I try to lead a simple life.  Watch the matches on Sunday, read the match reports on Monday and upload the stats sometime later on in the week.  It keeps me happy to know that stats I enter are correct and are there for anyone who is interested in knowing who scored what on any given Sunday.

Which is why is frustrates when the match stats as reported by various newspapers and GAA.ie offer different versions of the same event.  Take last weekend - a milestone weekend for hurling stats as Henry Shefflin became all time top scorer.

Here are the match stats for Kilkenny v Dublin from GAA.ie:

Kilkenny v Dublin - GAA.ie

As you can see, John Dalton scored 1 point as did Michael Rice. Now let’s look at what the Irish Times had to say about who scored what:

Kilkenny v Dublin - Irish Times

Ok so John Dalton did not score and Michael Rice got 2 points.  Also Simon Lambert was subbed off at half time for Paul Ryan - the GAA.ie reporter must have been having his tea at half time and missed that substitution.  What about the Irish Examiner?

Kilkenny v Dublin - Irish Examiner

Hhmmmm it appears that Richie Hogan did not score 0-1; instead his replacement Eoin Larkin got a point.

What about Galway v Offaly?  Is there one version of the truth regarding this match?  Here is what GAA.ie has to say:

Galway v Offaly - GAA.ie

Note that Joe Canning is credited with 1-5 and that Shane Dooley scored 1-1 from play and 6 points from frees.  Also note that the GAA.ie reporter was too lazy to give us the substitution times.

Over to you Irish Times:

Galway v Offaly - Irish Times

Now Joe Canning has 1-6 and Shane Dooley’s tally from play is down to a goal. Also Ger Farrager is no longer credited with his disputed score from the sideline…..even though the Irish Times match report specifically mentions the very cut!

Who should I believe?

GAA match reporters - it is really that hard to record the match stats accurately?  Your seats in the press box are the best in the house.  Can’t you all compare notes afterwards?

GAA.ie - shouldn’t you be the definite resource of GAA stats?  If you are not, then how do we know for sure who is all time top scorer!

Rant over.