Advertisement Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures Behind the Lines Sportswriters discuss their careers and the work that inspires them. Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Limerick's Seamus Flanagan.James Crombie/INPHO Talking Points Five talking points from the weekend's GAA league action Limerick’s self-policing, Antrim disagreements, and a Burns-ing debut… 1.01pm, 10 Feb 2025 Share options 1. Limerick self-policing IT IS SAID that at the top of the coaching pyramid, there exists a space whereby teams are controlled by the players themselves. At first glance, that may seem like mutiny, but instead it refers to when a team is mature enough to recognise that any behaviour either harms or enhances the greater group, and acts accordingly. We cannot say for sure who was behind the move to drop Seamus Flanagan from the Limerick squad that played Tipperary at the weekend, following the previous weekend’s altercation with Cork defender Niall O’Leary. Flanagan used the end of his hurl to strike O’Leary in the groin area, the footage being captured on a spectator’s device. Either way, manager John Kiely admitted that the incident forced them to temporarily stand Flanagan down. The spotlight has been on Limerick for off-field reasons. This act of self-policing is impressive leadership, whether it was a decision reached by the body of players along with management, or management alone. Can’t see it catching on, however. 2. Corrigan or Nowhere hits speed-wobble Towards the end of last week, Antrim footballers set out their stall towards the Ulster Council and the Central Competitions Control Committee when they stated that they would not entertain the idea of their Ulster championship match against Armagh being moved away from their home of Corrigan Park. The attraction of the All-Ireland champions means any attendance will be bumped up, and Corrigan Park’s capacity of 3,700 will not handle the demand. However, public opinion would be on their side given they were pulled out of the draw first and therefore are granted home advantage. Advertisement Neil McManus.Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO Which is why it was such a surprise to hear the former Antrim hurler and current senior hurling performance coach Neil McManus say “we want as many people as we can to be able to watch the games” in not fully supporting Antrim’s proposed boycott. No doubt, that will have annoyed some quarters. It also needs to be said that GAA punditry has occasionally been a laughing stock because of certain people still wearing their county jersey and cheerleading. To that end, McManus has shown he is his own man; one with integrity. 3. Burns, baby Burns There are league debuts and there are league debuts. February hurling and all that — but what an introduction for Loughrea’s Anthony Burns in Galway colours. When your chance comes in front of your own people (quick aside – the previous week, Kerry football manager Jack O’Connor had talked about preferring to hand Eddie Healy his league debut at home in front of his own people instead of away to Derry. I wasn’t aware this was a ‘thing’, were you?), in front of a large crowd in Salthill, where mercifully the wind wasn’t the biggest factor in the game, on an evening touched with a sombre mood after the tragic passing of Michael Coleman… We’ll go on. And you’re playing the All-Ireland champions, and you hit 2-3 from play… Anthony Burns.Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO When one of the goals is you cutting in from an angle and beating Clare goalkeeper Eamonn Foudy on his near-post, the second coming from a beautifully dished off Conor Whelan handpass before you dummy into space and lash to the net, off the ankle of Darragh Lohan… Well, that’s a debut. 4. Leitrim losses For all the progress that Leitrim’s footballers made last year in getting out of Division Four, so much of those foundations are turning to rubble with the sheer lack of player availability. In losing 3-20 to 0-6 to Laois in front of a Ballinamore crowd, any doubters would have been put in no doubt as to why Mickey Graham stepped down soon after stepping up to manager and succeeding Andy Moran. From last year’s panel for the league final, goalkeeper Nevin O’Donnell has redeclared to play for Cavan; corner backs Conor Reynolds and Aidan Flynn have both stepped away; and full back Donal Casey is injured. The half back line of joint captain Donal Wrynn and Mark Diffley remain, as does Jack Foley, but the midfield of Jack Gilheaney and Pearce Dolan is gone. Of the half forward line, Mark Plunkett and Ryan O’Rourke are gone, while Barry McNulty remains. In the full forward line, Tom Prior is there, Darragh Rooney is travelling and while Riordan O’Rourke is still there, he sustained a broken nose against Laois. Of the substitutes bench, another six are not available now. The job of manager Steven Poacher could be a long and thankless one this year, but no county, let alone a county with one of the smallest picks in the country, could survive such losses. 5. Even playing field It’s hard to know how to read into early league results sometimes, but it appears that Meath are on their way back as a force in Ladies’ football. Having Vikki Wall sends any team out with a greater level of conviction of course, but they will also be interested to see the strides that Armagh – who still have room for improvement under new management of Darnell Parkinson and Joe Feeney – have made, and in particular their win over Dublin. Vikki Wall.Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO Although it’s still early, and Dublin are not the Dublin team of old, that win feels a bit ‘statement-y’. Or at least it might have felt even more of a statement but for the Jackies’ loss to Kildare the week before. With Tyrone beating Mayo, the top flight this year looks as open as it has ever been. 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