Influx of outside 'experts' cause concern

CONNACHT COUNCIL secretary John Prenty has expressed his concern over the apparent influx of coaches and trainers from “other codes” into Gaelic Games, and wonders has the GAA an “inferiority complex about our own ability to coach our games”.

In his address to this evening’s provincial convention in the Claregalway Hotel, Prenty will also make it clear these experts are coming at a high cost: “From a rough estimate, it appears that it cost almost €3 million to train the teams from Connacht,” he says. “Almost all teams now have a coterie of different types of experts involved with them drawn from physiotherapists, dieticians, sports psychologists, athletes, training experts etc.

“Most of those have been drawn in from other codes and seem to come at enormous expense. An industry has been set up around county teams which are not reciprocated by Gaelic Games coaches being involved with teams in other codes. I would have to ask is it working? Is it paying off? Have we lost the plot? Have we an inferiority complex about our own ability to coach our games, despite having the best developed resources in the world?

“I think that it is time to get back to the basics to what Gaelic Games are about, catching, kicking, scoring, team play. Maybe we should look at the programmes being adopted by the successful teams in hurling and football and return to our core values.”

Prenty also raises his views about the experimental rules in football and hurling, and appears to regret the decision to do away with last year’s disciplinary experiments: “From the start they seemed doomed to failure with many commentators and team managers, in particular, coming out against them from day one. Consequently we lost our nerve and the recommendations were defeated at Congress because many thought that there was very little wrong with our games. During the summer we had a relatively problem free season from a disciplinary perspective but the cancer of cynical fouling still lurks below the surface.”

Prenty supports the current playing rules experiments, but Connacht are presenting a motion to Congress seeking to clarify the fist pass/hand pass rule, proposing that both passes are acceptable, “provided it involves a definite underhand striking action”.

The Ulster Council convention takes place on Saturday at the Errigal Hotel in Cavan, and provincial secretary Danny Murphy, in his report, welcomes the recent merger between the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) and Croke Park – even though the Ulster counties have been among the more strongly opposed to the motivations of the GPA.

“Some time ago I wrote that the greatest threats to our association were within the organisation and the need for core unity is vital at this time,” says Murphy.

“We have been disunited over the position of our players and particularly our intercounty players. There have been many controversial aspects to this relationship over several years and the agreement between our association and the Gaelic Players Association, hopefully, is the beginning of a better way forward.”

Referees, the playing rules, and finances are also covered in Murphy’s report.