Leinster Championship 2020

[Eire90]

there still hopes for donegal.

[GiveItToTheShooters]

I'm no Dub but I'm sure there wasn't this much of a meltdown when Kerry cleaned up back in the day.
As a few lads have already mentioned, they have 15 players like every other team. It's up for the others to raise their game.
It's not professional football where they can buy the best players, they just have them at the minute. Their dominance won't last forever just like Kerry's didn't.
I'm not arsed whether they lose or not any time soon. They are an absolute juggernaut of a team that play attractive attacking football that is good to watch, the way the game should be played, against dire defensive shyte this weather.
Whether or not their dominance is good for the championship i'm not getting into, but thank god for the dubs for the way they play and entertain.
I'd expect a good few to crawl off the Donegal bandwagon after that.

[ballinaman]

I'm no Dub but I'm sure there wasn't this much of a meltdown when Kerry cleaned up back in the day.
As a few lads have already mentioned, they have 15 players like every other team. It's up for the others to raise their game.
It's not professional football where they can buy the best players, they just have them at the minute. Their dominance won't last forever just like Kerry's didn't.
I'm not arsed whether they lose or not any time soon. They are an absolute juggernaut of a team that play attractive attacking football that is good to watch, the way the game should be played, against dire defensive shyte this weather.
Whether or not their dominance is good for the championship i'm not getting into, but thank god for the dubs for the way they play and entertain.
I'd expect a good few to crawl off the Donegal bandwagon after that.

"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist "

[Armagh18]

I'm no Dub but I'm sure there wasn't this much of a meltdown when Kerry cleaned up back in the day.
As a few lads have already mentioned, they have 15 players like every other team. It's up for the others to raise their game.
It's not professional football where they can buy the best players, they just have them at the minute. Their dominance won't last forever just like Kerry's didn't.
I'm not arsed whether they lose or not any time soon. They are an absolute juggernaut of a team that play attractive attacking football that is good to watch, the way the game should be played, against dire defensive shyte this weather.
Whether or not their dominance is good for the championship i'm not getting into, but thank god for the dubs for the way they play and entertain.
I'd expect a good few to crawl off the Donegal bandwagon after that.

I'd agree with that but just want to mention that the Dubs can do the defensive shite too. Had 14 or 15 behind the ball plenty last night. But I suppose when you're kicking 3-21 it doesnt really matter.

[seafoid]

Westmeath and Laois had the gall to win Leinster titles. The GAA wanted to boost Dublin but they failed to design any metrics to indicate to them when it might be time to stop.

Permanent war against soccer and rugby is not plausible unless the Dublin co board invest a new sport and give us back the All Ireland.

The amateur inter county system turned out to be too weak to support the Dubs unbound.


https://youtu.be/lsO_SlA7E8k

[ardtole]

That's not Dublin's problem. Other teams need to step up.

Its not Dublins problem but there is a huge knock on effect because of their success. Other counties are not getting their best 15 out on the pitch because they cannot get lads to commit to the 4 or 5 nights  a week it takes to just match  what Dublin are doing.

When Eamonn Burns (rip) took over down a few years ago, there were reports of up to 30 lads who refused invites to join the county panel. Players are now considering is it worth the effort without any chance of success, others might commit for 2 or 3 years when in the past the same player might have played for ten years.

I think its a huge issue for the gaa and if the likes of me are getting fed up with county football then there are repercussions coming down the line.

Even before covid-19 the attendances especially in leinster where down alarmingly. Its only a matter of time before the viewing figures drop too and the TV companies will respond accordingly when bidding for rights.

I don't know the solution, I wouldn't be in favour of splitting Dublin but the championship which I would have watched religiously every weekend, rarely missed down games etc is becoming farcical.

[Rossfan]

That's not Dublin's problem. Other teams need to step up.

Starting with Antrim, with the largest "GAA minded" population in Ulster stepping up from being 9th best team in Ulster.
Then we can make those lazy hoors of Volunteers in Laythrum, Longford etc get off their bums and magic up a superteam from their 3,000 or so registered players to match the team Dublin have got from their 39,000.

[tonto1888]

Are Dublin fans not bored waltzing through Leinster so easily?

Yes it's probably great your team is winning, but no matches are in any way competitive. No close games, no hard hitting, no end to end, edge of your seat stuff. You need games to get the excitement going, get the blood pumping

The All Ireland is the same way bar the odd close battle every 3/4 years.

Yes, Dublin are great at what they do, but I am so bored watching any of their matches. There's no point to it anymore.

The majority of Dublin fans just enjoy getting the chance to watch the greatest ever team play. Some of these players will go down as all time greats.

"the greatest ever team" is fine if its the same 15- 20 lads. The team that started today had 6 starters from the team that started the 2015 AI final. Id say if you started with the 2011 team you've probably already got close to 15 all time greats. I don't think anyone has issue with the players - they're class, but when the conveyor belt churns out 2-3 all-timers every year how can any team compete?

Which 2-3 all timers has it churned out this year

[Milltown Row2]

That's not Dublin's problem. Other teams need to step up.

How?

How is right? Less money,  less resources,  less population. But other teams are to blame. Only Dublin competes with other sports so they need all the money.

They've always had a bigger population, they just got their act together

[BennyCake]

Are Dublin fans not bored waltzing through Leinster so easily?

Yes it's probably great your team is winning, but no matches are in any way competitive. No close games, no hard hitting, no end to end, edge of your seat stuff. You need games to get the excitement going, get the blood pumping

The All Ireland is the same way bar the odd close battle every 3/4 years.

Yes, Dublin are great at what they do, but I am so bored watching any of their matches. There's no point to it anymore.

The majority of Dublin fans just enjoy getting the chance to watch the greatest ever team play. Some of these players will go down as all time greats.

"the greatest ever team" is fine if its the same 15- 20 lads. The team that started today had 6 starters from the team that started the 2015 AI final. Id say if you started with the 2011 team you've probably already got close to 15 all time greats. I don't think anyone has issue with the players - they're class, but when the conveyor belt churns out 2-3 all-timers every year how can any team compete?

This is the difference between modern Dublin and the great teams of the past.

Those great teams had shelf lives. They were mortal. Their players got old, pissed off into the sunset, and other counties had their turn at winning things. There was a natural cycle.

Now Dublin are immortal. They continually regenerate, and every incarnation just reaches further ahead of the pack. There is no hope that time and old age will come to the rescue of the rest of the country.

This is an unprecedented crisis in the history of the GAA. Belief has evaporated in all but a couple of counties. The All Ireland championship is functionally dead as a competition.

We can't keep our heads in the sand with delusional arguments that it would all be fine if only everyone else just 'tried harder'. It's long past time for a grown up discussion about what happens next. There will be no coming back from this if real solutions are not pursued, and very soon.

Yes, even that great Kerry team came to a spectacular end. Teams knew if they hung around long enough, they'd get their day in the sun. And so it proved.

Only Kerry, Mayo, and maybe Donegal/Tyrone, are within a hounds gowl of winning Sam. Everyone else has either given up, and will give up. That includes players, fans, sponsors, and CB's pumping money into a pointless exercise.

Super 8 crowds were noticeably down after 1 year. Dressing up the championship in different formats is a waste of time. County football is dead.

[Milltown Row2]

That's not Dublin's problem. Other teams need to step up.

Starting with Antrim, with the largest "GAA minded" population in Ulster stepping up from being 9th best team in Ulster.
Then we can make those lazy hoors of Volunteers in Laythrum, Longford etc get off their bums and magic up a superteam from their 3,000 or so registered players to match the team Dublin have got from their 39,000.

You might as well start with your own County. You bummed them up this year and they failed miserably.... if all your best players committed and trained and conditioned themselves and you had a decent manager with a plan, would you best Dublin, or at the very least, compete?

[dublin7]

Are Dublin fans not bored waltzing through Leinster so easily?

Yes it's probably great your team is winning, but no matches are in any way competitive. No close games, no hard hitting, no end to end, edge of your seat stuff. You need games to get the excitement going, get the blood pumping

The All Ireland is the same way bar the odd close battle every 3/4 years.

Yes, Dublin are great at what they do, but I am so bored watching any of their matches. There's no point to it anymore.

The munster championship has been a 2 horse race at best for decades.

Are the likes of Leitrim, Waterford, Limerick, Antrim sick of the provincial championships?

Dubs have had their share of heartbreak and humiliations in the not so recent past. The majority of Dublin fans just enjoy getting the chance to watch the greatest ever team play. Some of these players will go down as all time greats.

It would be churlish to deny that tonight is anything other than a hollow victory for Dublin. The team of the 90s which was not as good as this one but had such titanic battles against Meath will be remembered more fondly that team tonight.

People said it was a shame no fans were in the stadium for the cork Kerry game and they were right but it was a blessing there were no fans in croker for the game tonight.

Course it was blessing Croker was empty. You don't want anyone in a ground to watch Cluxton's excellence, Fenton's fielding or Kilkenny's shooting and vision. Shame in Dubs for watching and god forbid enjoy them at their best.

It would be for the best if yourself and Benny don't watch Dublin anymore. Things are tough enough at the moment without upsetting yourselves at Dublin's brilliance.

Do you think Mannion will start ahead of  P.Small the next day?

I think he sticks with Small. He started all the games since the lockdown and he likes having Mannion as option off the bench (especially with Costello likely suspended)

Cooper went over on the same ankle he injured against Meath in the 1st game after lockdown just before half time and didn't appear for the 2nd half. That would be the biggest worry for Dublin. If he's out Howard comes in at midfield and Mccarthy goes back into defence.

[dublin7]

That's not Dublin's problem. Other teams need to step up.

Its not Dublins problem but there is a huge knock on effect because of their success. Other counties are not getting their best 15 out on the pitch because they cannot get lads to commit to the 4 or 5 nights  a week it takes to just match  what Dublin are doing.

When Eamonn Burns (rip) took over down a few years ago, there were reports of up to 30 lads who refused invites to join the county panel. Players are now considering is it worth the effort without any chance of success, others might commit for 2 or 3 years when in the past the same player might have played for ten years.

I think its a huge issue for the gaa and if the likes of me are getting fed up with county football then there are repercussions coming down the line.

Even before covid-19 the attendances especially in leinster where down alarmingly. Its only a matter of time before the viewing figures drop too and the TV companies will respond accordingly when bidding for rights.

I don't know the solution, I wouldn't be in favour of splitting Dublin but the championship which I would have watched religiously every weekend, rarely missed down games etc is becoming farcical.

Down might want to focus on just winning an Ulster title before they start worrying about taking on the dubs. How exactly are the dubs to blame for them blowing that lead against Cavan last week?

1994 was the last time they won an Ulster title. Dublin never even played Down in the championship under Jim Gavin

[6th sam]

This is the GAA's biggest challenge.
Dublin is a monster that can either stimulate positive change or destroy the GAA.
It's interesting that Dublin don't dominate at underage the same way , but their selection process and their preparation/organisation around their senior team means that they optimise their considerable resources. Sadly surrounding counties have not responded.
This massive Dublin advantage in terms of resources is another example of inequality in the GAA.
It needs to be addressed , before it becomes even more of a farce, any solutions out there?

[caprea]

This is the GAA's biggest challenge.
Dublin is a monster that can either stimulate positive change or destroy the GAA.
It's interesting that Dublin don't dominate at underage the same way , but their selection process and their preparation/organisation around their senior team means that they optimise their considerable resources. Sadly surrounding counties have not responded.
This massive Dublin advantage in terms of resources is another example of inequality in the GAA.
It needs to be addressed , before it becomes even more of a farce, any solutions out there?

Dublin won 4 all Ireland under 21s last decade so they kind of dominated at the most important underage grade. It's not five in a row but they don't have to develop a new squad every year at senior level like they do at under 21.

Solutions; Dublin and kerry won intercounty football and look like they will go on winning it so what's the point of playing it anymore. Get rid of Intercounty in favour of 10-12 regions and play an AFL style league format. I'd go the whole hog, professionalism, a draft system.

The intercounty system just isn't fun or fresh anymore and there's no evidence that's going to change or anything new is going to happen.