Which All-Ireland was this?
He won two through the back door, 2006 and 2009.
In 2006 Kerry’s only qualifier was at home to Longford. Not “very tough”, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Sligo and antrim - Kerry
Limerick - Cork
I never asked for a free pass. I said as a matter of fact that some counties have certain advantages in their favour in assisting them to the last 8. That’s just reality as much as you like to kid yourself on that it is not.
The answer is simple, topple the system that dictates at what stage teams enter the qualifiers through the qualifiers. The Provincial Championships should remain as they are tradition and the other Provinces need to work hard on getting their lesser teams up to a certain standard.
You tell any Ulster county player that the Ulster Championship and they’ll tell you that you don’t know what you’re talking about. I wouldn’t worry too much about Connacht, Mayo’s dominance will dissipate in the next few years. Munster is the same as ever while Leinster is a major worry.
Regional competitions will do nothing. Who can challenge Cork or Kerry in the South West if you change it?
Sligo and Antrim. 
Any team that has won a back door All-Ireland, with the exception of Kerry in 2007, has been well below their best the next year.
Galway 2002, Tyrone 2006, Kerry 2010, Cork 2011 are all examples of this.
All well below their best. That’s a clear indication that a tough route, year on year is not of benefit in the long run, for the obvious reason that it becomes a slog, both mentally and physically for a team to sustain that.
That’s as opposed to the short run benefit that Dublin 2015 and Kerry 2014 got from serious competitive matches at the business end of the championship.
1 Like
So what?
Proves nothing only that hunger is always an issue in amateur sport.
Cork won the league in '11. That contradicts you.
Kerry in 07 contradicts you.
Dublin every year contradict you. Even though they have not won every AI, dublin have been very consistent over past 5 years. Much like Cork previous to that.
Its a knock out competition. Its hard to be perfect.
But the best teams get thru
Teams they struggled to beat the year they won an all ireland.that makes them difficult.
One team noticably was from Ulster.
In 2010 Limerick were a very decent side. Cork probably should have won in normal time a bit easier than they did in extra time. Still it was not easy…
You seem to think the good teams get away with being shit and unprepared against weaker opposition. But they still have to go out and do it.
So you’re agreeing the qualifiers are a path filled with peril where the dangers are much higher?
So how is it a benefit to be in them when you are exposed to such danger?
Are we talking about a war or a football championship here? Poor use of the word danger.
The best get thru. Thats the bottom line. They find a way.
When it comes to genuine AI contenders there very very few qualifier shocks. Almost none.
When Kerry lost in '10 it was extra games that helped Down and that was in 1/4’s. Pretty sure dublin never lost a qualifier.
How many did Meath or Galway lose up to 2003ish when they were contenders?
Or Tyrone or Armagh 2000-2009ish?
Or Cork or Kerry when they were contenders?
Or Donegal? They all make 1/4’s at least and then generally lose to another contender.
Thats the reality.
The best get through?
All teams don’t start equal with the manner of the Championship format, some of them hold significant advantages with their ease of access to the last 8 - you want to pretend that doesn’t exist - that much is obvious.
The qualifiers only came in 2001 so you’re clutching at straws referencing Meath and Galway there.
It doesn’t exist. Its paranoia on your part.
Dublin play as many games as anyone give or take. They are just better. So much better in fact that they have knocked the stuffing out of alot of tgeir sirect opposition, who have thrown the towel in.
Thats not an advantage to Dublin. Thats otger teams weakness. Most Ulster teams are on a par with most of the Leinster teams i am talking about. Dublin absolutely hammered one of ulsters best, Monaghan, not that long ago.
Cavan = Wexford
Down = Kildare
Armagh = Westmeath
Fermanagh = Offaly
Antrim = Lonford (thats generous to Antrim)
Derry = Meath
Limerick, Rosscommon, Clare & Tipp are in or around these marks in recent years as well.
Ulster is not that good. Only Donegal have beaten the big teams in last 5 years. Thats it.
I think its fair to say that the All Ireland champions would be considered contenders the following year or two.
You pillock
Most Leinster teams are not on a par with Ulster teams.
6 different Ulster teams have qualified for the last 8 over previous 3 years. Contrast that with 2 Leinster teams.
8 Ulster teams play in the top 2 divisions of league football next season, contrast that with 3 Leinster teams.
The facts belittle your argument. Dublin win their games by 20+ points on a regular basis in Leinster. The two next best teams in Leinster - Kildare, who have suffered exits to Tyrone and Monaghan over the last two years. Meath have suffered exits to Tyrone x2 and Armagh over the last three years. The only team to beat Dublin over the last three years is Donegal, an Ulster team.
These are facts, things that actually happened, results recorded, indisputable. They all point to Leinster being streets behind Ulster at the minute.
Ya, sure they do.
No response to facts.
Why do Ulster have 8 of their 9 teams in the top 2 Divisions of League Football?
Why has Ulster returned the same number of counties to appear at the QF stage over the past three seasons as the rest of the country (6 each)?
What’s your theory as to the unfolding of these incidents?
Wuss-out.
Ya ya. This has been done, to death, by several posters.
You must be some cunt of an employee.