Overheard in the Snug: Feb 13th

Alright, alright, so I haven't posted since November. Thanks for all your emails wondering if I had emigrated or if I was alive. Much like the controversy regarding exactly what is a legal tackle, I am alive and well. I've been busy with a new job, moving house and fighting with Aer Lingus for a refund of a Christmas flight that never left the airport.

Nonetheless I've been keeping a loose eye on things in the world of Gaelic Football. I'm going to try an post a few talking points every Sunday from now until the All-Ireland Final. I'm going to call it 'Overheard in the Snug'. Here in no particular order are my topics for the week.
Tackling
The end of the Cork v Kerry Round 1 league match was frustrating regardless of the side you support. The men in both jerseys played an exciting, fast-paced match. With 10 minutes remaining it was obvious the players had nothing left in the tank. That made me wonder about the effects of the winter training ban. There clearly wasn't rust on the boots of the forwards as the teams combined for over 20 points in the first half despite the muddy conditions.

The second half was another story. As fatigue set in, players began to topple over each other, tug jerseys and generally use their arms to slow the player in possession rather than use their legs to get in front of their man. The last three possessions were particularly bad with the referee (a Sligo man so I don't want to hear about bias) whistling Kerry for a foul on each. All three were weak, weak fouls - the last two particularly. Daniel Goulding converted the last two pull a victory for Cork.  The last point from distance on tired, muddy legs was tough. Having dropped a closer free short of the posts only minutes earlier, I'm sure he was pleasantly surprised to see the last point make it over the bar.

Still, both sides were left despondent after such a poor ending to a fine match. The need to clarify a tackle remains. Both Jack O'Connor and Conor Counihan could only criticise the rules as players and managers are now banned from criticising referees. Thankfully, I'm neither so I can say with confidence the ref ruined the end of the game by awarding undeserved frees. Perhaps he was as tired as the players and let his judgement slip. Nonetheless, we need to figure out a way to make the whistles more consistent. Players, both defenders and forwards, need to know what draws a free and what is permitted. In the final 5 minutes of this match, I wouldn't have been surprised if a Michael Quirke sneeze could have him seeing red.

Nemo Rangers in the First Half
The first half display by Nemo Rangers against Dr. Crokes in the Munster Club Championship was a thing of beauty. I can't recalling seeing anything quite like it at the club level. It looked like a senior training session against an under-12 group. With the exception of a gorgeous point at about the 10th minute from Colm Cooper, Dr. Crokes simply didn't have anything to match the efficiency of Nemo Rangers. They moved with creativity. They unselfishly made the extra pass. The brilliance of the Nemo goal was overshadowed by some amazing shooting from distance and angles. They could do no wrong and were ahead by 13 at halftime: 1-13 to 0-3.

The second half saw Dr. Crokes mount a mighty comeback but fall just short. Cooper will rue his two goal chances he failed to convert in the first half. Once he was alone on goal and the Rangers keeper managed to gobble the ball. A second time Cooper punched a high ball which hit the crossbar. Unlucky. Either chance would have changed the game but in fairness I think it was Nemo's day. I think now would be a good time to put a bet on Nemo Rangers to win on St. Patrick's Day.

Galway
Galway are a mess. After a terrible summer which saw them fail to win a match, they opened the league with a loss to Monaghan 0-19 to 0-14. The Monaghan squad was full of new faces yet were able to score the first four points of the second half and cruise to victory.

Next in line for Galway are Down, Mayo, Kerry, Cork and Dublin. Losing the first 6 matches of the league now seems a distinct possibility. They desperately need a bit of confidence and I don't see a chance coming any time soon.

Looking toward the summer, Connaught  is a much improved province. Roscommon and Sligo are not going to lie down in the Connaught Championship. Mayo is always tough. If Galway can't get any momentum by May they could be looking at a repeat of the disaster that was 2010.