Dual Players

[the bare biffo]

I think debate on this issue shaould not be hung around Sean Ryans's neck. The lad has enough to be gettin on with, without seeing his name linked to this debate. Of course that assumes that players look in here, I dont know if they do, but I think it would be safer to assume that they may.

Anyway, to the issue of dual players. Strangely enough, or not, I would agree with Offaly's Future that if a player is to maximise their potential then it is only common sense that they concentrate on one sport.
We dont expect guys to play both rugby and gaelic football, though they may be talented at both. Ian Botham was a talented soccer player but obviously concentrated on his cricket to maximise his ability at that sport. Gary Lineker had a talent for snooker and so on........

Where my convergence with The Future hits a problem is the fact that Gaelic Games are still amateur sports. In addition every section of the GAA is manadated to promote both games equally. Of course it is no coincidence that the two teams leading the honours list in football and hurling anre counties that pursue one game pretty much to the exclusion of the other. That fact supports the argument that you can only maximise your potential by concentrating on one game. Would Galway have more Hurling or Football titles if the other game was abandoned, likewise Cork. And these are big counties, for a county with Offaly's resources to try to pursue success in both games is ludicrous.

Or is it. What is at the heart of the GAA. Is it just about winning. Is it about adopting the American philosophy of being the best "whatever" you can be. Or is it important to embrace the ideals of the GAA in promoting all the games and the social and cultural elements that go along with them. Winning an All Ireland is not ultimately what the GAA is about, it is just eye candy. If it wasn't Leitrim would have packed it in years ago. Of course they dream of winning but dreams dont support a thriving organistion , there is something more going on.

Maybe Liam Currams could have been a better footballer if he abandoned the Hurling, or a better hurler if he gave up the football. But he was good enough to win an All Ireland at both because he was allowed to prosper at both. Offaly are not at those races today, but if a player is good enough to nail down a place on both teams and wants to play for both teams, then in my opinion it is the duty of the county board, to ensure that the managers they appoint, to run teams on their and our behalf, make sure that such a player is accomodated.

Thats how I think it should be. After that it's the managers decision to pick the best player available and the players decision on what games he chooses to play.

[Offalys Future]

Inter county hurling/football is about winning. Simple as that really. Lads play to win and when they win they want to win more.
Teams train for 8/9 months not for any other purpose but to go out on championship day and win.
How they go about winning and their reason for wanting to win well that's a different story.


A county like Leitrim has as much chance as winning an All-Ireland as anybody else if they get proper coaches and put a development structure into place. But they dont and neither does Offaly or many counties in the country. And that is the reason that we dont win All-Irelands and wont win All-Irelands for a long time.

In my opinion Dual Players can just about get away with it at club level but they cant at intercounty level. It's trying to play too different amateur sports to your full potential. Not possible.

If a person is serious about winning and been the best they can possibly be then they should concentrate on one game. At intercounty level that is.

[Lone Shark]

A county like Leitrim has as much chance as winning an All-Ireland as anybody else if they get proper coaches and put a development structure into place. But they dont and neither does Offaly or many counties in the country. And that is the reason that we dont win All-Irelands and wont win All-Irelands for a long time.

So it's a coincidence that of the ten counties with the smallest populations in Ireland, only Offaly (in either code) has won an All Ireland since the war, while of the ten biggest, only Kildare haven't - and they did have a good run there for a while and came very close.

I'm sorry, but I ain't buying it. Numbers to pick from helps - of course it does. Look at our footballers right now - we actually have four players who in my opinion would get on to pretty much any team in Ireland (Slattery, Niall, McManus, and if he keeps playing like he did last year, Sean Ryan). But we are hamstrung by having to field players who are clearly not up to the task in several positions - something that a Dublin or Cork team never have to do.


This debate has the risk of going down the same road as others. Obviously with a blank cheque, players with utter focus and determination and plenty of skilled trainers willing to give up lots of free time, things could be a lot better than they are. However that perfect solution is unfortunately not realistic. You call that defeatist, I call it pragmatic, and there are readers who will stand in each corner, but I don't think there is anything new to add. If players want to play both games and only reach 70% of their potential in either, that is their prerogative, and I personally don't see anything wrong with that.