i spend alot of time workin outside the county and often get invloved in conversations about mayo football.I'm very defensive about our county football team but when i saw this posted i had to reply. david clarke isnt the best goalkeeper in the county, let alone the country. his kick outs go to high and hang in the air. Oppositon love playing against him as its easy to break his kickouts. He's a decent shot stopper i'll give him that but never seems to make the important saves at crucial times.i.e lasts years connaught final. they were good goals but when mayo need him to do something spectacular he doesnt do it. under a high ball he's liable to flap at it. he's big and strong but thats not overly important as a goalkeeper. Kenneth o'malley or robert hennely weren't given a run in the league which was a disgrace and in all the challenge games held so far kenneth is yet to get a proper chance. i'll put it like this, outside this county he is not rated highly at all. He's around a long time now,played the all ireland final in 2006 and the truth is over the past number of years if he was good enoughn he wud of at least gotten nominated for an all star but he never has. who knows maybe this year will be his year but i dont see the point of leavin a better keeper like kenneth or hennely on the sideline.why coulnt johno of chanced either of them in the league??kenneth is well experience and so is hennely to a lesser extent. should of given him a game in the league to let him gain experience,bit of a joke that way in mayo. please comment.

GAAtothecore (Mayo) - Posts: 5 - 01/06/2009 22:47:21    299118

I agree partially with the last post as clarkes kick outs as they do seem to hang for an age in the air and we are yet to see him pull off point blank saves at crucial stages in the game but I have to disagree with bringing hennelly up to senior grade.My reason being is that i feel it will be too soon for him and putting him in with the juniors could be a better step at present as we are breeding enough young raw talent as we are..we dont want to do an arsene wenger on it now.Whats your opinion on ruddy?His kick outs seem to have more pace on them than clarkes and he has the big match experience.

In the Parish ! (Mayo) - Posts: 448 - 01/06/2009 23:18:33    299153

maybe your right about hennely but still think he cud of been given a chance.saw him in the under 21s,and even though didnt play particularly well his kick outs were impressive and he's really filled out size wise.fair bit bigger than i thought.and aswel i dont think he's elligible to play for the jniors due to breaffy bein a senior club, but i could be wrong. still don't see why kenneth o'm couldn't of been given a game.thay played eachother in champo on sunday and clarke made a bad mistake for the goal,not handling a high ball into the square. i liked ruddy as a keeper and i was always a big fan. his kick out is excellent,has a lower trajectory and never hangs but i'd worry about his fitness and his dedication to a team. maybe fintan could of been mayos wasted opprotunity. But luckily there are a few more keepers in the county. But to get back to your original question, regarding kickouts his are brilliant. great distance with a low trajectory.not too confident though about his capabilities for the short kick out, very important in the game these days. out of these keepers i'd rate kick out wise,1.Fintan ruddy as explained above 2.Robert hennely has good distance but doesn't leave them hanging and seems to be able to pick out a short kick out.3.Kenneth O'm has similar kick to hennely but has a tendency to pull kickouts to the left,even seen him kick over the sideline,but is very good at the short kickout and well able to kick a dead ball.4.David clarke kicks have good distance but hang for too long.always feel uncomfortable when he takes a short kick out as he can leave them hanging given the receiver a hospital pass so to speak. this is only my opinion,would like to hear others. What would be your opinion on Ruddy?

GAAtothecore (Mayo) - Posts: 5 - 03/06/2009 02:17:42    300281

If Clarke and Burke were not injured we would have never heard of Ruddy. In my opinion he is an average junior club footballer who was lucky to be in the right place at the right time, John Healey the Ballina sub keeper was better than him. Clarke should vary his kick outs for sure but the fielders should step up to the plate as well and not be looking for soft ball all the time. Hennelly is the next real thing, OMalley is not. And please North Mayo gave us all a break from the Ruddy stuff, had his chance.

ontheroad (None) - Posts: 530 - 03/06/2009 11:24:22    300449

Bottom line if ruddy is so great why isnt he even in the squad?

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 03/06/2009 13:49:05    300674

Because he was in australia for several months recently and only came back a month or so ago and was immediately contacted to play junior as the senior squad had already been announced.

In the Parish ! (Mayo) - Posts: 448 - 03/06/2009 15:07:20    300804

Clarke "numero uno" no doubto.

Brinsley Swartz (Mayo) - Posts: 2225 - 03/06/2009 16:10:39    300902

definitely agree that the midfielders need to step up to the plate,big time. not convinced truly by mcgarrity, but he's playin better this season and dont see anyone to replace him. i'm not from north mayo. i believe that if he had real ambitons about playin with mayo he'd not of left for australia and would of given more to the county team. at least david clarke gives it everything and is extremely dedicated,can't deny him that. but still think kenneth should start ahead of him out of the two.this is just my opinion.

GAAtothecore (Mayo) - Posts: 5 - 04/06/2009 00:09:09    301382

David Clarke has proven time & again he is best keeper we have, great shot stopper & good kick outs (can be a bit slow a times misses out on short kicks) ruddy well down the pecking order. Hennelly & O' Malley both are good & ahead of Ruddy so is McCallaig Claremorris, he gets plenty of practice there. M. Connolly Garrymore, is so good he doesn't even need fancy things like gloves!

redjumper (Mayo) - Posts: 50 - 04/06/2009 13:00:00    301646

Ah now now..sure everyone has ambitions to don the green and red jersey dont they!! Look at pierce hanley, he would love to play for mayo but when a career opportunity arises,you have to grab it with both hands and with the current recession we are in,I wouldnt blame ruddy for going over to australia and what made him return was his burning ambition to be even more successful in gaa despite securing a job over there and to me, if there were more men like that would leave their jobs to return to play gaa for club or county it would show whats really important, and thats doning the green and red jersey.Ruddy deserves what he gets with all the commitment he has shown down the years.

In the Parish ! (Mayo) - Posts: 448 - 04/06/2009 13:48:59    301687

burning desire??do you honestly think that he came home from australia,even though he had a job,just to make a senior mayo team??first of all,theres alot more to life than football and ruddy seems like a logical guy,he didn't leave a job in australia to come home to play football.fair play to em if he did, but it was a stupid move if its true.
and aswel, david clarke hasnt proven he's a top county keeper yet. if he had he would have an all star or even a nomination. but maybe this year will be his year.
strength is important to a certan extent but the best keeper in the country is stephen cluxton, he's nothing special strength wise,quite an average build,nut he stil has numerous all stars and i'm yet to see his lack of strength exposed. strength isn't the be all and end all!but i'll admit its handy.

GAAtothecore (Mayo) - Posts: 5 - 05/06/2009 01:46:27    302360

Ok, firstly i agree 100% with you that stephen cluxton is the top keeper in gaelic football at mpresent but sure everyone has their opinions..and with reference to the response on ruddys decision to come home...its not being silly throwing a job away,its the fact that you will put gaa first in any situation at any time.Theres a difference yano

In the Parish ! (Mayo) - Posts: 448 - 07/06/2009 14:14:32    303844

G.A.A. TO THE CORE.I would seriously question your judgement and knowledge if you consider Stephen Cluxton the best keeper in Ireland.He has been overrated and unduly rewarded because he is the Dublin keeper and the Dubs have nothing outstanding "out the field". Cluxton is prone to major gaffes

Brinsley Swartz (Mayo) - Posts: 2225 - 08/06/2009 09:49:07    304480

he is a bit prone to it alright and he hasn't been playing as well as he can but the way he kicks the ball has changed goalkeepin in gaelic. its not just about distance anymore,its about picking the short kick out and he's the best at it in the country. and of course this is just my opinion.
definitely hav to agree with the point that he has been prone to a few mistakes.

GAAtothecore (Mayo) - Posts: 5 - 09/06/2009 00:34:21    305701

Looks like clarke is injured and wont be available for the Roscommon match. Big loss in my opinion. Had kept clean sheet for six competitive matches in a row (including Kerry, tyrone and galway). Looks like O'Malley will be in and hennelly no.16.

xxx (Mayo) - Posts: 1275 - 09/06/2009 11:49:52    305966

Colm Donohoe is hard beat I tell ya

killalaman (Mayo) - Posts: 16 - 14/08/2009 20:38:43    392751

I agree with Killalaman Donoghue all the way

gpkillala (Mayo) - Posts: 69 - 14/08/2009 20:42:58    392753

Clarke would have caught that ball or dealt with it better than O'Malley did when he punched it and it led directly to a meath point, i think he would have got closer with the peno....pity he wasn't available.

ballinaman (Mayo) - Posts: 226 - 14/08/2009 21:16:14    392782

noel gibbons from ballintubber not bad....very accurate wit kickouts....

no8 (Mayo) - Posts: 3 - 15/08/2009 15:37:52    393254

rob hennely, and if u disagree with me u've no clue about football

CiaranFF (Mayo) - Posts: 11 - 15/08/2009 15:43:38    393265