the time."

Replying To legendzxix:  "I'm not a fan of the split season but the GAA seem to have their reasons and they seem determined. There seems to be very little appetite from county boards to move away from the league starting at an the end of January, and the championship ending at the end of July. Is money the main factor? Less expense when the majority of counties are out at the of June. If the National League started at the end of March, the championship could end at the end of September. County championship could complete in December. Provincial club and All-Ireland club championships from January to mid March. Intercounty provincial leagues could run from January to mid March also. County leagues run during the provincial and All-Ireland intercounty championships. Intercounty provincial leagues can run during provincial and All-Ireland club championships."

Replying To Pikeman96:  "It's a novel idea, and it would give those counties more time to complete their club championships, since they couldn't start them as early as all other counties. Personally, I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand, but I would wonder the knock-on effects of it if both All-Ireland finalists happened to be from the same province. There are not many other suggestions here from either the Kerry man or the Tyrone man that I'd agree with, though. In particular, I think the suggestion that we should "lose the fascination with dual players" is nothing short of disgraceful."

Replying To Victorious87:  "I think this is a great idea given we're now effectively having a top 16 and bottom 16 in the championship. Division 1 is in a completely different stratosphere to the rest of the divisions and it definitely widens the gap even more come championship. Division 4 is also just the absolute pits of a competition, It's nearly the same teams playing each other every year. Whichever teams come down from division 3 usually bounce straight back up and I know for a fact it's turned some players off committing in Wicklow anyway. If you started the year with every team technically being in with a chance of qualifying for Sam then I think you would have a much more competitive league. Imagine being a footballer for Wicklow next year knowing you're going back to playing against Leitrim, Waterford, Wexford, London and Carlow again, and now, regardless of how you do in the league, you will most likely be playing them again in the championship."

Replying To ForeverBlue2:  "Rubbish…. It hasn't improved any of the weaker teams… It only makes the best teams stronger ( might not be the case with Mayo who flump it every year ) and is only there to try and increase revenue… no other reason"

Replying To brian:  "I'm pretty sure every Kerry and Tyrone fan sang that from the rooftops... sure weren't they both the best team of the 00's? TBF i think the point of comparing this period of Dublin success to Kerry's 70's and 80's team is a bit off track. That Kerry team were together from mainly being around from minor upwards and were a collectively brilliant team. The bones of the Dublin success was based around guys who were there from 2010 and before in some cases and the older guys rolled off over time and were supplemented by younger guys. But how many of the current and former squad have 6 plus all irelands in their back pockets either as starters or subs. Cluxton, Fitzsimons, McMahon, McCarthy, MDMA, Bastick, Daly, Rock, Mcmenamon, Kilkenny and others. The success of the senior team inspired the guys coming through which didn't happen the kerry team in the 80's. Kerry i think lost a lot of players as Micko stuck almost religiously to the same squad for 12/13 years and they then went into a lull from 86 to 97. Jim Gavin infused the team with younger players but still kept the older players involved so it's to his credit that tyhey were set up for continued success as he integrated lads over time and then they became starters. Micko didn't do that and Kerry were in limbo for almost a decade. Yes i see the point you make about a conveyor belt, but success breeds success. In Meath we won in 87/88 and then won minor's/U21's in 90,92 and 93 which formed the backbone of teams winning all irelands in 96 and 99. Kerry missed a trick in the 80's, Dublin haven't."

Replying To sligo joe:  "To be fair it is the men behind the ball that encourages the "keep-ball", not the other way round!"

Replying To Bon:  "Keep the faith? Sure there was no drive or intensity shown by Kildare team whatsoever, no bit of fight in the players. They're some of the most basic requirements to win anything."

Replying To TheUsername:  "A combination of factors I think, that's experiential on the ground. We were very lucky, to have a group of players come along, some very talented and some who just exceptionally improved themselves, Bernard speaks very equalantly about it as Superstar syndrome, essentially hit young things don't alway succeed, but the lads who are never the super stars in fact often rejected are spurned on by that rejection, work twice as hard to develop and eventually over take superstars - we had a good few of those lads, Bernard himself, Fenton, MDM, O Gara, Macker, Bastick, Flynner, Philly and maybe even Cluxton - you wouldn't have picked anyone of those lads out at underage in fact many didn't always make that grade, but they fought for it, that created the culture. We were then blessed with actual superstars breaking throuh with coming into that culture, Costello, Jack, Kilkenny, Con and Howard - you could tell from outer space we're going to make it. Lads like John Small, Murch, Mannion were maybes but came into the above culture. The whole thing gloriously came together, we had 25 of pure quality a perfect balance of winning culture, high standards youth, expierence, hard work and fight, it was fierce and player driven. It brought them all to new heights. Structurally, I think a big contribution was Gavin particularly took club politics out of the County team, Giller was getting there but he was very much a Vincent's man and that showed. Historically the Dublin Senior team was bar a few excretions mostly made up of a Northside strongholds. Crokes for example we're winning club All Ireland in the 90s and very few of their players got a crack at Dublin, the ones that did would tell you there faces never fit. There was always that divide, that changed over this era, the two half of the Liffey came together to form one Dublin that was significant. I'd also acknowledge funding helped, not the GDF, but the commercial funding. Dublin want for nothing but the County team pays for itself through commercial revenue, it's a juggernaut, I'd have no problem saying that. That allowed Dublin to always innovate and be at the cutting edge, leading the arms race in a way, now everyone's following. Off the field a strategic plan was put in place at County level, not only that but it was project managed to implementation which maximised Dublin as an entity in synergy in terms of commercial potential, sporting excellence and development. We were very luck to have some captains of industry lend themselves to this and volunteer to assist Dublin GAA fulfil its potential. I mean Giller himself is no slouch on that score. The huge criticism of course is GDF for the big population, to be honest I'm not sure that's a wise investment. Participation rates haven't increased significantly since Kelly started his plan. The Dubs success saved his blushes in many ways. But I think we are returning to mean now, what we have achieved isn't sustainable in the long term, as it's a combination of so many vairbles all going right at the same time for a short period. I see the regression. I don't really care what other counties do or have done, we're Dublin, we're trail blazers, we do it our own way, it's our way."

Replying To TheUsername:  "Find all the negativity, a bit wingy to be honest, no rule to say you dont have to play the game a certain way, Derry found a way to win and fair play to them, no one in Derry will be ***** and im delighted for them. If you have limits you find a way to compete. No issues. But more importantly if you want to win All Irelands you have to play against every set up and system and win, thats the competitiveness of the game and trophies are won and lost in that context. Delighted for Derry great scenes for their faithful and brilliant for the game there after many years dogging it out, thats the spirit of this sport and its a good news story. You cant win, Kerry and Dublin get harnged by putting teams to the sword playing attacking creative football, Derry get harrnaged for finding a way way to win against all the odds bearing a plethora of Div 1 teams and outsie bets for Sam - should be lauded im delighted for them. Go out and beat if your clever enough. Winging for winging sake. Congrats Derry."

Replying To tyroneed:  "In answer to the above... the Leinster Championship hasn't mattered in over a decade. Last year there was a great game between Louth and Offaly, the reward for which under that structure was Louth were gone at the end of the game and Offaly were gone shortly afterwards. Next year under option B both Offaly and Louth would have a realistic chance of getting into the second stage of the championship. They'd be playing more games that mattered. The Leinster championship is holding back football in Leinster."

Replying To CTGAA10:  "I guess I might aswell get this subject up again.3 cork games behind a bloody paywall in hurling and think I also saw tipp/Waterford..is it 38 games I see in both codes that are now behind this..is this the RTÉ way of making money back due to the mismanagement of funds...I'd be hoping that RTÉ news channel could be used..it's being used when it suits them..it was used for the under 17 soccer World Cup in recent weeks..I'm hoping others agree with me but maybe I'm one of the dinosaur brigade."

Replying To bdbuddah:  "I would find it really embarrassing as a GAA person if the GAA changed the date or time for the Leinster final because Leinster qualified for their rugby cup final. I like rugby, I watch most Ireland international matches but the media really go over the top promoting it, it is a minority sport in every country in the world except New Zealand (ok Wales if you count it separately to Great Britain). Years ago I remember a Meath match throw in being deferred due to Ireland playing a European championship match. This made sense, the European soccer championships are a huge international event. The rugby cup final is just not at that level. If the European rugby cup wants to defer their kick off time let them do it. In reality a much bigger factor as to whether a big Kildare crowd travel will be how positive they are about their team."

Replying To sligo joe:  "Not sure if you are being deliberately obtuse but it should be clear that county teams are turning over playing personnel at a much faster rate this century than last e.g Kerry team 2004 to 2009, 4 titles, only 8 from 2004 started in 2009 and the next most successful team of the first decade of this century Tyrone had only 5 starters in 2008 from their first of three wins in 2003. So not unique to the Dubs."