A return to the good old days
Because of the back-door both players and supporters no longer savour victory as the knock-out nature, traditional to the championship for over 100 years, no longer applies. It has been alleged that teams don’t want to show their hand and that even teams throw games in the provincial series so that they can come quietly and effectively through the back door to championship glory.
Really? Well the last few weekends has proved that both championships are alive and well – and living in the provinces. In fact, I believe that this year has shown a swing back to the old days in terms of the desire and determination of counties to progress through the front door. What’s more the crowds turning up for game seem to reflect that reality as well.
For the second Sunday in a row almost 40,000 people came to games involving Cork.
They weren’t disappointed on either occasion. Cork were elated in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, and while I expect Tipp to recover through the back-door, to suggest that because it wasn’t a do-or-die knock-out game, that it somehow lessened their resolve for victory is way off the mark. The prestige of winning a provincial title and the confidence, security and feel-good factor that comes from winning games has ensured that championship games at provincial level are as keenly contested as ever. With the qualifier system, you might be lucky or you might not. Counties and, particularly management have concluded that the direct route through the provinces is easier, more predictable and less taxing than the scenic route of hair-pin binds and roundabouts.
Take Kerry last year. Once despatched by Cork in Munster they headed for the back-door. In terms of the draw they were as lucky as cats. Longford, Sligo, Antrim came out of the hat. Experience, luck, home advantage all saw Kerry limp into Croke Park where the over-rated Dubs welcomed them with open arms and gifts of goals and pints a plenty. But if Kerry had been drawn against the likes of Monaghan, Donegal or Derry away from home would they have survived?
We had a great contest in Killarney on Sunday, with Cork’s Paudie Kissane the outstanding player in a field of great performers. Paul Galvin’s introduction turned the tide for Kerry but the referee (while fair) was fussy, especially in relation to the pick up and distribution of yellow cards. As for the hand-pass, it is almost gone from the game but its replacement, the fisted pass, has added nothing by way of skill or style to the game. So much frustration was caused by the interpretation of the hand-pass that players seem to have decided to abandon it altogether in case of being penalised – a sad state of affairs.
