Championship So Far......

Whats your views so far on the Championship? The surprise packages along with the surprisingly crap? Standout players and players that you have been less than impressed with? Managers that have earned their "expenses" or not? Please don't mention your own county and try and make it as brutally honest as possible!

For me the surprise team of the year should've between Wicklow and Antrim, reason being that they could beat some of the rubbish from Ulster then put up a credible performance against stronger opponents, however Kildare would definately be above them so far after the crap year last year along with some of the dogged performances they have put in to date and i'd rate them alongside Limerick as the surprise package to date. Limerick have constantly opened the eyes of the country with their results so far this year and should (possibily) have won the Munster Championship! Donegal could get this if they make the Semis this year after a terrible start also!

Biggest letdowns for me is a big section, in Ulster you have Cavan, Down & Fermanagh, in Munster Tipp didn't live up to the mantle of Division 3 League winners, limping out of the championship to lower opposition, Leinster showed up Westmeath and all their weaknesses after they got hammered by Dublin, however for me i have been most let down by Galway,i honestly though at the start of the year that they would be the team to challenge Tyrone and in the League they played some great football. What happened them?

Players i have been impressed with are pretty low on the ground, Paddy Cuningham for one impressed with his tally in the Ulster Championship but really the only one is Owen Mulligan and that takes a lot for me to say!!! I've been really impressed with his attitude for the Tyrone cause and the way he hasn't moaned about the role he has been asked to play by Mickey Harte.

Up until the Ulster Final i was really disappointed by Sean Cavanaghs performances and seeming attitude and as i can't comment on my own county i would have to plump for him. I really like Sean as a player and a person but for the first 2 games he appeared to be paying lip service to the Tyrone cause!

The manager of the year for me will have to be (unless someone stops the Tyrone juggernaught) Liam Bradley for taking Antrim to the Ulster final and then putting up a great show against Kerry where experience of the players perhaps played a part in their downfall. I don't particularly like Liam as a person but credit where it's due! A lot of people will go for Micko, not me as i feel that Bradley in getting Antrim to the Ulster final deserves that accolade.

Those that have failed to impress me were Mal O'Rourke of Fermanagh, due to the way they again limped out of the Championship and Liam Sammon of Galway for the same reasons as Mal. For me the winner of worst manager(s) to date in the championship is...........Ross Carr & DJ Kane of Down for taking a side with bags of potential and making them terrible to watch and ensuring that they can't compete with anyone decent (they are my choice to take over at Tyrone when Mickey Harte calls it a day)!!!

I would agree with pretty much all of that Eagle. The biggest let down for me though(seen as Im not allowed to mention my own county, thank God) has been the 2 league finalists. Derry started the championship abysmal in victory and hadn't really improved much by the time they went out. Kerry are still in it of course and knowing them they might well still win it but on the evidence so far their a pale imitation of the Kerry of old.Neither of these counties have helped themselves much with shenanigans beyond their county jerseys.
Highlights so far have been Antrim and Wicklow no doubt about it. Would have loved to have seen at least one of them get to the QFs.
Overall though I would say its been poor enough championship thus far but maybe things will liven up a bit now that we're at the business end.