ARMAGH fans should be disappointed by the news that Jim McCorry has stepped away from the Orchard management team this week, as revealed by Gaelic Life on Monday. The Lurgan native was hugely popular with the players and he also brought plenty to the table in terms of coaching and tactics too. The former Down manager could be spiky with the media at times. But he was fair, and that’s all you can ask for. He’d tell you if a question was out of line, but he’d also answer the difficult ones. McCorry often went out of his way to dig a journalist out of a hole. Armagh moved from Division Three to Division One in his three seasons, and that is no coincidence. McCorry will be with Down side Burren this season, but don’t bet against him returning to the inter-county scene in the future. Whoever that is with, they’ll have a great coach.

NIALL MCCOY

THE world needs the GAA. This is a tune I’ve hummed before, I know, but the evidence of what’s going on in other sports week in, week out only confirm to me that it is true. Sports like soccer are beholden to money, fans debate bank balances not game-plans. The fans of big teams want something they can believe in. I do think sometimes we are drunk on the success of the GAA. Watching communities who rallied together during Covid-19 made us think without the GAA we’d fall apart. But isn’t it true that throughout the world there are human beings who care deeply about others?  The GAA just managed to bring those people together under the guise of making them strike a ball between two posts. So rather than keep this format for ourselves, couldn’t we just send it out across the world?  I’m talking about franchises people. Let’s make the world great again. Is that tag line taken?

RONAN SCOTT

DAMIAN Cassidy is the latest person to rubbish the idea of starting the leagues in late-February. He’s a great man and his opinion is worth listening to, but I don’t think we should give up hope on the inter-county season throwing in in late-February. First of all, this year’s championship proved that inter-county teams can stay safe. Second of all, teams aren’t going to be particularly well prepared for the league whatever happens as there are no pre-season competitions. It is what it is, but there’s still merit in playing it off in its intended timeframe so teams can get ready for the championship. Also, as we’ve seen plenty of times in the last 12 months, the Covid picture has the tendency to swing this way and that very quickly, and hopefully things will be a bit better by then.

NIALL GARTLAND

COLLIE Devlin is the In Focus interview this week and he made the point that the level of expectation from teams must be managed. He reckons that we are too focused on our championship achievements, and that success must me measured in a more nuanced manner. Not everyone can win the Sam Maguire, but that doesn’t mean that there are 31 failures. The obvious next rung on the ladder of this argument is tiered competitions. But you can do one if you think I’m climbing on board that bandwagon. The FA Cup was on last weekend and Marine took on Spurs and they delighted in getting hammered 5-0. If I support Derry, then I don’t want to miss my big day out if I get drawn against the big guns of Donegal or Cavan (!). Collie Devlin is right I think but it is an issue of mindset, rather than creating structures to create success. We applaud our teams if win or lose. And at the same time, our players should’t take it so bad if they don’t achieve. Win or learn.>h 8.5pt,0<>w 8.42pt<>f 7<

RONAN SCOTT

BRIAN Cody was ratified for a 23rd year in charge of the Kilkenny hurlers earlier this week. Usually the use of his reappointment would barely warrant a small newspaper paragraph, but on this occasion it was altogether different. Former Kilkenny hurler Aidan Fogarty recently took a few potshots at the long-standing Kilkenny boss, and there does seem to be brewing discontent about the fact they haven’t won the All-Ireland in five years now – a long enough time for Kilkenny. They did manage to beat Limerick in the 2019 championship, but they were off the pace against Tipp in the final, and it was un-Kilkenny-like when they basically collapsed in the second half against Waterford last year. Personally I think it would do no harm to give someone else a go – it has to happen sooner or later.

NIALL GARTLAND

WHEN it was announced that Conor Laverty was set to be appointed to the Down u-20 job and that Sean Boylan would be part of the backroom team, Meath legend Bernard Flynn tweeted “and we in Meath have no u-20 management at the moment.” It was clear frustration, but rather than just complaining on social media, the two-time All-Star decided to do something about it and was appointed as manager this week. It seems that Twitter these days is just a vehicle for people to piss and moan, so it’s refreshing to see someone follow it up with action. Also, it is brilliant to see that Graham Geraghty is included in Flynn’s management team after his recent health scare. Meath may be lacking a bit at senior level right now – at least when it comes to Dublin anyway – but this management team will get them moving along the right track.

NIALL MCCOY