Meath vs Dublin - Leinster final - the day before the fair.

[thejuice]

If we are to win it will be on a score line like 4-10 to 0-20 or something unusual like that but it would go against all form we've seen to date from both teams.

To be honest if we could have a game as close as we did in 2012 or 2013 I'd be reasonably happy with it but with that must come the expectation that next year we'll be closer again.

[thejuice]

Meath fans on Facebook:

"We'll win this because we're massive underdogs just like in 86 and 96."

[seafoid]

If we are to win it will be on a score line like 4-10 to 0-20 or something unusual like that but it would go against all form we've seen to date from both teams.

To be honest if we could have a game as close as we did in 2012 or 2013 I'd be reasonably happy with it but with that must come the expectation that next year we'll be closer again.

That process happened to Galway in the mid 2010s. They got hammered by Mayo in 2013 by 13 points and spent the next while reducing the deficit until they started beating Mayo
But the Dubs are even more of a challenge

[thejuice]

Well hopefully we'll improve and Dublin will start regressing a bit. The hunger for success in Dublin will have waned in the coming generations I'd suspect. Happened to us during the 90's.

[From the Bunker]

If we are to win it will be on a score line like 4-10 to 0-20 or something unusual like that but it would go against all form we've seen to date from both teams.

To be honest if we could have a game as close as we did in 2012 or 2013 I'd be reasonably happy with it but with that must come the expectation that next year we'll be closer again.

That process happened to Galway in the mid 2010s. They got hammered by Mayo in 2013 by 13 points and spent the next while reducing the deficit until they started beating Mayo
But the Dubs are even more of a challenge

The problem for Galway now is the Rossies have caught up as well, while the likes of Mayo, Monaghan, Tyrone and Kerry have fell back to the pack. To be fair Galway (and Ros) have seen Dublin close up in the Championship and they now realise how much of a Monster Dublin are. That is the frightening thing. Munster, Ulster and Connacht teams get to hide behind their provinces and the back door as they won't encounter Dublin there and it's easy to sling mud at the other Leinster counties from a far!

[thejuice]

Maybe we should move Dublin to Connacht for a few years. That should revive the Leinster championship for a while.

[Rossfan]

Or amalgamate Louth, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow as "East Leinster".
Population about 700k should even things up a bit.

[Hound]

Maybe we should move Dublin to Connacht for a few years. That should revive the Leinster championship for a while.

If the rest of Leinster had any sense they'd push for Dublin to be rotated among the provinces.

However, they'd be scared they'd lose ticket revenues so wouldn't even consider it for a second (even though attendances for other games would actually increase and a Kildare v Meath Leinster final would probably top what we'll get this weekend) 

[priceyreilly]

Maybe we should move Dublin to Connacht for a few years. That should revive the Leinster championship for a while.

If the rest of Leinster had any sense they'd push for Dublin to be rotated among the provinces.

However, they'd be scared they'd lose ticket revenues so wouldn't even consider it for a second (even though attendances for other games would actually increase and a Kildare v Meath Leinster final would probably top what we'll get this weekend)

Ticket revenue? You mean the 10,000 fans you bring to neutral games? You still haven't played an away game in the Leinster championship since 2006 but only bring pathetic numbers around the province. Throwing a strop because the Leinster council had the temerity to make you leave your slums for the day. Even when you're back in your home ground you're not bothering to go anymore. We literally gave you millions but people like you still claim it's the Dubs doing everyone else a favour.

[Tyrdub]

Maybe we should move Dublin to Connacht for a few years. That should revive the Leinster championship for a while.

If the rest of Leinster had any sense they'd push for Dublin to be rotated among the provinces.

However, they'd be scared they'd lose ticket revenues so wouldn't even consider it for a second (even though attendances for other games would actually increase and a Kildare v Meath Leinster final would probably top what we'll get this weekend)

Ticket revenue? You mean the 10,000 fans you bring to neutral games? You still haven't played an away game in the Leinster championship since 2006 but only bring pathetic numbers around the province. Throwing a strop because the Leinster council had the temerity to make you leave your slums for the day. Even when you're back in your home ground you're not bothering to go anymore. We literally gave you millions but people like you still claim it's the Dubs doing everyone else a favour.

you really are a piece of trash

[thejuice]

Bitching aside, the truth is the Leinster Council haven't done themselves any favors between helping make the game uncompetitive and increasing ticket prices. I find it laughable when I read that article that said they were worried about the fortunes of Gaelic football in the capital back in the 2000's when in hindsight it was doing fine. But everyone was terrified of rugby taking over back then. Unfortunately it seems they saved Dublin but killed a province at the same time and we'll take Dublin down with us in the long run unless something is changed drastically. It's bizarre leading up to a Leinster final and hardly any excitement among our supporters. So many I know who'd have been there 10 or 15 years ago are doing other things with their weekends now.

[Hound]

Bitching aside, the truth is the Leinster Council haven't done themselves any favors between helping make the game uncompetitive and increasing ticket prices. I find it laughable when I read that article that said they were worried about the fortunes of Gaelic football in the capital back in the 2000's when in hindsight it was doing fine. But everyone was terrified of rugby taking over back then. Unfortunately it seems they saved Dublin but killed a province at the same time and we'll take Dublin down with us in the long run unless something is changed drastically. It's bizarre leading up to a Leinster final and hardly any excitement among our supporters. So many I know who'd have been there 10 or 15 years ago are doing other things with their weekends now.

Yep, it's a BS final, and nobody is looking forward to it

But it's just wrong to put the blame at the GAA, Leinster Council level re grant money. The games development funds is only a very small part of why Dublin are so good. The GDOs go nowhere near the elite players.

It's population and organization. We've a huge pick, getting bigger every year and the county board and clubs are the best run in the country. Our senior league is miles ahead of everyone else. You have the Top 32 clubs training 4 times a week. Defined calendar, guaranteed games, losing less players than ever before to soccer.

Croke Park suiting our style and playing so many games there, and no travel for training for the Dubs is also a huge advantage.

And we've the best manager in the country.

The gulf in Leinster made all the wider due to the underperforming Meath and Kildare. There's no real reason why they can't be as good as the 2nd and 3rd best teams. They are getting there, but it'll take a while to recover from when things went wrong. And that happened before Dubs even became good, as I remember it used to be said that the Dubs were at a disadvantage not having any close games in Leinster, so they were ill prepared to face the Kerrys, Tyrone's, etc and so took a beating (it was because we weren't good enough at the time, of course)

[Main Street]

No shocks so far this weekend, this could be the one.

[fearsiuil]

Worked out well according to McStay when Meath fella got knee into back for that sideline.

[Captain Obvious]

At least Meath held the Dubs scoreless for ten minutes...