Just happened to see the All Star's in todays Irish News, and was amazed to see such a horrid selection. No Peter Harte? No Sean Warnock? No Gavin Teague?
And the inclusion of a certain under16 just makes me laugh aloud. Fair enough Mr Oneill is a truly giftd young player, one to watch yes. But im afraid to say not an elite footballer but i can see no reason for his inclusion becuase the exclusion of harte, warnock and teague and even mcquaid is a joke. How do they be picked? Trials or what? Ciaran Girvan is another big named player who was left out

BullDog (Tyrone) - Posts: 55 - 23/12/2008 18:03:25    170133

i too was very disapointd with this
one player from the hogan cup champions? find that a bit hard to believe- does it only allow players who are still playing?
even still- teague, gervin, harte, niall morgan, warnock, thornton should all feel slightly aggrieved

passerby (Tyrone) - Posts: 724 - 23/12/2008 20:51:52    170184

from what i heard Mr O'Neill was worthy of an allstar and my friend Orangetyrone told me that he was the best player for Omagh in Group stages and he's a 5th year!

as for harte,mc quaid and warnock..defiently should have got one!

gael_123 (Tyrone) - Posts: 13 - 23/12/2008 21:17:20    170193

The scheme involves affiliated schools nominating their best players in the playing areas where they represent their school in Ulster Colleges Competitions.

Because all 48 affiliated schools can nominate players, and because every player is entitled to consideration, it is impossible to devise a selection process which would involve selectors travelling around the province to see players in action for their schools. Instead, the selection process involves two trial games, followed by a final trial; on each occasion, the same team of selectors picks the best performers on view

There is the answer to that of my queries that Trials are held.

In reply to the above comment, i think you have to be still playin colleges football in September of that year, well thats what im assuming courtesy of the exclusions of alot of last years Hogan Cup Squad.

BullDog (Tyrone) - Posts: 55 - 23/12/2008 21:26:51    170196

Dont get me wrong, ive seen Ronan play and he is one for the future, but to be in there over names like Peter Harte etc... is not only wrong but a misjudgement i believe of what an all star selection should entail. fair enough oneil is top scorer for Omagh CBS but Peter Harte has that all star quality, whereas for me, Oneill is good but not THAT good. Ive seen these players before, Shane, his brother example..once on a poster in every GAA ground, now cant get his name on Tyrone minors starting 15. Should an all star not be awarded for his excellence throughout a tournament or season rather than on two days, i know they have their reasons but surely there is enough so called youth officers etc...out there to watch a number of games in each division to select the best all star team...because of these trials, the best of the best have been excluded. So i know all these Omagh fanatics and ronan oneil admirers are going to come on here an tell me how great he is but compare him to the wise head on young shoulders of Peter Harte and the excellence of Gavin Teague at full back, actualy it was not as if these youth officers even had to get of there behinds and go to these games, but simply switch to RTE2 on all-ireland final day and they could have witnessed Peter Harte, Gavin Teague and Ciaran Girvan display what i would call an all star performance. Also, the trial based selection at this time of year is also a joke, the hunger needed to play at the level of those at them trials maybe where not present, Harte for example, played for errigal minors, u21's and seniors, tyrone minors, cbs teams and also had to keep up academically, so maybe coming into december he was tired and worn out. Just another explanation for a joke of selection

BullDog (Tyrone) - Posts: 55 - 23/12/2008 21:39:16    170209

i agree what the hell are declan connoly and ronan oneill on it for? fair enough they are "decent" but to get one ahead of all them names mentioned above is an absolute disgrace. Getting an all star at this level after seeing this selection proves absoloutly nothing about footballing ability.

theladddd (Tyrone) - Posts: 85 - 23/12/2008 22:21:22    170235

Strange time to hand out all-stars before the quarter finals, fair enough selection though

trilaecAbu (Tyrone) - Posts: 134 - 24/12/2008 17:40:12    170411

Bulldog...
Stop rubbishing on about games and teams throughout the year where certain players have played well, the all stars are based on how the players nominated by their schools play on the day of the trails..They are not based on who the player is..ie was he a tyrone minor last year??Quit your complaining..

SquareBall1 (Fermanagh) - Posts: 20 - 24/12/2008 20:09:21    170445

the allstars are always named before the quarter finals. its a joke. the whole thing is a joke. they should be picked at the end of the macrory campaign. and should be based on performances in said competition. it a load of manure the way it is done currently. everyone knows it, and have been saying so far years. they just wont change it. currently what happens is, schools send 3 or 4 of their best lads to go and play in trials. theoretically speaking, you could have a lad who plays a nightmare in the trial, so obviously doent get picked. then in the quarter, semi and final of the competition he is outstanding, and he gets no recgonition for it.. its just common sense that allstars are picked on performances for your school in the competitive matches..this topic makes my blood boil..i dont want to rant any further!..

JJ,Jtown (None) - Posts: 36 - 25/12/2008 02:05:05    170480

theladddd. I would like to no if u have been to see any of the MacCormack matches that these boys have played in especially the Final. If not then u really dont no what u r talking about. These r not inter county All Stars, they r College All Stars. Fair enough there r plenty of county players involved but is it not good to see some other boys getting rewards for their efforts also.

onemoretime (Tyrone) - Posts: 9 - 27/12/2008 17:28:30    170729

The All-stars were awarded based on the trial the lads took part in so they must be fair enough! It is a joke of a procedure as only 6 players from each school are allowed to attend. The big names all would be there if the awards were given out 'after' the competition and not before the quarter finals. Find it very hard to understand they way these awards are awarded!

wiseman8 (Tyrone) - Posts: 288 - 29/12/2008 20:49:06    171188

It isnt a McCrory or Hogan Allstar team. Just a shambles of a couple of matches which most dont try a leg.
Last years team had 1, possibly 2 Academy players. There could easily be 5 or 6 men assigned to watch most stages of the McCrory cup and pick a team.
Anyone on this would have no credence to their name

clearvision (Tyrone) - Posts: 138 - 30/12/2008 10:25:56    171277

While the system isn't perfect, the MacRory isn't the only show in town. It's Ulster College All Stars, not MacRory Cup all stars. The standard in the MacRory is a fair bit higher than in the McLarnon, but how can you to judge the talents of lads like Lee Moore of St Columbs and Ben O'Reilly of Kilkeel (both McLarnon footballers from last year and both more than worthy awards winners) against the MacRory boys when they're playing an inferior level of colleges football? These trials are the only way you can get a fair snapshot and compare like with like. There are several lads that have missed out this year that can feel hard done by, but won't a similar amount feel hard done by after the teamtalk all stars in February?

And for the record, from the games I saw, Ronan O'Neill was a major reason why Omagh won the McCormack. He was absolutely outstanding. Believe me, I'm no fan of St Enda's but Ronan was one award winner there can be no disputing.

Curly Wurly (Tyrone) - Posts: 148 - 30/12/2008 15:25:02    171366

yea deadly player alright lol

theladddd (Tyrone) - Posts: 85 - 30/12/2008 17:35:44    171416

Dont get me wrong, great player. But does he compare to the names that are all star material. Theres great players and then theres the Peter Hartes and Gavin Teagues of Ulster football. Ronan, in my opinion, is great at adding salt to an already wounded team by notching up 1-6 or 1-7. But in the games Omagh St Enda's or CBS-----. County Final Replay against Ardboe, atleast two 1 on 1's and both were missed oppurtunities, one of those goals would have won them a Minor C'ship title. I know this is drifting from the point about College All Star selection but i would feel that for the deserved individuals to be awarded, their ought to be some other process, maybe a mccrory all star team and a McLarnon All Star team which would even lead to more interesting debate as to which team compiled of the best is better and maybe there could be a match played by the two, just to add that little to bit extra, then scouts or something of the sort, like a panel of judges really, could come to gether for each team and select the best players from each. Another young man missing out, is McCarey from Monaghan, still under16 in the season past their, and i would say, their is men missing out that should not be and this needs to be rightified if the lads are stay interested. Maybe me view of both times is a little stupid i know, but their needs to be something done. Any views?

BullDog (Tyrone) - Posts: 55 - 30/12/2008 18:02:08    171424

Considering that a College All Star gets lads into the Poly with reduced grades then I'd suggest that a MacRory and a McLarnon All Star team just isn't feasible. There has always been controversy over the years, and I don't think it's any better or worse this time than any time previous.

Anyway, Petey Harte already has one, and I'd suggest that Gavan Teague's red card against St Michael's made him ineligible for an award as this has been traditionally the case.

Curly Wurly (Tyrone) - Posts: 148 - 30/12/2008 18:35:49    171440

Bull Dog if ur going by misses then Peter Harte missed at least 3 one on ones in the mc cormick cup final..and you say that O'Neill doesnt deserve one because he missed 1 r 2 goal chances for his club. He was the one who got Omagh to the Minor Championship final and Mc Cormick Cup final. So i wouldnt say he doesnt deserve one

Also was at the U16 Championship final against Dromore and he won it for Omagh himself scoring like 1-9 and a certain all-star was marking him that day aswell. One to Watch for the future, will make tyrone seniors with out a doubt within next 5 years

gael_123 (Tyrone) - Posts: 13 - 31/12/2008 13:45:32    171599

Ronan O Neill did not win the Mc Cormick for the CBS. He is 1 player out of a panel of around 30! The only time a single person can win competitions is when they are playing youth football up to around U-16 level where the 30 players on the pitch are not all up to a good standard.

MacRory cup football is a very high standard with lots of talent gleaming through each team in the competition so it would undoubtedly take more than 1 man to wan a 'match' never mind a whole 'competition.'

Dont get me wrong, Ronan O Neill = A class player and a very big asset for the CBS but did not single handedly win the Mc Cormick Cup.

Omaghs backline this season are the main reason why they got to the final. Thee unsung heroes in my opinion

wiseman8 (Tyrone) - Posts: 288 - 31/12/2008 14:48:00    171613

Possibly wiseman, but I defy anyone to tell me that Martin Clarke wasn't the reason Kilkeel got to the 2006 MacRory final only to be beat by a late sucker punch goal. In 05, when Omagh beat them, he had a decent supporting cast around him in lads like Colgan, McConville, Fitzpatrick, Howard and Ireland but in 06 he more or less did it by himself - an odd assist from Peter Fitzpatrick perhaps but Clarke was the man

Curly Wurly (Tyrone) - Posts: 148 - 31/12/2008 16:08:26    171636

On the day of the 1st trial Ronan O Neil was by far the best player on show....The second day he wasnt the best player but most deservedly earned his All Star...Well done

The_Guru (Cavan) - Posts: 69 - 01/01/2009 19:39:30    171879