Always interesting listening to John. A great speaker and very knowledgeable and honest.

There would be a lot to be said for John to be in a management team. His CV is exceptional and really kicked Crossmolina onto another level over the last 18 months. Possibly a performance coach or an advisor type role. Maybe a selector. Could do a lot worse then him.

Nah, been there before with him twice..sure what will he bring new to the table youd have to ask

John Maughan brought belief back into mayo football. A good man

@WJ are you going to be Abseiling off the roof of Croker .I'll sponsor ye :-)
Great Pod with JM.

Maughan is a great Coach, i have always enjoyed listening to him, surely there is a place for him in a County setup.

Tom Parsons has written a piece today in The Irish Times, stating that inter-county players are suffering shortfalls of over €4,600 on average due to their commitment to playing top-level gaelic games.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2025/07/25/tom-parsons-intercounty-players-give-us-something-money-cant-buy-so-why-are-they-out-of-pocket/

No harm to Tom, but even though the article provides plenty of stats to support his case, I suspect that his call for state support to county GAA players is a tough sell, in the current economic climate. Some people might also question why some of the perks, such as university scholarships, boot deals, sponsorship, free holidays (and it seems, subsidised accommodation in some cases), employment with flexible hours, media punditry and other gigs etc. are not mentioned as a counterbalance.

Still, an interesting piece, providing some food for thought.

@It Means Nothing to Me,

I would be inclined to agree with you. I'll never begrudge an intercounty player getting a perk here or there like a sponsored car etc for their hard work, and this is probably seen by many, as you say, as a counterbalance to players not getting an official wage. I doubt many people in intercounty GAA circles would want to do a deep dive and see the true value of how much money players get when you add up the value of the 'other' incomes you listed.

The GAA opens many doors for you, as the saying goes.

@OnTheFence: Absolutely, and if I were talented enough to be an inter-county footballer or hurler in my prime, I'd undoubtedly take up some of those benefits too, without question. More power to people if they can better their lot!

It's just that a lot of people are struggling out there at the moment, and IMO there are better uses of state resources, when we consider some of the benefits that a lot of our top footballers and hurlers get. Tom mentions Olympic athletes in the piece as a comparator, but those guys are competing internationally, and the stipends they get are usually barely enough to cover their training, food and accommodation. It's not a like-for-like comparison with GAA players IMO.

If we really wanted to do a deepest of deep dives, we'd have a look at other GAA constituencies, like handballers, who get absolutely no state support but often have to travel long distances within Ireland, and even internationally, to play in tournaments. Or the even more complicated question of our female gaelic athletes, who often must subsidise themselves (although there are some political dimensions to that one). Or club players.

I do tend to get a bit sick of GAA folks talking about how much they all put in and how hard they all work as volunteer coaches etc. Its the same as all sports at underage. My Son played football, Rugby and boxing as well......all the coaches we ever came across were volunteers working for free.....The GAA guys always seem to think they are the only ones who ever volunteer. Also the key word is volunteer.......its not compulsory for any one

The GAA are loaded with money for instance theyll make a few million on the All Ireland and Sunday not to mention the money theyll make from the Oasis concerts and TV rights surely its time for them to start rewarding the players in some financial way. As for John Maughan top man he dragged us from depair in 95 to beliving in ourselves again and contesting all Ireland. A few weeks before he arrived we were beaten by 10 points in Tuam in the connacht final by Galway a 10 point defeat actually flattered us we were actually hammered out the gate Anthony Egan a great football man in fairness, was the manager that day and Kevin Mc Stay listed as a coach we had also been relegated to division 3 of the league that spring. Maughan came in and changed all that we got to the semi final of the league against Derry and a few weeks later narrowly lost the all Ireland to Meath. Great to see him involved and doing well with Crossmolina he has that confidence/arrogance that we dont usually associate with Mayo football I wouldnt mind seeing him involved as a selector but like Horan his time has passed.

A few points on that Tom Parsons article.
We're not naive to place any credibility on an 'iIndependent' report commissioned by the GPA.
A few counter points for the life and lifestyle of an inter county GAA player for most counties.
1. GAA players suffer vastly lower levels of unemployment.
2. If we look at Mayo and the teams since 1996, there are a well above National average amount of players who are wealthy people afforded huge career opportunities helped by their career in GAA.
3 GAA players who setup businesses are massively helped by their GAA profile.
4. The issue of nutrition being expensive. Almost lmost no one is eating organic chicken at every meal. Carbohydrates are not expensive and neither these days are protein powders or food supplements or vitamins.
5. His anecdotes are selective. A young player needed 70 euro. There's one GAA person player now manager has a wealth helped early by GAA in the tens of millions. Look at all the pub owners, sports shops, directirshios.
Several Mayo players have had career trajectorirs off the charts whilst not doing overtime, having limited prior experience and not having ground breaking 3rd level qualifications.
Tom puts forth the 70 euro anecdote, I'm sorry but it is vastly outweighed by the massively boosted career prospects that young player will have.
I've mentioned no players names and think for a few moments of how many current and former GAA players you know in high paying jobs and business ownership.
Be real now if their GAA career did or did not help them.

The wealthy GAA player manager is not Mayo and it's on public record.

@JP: I think most people have a good idea who you’re referring to, although I thought that the sum in question was dispersed amongst the wider family of said manager? Still is incredible to see those sort of figures bandied around, though.

As for Tom, of course he has to set out the GPA point of view but I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees it as being a bit far-fetched.

Being set up in the US with a job and a house to play football for the summer would be another perk that I forgot about initially. Or in one case, having millions of euro in debt written off by a bank…

Big fan of GAA players especially at inter county for all the efforts they put in and all the sacrifices they make. However the GPA often comes across with the poor mouth mantra and how they are financially worse off and I can’t really agree with that. Might be true to some extent for the so called weaker counties but in general inter county players do reasonably well and rightly so. Tom has to peddle the GPA stuff but as an earlier poster says he is somewhat selective in his anecdotes

Surely a better system could be organized other than the split season.
Teams out of the championship for months before club championship.
No games for most counties from June to February.
You would be mad to sponsor most county teams.

Inter county players are well looked after, some more than others. Yes the commitment is savage but nobody forces them to do it and none of them seem to want to leave it, you then have a board of lads trying to get into county panels.

I’ll admit some counties are better off than others and certain players do better than others. I know a lad who works for the same company as a county player, time off, leave early etc no problem.

Now remember it’s a tiny majority that play under county. Club players put in as much effort without payment or limelight. All for the love of the game and the club.

The whole playing season needs looking at again and not just at intercounty level. You have the ludicrous situation here in Mayo, where the vast majority of lads that are playing tomorrow in the Junior Finals in McHale Park; they won't have another game to play in August, September, October, November, December, January 26, February 26 and possibly March 26. No games for 2/3 of the year is crackers. Mayo GAA, can and should do better to provide competitive action for all lads. Not having a proper under 20/21 competition to keep lads playing is also a must. The current comp is a token effort that no one takes seriously. Then we wonder why there is such a drop off as lads get older. All very avoidable with a bit of interest and planning by the CB.

I’m on the executive of our club and manage our footballers, I sometimes have to put my hand in my pocket for small things and am very busy in my professional life but it’s a privilege to do these things for my club and I do them because I enjoy them and because it’s the right thing to do to give back.
The GPA are completely going down the wrong road with this craic, there is already a 2 tier system which is fine, given the time commitments required at the county level but any higher payments to certain individuals cannot happen

JP. I dont think its about the future career prospects of an inter county that's of concern.
Its about the here and now

West is best, it’s crazy that such a high percentage of club footballers have their season over already and more finish up today after the Westport v Knockmore final.
There are great rewards for intercounty footballers, particularly in larger counties, more power to them. €1500-2000 if do photoshoot of league launch etc. sponsored car, paying brand ambassador roles, holidays and get aways for promoting on socials.

Both Kerry and Donegal have entertained us throughout the summer with their excellent adaptation of the new rules. I'm looking forward to some of the key battles, Michael Langan v Joe O Connor, and who will make the greater contribution, Clifford or Murphy. If McGuinness pulls it off he is a genius.
Picking up on other posters comments, wouldn't we love to have a Murphy on our team, physical, reads game well, scores two pointers at will and assists with team play. Respect.
On McHugh, he is one of the few youngsters that have progressed under Rochford and co., compare to Carney, Flynn, Ruane Callinan, but McHugh is not the finished article. And that's the problem with mayo supporters, hailing these guys as stars. Is McHugh in line for an all star? Not a notion. He has to continue to progress, to become a leader, to be influential to players around him. A year with McGuinness would make an All star out of him, hopefully the new management will take these guys to a new level, where they go from nice footballers to game changing winners.

Mchugh not been in line for an all star is down to the team not progressing in championship more than Mchugh himself .

Nonsense comment to ask is mchugh in line for an allstar considering mayo didn't get out of the group. Would clifford be in line for an allstar if kerry didn't reach preliminary q final. Same answer as above not a notion. Nobody/very few will get an allstar this year without reaching semifinal.

Congratulations to all the lads (and everyone involved behind the scenes) on the U16 Buncrana Cup team who beat Dublin (4-19 to 1-19 After Extra Time) to qualify for the Buncrana Cup Final (some lovely highlights of a great 2 pointer & a really classy goal from Mayo GAA on twitter: https://x.com/MayoGAA/status/1949087279890214973).

The lads will be playing Tyrone (beat Donegal by 1 in their Semi-FInal, a Canavan top scoring for them with 7 kicking a couple of 2s along the way) in the Final.

Commiserations to the other u16 Ted Webb side who were beaten After Extra Time in their Ted Webb Shield Semi-Final by Westmeath.

And as your man would say on the lead up to the matches "Any tickets ", I'm looking for one for tomorrow.

Great result for the u16s, beating Dublin is always a nice one. Amazing how Tyrone are in another underage final. They have done something right over the last few years. Great for the Mayo u16s to be in the mix with the top counties.

What's the make up of that is the Tedd Webb team that lost to shield game v Westmeath the A team and the B team in the Buncrana cup?
Or are they two different competitions together with players randomly not graded by level? Presume shield is the consolation side of the draw.
Personally I'd prefer nothing up on the official socials for those lads, let them just develop away in background.

@Gizmobobs: The images are up on the official account if you've much knowledge of the lads (I'd only know about 5 or 6 between the two panels), but no teamsheets or names released as part of the coverage so no idea on a breakdown between the two.
(Full match reports up for the Tyrone Donegal semi-final if anyone would like a small glimpse at details of the Tyrone side we'll be facing in the final - https://www.donegallive.ie/news/donegal-sport/1857350/donegal-u-16s-beaten-after-strong-tyrone-comeback-in-buncrana-cup-semi-final.html - the two sides drew Tyrone 2-18 3-15 Mayo when they met in the Group Stages in April)

No clear breakdown I've ever seen given on how the panels are split. Talented lads that you'd expect to see minor next year featuring on both, so not an obvious A vs B. From my limited knowledge of the u16 games this year I'd have thought the Buncrana panel the stronger of the two if they played a Red (Tedd Web) versus Green (Buncrana) game today, but entirely subjective there and very open to correction/disagreement.

Yup on the Shield. Meath beat Dublin today in one (non-shield) semi & not sure who Kerry will face in the other in the Ted Webb.

@no doubt. But you see how quickly we build up our players. Imo, while we had good performances from McHugh and others, their performances were no where up to all star quality. I accept Sean Burkes point that you have to be featuring in the latter stages of the competition to be recognised as an all star. Hopefully with new management we will progress, in light of the young lads coming on stream.