Tyrone GT news

A few thoughts on Tyrone's performance against Kildare:

1.  Stephen O'Neill started well for a man who has played very little football in 3 months.  However, he remains the ultimate confidence player, and his penalty miss was predictable given his frustrations at that period of the game.  He'll have come on a lot for that game, and I think he'll be better next week.

2.  Darren McCurry needs to add more strength.  He is willing, quick and accurate, but he is going to continue to struggle at this level until he gets stronger.  Croke Pk may suit him more than a tight Newbridge, but I'd go with Coney or McAliskey against Meath.

3.  Aidan Cassidy turned the game when he came on.  Tyrone were cleaned out at midfield for the first 43 minutes, and dominated it thereafter.  He won't last 70 minutes, but he needs to be on for at least 45-50, as Colm Cavanagh is not quite good enough, and Sean needs someone to do the donkey work for him.  

4.  Conor Clarke played very well on Tomas O'Connor, and is a very good full back for a 20 year old.  Having said that, I feel he is wasted back there, and would rather see him out the field, perhaps even alongside Cassidy in the middle.  Justin McMahon could play fullback.

5.  Carlin didn't look fit when he came on.  I'd start Ryan McKanna next week again.

6. Aidan McCrory was brought back in to mark John Doyle, but I still have reservations about him.  He is a decent player with a lot of athleticism, but needs to improve.  

7.  Peter Harte does some good things, but his overall play is still well short of were it was 18 months ago.  i was surprised by how few forays he made into the attack, as breaking from deep is really his main strength.

8.  Conor Gormley remains the best defender in Tyrone.

9. Niall Morgan is badly missed, both for his frees and his kickouts. Pascal looks shakey at present, and his kickouts were poor.

10.  Mattie & Mark Donnelly both played very well.  They, and to a lesser extent Penrose, are the engine room of our side.  The Donnellys are fit, mobile, tough lads, and should enjoy the open spaces in Croker.

11. The general response seems to have been how poor Kildare were, but a win in Newbridge against a division 1 side is a good result for Tyrone.  The qualifiers are about 2 things:  Winning, and finding your best team.  We get another chance next week to do the latter, while hopefully continuing to rack up the victories.

Conor Gormley suspended for AI semi final.

Penrose & Gormley definitely out, with both McMahons serious doubts.

Thomas Clarke wrote:Conor Gormley suspended for AI semi final.

Penrose & Gormley definitely out, with both McMahons serious doubts.

The CCCC certainly took their time with it. 'Twas a possibility I suppose, given the brougha that's been about the relative incident. The Tyrone CB will probably seek an inquiry all the same.
This has the makings of the Colin Lynch/Clare affair from bygone days.

Any threats of Tyrone withdrawing/boycotting the match as yet.

Boxtyeater wrote: Any threats of Tyrone withdrawing/boycotting the match as yet.

I strongly believe our boycott of RTE has left us fair game for the media criticism we've had all year, which no doubt influences calls like this. I'm not suggesting that we are angels, but we've certainly been singled out.

As for the sendings off, you could argue that Gormley has got away with things in the past and this may be overdue, but it still is disappointing for us to come when it has. Also, it is a sickener for 2 men to be suspended for the 2 tamest punches you'll ever see....on the same player!

The incident happens at 3.54 here: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I've looked at it several times now, and it is very soft. You could certainly look at it as 2 men in a test of strength and then one broke away, leaving the other to lunge forward.  Stevie O'Neill's hand was also on Mone at the time, dragging him backwards.  As seen on the video, the linesman had a clear view of it and was only a couple of yards away, yet saw nothing wrong at the time, so I can't understand how this is deemed not to have been dealt with.  Is the linesman now saying he didn't see it?  This is set up for a successful appeal.

A couple of other things - look at the reaction, or lack of it from Mone. He barely flinched, despite being 'punched' by one of the strongest footballers in the country.  Also, as the referee takes him away, he doesn't seem to be indicating that he was punched, or gesticulating towards Gormley. Mone didn't react, as he didn't feel like he had been struck.  And it's not as though Dessie is simply displaying stoicism - when he was clipped by Penrose he certainly reacted.

At times over the years, I've seen Tyrone appeal decisions and thought that we were wrong to do so.  In this case, I'd welcome a challenge, as you can't suspend a man because you don't like him, or because RTE tells you to do so.

I agree on this one. Gormley is a dirty aold hoor but in this case all he did was push your man's hand away. But at the heart of it all is a GAA problem (not a Tyrone one) whereby not all incidents are reviewed in the same way. Do the GAA officials review every game in detail or do they let the TV producers on the day or the Sunday game producers decide what merits review?

There was quare joy in Mayo this morning when this news became known.   The stars are aligning!

But you can and should suspend a man for punching another man in the face which is what happened here for all to see.

At 2 minutes. As clear a case for suspension as you could ever see. More defence of the indefensible.

RMDrive wrote:There was quare joy in Mayo this morning when this news became known.   The stars are aligning!

I'd say there was.

True story, as relayed to me by as reliable a source as I know. During the Tyrone/Meath game, the source was sat in front of several Mayo players, who were attending the game. They were eulogising about Gormley, concurring that he was some player and was the hardest footballer in Ireland.

Every January, Tyrone people say 'Gormley could be a liability this year - he'll be done for pace'. Yet every August the same people always say 'You know, Conor Gormley is still the best defender that Tyrone have'.

Huge loss, but I'm optimistic about the expected appeal.

I see even Joe Brolly on Twitter is saying the suspension is unjust. Also says that the RTE researcher feels that it was not a strike.

Shocking stuff here - I wonder is there anyone left that Tyrone can boycott?

It's certainly strange that the GAA took until now to issue a ban, their system is dated and takes far too long! I don't now, i can see why he was banned, regardless if you hit someone with their own hand or your hand the intent to strike is still there, you're just being crafty by slapping him with his own hand! The ruling is clear when it mentions striking or the intention to strike, an appeal will be interesting though!

bald eagle wrote: i can see why he was banned, regardless if you hit someone with their own hand or your hand the intent to strike is still there, you're just being crafty by slapping him with his own hand! The ruling is clear when it mentions striking or the intention to strike, an appeal will be interesting though!

I'll politely disagree, Beagle. Obviously I'm susceptible to some bias here but, trying to be impartial, I don't see the strike or even intention to strike. Was he really pushing Mone's hands into his face deliberately, or was it a case of rutting stags?

Not that it should be anyone's moral compass but from what I've seen online today, the general consensus from neutrals is that Gormley, love him or loathe him, has been hard done here.

Гормли приостановлено .... магия. Ну работал Энда и Фук ю Томас Кларк ....
Ура!!

The GAA are making a half-hearted effort to stamp displays of bravado out of the game. It was a harmless strike with very little malice but the optics of throwing your shoulders back and putting your head in other player's face don't exactly encourage a culture of respect. Penrose and Gormely could have been wiser in my opinion. Nothing to be gained by doing what they did.

However the lack of consistency and lack of clarity bothers me. Every so often there appears to be a decision like this. Every year the GAA's attitude to this gets stricter but never any communication about what's allowed and what's not. Plus the consistency - people will point to Noel O'Leary getting Paul Galvin in a headlock and Galvin's subsequent retaliation and ask why wasn't television replays used here. That's only one that I can think of from the summer gone by.

Another example - Two years ago Diarmuid Connolly got off for probably a worse strike (albeit a harmless one too) and was allowed play the final. It's this lack of any clear direction and clarity that frustrates me - nobody knows where exactly the CCCC or the GAA stand in relation to incidents like these - including themselves.

The long and the short of it is we can argue amongst ourselves whether or not it's an a strike, or an attempted strike, or whether there's malice or not but ultimately the rules and the precedents aren't clear. So what if we agree it's a strike - what does that mean? Nobody knows.

Boxtyeater wrote:

Гормли приостановлено .... магия. Ну работал Энда и Фук ю Томас Кларк ....
Ура!!

I never liked Boris. In fact, after what he said about me above, he would be one of my least favourite Boris' of all-time, coming in some distance behind Pasternak, Karloff, Spassky, Becker, Johnson and 'The Spider'.

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:The GAA are making a half-hearted effort to stamp displays of bravado out of the game. It was a harmless strike with very little malice but the optics of throwing your shoulders back and putting your head in other player's face don't exactly encourage a culture of respect. Penrose and Gormely could have been wiser in my opinion. Nothing to be gained by doing what they did.

I agree that it is pointless and stupid to get involved in any such acts of bravado. But you need more than that to suspend a man.

What amazes me in the whole thing is the role played by the linesman. He clearly saw Gormley and Mone grappling, as he starts to run towards them, and he had a good view of the push (which I'm calling it from here on in), yet did nothing. So, if he saw it as clear as day, and presumably discussed it with the referee during the interval, then how can it be deemed not to have been dealt with?

I've been very heartened by the support Gormley has received today, from many neutrals and, it must be acknowledged, many Mayo people. It seems like roughly 75% people feel that he has been shafted.

I understand that Tyrone are appealing both suspensions, though I'd prefer them to appeal just Gormley's. I think it would be a great shame if a man who, at 33, has got himself into such great shape, was robbed of playing in the semi-final.

One member of the Peru Two from your neck of the woods TC?

Jonsmith wrote:One member of the Peru Two from your neck of the woods TC?

Yeah, would have been encountered by TC's mother as a child. Apparently the loveliest child, and a very sensitive girl. TC's mother would be quite upset by the whole thing, with what became of her, and what is going to become of her.

Jonsmith wrote:One member of the Peru Two from your neck of the woods TC?

A sickening, unfunny, rhetorical question to be asked on a GAA board.....Poor taste Jonsmith.

Surprised that the Tyrone Massive have not mentioned the Tyrone Factsheet that made an appearance at the Tyrone media night!

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Gormley? Suspension? Not at all.

RMDrive wrote:Gormley? Suspension? Not at all.

RMD delivers great news!  

Thomas Clarke wrote:

RMDrive wrote:Gormley? Suspension? Not at all.

RMD delivers great news!  

The right decision. Still an uphill task for your boys though - Gormley or not.

[quote="Thomas Clarke"]

RMDrive wrote:Gormley? Suspension? Not at all.

RMD delivers great news!  

Gormley has being finished for years,mayo will be happy to see him line out