I’m really surprised at the Examiner continuing to give him a Monday morning quarterbacking platform where he can cut his former colleagues to ribbons,we all know it’s a thankless job and I don’t see the point of him pontificating at all.
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Aside from slating the refs this is a bizarre comment from Gavin, with the implication that making the correct decision should not be the main priority for a ref.
Stack also overruled his umpires a few times, which isn’t the greatest look even if the right call is being made. Perhaps the sun in Wexford was an issue but you don’t want to see the judgement of your team undermined.
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Yeah. That thought struck me too. Stack did the right thing. If they were the right calls.
It did look like McDonalds shot was over.
Interesting dynamics with the linesmen though. I’d say there’s some rivalries there at times.
“Because the stakes are getting higher now, the room for mistakes is dwindling with each week that passes. If Lyons and Owens are picking up game after game, I can only imagine how much Fergal Horgan would be in demand if he was still available.”
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It was a red all day long. As regards those tyoes of tackles, possibly a longer ban is warranted. Id even argue that 2 yellow reds may warrant a ban nowadays depending on the infractions.
But the first sentence bothers me.
I think people have become dramatic in how they comment on these tackles and its seeping into the culture a bit. I dont believe he went to do him. He went to win the fucking ball and at least stop him. I have seen fellas trying to “do” opposition players in recent weeks - crystally clear but some tackles are reckless, mistimed and the kick up the hole is a red card. Leave it at that. What will be needed in time is a video ref I feel.
Its a common joke on here, that does hold a lot of evidence that it is true, that rubby players are punch drunk from knocks to the head. Any head contact in rubby is a red. The gaa need to follow alomg those lines also, considering head contacts are less occuring in hurling and football and easier to avoid than rubby.
The red in the wexford game was correct. By the same standards there should have been a red for both tipp and Waterford but we have already agreed James Owens had an absolute mare in the game as a whole
Not disagreeing. Red was warranted.
Moreso focused on the theory of malice behind these tackles. Maybe the player did, who knows - Tadhg Kenneally floored a Cork man early in an All Ireland final and bragged about it. But Id worry we’ll see mistakes now painted as malice. Culturally that affects a sport in time.
It’s a disgrace.
But slating the ref is part of the fabric of the GAA.
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Iv said it here dozens of times but all you get is “look over there it’s rubby”… Head contact isn’t taken in any way seriously in GAA. There is barely a game happens without a head knock that would see a fella removed from game on rubby…
In the Kerry game a Clare player got a swinging forearm to the face as he was coming out with the ball…yellow card only to the Kerry player and not a mention of it really in Comms…20 mins later the Clare player went offas blood sub because he was still bleeding
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Intent is irrelevant in rugby now aside from being a potential mitigant in length of suspension…
Ate they brining in the lower tackle height trial laws introduced at amateur level this year into pro rubby next season? They actually worled on changing behaviour.
The gaa could dish out a few red cards and it’ll sort itself out
This is a senior IC hurler you’re talking about here, in a hurling county, not some mal-coordinated inexperienced lad pulled out of a pub. That “tackle” was about man, ball and everything. He went to hit him as hard as possible whilst o Shea was completely vulnerable having just lifted the sliotar, and he had enough time to pull out. He didn’t. He went in as absolutely hard as he could. O Shea’s helmet went flying.
The way he turned his shoulder to hit him as hard as he could when he could just as easily have at the very least slowed. There was intent to do only one thing, and that kind of tackle is going to break a neck sooner or later.
It was, at the very best, recklessly negligent, and that imho isn’t even the case. It was a dreadful shot.
In any case, he did it. He hit him full force as hard as he could with a shoulder to the head. Intent is irrelevant. There should be a duty of care and a punitive ban.
That’s my opinion on it.
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Don’t think they are coming into pro. Def worked well at amateur level anyway
My understanding is there cannot be any law changes at pro level for the 2 seasons leading to a world cup, the first season after the world cup is starting in sept i believe so could come in then.
I was surprised at how well it actually worked out where the reduction of high shots was massive. The only fellas who had real issues were eother very lazy/tired or are involved in pro setups.
Nonetheless it would be a lot more straightforward in gaa. Body shots to the head need to be taken seriously. It’ll be only difficult for refs when you have fellas falling into other players for simulation. In hurling its already an offence to use the hurley with force to the head.
100% correct.
A huge problem in hurling is that there is a rubby league type shoulder charge tackle after developing. The KK team of the 00s initiated it but now we have the Limericks taking it to a new level. Other teams have had to copy it.
What WOD does in every game is reckless and dangerous. In the Tipp game he “layed down the law” with a very dangerous tackle on Willie Connors in the first few minutes.
Seamus Flanagans tackle on Stephen Bennett in 2023 was not punished and Hego has done such tackles on countless occasions.
On the other hand, the GAA is encouraging more of such contacts when they won’t properly police throwing or steps. Meanwhile the media say hurling is brilliant etc etc.
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It’s absolutely crazy. He is some turncoat. A former ref could add a lot of insight through a column, to help fans understand the ref’s point of view as much as anything else. But lately he is purely using it to take shots at people and ‘score’ their performance. The stuff about Sean Stack overruling his umpires is comnpletely off the wall.
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Im not saying remove contact or hard hits just that thete is more severe repercussions if you get the hit wrong and make direct contact to the head, ive never seen willum hit directly to the head, he shows excellent technique to make a hard but fair hit. Laying down the law. That Flanagan hit you referenced is an example of what should be a red tbf, there were 3 examples this weekend of what should be red and only one fella got the line
Seamus Flanagan went balls to the wall to deliver two blindside shoulders in the first half v Clare recently. In fairness he just about made them shoulder to shoulder but a half step or turn from the man in possession about to receive it and the consequences could be very different.
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He hit shoulder to shoulder so whats the problem
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ICA meeting under way early this morning I see
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