National Forum

Donegal GAA thread

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post


Replying To donegalgael-12:  "I'd certainly have Roarty over Curran"
A very strange statement.I don't think many would replace Roarty with anybody in the country let alone Donegal.There is this narrative however that we need more natural defenders but I don't who they are suggesting should be replaced.Maybe there are some with an agenda against a certain player.If there is a choice to be made I would tend to go with a player who has the ability to attack with pace.There are some who would sacrifice this for defensive minded players.Ideally what you would want is 5 or 6 Roartys who can defend and attack with equally brilliant ability.

gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1225 - 06/02/2026 19:44:39    2655281

Link

Replying To gunman:  "A very strange statement.I don't think many would replace Roarty with anybody in the country let alone Donegal.There is this narrative however that we need more natural defenders but I don't who they are suggesting should be replaced.Maybe there are some with an agenda against a certain player.If there is a choice to be made I would tend to go with a player who has the ability to attack with pace.There are some who would sacrifice this for defensive minded players.Ideally what you would want is 5 or 6 Roartys who can defend and attack with equally brilliant ability."
Not sure what's strange about it, just a preference. It's a game of opinions! I agree with you, Roarty is an unbelievable talent - hence my preference for him over Curran!

donegalgael-12 (Donegal) - Posts: 47 - 07/02/2026 11:41:04    2655314

Link

Replying To donegalgael-12:  "Not sure what's strange about it, just a preference. It's a game of opinions! I agree with you, Roarty is an unbelievable talent - hence my preference for him over Curran!"
Think it's a horses for courses scenario.
Some games where we're deemed favourites and expected to be on the front foot, more attacking minded "defenders" might be preferred.

But if there are games where we expect our defence to be tested frequently, then obviously more traditional defence minded defenders might be preferred to start.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 10227 - 07/02/2026 12:17:08    2655320

Link

Replying To Lockjaw:  "Think it's a horses for courses scenario.
Some games where we're deemed favourites and expected to be on the front foot, more attacking minded "defenders" might be preferred.

But if there are games where we expect our defence to be tested frequently, then obviously more traditional defence minded defenders might be preferred to start."
Great to have all these options and do ye have with the wind players and agin the wind players, dry ball players and wet ball players, only joking.
But seriously too much tactics can be as bad as too little.

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 1079 - 07/02/2026 12:50:26    2655322

Link

Replying To gunman:  "A very strange statement.I don't think many would replace Roarty with anybody in the country let alone Donegal.There is this narrative however that we need more natural defenders but I don't who they are suggesting should be replaced.Maybe there are some with an agenda against a certain player.If there is a choice to be made I would tend to go with a player who has the ability to attack with pace.There are some who would sacrifice this for defensive minded players.Ideally what you would want is 5 or 6 Roartys who can defend and attack with equally brilliant ability."
Not as strange as the comment " Curran is our best defender" . Mind boggling?

Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 836 - 07/02/2026 14:40:06    2655336

Link

Replying To Scenicparish:  "Not as strange as the comment " Curran is our best defender" . Mind boggling?"
If your mind would stop boggling and read posts properly you might get the thrust of the debate.Curran is our best defender but to get a place in the back 6 you need to be able to attack as well.

gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1225 - 07/02/2026 16:16:14    2655370

Link

Replying To gunman:  "If your mind would stop boggling and read posts properly you might get the thrust of the debate.Curran is our best defender but to get a place in the back 6 you need to be able to attack as well."
You'll do well to find someone that agrees with you that Curran is our best defender. As another poster put it - mind boggling

donegalgael-12 (Donegal) - Posts: 47 - 07/02/2026 16:37:02    2655375

Link

Replying To gunman:  "If your mind would stop boggling and read posts properly you might get the thrust of the debate.Curran is our best defender but to get a place in the back 6 you need to be able to attack as well."
All i have to say is to win an all Ireland we need a few man marking defenders. Last year's final kinda proved that.

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2684 - 07/02/2026 17:43:48    2655383

Link

Replying To gunman:  "In case you didn't know we were talking about out and out defenders.Apart from McCole Curran is the only other one."
Defenders who can't do anything with the ball in their hands? Yeah that doesn't cut it in the modern game.

eddieSize5Balls (Donegal) - Posts: 281 - 07/02/2026 19:37:39    2655397

Link

Replying To donegalgael-12:  "You'll do well to find someone that agrees with you that Curran is our best defender. As another poster put it - mind boggling"
Is this mind boggling something that's going round.Must be an uncomfortable condition.

gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1225 - 07/02/2026 20:22:37    2655408

Link

Anyone who knows anything about the game and can read it will know that the final last year was lost in the first 20 mins last year where we were cleaned in midfield.

Everything else is immaterial - we were battered in that middle sector - you can see after 2 lease games this year that we will have as many monsters as possible this year in that sector

That's where games are won/lost now - primary possession is everything

eunans4ever (Donegal) - Posts: 1711 - 07/02/2026 20:28:06    2655412

Link

Replying To eunans4ever:  "Anyone who knows anything about the game and can read it will know that the final last year was lost in the first 20 mins last year where we were cleaned in midfield.

Everything else is immaterial - we were battered in that middle sector - you can see after 2 lease games this year that we will have as many monsters as possible this year in that sector

That's where games are won/lost now - primary possession is everything"
100% Kick outs are everything in the modern game. Kerry loaded midfield and destroyed us there and that set the tone for the match.

Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 836 - 07/02/2026 23:39:02    2655450

Link

Replying To eunans4ever:  "Anyone who knows anything about the game and can read it will know that the final last year was lost in the first 20 mins last year where we were cleaned in midfield.

Everything else is immaterial - we were battered in that middle sector - you can see after 2 lease games this year that we will have as many monsters as possible this year in that sector

That's where games are won/lost now - primary possession is everything"
I knew the final was lost before the ball was even thrown in, how's that for being able to read a game?

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3694 - 08/02/2026 00:11:37    2655451

Link

Replying To eunans4ever:  "Anyone who knows anything about the game and can read it will know that the final last year was lost in the first 20 mins last year where we were cleaned in midfield.

Everything else is immaterial - we were battered in that middle sector - you can see after 2 lease games this year that we will have as many monsters as possible this year in that sector

That's where games are won/lost now - primary possession is everything"
Yep. Possession is 9/10 of the law as they say.
Teams that can achieve superiority around the middle & dominate possession, look after the ball & get the ball dead (with scores obviously preferable) won't have as much worrying to be doing about defending.

Expect to see Langan, McGee, McFadden & fingers crossed Thompson, all automatic starters come the serious business.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 10227 - 08/02/2026 09:09:58    2655463

Link

Replying To Lockjaw:  "Yep. Possession is 9/10 of the law as they say.
Teams that can achieve superiority around the middle & dominate possession, look after the ball & get the ball dead (with scores obviously preferable) won't have as much worrying to be doing about defending.

Expect to see Langan, McGee, McFadden & fingers crossed Thompson, all automatic starters come the serious business."
So far mcgee has also made quite a difference from the throw ins as well. In the final last year they lost the two throw ins and conceded a score from both. And Gavin white set the tone immediately when he ran onto that ball in the first half. Last week mcgee won both and conor O'Donnell ultimately scored from the play in the first half. langan got a two pointer directly from mcgee winning the ball in the second. Having a few big men who can win the ball really matters.

Ulsterchamps_32 (Donegal) - Posts: 969 - 08/02/2026 11:26:59    2655471

Link

Replying To Ulsterchamps_32:  "So far mcgee has also made quite a difference from the throw ins as well. In the final last year they lost the two throw ins and conceded a score from both. And Gavin white set the tone immediately when he ran onto that ball in the first half. Last week mcgee won both and conor O'Donnell ultimately scored from the play in the first half. langan got a two pointer directly from mcgee winning the ball in the second. Having a few big men who can win the ball really matters."
McGee was left on the bench in the final and brought on when we were chasing the game, unless he wasn't fit I couldn't understand that one either.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3694 - 08/02/2026 13:20:33    2655488

Link

Replying To Scenicparish:  "100% Kick outs are everything in the modern game. Kerry loaded midfield and destroyed us there and that set the tone for the match."
Gavin white from wing back destroyed us. The first ball he got he ran at our defence and he continued doing it. It was a weakness that kerry seen in our defence and you must gave jack o connor credit for his tactics on the day..

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2684 - 08/02/2026 13:29:18    2655489

Link

Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "McGee was left on the bench in the final and brought on when we were chasing the game, unless he wasn't fit I couldn't understand that one either."
I think its fairly clear he wasn't fully match fit last year. Its just good to have him about this year and hopefully he'll get a good run of things.

Ulsterchamps_32 (Donegal) - Posts: 969 - 08/02/2026 14:53:03    2655507

Link

Replying To rorysboys:  "Gavin white from wing back destroyed us. The first ball he got he ran at our defence and he continued doing it. It was a weakness that kerry seen in our defence and you must gave jack o connor credit for his tactics on the day.."
Of course Gavin destroyed us. With Kerry dominating midfield Gavin got lots of opertunities to get forward. We have plenty of good runners as well, Finbar, Peadar, Ryan and Ban but the midfield battle needs to be won first.

Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 836 - 08/02/2026 19:53:07    2655550

Link

O'Baoill is out for a few weeks.

peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1437 - 08/02/2026 20:39:26    2655555

Link