NFL Division 1 2022

[J70]

I think Tyrone are screwed as can't see them getting anything this weekend and not convinced donegal will go full pelt v armagh

Donegal can't afford not to take the game lightly, I think they are a near certainty to win that match as Armagh will likely play some fringe players and treat it as a pre championship training camp. Mayo could well do the same in terms of experimentation against Kildare but there is more of an expectation on the home side to put in a performance. Similar with Kerry against Tyrone although I think Kerry would be too strong for Tyrone in any scenario anyway. So I can see Donegal and Kerry winning quite comfortably whereas the Mayo v Kildare game is much more difficult to call.

Kildare have surprised me in terms of the level they have reached and even if they do get relegated I think they have shown enough improvement to think that they can at least challenge Dublin in Leinster later this summer. They do need to prove yet that they can play as well when taken out of Newbridge though.

I think that's debateable.

We've been relegated a few times over the past ten years or so and it hasn't made much difference to championship performances. We won Ulster in 2011, 2014 and 2019 out of Division 2.

Different team obviously, but I don't think it's a big concern in itself.

I'd like to see Donegal put in a good performance, end their appalling record in Letterkenny and guarantee safety, but the main thing is getting players who've missed a lot of games back into the team and functioning.

[Farrandeelin]

Is the Division 1 final on the Saturday or the Sunday? Hopefully Mayo qualify.

[APM]

So many ways the tables can be decided.

Likely outcome I believe

Tyrone win. Kerry have nothing to play for but it depends on if they want to relegate Tyrone.

Kildare win. Mayo don't want to go into the league final - evident last week they don't really want it.

Donegal win. Do Donegal want to force Armagh into another game before their championship meeting? If they win and Mayo lose, Armagh have no choice as there could be more than 3 teams on 7 points.

Dublin win. Won't be good enough as the three teams above them would have won meaning they are relegated on 6 points along with Monaghan on 4.

From an Armagh perspective, any national final is a good one to be in, however, not sure how getting a potential tanking from Kerry in Croke Park a couple of weeks before Championship would serve them well.  However, if both Mayo and Armagh lose, depending on the margin of Kildare's win vs Armagh's loss, one of them could end up in the league final.

I completely see your logic but there are 3 worthwhile trophies to play for all season (of which the national league is one) and we are talking about the potential fear of receiving a beating in a national final. If that is the attitude (and I'm not saying that it is yours but I have heard it said by some) then what is the point in turning out. If Armagh get to the final they will at least be competitive and I would hope that some lessons would have been learned from Sundays match to put into practice the next day. The more exposure they have to these high level games the better as far as I'm concerned. 

The same thing applies to Mayo in facing Kildare and some of the talk that they might want to avoid a League final. Neither of these counties are exactly laden with national titles so I don't see why they should be trying to avoid them for fear of receiving a hiding. That said I don't expect either county to play with full sides nor full motivation at the weekend. If Armagh happened to get to a League final on scoring difference then it would be great preparation for championship imo. Much better than anything that could be gained from a training session.

I'd love to see Armagh in the NFL Final, especially in Croke Park.  The more games they get in HQ, the better for this team.  So if it is to happen, bring it on.  The only fear is a bad day out against Kerry, and picking up the pieces just a few weeks before a trip to Ballybofey, but would still want to see Armagh in a national final none the less.  Likewise on Sunday, do Armagh go full tilt with their potential championship line out and go for the win ... a big call to be made on that front by management.  I don't think they will.

One thing that won't be lost on the Armagh management before the championship is that their scoring has been drying up. 
1-7 v Monaghan (albeit a terrible evening), 1:10 v Kildare, 1:10 v Mayo, 13pts v Kerry. 

Meanwhile they scored 2:15 v Dublin and 2:14 v Tyrone. Their average score in last year's four league games was 18.5 points. 

13 points would have won many's a championship match in the 1990s, but won't win too many in the 2020s. 

The main difference seems to be more wides and I think that's because they are shooting under more pressure in turn because the competition have been figuring them out.  Or have they found it difficult to maintain the workrate that allowed them to get up and down the pitch against Dublin / Tyrone and as a consequence the forward play is suffering?

[Lamh Dhearg Alba]

Was it not obvious enough even then that Armagh were miles ahead with their preparation than their opponents at the start of the league? Dublin were in full experimentation and Tyrone still getting over America and the previous few months of celebrations. Both clearly on a very different timetable to Armagh anyway. That's fair enough with three teams coming from different places and Armagh can say they needed to be further ahead at that stage and that it has ensured their Division 1 place too, but don't think those two games were really much of a yardstick for what is to come.

[Gael85]

Is the Division 1 final on the Saturday or the Sunday? Hopefully Mayo qualify.

D3/4 Finals on Saturday and 1/2 on the Sunday.

[armaghniac]

I'd like to see Donegal put in a good performance, end their appalling record in Letterkenny and guarantee safety, but the main thing is getting players who've missed a lot of games back into the team and functioning.

Is it not the case that the counties get most of the money from the League? By having the game in Letterkenny, capacity 8000, Donegal are locking out thousands of supporters who would pay to be there.

[Main Street]

I'd like to see Donegal put in a good performance, end their appalling record in Letterkenny and guarantee safety, but the main thing is getting players who've missed a lot of games back into the team and functioning.

Is it not the case that the counties get most of the money from the League? By having the game in Letterkenny, capacity 8000, Donegal are locking out thousands of supporters who would pay to be there.

It's virtually a dead rubber game for Donegal and are Donegal league games that well attended?  I doubt it. 

[RedHand88]

I'd like to see Donegal put in a good performance, end their appalling record in Letterkenny and guarantee safety, but the main thing is getting players who've missed a lot of games back into the team and functioning.

Is it not the case that the counties get most of the money from the League? By having the game in Letterkenny, capacity 8000, Donegal are locking out thousands of supporters who would pay to be there.

It's virtually a dead rubber game for Donegal and are Donegal league games that well attended?  I doubt it.

If Donegal lose and Tyrone/Kildare pick up a point, Donegal will be relegated along with whoever loses the Dublin v Monaghan game, so I wouldn't say its a dead rubber.

[Average Score]

I'd like to see Donegal put in a good performance, end their appalling record in Letterkenny and guarantee safety, but the main thing is getting players who've missed a lot of games back into the team and functioning.

Is it not the case that the counties get most of the money from the League? By having the game in Letterkenny, capacity 8000, Donegal are locking out thousands of supporters who would pay to be there.

I'd say there will be a few caught out with kids now needing tickets, from memory too the parking isn't great around the ground.

[David McKeown]

Its really interesting end to the season.  Any 1 of 5 teams can join Kerry in the final and only Mayo control their own destiny in that regard. Any two of 5 can be relegated and only Dublin and Monaghan dont control their own destiny in that regard.

It reminds me of the 2009 AFC playoff race

[blanketattack]

So many ways the tables can be decided.

Likely outcome I believe

Tyrone win. Kerry have nothing to play for but it depends on if they want to relegate Tyrone.

Kildare win. Mayo don't want to go into the league final - evident last week they don't really want it.

Donegal win. Do Donegal want to force Armagh into another game before their championship meeting? If they win and Mayo lose, Armagh have no choice as there could be more than 3 teams on 7 points.

Dublin win. Won't be good enough as the three teams above them would have won meaning they are relegated on 6 points along with Monaghan on 4.

A league game in Killarney - Kerry will be hell bent on winning regardless. If they wanted to relegate anyone it'd be Dublin, which I guess losing to Tyrone would cover 1/3rd of that occurring.
Kerry's team will be experimental in certain areas. Whether David Clifford is included from the start will make a difference. Sean O'Shea is unlikely to be risked. Big game for about 10 Kerry players, as could be their last chance to either cement their Championship place or to be put in the frame, presuming League Final will see Kerry's Championship 15 starting (barring injuries).

[twohands!!!]

So many ways the tables can be decided.

Likely outcome I believe

Tyrone win. Kerry have nothing to play for but it depends on if they want to relegate Tyrone.

Kildare win. Mayo don't want to go into the league final - evident last week they don't really want it.

Donegal win. Do Donegal want to force Armagh into another game before their championship meeting? If they win and Mayo lose, Armagh have no choice as there could be more than 3 teams on 7 points.

Dublin win. Won't be good enough as the three teams above them would have won meaning they are relegated on 6 points along with Monaghan on 4.

A league game in Killarney - Kerry will be hell bent on winning regardless. If they wanted to relegate anyone it'd be Dublin, which I guess losing to Tyrone would cover 1/3rd of that occurring.
Kerry's team will be experimental in certain areas. Whether David Clifford is included from the start will make a difference. Sean O'Shea is unlikely to be risked. Big game for about 10 Kerry players, as could be their last chance to either cement their Championship place or to be put in the frame, presuming League Final will see Kerry's Championship 15 starting (barring injuries).

Kerry were 1/500 to get to the league final before the Armagh game (even before the result of the Tyrone Mayo game was played) so I would expect the approach to the Tyrone game to be pretty similar in terms of selection i.e no one with any sort of knock or injury to be risked at all.

[Captain Scarlet]

Kerry won't mess about and will want to lay down a marker. If it was another team coming to town with the League Final in the bag then I think it would be different.

I don't know what Mayo will do against Kildare but I hope they rotate a bit again and don't put out the best 15. Kildare were actually awesome last Sunday and a dry ball makes a massive odds with the pace they have all over the pitch.

I think the Dubs are after getting it together a bit so they will beat Monaghan.

[balladmaker]

Kerry won't mess about and will want to lay down a marker. If it was another team coming to town with the League Final in the bag then I think it would be different.

I don't know what Mayo will do against Kildare but I hope they rotate a bit again and don't put out the best 15. Kildare were actually awesome last Sunday and a dry ball makes a massive odds with the pace they have all over the pitch.

I think the Dubs are after getting it together a bit so they will beat Monaghan.

Dubs win the most likely outcome, however, if there's one team I wouldn't be writing off in a head to head against anyone, it's Monaghan. 

[clarshack]

Clifford got injured against Tyrone last August so maybe/hopefully they will be spooked into not risking him.