Surely summing up the craziness now that is the gaa? Amateur players training as hard as professionals while living the lifestyle of trappist monks?? Though the monks might get a sip of wine every now and again! Is it time to look at where our sport is going? Being completely driven now by the top elite and its filtering down to club and underage. I think the advances in sports sciences are great - lads are less likely to get injured etc. But why are we seeing so many young players give up our sport? I dont mean young lads but adults who at 30 odd feel that the county is beyond them. Gone mad. We ve the best facilities in ireland. I d nearly say that we ve the best facilities for a sport per head of population in europe in the gaa. Every club now is updating with gyms lights etc. Yet our playing numbers are slipping. Time to make the gaa appeal to the mases again!

old yellar (None) - Posts: 2625 - 03/12/2014 08:42:51    1676194

For the lads who don't want to make many sacrifices and enjoy their football there is a thing called junior b football.

If players don't want to train as hard they don't have to, they'll still be able to play at a less intense level.

The players are casuing this to happen as many are happy to put in massive effort in order to be as good as possble.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 03/12/2014 10:31:14    1676215

couldn't agree more with him, the sacrifices people are being asked to make are crazy. A friend of mine was told last year he was not wanted by his local club as he couldn't make training down home twice a week, two hour journey down and then two hours back. They had got a new outside manager in, unsurprisingly got knocked out after round one! If you aren't enjoying playing a bit of ball what is the point in playing!

Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 2099 - 03/12/2014 10:42:30    1676221

Yeah his comments are very interesting. The outside manager will always only have his own short-term agenda i.e. success as opposed to long term player & team development. It's a results-based world with everyone trying to come up with a fresh "angle" to bring them success. Is it easier to train lads to be super-fit than to actually coach them to improve their skills & play intelligently?

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 03/12/2014 12:14:45    1676251

Rosineiri, do you believe that the new manager was responsible for the team being knocked out in the first round of championship?

wicklu (Wicklow) - Posts: 331 - 03/12/2014 13:04:33    1676267

From seeing them play I would say the new manager didn't help, the fact that he lost a few key players who he wouldn't entertain because they couldn't travel down for Dublin 2 nights a week didn't help. Am sure he could have had some dispensation for guys who live further away and can't make the commitment to the two nights a week, but he felt a hard line approach was necessary.

Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 2099 - 03/12/2014 14:10:49    1676291

Any link to his comments?

The Tipperary senior football championship is gone beyond a joke at this stage.
Still a quarter final to be played this weekend, the earliest the final can be played is 21st of Dec.
This is nothing short of scandalous. These lads are training since January and deserve better.

Joe_Bloggs (Tipperary) - Posts: 186 - 04/12/2014 14:43:07    1676622

Mc Gurn done a great job in louth.....but he did'nt mention us on his Web CV..

kikfada (Louth) - Posts: 2091 - 05/12/2014 16:56:16    1676944