I know Kevin rates Limerick relatively highly and it’s fair enough based on the tough games they’ve given Cork and Kerry in recent years. I still tend to agree with Runt and sid though in that I can’t really argue with Barr’s ranking of them. They haven’t actually landed a Munster for all their commendable displays and teams above them like Down, Sligo and so on have taken notable scalps this season. Have Limerick got to a QF in recent years? I can’t recall it. I know they beat Meath a couple of years back in the qualifiers but I think that was in a season where they lost earlier in Munster than the final.
Thats true Runt nothing easy at that stage I suppose
We’ve never gotten further than the 4th round of qualifiers, and I may possibly be right in saying we have never won two successive rounds of qualifiers.
Thats true Bando. We’re better than last year though and very unlucky that in Cork & Kerry we’ve had two of the best teams in the country constantly in our way. We would’ve won a Leinster or Connacht this year I think.
But Bandage they have won as much or as little as those in front of them, Louth, Meath, Down etc. Now Meath i rate to have some potential, but to be honest, the way its shaping up, the gap from 3-4 is only getting bigger. The games and general football being played is up overall, but being actually able to match the top 3 seems somewhat unlikely.
I’m judging Limerick obviously on their performances against Cork and Kerry, but compare other teams to Limerick in playing Cork and Kerry in recent years. Cork hammered Louth, Meath, Wexford for example. Dublin are around Wexfords level. Limerick actually showed more football ability this year against Kerry, as oppossed to being mad men running around the pitch tackling like the world was going to end. I don’t think they were as negative either, which is important when judging the Munster Final. They went toe to toe against Kerry much more than they did against Cork the previous year.
Basically though there isn’t much between anyone from 4-10 or 12. What the top 3 have over them is forwards, plain and simple. I still see Cork winning saturday, but Cork are a better team this year as well, even if they haven’t shown absolute top form yet.
Lads, anyone would win Connacht – it’s a joke province and their winners are probably the weakest team left in the competition. Getting back to Limerick specifically, I accept the ‘coming up against Cork and Kerry’ argument to a certain degree. But they should have been able to do more in the qualifiers AFTER losing to either of these two over recent years. I accept losing a close provincial game can be a sickener and a momentum / confidence killer but there comes a stage when you have to regroup and prove that you can get over it and progress in the qualifiers. If they’re capable of blossoming away from the big two in Munster then the qualifiers is where they should be proving it. But, as Runty said, they haven’t a good qualifier record – I can’t recall them beating anyone of note other than Meath and that was a ragged Meath under Coyle.
I’m not seeking to knock them or anything and I was impressed myself when watching them in the Munster Final; I was just maintaining that they haven’t beaten anyone of note this season so the ranking seems fair to me. I’m not bigging up the other teams ahead of them but I was comparing them to Limerick in terms of victories – Down have beaten Donegal this year; Louth have beaten Kildare and Westmeath; Sligo have beaten Mayo and Galway so it’s logical to rate them higher. Again, I accept that some, even most, of those sides are at low ebbs but they’re still a higher standard than Clare and Waterford. In summary, they either need to beat one of the big two in Munster or take some scalps in the qualifiers to add weight to the argument that they would be very strong in another province. It’s just a bit unlucky that their chance for proving themselves in the qualifiers will be difficult because they’ve drawn Cork.
[quote=“caoimhaoin, post: 493682”]
Cork hammered Louth, [/quote]
Cork didn’t hammer Louth at all, they struggled over them by the skin of their teeth
I would agree with all that and said as much after last years campaign.
They should have beaten Cork and Meath last year. But they didn’t. They should have beaten Cork in the munster semi in 08 but they didn’t. In the qualifier game that year McGeeney copped their game plan at half time and Limerick had no answer for Kildare in the 2nd half. That said we wasted two glorious goal chances and could have gone in at half time 8 or 9 points up.
I’m struggling to remember the 07 and 06 qualifer campagins?
Was it 08 we beat meath.
We lost to Armagh in the qualifiers one year.
03
Tipp are going to put an end to Kilkenny’s run this year. Mark my words. Ye can thank us later.
Ya, your right based on this years performances maybe, i suppose i’m looking at it over a period of time. Your also right that they have to prove they are a good team by actually winning, not just putting in good performances.
I feel its coming soon, i’m worried about this weekend because of that, as are alot of Cork people who know their football 
. But seriously, the timing or luck of this draw couldn’t be worse for whoever loses. And Munster football doesn’t get to show where its really at. I think Limerick are a better team than Dublin for instance. There is a massive chance the Dubs, with the luck of the draw and Louth not being able to raise it again, could end up in an All-Ireland semi final, yet Limerick could again “fail” in the qualifiers.
A champions league style seeded championship would sort all this out.
I think Limerick will give it a right go tomorrow but will probably just fall short again. There’s something lacking with them and a lot of it is psychological IMO, they couldn’t beat Meath last year or Kildare two years ago, both very winnable matches.
Dublin overall have a stronger team and a stronger panel of players than them Kev.
I know you’ll all laugh given a 7 point loss but Wexford will have softened up Cork for Limerick too! Come on Limerick - make it happen.
Dubs have some potential, but right now, no Limerick would beat them.
A couple of Cork players commented on being quite sore after the wexford game, and that kinda weather doesn’t really build a hunger for it, and everything hurts a little more.
But a fella who was at the game said to me he thought they had it easy for last 15 and Wexford had given up by then, and that fatigue should not be a problem of any sort.
Cork trained twice last week, but only once this week i believe. They met up and togged out, but did nothing last night. They should be ok, any top team should be.
I agree with this in a big way.
Take the Kerry game for example. They were able to rack up 7 points in row to bring the game level and owned the ball for another 5 mins after going level but couldn’t get the score to go one ahead.
kilkenny should win hurling…i was sure at start of year that someone would beat them but i can’t see anyone beating them…the best hope was someone catching them cold in a semi final but thats not going to happen now…Cork will win football i think…
Bandage is a goalkeeper and he’s not…
Oh right.
Kilkenny and Kerry for the All Ireland.