Professionalism in GAA steaming down the tracks

Rarely does a day pass in this country without a wonderfully evocative image appearing in the national papers from some sporting event or other and yesterday’s shot in these pages of Patrick Cronin striking the sliotar amidst the floodlights and flurries of snow during Cork and Waterford’s pre-season meeting in Mallow certainly ticked that particularly box.

Here, in one snapshot, was the perfect companion piece to Michael Moynihan’s reminder such unseasonal fare is not to be taken too seriously at this time of year, but the calendar month tends to have little effect on the levels of introspection and hand-wringing that have become endemic to our national games.

Already this week, we have seen some of the biggest issues facing the association regurgitated for a campaign still in its infancy. Laois manager Mick Lillis was asked about the gap between the Dublin footballers and everybody else in Leinster, Sean Boylan held court on the need for the return of some old-fashioned football values and president Aogán Ó Fearghail signposted a significant development regarding championship structures at tomorrow’s Central Council meetings.