“Hello… and bid farewell (1)
Over the weekend, Jeopardy arrived, but it was too late to salvage the existing format of the All-Ireland senior football championship. Transformation is on the horizon.
It looks like this change will take effect during the 2025 season. In his post-preliminary quarter-final draw interview, GAA President Jarlath Burns didn’t shy away from discussing the status of the current football championship format when interviewed on RTÉ Radio One on Monday.
“We are currently soliciting input from the provinces,” said Burns, who noted that Croke Park executives were in Munster and Leinster last week and would be presenting alternative plans during future visits to Connacht and Ulster.
He concurred with the growing sentiment of inadequate jeopardy, a theme that has been echoing in the discussions.
Five key insights from the GAA weekend: A massive shake-up in the football championship is imminent… yet again
“The emergent consensus from these discussions is that there needs to be more jeopardy, more chances for victory and defeat, more heartaches and celebrations. I reckon the next year’s championship will mirror that aspect.
I envisage a change is coming next year,” he said.
And so, we bid adieu to another championship format. It was a transitory phase. – Gordon Manning
Hello… and bid farewell (2)
For two consecutive years, the finale of the GAA’s All-Ireland football group stages has made waves. Following the significant comments by association President Jarlath Burns on Monday, it is evident that the group concept has lost its allure and is set for a transformation.
The formidable task of getting eliminated from the championship has led to matches with minimal stakes, causing widespread disinterest among spectators and an intensified demand from the imperilled counties for an end their existence in the format.
The current, unpopular format may have sparked enthusiasm on the final day, and it can boast a unique competitiveness that has witnessed just a single county – Kerry this year – win all the three group games in two seasons.”
It was a mash of mixed feelings at Sligo and Hyde Park, as two final-moment scores culminated in draws with quite explicit conclusions. Armagh overjoyed by the last point that sealed their top spot, whilst the evident dismay of Mayo, being thwarted from sealing a significant triumph over Dublin, could not be overlooked.
As usual in GAA affairs, attempts to resolve one issue – in this context, the eradication of pointless matches – tends to birth a consequential challenge that the public find intolerable. The proposed solution often results in greater difficulty than the initial concern.
Regardless of the measure put in place for the forthcoming season, it’s likely that within two years its associated issues become the main focus. — Seán Moran
Mayo possesses immense potential – it’s about their self-belief
The Mayo team were generally overwhelmed by Sunday’s result. We occasionally forget that a good number of the team members are quite inexperienced and young. Two of the standout players during the match against Dublin were Donnacha McHugh and David McBrien, who spectacularly tackled significant players such as Brien Fenton and Con O’Callaghan. Both are only in their second season, and Sam Callinan is just 20 years old. These kinds of experiences are unfamiliar to them.
Post-game, outside the changing rooms, it was evident that Kevin McStay and his management team have a big task ahead to inspire their team for the upcoming game against Derry. However, after physical and mental recovery, they will look back on a championship season that’s surpassing the expectations of their more cynical fans.
They’ve lost just one game out of six in this championship, to Galway, even though they held the lead into injury time. Although relinquishing another lead in their most recent game was disappointing, they shouldn’t let Cormac Costello’s equaliser overshadow that they stood toe-to-toe with the champions of All-Ireland.
Mayo still have much to play for in the season. Building confidence will be a crucial factor. — Malachy Clerkin
Cork remain far behind
Post Tyrone’s four-point victory over Cork on Saturday, the league is seldom discussed in June, yet John Cleary briefly raised it as a significant gap in their training.
Tyrone took full advantage of our player’s absence due to black card penalties, managing the game better than us during that time. We didn’t lose out because we were inferior, but rather because we needed to be more effective. The advantage of being a consistent part of Division One and facing top-ranking teams is you recognize your moments of supremacy and the need to be decisive.
That was a key observation. Cork has persistently been among the top 12 teams in the championship, defeating two Division One teams in the previous year’s tournament — but it’s been a decade since they led Division One after the regular matches in the league. They experienced relegation two years thereafter.
During that season, four teams completed with six points, but Cork had the worst points difference, which could have felt unfortunate at the time. The subsequent year, they secured a mid-table position in Division Two, which has since been their dwelling place.
In the previous year’s All-Ireland quarter-final, Cork didn’t let Derry dominate them, yet Cork didn’t seem to have a threat of winning. The Ulster champions controlled the consequential parts of the second half. There was a comparable situation on Saturday. Cork seemed calm and intimidating when the match was slightly loose in the first half, but when the result was uncertain, Tyrone’s game management was superior. They kept Cork at a safe distance.
Cork is scheduled to face Louth next week, a team that’s part of their peer group, located in the middle of Division Two. Until they escape from there, no significant change can be expected. — Denis Walsh
It’s a matter of timing
A request for The Sunday Game production team – could you start to timestamp your highlights?
This doesn’t sound like an unreasonable demand. Match of the Day, for instance, always includes a graphic indicating the specific minute of the game when showing a move/save/goal in their summaries. Why doesn’t RTÉ follow suit?
It’s strange to witness a goal being scored and not know if it occurred three minutes into the second half, or three minutes before the game’s conclusion. Context makes a lot of difference.
Patrick Nugent implores for improvements in the coverage of Gaelic games. He refers to the recent Monaghan v Meath game which was streamed on GAAGo. While the game featured a timestamp throughout its main stream, that very detail was strikingly absent during the highlights broadcasted later on The Sunday Game. As a result, audiences were left in the dark about the effect of a significant score, having to infer from the commentator’s excitement level. Nugent suggests that even if GAAGo’s more comprehensive graphics were retained, it would provide a more insightful viewing experience.
Nugent goes on to suggest that the majority of recent innovatory developments in GAA coverage appear to have come from TG4. He cites their implementation of a ‘kickout cam’ as a progressive addition to game coverage. Meanwhile, RTE can sometimes seem unwilling to adapt to new methods. However, Nugent insists that incorporating a timestamp is an apparent and simple improvement that could be easily achieved, prompting the network to take heed.