Pity, always liked Laois as a football team. Its hard to cut that out in a small (no offence) county. In counties like Kerry, Cork, Galway etc you would just be told to f-off, and get some other lad who is just as good in.
We have the same problem in my club, we’d love to get rid of 2-3 trouble makers, but it could possibly mean relegation.
[quote=“north county corncrake”]leinster is the most urban of all provinces
rural sports are less popular in urban areas[/QUOTE]
How do you explain Kilkenny then?
I’ll give it a try:
Kilkenny is the most rural county in the most urban province?
[quote=“caoimhaoin”]Pity, always liked Laois as a football team. Its hard to cut that out in a small (no offence) county. In counties like Kerry, Cork, Galway etc you would just be told to f-off, and get some other lad who is just as good in.
We have the same problem in my club, we’d love to get rid of 2-3 trouble makers, but it could possibly mean relegation.[/QUOTE]
Exactly. When you have some lads being called “king” doesnt help the hat size either.
I’m contradictingwhat i said above a bit here because there is a guy down here with similar notions, Hero, what a langer. How they pander to this fool is beyond me.
[quote=“cluaindiuic”]WHATEVER about the economic outlook, Leinster’s football figures are not encouraging. But then they haven’t been for some time and are showing few signs of improving as the first decade of the new Millennium gallops towards the finish line
First, some grim facts which will sadden the hearts of the Leinster community as they prepare for the launch of the championship when Carlow play Louth in Parnell Park next Sunday:
1 If a Leinster team fails to win the All-Ireland title this year, it will be the first time since the 1930s that they have gone a full decade without a visit from Sam Maguire.
2 It’s 10 years since Leinster last won the title, when Graham Geraghty captained Meath to glory in 1999.
3 Leinster haven’t been represented in the All-Ireland final since Meath played Galway in 2001. Even then, Meath were beaten by nine points, the highest losing margin since 1979.
4 Dublin, by far Leinster’s most successful county, haven’t won the All-Ireland title for 14 years, their longest gap since the barren run between 1942 and 1958. They haven’t even been in a final for 14 years, the longest absence in their championship history.
5 Leinster have never gone eight years without having a team in the All-Ireland senior final, but will reach that unfortunate milestone if they are not represented in Croke Park on September 20 next.
Leinster folk may regard all those dismal realities as part of a past which is irrelevant this year but there’s more. It’s comes in the form of an analysis of how Leinster counties compared with the rest of the country in the recent National League.
Leinster had their Division 1 quota cut to one after Westmeath failed to take a single point from seven games, leaving Dublin as their only representatives in the top flight. Wexford dropped from Division 2 after taking just one of a possible 14 points, while Laois were only two places above them, having finished their campaign with a 20-point drubbing by Monaghan.
Longford dropped out of Division 3, which leaves Leinster’s break-up for the 2010 league as follows: Division 1: One (Dublin); Division 2: Four (Kildare, Westmeath, Laois, Meath); Division 3: Three (Wexford, Offaly, Louth); Division 4: Four (Longford, Carlow, Wicklow, Kilkenny)
And if all that wasn’t bad enough, Leinster had a miserable return in their clashes against teams from the other three provinces, winning only 13 of 60 games (see table).
Connacht had six more wins from almost half as many games; Ulster had twice as many from five fewer games while Munster comfortably topped the table in a season where they captured the Division 1, 2 and 3 titles. Given those figures, it’s hardly surprising that Leinster teams failed to qualify for any of the finals
League form has tended to be treated sceptically as a guide to the championship, but those figures are still a damning indictment of Leinster football. Dublin only scrambled clear of relegation trouble on the final day – indeed, if Donegal had beaten Derry on the same afternoon, Leinster would have had nobody in the top group next year.
Kildare were really the only Leinster team to show consistent form in this year’s league, but were squeezed out by Monaghan and Cork as they pressed to escape from Division 2.
And yet for all the gloom which Leinster’s figures indicate, there’s a feeling in the province that the scene could change dramatically at any time. Having previously beaten Down, Wexford were much too good for Ulster champions Armagh in last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final, while Kildare beat Cavan, Limerick and Fermanagh before losing by three points to Cork in their quarter-final
Which brings us to Dublin. They have the best provincial record of any county over the past four seasons, having remained unbeaten in 14 successive games, but have been unable to build on that with any degree of consistency once encountering ‘outside’ opposition. That suggests that they lose confidence when confronted with the ‘big boys’ or else – and this is more likely – Leinster is so mediocre that dominating it has been relatively easy.
Very often, there’s an over-reaction to Dublin games because they’re played in front of huge crowds. A full Croke Park generates a great atmosphere which, in turn, can create the impression of a superior standard when, in reality, it’s quite modest. That’s the only plausible explanation for what has happened to Dublin in All-Ireland quarter-finals and semi-finals over recent seasons
Only Kerry have qualified for more quarter-finals than Dublin since the introduction of the new format in 2001, but whereas the Kingdom have reached six finals – winning three from eight attempts, Dublin haven’t qualified for a single final despite reaching the last eight on no fewer than seven occasions.
qualifiers
They will set out in four weeks’ time under Pat Gilroy, their fourth manager this decade, with some Dublin fans believing they would be better off to lose to Meath in the first round and head for the qualifiers, a route which Tyrone have used effectively.
However, Mickey Harte is the first to acknowledge that he would take the direct provincial route every time if circumstances didn’t dictate differently
The same should apply to every county because once you have the safety net removed, it can be a long drop to oblivion. So then, Leinster have one more summer to rescue the decade from being a total wipe-out. The omens don’t look good, but then just as periods of dominance always appear as if they will go on forever, barren spells never seem to have exit routes. They do though.
Whether this is a green shoots year for Leinster remains to be seen, but one thing is certain – the province sure needs it. After all, they can’t keep relying on Kilkenny hurlers indefinitely. Then again, maybe they can.
NFL 2009
Leinster in the basement:
Table shows how counties from each province fared against opposition from the other three provinces. Leinster teams have by far the worst record.
P W D L
Munster 40 27 3 10
Connacht 33 19 5 9
Ulster 55 26 7 22
Leinster 60 13 7 40[/QUOTE]
I remember last summer when I was in a kind of feud with Mac and quoted figures something like this.
Thems were the days.
[quote=“farmerinthecity”]I remember last summer when I was in a kind of feud with Mac and quoted figures something like this.
Thems were the days.[/QUOTE]
Brings back memories alright farmer. More banter than a feud though really. Good craic at the time.
They should make the Leinster final but to win it out they’d have to win four championships matches. A tall order. Am i right in saying they are on the other side of the draw to Dublin and Meath?
Yes but we’ll see to them.
Not.
Cliona Foley (Irish Independent) looks forward to the Connacht Championship.
They’re an excitable lot in Roscommon where football is concerned, so it was understandable that they got a bit hysterical when Fergal O’Donnell took over the bainisteoir’s bib this season.
It is a job that, in recent years, has had a lamentably high attrition rate. After John Maughan resigned last year he was followed by Paul Earley (interim) and Michael Ryan so, technically, O’Donnell became Roscommon’s fourth manager in a calendar year.
But as he was the man who led them out of the desert to All-Ireland minor glory in 2006, O’Donnell was the ‘chosen one’, even if he stepped up to the plate earlier than he might have desired.
When he took them straight to the final of his first competition in charge – and they had the temerity to take Galway to extra-time in that FBD League final in Tuam last January – the expectations were ratcheted up out of all proportion.
Then when they opened their National League Division 3 campaign with a nine-point defeat of Offaly, beat Louth on the road and also took down Longford, promotion beckoned and the hype went into over-drive.
But then reality bit the Rossies hard. They lost to Tipp, suffered a heavy defeat to Cavan and suddenly found themselves in deep water just to survive which, ultimately, they did.
Now it remains to be seen if, as originally predicted, Roscommon could yet fulfil the very open vacancy of ‘dark horses’ in this year’s Connacht Senior Football championship.
In fairness, O’Donnell has always played down the hype. A laid-back, straight-talking individual whose minor winners put a strong team ethic before individual stardom, he has been at pains to dampen expectations since he took over.
Many of those minor winners were on the county’s hugely fancied U-21 side this year, which led Mayo by three points in the third minute of injury-time in a Connacht U-21 semi-final only to be hit by an equalising goal and then lose it in extra-time.
With so many of them also on the senior side – Peter Domican, David Keenan, David O’Gara, Donie Shine, Fintan Cregg and Conor Devaney – many felt that heartbreaking U-21 loss in late March contributed significantly to their subsequent slump in form during the league.
Others disagree, but there is no doubt that after starting the season swimmingly Roscommon lost momentum and confidence.
They are not helped now by having to go to the so-called ‘banana skin’ that is Carrick-on-Shannon, where they will face a Leitrim side who have managed to cleverly slide in under the radar this season – third in Division 4 – under their new management of Mickey Moran and John Morrison.
Even teams from outside Connacht – Donegal and Meath have needed extra-time to survive there in recent championship qualifiers – know that you rarely get out of Leitrim with more than a point or two to spare.
However, Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada’s so-called advantage to Leitrim is actually a bit of a myth, as their last championship victory there was over Sligo in 2005.
After a couple of years of very unlucky losses, and with a first-year management team of two experienced Ulstermen, this was the ideal year for Leitrim to pull off a shock.
Failing to get out of Division 4 – they used 36 players and were clearly experimenting – has somewhat tempered the optimism that surrounded their new management team, and a recent cruciate injury to their forward ace Emlyn Mulligan has been a catastrophic blow.
The winner of their quarter-final clash is lined up against Mayo and much has already been made of the fact that it has never taken John O’Mahony more than three years to win a Connacht title with any of his previous charges.
There are other, far more empirical, statistics in Mayo’s favour. Like coming back from six points down to beat Galway in the league and finishing fourth in Division 1, where they drew with Tyrone and Dublin and only lost to Kerry by two points.
Their U-21s also reached the All-Ireland semi-final, where they were pipped by Down, and there’s also the recent conveyor belt that has seen them win the All-Ireland U-21 in 2006 and contest All-Ireland minor finals in 2005 and last year.
Yes, they may still be perennial bridesmaids and have an horrific loss-to-win ratio in finals, but youngsters like Tom Parsons, Kevin O’Loughlin and last year’s minor star Aidan O’Shea come with the optimism of youth still coursing through their veins, which couldn’t be more timely.
Towering teenager O’Shea also gives them a new target man at full-forward who not only can release men such as Austin O’Malley but also has plenty of skill and invention.
Tom Cunniffe, of their 2006 U-21 stars, is a defender with the ability to drive them forward and they need that kind of strong leadership if they’re to win their first title since 2006.
Their likeliest final opposition are Galway, the only other Division 1 side in the province. After their expected defeat of London, Galway will face a Sligo team who have put the extreme highs and lows of 2007 and 2008respectively well behind them and worked their socks off under new manager Kevin Walsh.
That has already yielded a reward – a Division 4 title – in which their work-rate was apparent and admirable, yet the return from injury of Eamonn O’Hara in that game against Antrim proved how much they still depend on his leadership and badly need another scoring forward of Adrian Marren’s class.
Former Galway legend Walsh is ideally placed to mastermind a shock defeat of his native county but whether he has enough raw material within his Sligo ranks, especially up front, is doubtful.
Once again the province looks likely to come down to a straight slug-out between Galway and Mayo. League form is notoriously irrelevant, especially now that the experimental rules – which suited Galway’s attacking style – have been jettisoned.
But Sean Armstrong showed signs of finding form again during the NFL and, along with Michael Meehan, could yet reprise the deadly-duo partnership of their youth.
In Padraig Joyce, they still have one of the most intelligent passers of a ball in the country, but they need someone other than Meehan kicking scores.
Big questions also remain about Galway’s ability to play the direct, fast ball that Liam Sammon is demanding, their lack of consistency in midfield and how they cope with pressure.
On balance, Mayo might have the better bench but Galway had little access to their Corofin contingent during the league and their availability will create much stronger competition for places.
Their half-backs had a ‘mare’ against Mayo in the league which they will want to avenge and that painful defeat, on their home turf in Tuam, could yet be the catalyst that helps Galway become the first team in six years to retain the Connacht title.
You can’t pin your hopes of the county senior team on one underage side, no matter how good. Tell me if i’m wrong tdb, but it sure seems like that to me and i’ve been up that way a fair bit.
Good article above there on Connacht. Mulligans injury was described as ‘catastrophic’. Would the Leitrim heads on here agree?? Ye holding out much hope against the Rossies?? I would have thought that home advantage would count for a lot in this one.
[quote=“caoimhaoin”]You can’t pin your hopes of the county senior team on one underage side, no matter how good. Tell me if i’m wrong tdb, but it sure seems like that to me and i’ve been up that way a fair bit.
[/QUOTE]
Donie Shine is a nice footballer Kev and Kilbride started well against Galway last year before they were annihalated. Not sure if they have much else.
Would be very disappointed if Leitrim didnt beat them
I wonder how Shine is now, he suffered some bad injuries there for a while and got a very short knock in the Cship last year.
[quote=“Lazarus”]Good article above there on Connacht. Mulligans injury was described as ‘catastrophic’. Would the Leitrim heads on here agree?? Ye holding out much hope against the Rossies?? I would have thought that home advantage would count for a lot in this one.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah Mulligan is a huge loss alright but still extremely confident
Should be another Mayo Galway Connacht final this year. Sligo are plain shit even though Kevin Walsh might make them competitive this year.
Leitrim have a tidy enough defence but have no forwards with Mulligan out bar Declan Maxwell.
Roscomman seem to have got rid of most of the trouble makers of a few years ago but they’re not a county either Mayo or Galway would worry about beating and can see Leitrim beating them this year.
So that leaves the big two. Games are usually tight between us and the bottlers but expect us to beat them by a few points. Our reliance on Meehan for scores is worrying though.
Cliona Foley reckons Leitrim have cleverly slipped in under the radar. Eh, they just weren’t good enough to get promoted from Division 4 love.
Mulligan is a huge loss. Not that he is the most prolific forward from play but he is from frees. A guaranteed 5+ points there and maybe 1 or 2 from play.
Still hopeful of beating the Rossies, and while I would not call Mulligan’s loss catastrophic, it is a huge blow.
[quote=“farmerinthecity”]Mulligan is a huge loss. Not that he is the most prolific forward from play but he is from frees. A guaranteed 5+ points there and maybe 1 or 2 from play.
Still hopeful of beating the Rossies, and while I would not call Mulligan’s loss catastrophic, it is a huge blow.[/QUOTE]
And he’s gorgeous.
[quote=“farmerinthecity”]Mulligan is a huge loss. Not that he is the most prolific forward from play but he is from frees. A guaranteed 5+ points there and maybe 1 or 2 from play.
Still hopeful of beating the Rossies, and while I would not call Mulligan’s loss catastrophic, it is a huge blow.[/QUOTE]
Fairly handy freetaker alright especially for one that kicks from his hands. Who’ll kick them now for ye?
Good question - James Glancy was taking them in the league. Not bad but not nearly as good as Mulligan.
The other option is Michael Wilkinson Foley - don’t even want him in the team to be honest.