:lol:
My sources are telling me that the Championships in the US this year are going to be the most competitive in years. Cork Boston will have a 2nd adult team for the first time in a while, while McAnespies and the likes will have 3.
They have got very strict on setting guys up though. They only reimburse you now after youâve kept playing for a while. Too many guys were going over, getting rent for the summer paid for, getting a handy job, but were playing f-all football.
:huh:
:lol:
Well weâre under way tonight with the Rossies playing New York in Gaelic Park.
Having been forewarned by Galwayâs scare last year, Roscommon got further evidence that you canât underestimate overseas opposition yesterday when Leitrimâs hurlers went down by 6 points to Warwickshire.
I expect Roscommon to win by about 7 points
Yea thereâs been a lot of âRoscommon could be caught by NYâ going around. Iâd go along with that TDB, Fergie will have them well warned Iâd imagine.
A Preview for the year.
The Provinces
Ulster
This is quite an open title this year with a couple of teams openly saying they really want to win above all else. Of those teams Down and Donegal seem the best equiped to actually do it based on recent form. Tyrone will probably be the bookies favourites followed closely by Down, Armagh & Donegal. The draw suits both Donegal & Tyrone to meet in the semi. Donegal have an extra game and this may be enough to propel them through to the final eventually as i expect Tyrone to focus on peaking later in the year and keeping as much in the tank as is possible. Jim McGuinness seems like a practical and thoughtful manager and has set out his stall to win Ulster. I think he will have a plan to win that semi against Tyrone well in advance, without taking the other too lightly. But if they really have what it takes they should be too good for Antrim & Cavan. Cavan obviously have had a massive boost, but they will hardly be able to capitalize on U-21 just yet. Would not be surprised if they had a decent qualifier series as they seem to have become hard to beat at home again, that is draw dependent though.
The other side could be done and dusted in the 1st game in reality. Armagh-Down for me is the decider here. The local rivalry would determine a close game more than likely and despite Down being the better football team right now and that little bit more consistent there is no certainty about this ersult, much like the expected Munster Final between Cork & Kerry. James McCartan has a massive task this year. Everyone has seen them, the surprise is gone, the mystic is gone and anyone who knows their football knows Downs weaknesses. Full back line is suspect and general size is an issue as well. But they have some of the best players in the country. The keeper & centre back are as good as anyone and then you have Coulter, Clarke, Polland & Hughes. I think theyâll have too much for Armagh in the end, will go on to possible hammer an inconsistent Derry and reach the final. fermanagh may spring a surprise once they get over themselves. They have lost players in the past and went on to have massive seasons. Either way though theyâd hardly compete with Down were they to beat Derry.
Final - Down V Donegal. Down to win
Munster
Is a preview needed? Without being insulting and acknowledging that all the so-called weaker counties are improving or are already decent sides its really hard to see it not being Cork & Kerry in the final. While the others are improving its not like these 2 are fading too much in the other direction.
Word is Cork are determined to not only beat Kerry in Croker, but beat them twice this year and Munster is a real target. Competition for places and the manager testing what guys are up to big days may well continue into this Munster final. Kerry are still a massive danger and there is no doubt at all that Jack Oâ Connor is spending most of his waking hours figuring out a way of stopping Cork. Kerry still donât rate Dublin and think Tyrone are gone, but see Cork as the major stumbling block and the efeling is these next 2 years could be their last chances for a while. They are not producing dominant players and its catching up. Defense and midfield remain issues that are likely to stay with them all year. One thing Kerry need is no injuries and no suspensions. Achieve that and they are probably close to joint favourites for the All-Ireland based on their forward ability. I have a feeling it wonât be enough though and more than ever Football is a 20 Man game and i donât think theyâll have 20 fit players to win a Munster or an All-Ireland.
Final - Cork V Kerry. Cork to win.
Leinster
2 very distinct sides to this Championship with most of the heavyweights on one side and an big chance for a number of teams on the other side. The lower side of the draw has a load of teams in form and with big ambitions. Longford won a league, Dublin & Laois got to Finals, Kildare made an All-Ireland semi last year and Meath are the Champions. Everyone will be looking at Dublin and how they react to the League Final defeat. I personally think theyâll react well enough. BUt that doesnât mean theyâll win Leinster as i donât think they are going to target it too much. Kildare & Meath âshouldâ be their main opposition but both had poor leagues. Meath have their problems at the back, but they have some serious players and i would think Banty will have them in good nick come the summer. It seems McGeeney actually doesnât want Kildare in Div. 1 despite his lip service. There is no doubt they focus all their training completely and utterly towards July-August. Based on recent years i donât think theyâll win Leinster even though i think they should target it and win something. Laois are going to be an interesting prospect. They are big, rangy & mobile and if they had their best 15 on the pitch for all the Div. 2 final i think they may have won. But i doubt they were overly worried anyway. Their discipline and focus was a little suspect that day and will have to be spot on to beat Longford and Dublin, but its something i think they are well capable of. The only thing is though will McNulty target Leinster or an All-Ireland series, i have a feeling he may target All-Ireland series. If Dublin & Laois are focused on other things then Dublin should come through. A Kildare-Dublin semi final then is what i think, but its far from an easy pick.
The other side is interesting in that many of the teams will see a chance to get to a Final. Louths reaction to last year has been very positive in general, and losing players hasnât stopped them developing and getting on with it either. Wexford and Westmeath seem to be the other 2 candidates. Westmeath are building a newish team and have some talent but probably rely on the same few players all the time. Heaslin taking off the Oz is a momumental blow to the general mood in the county. We had it in Cork when Setanta left, and is quite devestating to the supporters. But Cork players got on with it and won an All-Ireland. Not suggesting such a thing could happen here, but it will all come down to team spirit. Wexford have been together for a while now under Ryan and the Leinster U-21 was a massive boost for the county in general. Even if they only get 2, 3 or 4 out of it its still worth it. They should have too much for Offaly and Westmeath and a semi-final against Louth seems the most likely scenario.
It would seem Dublin will probably win Leinster without being overly bothered about it.
Final - Louth V Dublin. Dublin to win.
Connacht
This seems pretty evenly balanced going on last years fare and the fare of the teams in the league. Thing is i think this is the safest bet of the lot. Mayo to win. They have found a bit of cutting and a bit of toughness to go with their obvious ability. They are playing like a team and are not relying on a Ciaran McDonald type anymore. In fact Dillon is probably as creative and hard working as McDonald, but more consistent. The likes of Higgins at the back are very experienced but there is massive worries about their keeper who was dreadful against Dublin. Horan seems a good manager and to win a title with Ballintubber shows alot, While they had good players they would have been tight enough and he got every inch out of them. Galway look to have a serious bunch of 21âs coming through, but much like Cavan it wonât happen straight away. Although with Galway iâd be more inclined to put them in there, a few of them seem up to it. Hehir is a class act and guys like Monaghan have a real eye for a score. Boyle is like Paul Kerrigan and can really break a tackle, iâd have him stright in there. And both midfielders have planty about them, with Flynn a serious prospect. If they could get 3 Championship games this year and blood a few of these lads i think it will be a good year for Galway with the U-21 in the bag it seems and a chance to build from Div. 2 next year.
Galway & Mayo will meet in the semi and it will be Sligo and Rosscommon on the other side. Huge year for Sligo, i wonder has Walsh brought them as far as he can? Rosscommon have some very good players, i just wonder do they have enough of them.
Final - Mayo V Sligo. Mayo to win.
All-Ireland
The Contenders
Cork - Their talents are obvious. Big, powerful, mobile and strength in depth. The confidence and experience gained from last year is there for all to see, some of the forwards are different men. Donnacha Oâ Connor and Goulding are real leading men now. Paddy Kelly is in the top 3 footballers in the land on present form. Pierce Oâ Neill is back in form and Ciaran Sheehan is improving all the time.
Their weakness is really themselves, and possibly letting the likes of Dublin build up a lead, although this seems to be a specifically Dublin thing. Cork finish strongly, thats their thing, but some day someone is not going to lose the cool and not let them brush through them aside. They will also need to score a few goals, preferrably early in games to give them a cushion and a bit of comfort in games. The full back line has been suspect at times, but there was a marked improvement last week from all 3. Ok Brogan did wreck a couple of times, but heâll do that. Gooch will do it too, as will Micheal Murphy. Cork have got very good at limiting the very good guys and even letting them be isolated and completely blotting out the rest. The All-Ireland performance of Noel Oâ Leary last year is quite possibly the most under rated All-Ireland performance in my lifetime, followed closely by Ciaran Sheehans performance which seems to be entirely remembered outside of Cork for his early miss. Hunger and competition for places should see Cork make it 2-in-a-row.
Kerry - As i suggested above, if they have an absolute clean bill of health for a complete year then they are joint favourites. Will that happen? It would defy all recent history. They have problem at midfield which is well documented, but its at the back they really could be in the most trouble. Galvin will win enough dirty ball to make up somewhat for the lack of primary possession. But take out Marc Oâ Se and Young and one has to wonder about every other back. Tomas is still a danger going forward and minds himself well throughout games to last the game, but has been skinned a good few times and is giving up scores to his direct opponents more and more. Eoin Brosnan is not the answer either at Centre back, or anywhere else for that matter, he will be found out as the year goes on. The likes of Bohan, Reidy etc werenât deemed good enough before, i doubt they are good enough now. If Tommy Griffen makes the team iâd start laying Kerry like fuck lads and take some money off some eejit on Betfair. As a Corkman i would be more worried if they went with a bit of youth like Peter Crowley etc and maybe went with Galvin at half back or something like that. All they need is parity or even 40% around the middle to be in with a real chance.
Having said that, lose Gooch or Star or Galvin again and its all over. 1/4 or Semi Finalists iâd suggest.
Dublin - What can you say about them that hasnât already been discussed. I personally have said plenty about them in recent times. Iâm starting to buy into some of the Dubs suspicions about the Vincents influence. Brennan and Quinn are not going to do it for them, and i think Gilroy has to be brave and take them out and blood new players. They will aim at August again this year, but unless they improve their defensive system, they play Alan Brogan at No.11 and the other forwards contribute more then its going to be more disappointment.
And thats what i predict, disappointment. The draw may see them into an All-Ireland Final with luck, but any number of teams could beat them on their day. I could see them underestimating a Kildare or a Mayo and getting undone.
Tyrone - In my opinion only capable of winning it if someone else beats Cork. They should be training for late July & August, and i think they will. Again like Kerry they will struggle at midfield and need everyone to be available. Doohers influence has diminished and he really was an inspiration. The new blood is huge, can Kyle Coney and Peter Harte add enough like Walsh and Sheehan added for Cork, its a possibility with Coney, its seems enevitable with Harte who is a class act. I still believe their size and aging players on the flanks will cost them. An All-Ireland semi-final would be a good year, but as i said, if for instance Kerry did Cork, then Tyrone may actually become my new favourites with a clean bill of health. I doubt it though.
Down - Last years finalists have a big test this year. Not winning the All-Ireland this year would not be a total disater, but not being really competitive and staying involved till August could be. A poor year this year and you feel they may fall away over time. Stay competitive and they may just win an All-Ireland in the next few years as they will develop over time a way of over coming their weaknesses. Marty Clarke is blown up out of all proportion from last year, heâs good, but i actually think they could handle him missing him, but not Poland or McKiernan. These 2 really make them tick IMO. Clarke is somewhat of a luxury player, despite his obvious class. Of course he may be even more effective this year with more experience.
Defensively though they are small in places, and easily turned. Dan Gordan is a top class footballer, but not a top class full back. Corks 2 corner forwards gave them an awful time last year. They need to lose a bit of the Maverick Down style and get some more protection for these lads, if they do theyâll have a good season. I predict theyâll win Ulster, and that alone would be something. Probably at least a 1/4 final, the draw again has a huge bearing on it after that.
Kildare - Maybe a stretch to call them contenders, and they have become very inconsistent and quite an infuriating team in fact. But they have a system, they have pace to burn and they have, most importantly, scoring forwards. I know people feel they rely on Earley, but i think thats gone now, and him coming on as a sub ala Canty/Nick Murphy for Cork to win some possesion and give them a boost. They really have the players to be challengers, but they need to score a higher % of their shots and try not to have such shoot outs with their opponents. I believe they should go bald headed for Leinster, but i donât think they will and McGeeny seems to clearly have massive gaps in his own ranking system in Championship-Leinster-League, not really rating the latter 2 at all.
Theyâll have a decent year i feel, and are dark horses, but need consistency. Could be semi-finalists at least.
Those who could have a very good year and maybe even do a âDownâ and come relatively from nowhere;
Mayo, Meath, Donegal, Laois.
Those who may surprise us once or twice;
Louth, Galway, Wexford & Longford.
Everyone else iâm afraid are really also rans.
Cork to beat Kildare in All-Ireland Final.
Good summary kev.
Iâm sure MBB will be ready to pounce on any of your predictions that donât come through !!!
I fancy Cork to retain Sam if they avoid Kerry in Croke Park
When have i ever done that? :blink:
Could you bulletpoint it for me TDB?
cork will win sam
Laoisâs arch enemy will get to final
Laois are also rans
Kildare get to an All Ireland final? :lol: Theyâll have to get a knee replacement for Earley first. It would say something about the shit thats out there if Kildare get to an All Ireland final, soft run or not. A team of athletes with two footballers at best, it would however sum up where modern football has gone unfortunately.
Also rans eh? Thatâd be a step up on most years for us 
Youâre a desperate fucker.
MBB i rated Laois as a team who will have a good year and could do a âDownâ on it.
Aye I did read it, Iâm not that bad 
Decent bit of writing, agree with a lot there, but still honestly dont get your belief in Kildare.
Very enjoyable read, Kev. I am certain that Dublin will be Gaelic Football World Champions come September.
Well its having Johnny Doyle, Kavanagh, Oâ Neill and quite a few other outstanding players. They have incredable speed as well, and as you said yourself thats important now.
Football is the way it is, the sooner people realise that the better. For me its a far better product than it used to be, just look at the scoring now. Also this thing about the skills not being as good is utter bull shite IMO. You see way better skills these days, and i think its only going to continue on an upward spiral going on the work being done around the country at underage.
You see I believe Doyle is their only outstanding footballer. Kavanagh had one good year so far, too early to tell. I believe you read too much into last year and too readily dismiss the league. Few teams do much these days by disregarding league games. Kildare are extremely limited still, held up by their own fitness levels.
The saying still stands, the best athletes in Kildare have 4 legs and eat hay.
Well i do believe theyâll have to start taking the other competitions seriously to really progress. But with a near full strength team in august on the fast ground iâd fancy them to rattle anyone. If your not consistent though it will come back to haunt you when the going gets tough.
I think your rivalry with them blinds you somewhat. Think of it this way, i bet you rate Marty Clarke as an outstanding football? which he is by the way, but heâs only had one year as well. Aidan Walsh and Ciaran Sheehan have only had one year, but they are outstanding players.
Marty Clarke was seen a long way out from underage level, Kavanagh didnt register at underage level. Sheehan was also well spotted at underage level. Kavanagh was one of the most awkward looking lads I ever saw despite making the Jaâs team and still has an awkward style to him. Not sure Iâd call Walsh outstanding yet either, but lets not even open that can of worms.
Iâm no blind, just more familiar with Kildare and their failings.
The sheep stealers win 3-21 to 1-11
Iâm not sure what seeing them from a long way back has to do with it, weâre judging them on last year. And whats not outstanding about Walsh? For his age and the position he plays heâs a phenom. I think people read too much into his shooting, which was more down to youthful exuberance than anything.
Of course they have their failings in Kildare. But based on championship there arenât too many teams youâd have ahead of them to be fair.
Cork, Dublin, Mayo and Down provincial 4 folds comes in at about 40/1.
Iâd be very surprised if Munster, Leinster and Connacht did not go with those 3 champions. Ulster is really the only provincial championship I see as wide open.