Niamh McGrath: It's great to see women's sports scrutinised

The increasing popularity and rapid development of women's sport has at least one more crucial step to take - we need to analyse our female games in the same uncompromising detail as we do their male counterparts, according to Sarsfields star Niamh McGrath.

McGrath, speaking to RTÉ Sport in the lead up to today's All-Ireland Camogie Club final insists it's time to take the kid gloves off when it comes to analysing women's sport - even if it means ramping up the criticism where appropriate.

"It's good female sports are subject to the same scrutiny as men's sports, to be honest," McGrath said. "We're calling for equal treatment for years and male players are subject to scrutiny and criticism, so I don't see any issue in women being criticised either, to be honest."

The online atmosphere around sport - particularly on social media - can be a cesspool of over-the-top criticism paired with alarmist over-reaction. But McGrath feels that shouldn't prevent our elite sportspeople from being treated like adults. Players at the top of their game are not looking to be killed with kindness.

"Obviously, some of the stuff you see online is absolutely crazy," McGrath said. "But critical analysis from journalists and stuff like that and from people who cover the sport is completely fine and actually good.

"Because sometimes it can be quite patronising when nobody actually analyses the games and just goes 'Oh, aren't they great girls', like 'fair play to them'.

"I think it's a good thing that women's games are properly analysed and scrutinised like men's games. That has changed since I started out, it will help drive standards up

"It's great people are properly watching the matches and reporting on them, as opposed to just putting in the