After a tumultuous week which exposed the dreadful financial state of the FAI's finances, there was some positive news last night with the news that Minister for Sport Shane Ross hopes to restore the majority of state funding for grassroots soccer. The €2million being channelled by the Government to grassroots soccer would fund the roles of the approximately 60 community development officers nationwide and their associated programmes. It's a major boost for an association who, according to one of Ireland's leaders on corporate governance – Professor Niamh Brennan – are at death's door and only government interventioncan save them. Writing this morning she examines the FAI statements released on Friday and sees very little light at the end of the tunnel. "Over many years, the FAI board allowed itself to be captured by its CEO, John Delaney. Board capture results in dominant CEOs, in effect, setting their own pay. The FAI board appears to have approved Delaney's 2014 contract, without sight of the contract. This seems extraordinarily lax," she writes.
On to rugby and it was a positive weekend on the whole for Irish provinces against their English counterparts with the loss for Connacht and Johnny Sexton's knee injuries the only blips. Leinster are expected to update on the extent of the outhalf's injury at their media briefing this morning. The news will be crucial not only to Leinster but also to Ireland as Sexton is considered one of the favourites to take over the mantle of captain heading into next year's Six Nations, writes Gerry Thornley. Leinster's win over Northampton Saints was an impressive performance from the Irish outfit and Saints manager Chris Boyd says that the province are operating at a different level to most. "It's a learning for us that there is another level of physicality and fitness required if we are going to compete at any stage with teams like Leinster," he said. In Limerick, Munster pulled off the scalp of beating Saracens and captain Peter O'Mahony afterwards lauded second row Billy Holland for his huge impact in the lineout.
In soccer, Ken Early writes that Manchester United's victory over rivals Manchester City on Saturday was another exposing of the defending champions' summer mistakes. "Why did it happen so often to City in that traumatic first half, and why do the two-time champions suddenly look as though they have aged several years in the space of a few weeks? To find the answer, you have to look back to decisions they made in the summer," he writes. The gap between City and Liverpool now sits at 14 points with Leicester now looking like to only challengers. Yesterday Brendan Rodgers' side kept up their pursuit with a 4-1 victory over Aston Villa to make it eight wins in a row.
On to GAA and Ballyboden St Enda's claimed the Leinster SFC crown yesterday with a hard-fought win over Éire Óg on an apocalyptic day in Portlaoise where the rain hammered dow. Afterwards, Conal Keaney pointed to the team's collective spirit as the main source of success.
In boxing, Anthony Joshua won back his heavyweight title on Saturday night with a complete shutout of Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia and there are now numerous paths towards who he could fight next. This morning Kevin Mitchell writes that the most obvious route for Joshua is a return to safer ground, most likely a defence of his reclaimed WBO belt against the 38-year-old Kubrat Pulev in the spring or summer, before they sit down to pick up the pieces of Fury-Wilder II, scheduled for February 22nd in dispute of the WBC title.
Finally to golf and this week sees the Presidents Cup take centre stage in Melbourne with Tiger Woods captaining the US side while Ernie Els will lead the Internationals. This morning Brian O'Connor writes in his Tipping Point column that the match is one of sport's great non events.
