Championship so far - how has it been for you??

Well we are a good bit in now to both Championships and I have to say it has been mostly good stuff this far. I have managed to see quite a few games and most have been fairly good. Most teams seem to be trying to win the right way. There has been little CCCC type controversy, a few ref/linesmen errors, some great scores and one or two shocks and one or two nearly shocks. I haven't witnessed much diving or trying to get players sent off - spirit seems good. One noticeable thing is that the crowds are way down and this will continue I feel. Mind you the typical (in recent years) horrible weather isn't helping at all!

Cats looking good, Dublin enigmatic again, Cork and Kerry stroll to another final, Rossies imroving, Limerick going well but stopped by Decies, Carlow burst Wee bubble, Donegal carrying on good League form, Lilies fit and well, Tyrone still on horizon ... The next month will be interesting indeed!

Oddly enough, for me, the footballers of Wexico have been the revelation thus far...Three goals and forty odd points in two games...

Shorn of Mattie Forde, their forward line have been impressive, with Red Barry and Ciaran Lyng stepping up to the plate,in the fashion of "real pikemen"..**

The "Mortalike" Brosnan clearly knows where the posts are and some of their usage of space is subliminal.

Offaly and Westmeath are 2 tidy scalps, they face Carlow next, but they might have enough for them. Dublin's front 6 could destroy them though....

** Pikemen,as distinct from Pikeys,although Wexico isn't short of....(message ends)..

Boxtyeater wrote:
Offaly and Westmeath are 2 tidy scalps

Armagh hurlers have just posted the result of the year.

Our championship has been awful!

It's been ok. Disappointing losing to Kildare but it was nice to come back and beat Louth after it. Just need to see a bit more of Graham and it'd be fantastic..

Doesnt start until Sunday.

The hurling has been quite good so far, Kilkenny v wexford being the only game between the bigger teams that was completely oensided and the rest have had their moments...First half of clare V Tipp & second half of Waterford V Limerick were excellent spectacles and we are set up for two decent provincial deciders and the two qualifiers this weekend could og any way although you would have to fancy the home sides, while Cork v Limerick/Galway in the next round will also be a tight affair....

Would love if either Waterford or Dublin were to win their provincial final as it would blow the whole thing wide open and put Kilkenny and Tipp on the same side of the draw while all the teams on the other side would really fancy their chances of making the final

Reckon we could be in for a few good championships ahead especially loking at the age profile of 4 of the teams in Munster while cork are also rebuilding and Kilkenny have plenty of lads in their mid 20's to ensure they will be at the business end of things for a while to come and you would be confident enough that the dubs will continue their upward curve somewhat and be a handful for any team....Wexford have been making steady enough progess at underage level and hopefully this continues as well

Getting down to the nitty gritty now. Only the 3 real GAA powers left in with a chance of Sam and Liam - Limerick, Waterford and .... Dublin!!!

In hurling its impossible to look beyond Tipp and the Cats. Cork / Galway interesting, Munster final interesting, Dublin v Limerick interesting - but Cats and Tipp where its at. No doubt whatsoever that this will be the Final pairing and I expect a voraciously hungry Kilkenny team with King Henry and others chomping at the bit to regain Liam.

In football we again have the folly of the qualifiers - nonsense teams getting excited over nothing - eg Meath, Armagh, Kildare etc. The Llywhites a prime example of a team that think they are somewhere they ain't. To me Ulster has nothing this year. Tyrone are poor, Donegal awful and Derry will win the C'ship but blow up later. Rossies better than people think. Dubs will be there or thereabouts but need a lotta luck.

Last Sunday in the Munster final saw a Kerry team scarily good in the first half and a really good Cork team in the 2nd - these are the teams to beat in honesty. If the draw is kind to them it will be yet another Munster All Ireland final.

Apart from getting to see Graham play, crap.

Royal_Girl2k9 wrote:Apart from getting to see Graham play crap.

fixed

Jayo Cluxton wrote:

Royal_Girl2k9 wrote:Apart from getting to see Graham play crap.

fixed

Leave my coma alone you fiend.

Hurling has good so far. Galway have managed to get back on track after a slow start to the championship. Waterford vs Limerick was the only really tight matc, with everything up for grabs in the closing stages but the weather didn't help there. Hoping for a really good Munster final but I can see it being very one sided and over with 10+ mins to go.

Pretty miserable season for us Dubs so far. Into both Senior All Ireland QFs, double Leinster Minor Champions, into U21 Leinster Hurling Final ....

Average for the football, Munster Championship. Hurlers did well,Christy Ring Cup. Probably the second best team in Munster at present.

Well we're at the real business end now.

In hurling Dublin have given a good account of themselves and Galway have found some redemption in the back door. But Tipp and the Cats are miles ahead of all else. This weekend sees a double header in Thurles for the honour of being humbled by the Big 2. Make no mistake it will be a Tipp-KK final again this year for the 3rd in a row .. and I'd back the Cats!

In football we saw two fairly mediocre finals yesterday - though weather was a factor. Anything coming out of Connacht will be bulldozed and Ulster is awful too. The only team I would rate is Tyrone - and that is cos of their recent pedigree. Wexford will do as well as any of the Downs, Tyrones or Armaghs.

Kildare are a fit, athletic but limited team. Pundits and people here have decried Dublin's lack of forward scoring power in recent years and rightly - Kildare have less.

We are really looking at Cork and Kerry again tbh. I am happy that Dublin played such a poor Leinster Final. I believe an All Ireland is in this set of players but they wil need a lot of rubbing of the green and will ahve to step up to the mark. I think its possible but Cork/Kerry are the two to beat.

Sorry - glossed over Derry and Donegal!

One Bradley a big loss for Derry -two made it impossible. Big lads but short of skill, ability - and experience.

Donegal are playing a Neantherdal game that would have come unstuck in the wide open plains of Croker in the Div 2 final - except they were playing a crap Laois outfit. Game plan is so limited. They will do nothing in the QFs - depending on draw maybe. But they are so limited.

Our Minors still flying the flag.. I feel we have a decent chance of getting past Galway but if we do we're looking at a Semi v Cork/Dublin which I would fear..

But at the start of the year if someone had offered me staying in Division 3, two championship defeats and Minor and U21 Ulster titles I'd have bitten their hand off.. Two trophies with two Cavan men in charge, we are finally producing some big men who can play ball, victory at underage will no longer be uncharted territory, all positives to look at when the despair at the state of the Senior squad kicks in. It's a long way back to competitiveness from where we've found ourselves and underage success is by no means a guarantee of senior success.. but it's a decent start.
Big Dermot out on the pitch, imposing as ever, roaring the boys on in the last ten minutes was great to see. If Larry ever stops terrorising the Division 2 defenders in Cavan I hope he's brought in at some level. H'on the Breffni!

So far so good but could the QF of 2010 be repeated ,?dont know. Plus side Tomas was flying in the Co.championship last Sunday and also Seamus Scanlon showed a return to form. I would not dismiss Donegal so quickly for despite their style they have scoring forwards and could go a lot further. Cork will beat Down and still will be the team to beat. Wexford could shake a few also. Dubs ? Were playing like this last July but improved from QF onwards.Only teams I would dismiss at the moment are Limerick,Down,Armagh,Roscommon and Mayo.

Very poor championships this year. No real cracker of a game yet, I'd expect at least one of the football and one in the hurling before we reach the AI finals.

Cork and Kerry still the teams to beat. I actually think Cork are a better side than Kerry and were looking at Sam rather than the Munster crown this year. I feel the team has matured - have Celtic crosses in their pockets - and are well capable of beating the Kingdom in Croker this year.

Tyrone will give it a rattle - as will we - and Kildare will beat Mayo or Donegal handily enough if they get that draw but have not enough quality.

We are looking at Tyrone, Kildare, Limerick and Cork

versus

Dublin, Kerry, Donegal or Mayo ...

The only draw I would not like is ... Cork! And if Cork meet up with Mayo then its a Cork Kerry semi!!

Jayo, what happens tomorrow with the draw, and the fact that Tyrone/Roscommon is still to be played?

What I'm getting at is that Tyrone have played Donegal, so that fixture can't be repeated, while Roscommon have played Mayo, so that one can't. Does that mean that Tyrone/Roscommon can only be drawn against Dublin or Kerry?

Thomas Clarke wrote:Jayo, what happens tomorrow with the draw, and the fact that Tyrone/Roscommon is still to be played?

What I'm getting at is that Tyrone have played Donegal, so that fixture can't be repeated, while Roscommon have played Mayo, so that one can't. Does that mean that Tyrone/Roscommon can only be drawn against Dublin or Kerry?

Tyrone can get Donegal. But Donegal can't get Derry........

So it's only the Provincial finals that can't be repeated? Fair enough, so Mayo would be the only side that Tyrone/Roscommon couldn't draw.

Thomas Clarke wrote:So it's only the Provincial finals that can't be repeated? Fair enough, so Mayo would be the only side that Tyrone/Roscommon couldn't draw.

I think so - I think that will be the only restriction on the draw. Otherwise, it's completely random who gets who.