All Ireland contenders...

[muppet]

I actually think it will be Tyrone's to lose this year.  They have built up a great run of momentum, Dublin, while were very strong last year had a lot of balls bounce for them, Kerry will be hard to bet but Tyrone have the mental edge on them, Cork have too many injuries and Mayo are Mayo.  Donegal will be a busted balloon by July.  Tyrone will win it.

Mayo will win as long as we don't have to play Kerry, Dublin, Tyrone, Cork, Armagh, Donegal, Down, Donegal, Kildare or London. It would also help if our matches weren't fixed for Croker. Other than that we will be grand.

[Hill16 Blues]

You just have to laugh - Kerry 6 points a better side than Dublin, every bounce of the ball went dublins way etc etc etc!! Will yis ever put a sock in it & move on?

Thats bad enough but the greatest delusional boloxology has to be the mad optimism from Tyrone posters who have not only convinced themselves that their form in the McKenna cup and Div 2 of the league makes them dead certs for the all Ireland but wait for it......................that they really were the best team in Ulster last year and probably would have/could have/should have won the all Ireland last year!!!! Wow!

Jeez you gotta love them!!!

[brokencrossbar1]

I think it's fair to say that key decisions and incidents at crucial times went Dublins way, and as Heffo quite rightly says this happens every year with AI champions.  The point I am making is that these decisions might go the other way this year and make it harder for Dublin.  Everything came together nicely for them last year and they were the best team over the term of the championship and were desrved champions, that doesn't mean they are the best team in the country this year.  I reckon Tyrone will win it outright with Kerry next, then Dublin.

[Armaghtothebone]

Who exactly have Tyrone beaten in DIVISION TWO? Bar Kildare the standard is p*ss poor! Form in Div 1 might be inconsistent but it is much stronger league.

Tyrone look better than last year but then again that wouldn't be too difficult. No team replaces the calibre of players and experience Tyrone had in one season. Not even Kerry have managed that.

Nobody who is a contender but try telling a Tyrone fan that!!

i wish you were right, i really do but I think tyrone are way stronger than half the teams in Div. 1.  Armagh, Down, Donegal,and Laois, i'd be convinced. Mayo i'd be unsure and i think that Dublin kerry and cork are still a season away for this Tyrone .

[rrhf]

Tyrone unproven but exciting. At best a dark horse this year.  Cork for Sam. Mayo to beat Kerry in the semi.  If you look at the division 1 teams down donegal and Armagh have picked some good points up.  Tyrone are the 4 th best in ulster at the moment

[Jinxy]

Tyrone won't win it this year.
No way in hell.

[CK_Redhand]

Strength and physical dominance: Cork
Skill, athleticism and know-how: Kerry
Team work and quality marksmanship: Dublin

Guile, craft, management: Tyrone
At 9/1 it's a steal

[J70]

Watched Donegal on saturday night and they're shaping up well into their mean old horrible selves. Honestly don't think there's anything in Ulster to touch them if Murphy and McFadden are fit. Lose one of them and they're in bother. Down should make an Ulster final or there is something seriously wrong. If they met Donegal I think they'd struggle.

Tyrone and Armagh will be tight and if Armagh are up for it (which they haven't been in recent years), they could spring a surprise at home. If Tyrone do get by Armagh, Donegal will take them again even minus Kevin Cassidy who looks to be running the Gweedore Celtic Supporters club at this stage. Expect some trash talking and Armagh neutrals to get offended.

Tyrone will progress to last 8 with ease through the back door and possibly the last 4 if they get a good draw. Once that far, who knows. If they drew Kerry or someone like that the auld mind games would come back and the Kingdom would crumble (again). The Dubs or Cork would be who they would want to avoid.

Mayo will win Connacht and Kerry will win Munster.

Dubs and Kildare could be interesting as this surely has to be the big year for the Lilywhites. There isn't enough money in the country to keep McGeeney going for much longer. The troika will step in here but the Dubs will see them and McGeeney off.

No surprises then that it's Kerry, Dubs, Tyrone or Donegal, Cork, Mayo I'd have as title winners (in that order)...Let's face it, Dublin won it last year but Kerry were 6 points a better team. Slackness cost them. If they win, it could also be their last for a good while.

You think Donegal will beat Tyrone again? Last year it was more a case of Tyrone loosing the game than Donegal winning it. Pete harte missed frees that he will never miss again, Tyrone were in cruise control but took their foot off. They will be hoping to meet Donegal this year to address a few things that happened in that game last year   Armagh will be Tyrone's biggest challange in Ulster this year.

Jaysus, talk about rewriting history! Once Donegal got to grips with them after 25 mins, Tyrone kept running into crowds of players for the rest of the game, scoring a grand total of three points in the last 40 minutes. Why is it assumed that a rematch will follow the pattern of the first 25 minutes and not the remainder of the game? And yes, Tyrone missed a few scorable frees, but every team has days like that. By that logic, we should beat Dublin if we meet them again. We missed some scorable frees in the first half of last year's semi when we were on top and could have been a few more points ahead.
And I'm pretty sure if you look back, plenty of you boys were similarly mouthing off ahead of the Ulster semi last year.

Dublin, Kerry or Cork again for me. No one else comes close.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

I think it's fair to say that key decisions and incidents at crucial times went Dublins way, and as Heffo quite rightly says this happens every year with AI champions.  The point I am making is that these decisions might go the other way this year and make it harder for Dublin.  Everything came together nicely for them last year and they were the best team over the term of the championship and were desrved champions, that doesn't mean they are the best team in the country this year.  I reckon Tyrone will win it outright with Kerry next, then Dublin.

Now seriously how do you think Tyrone will win this year?

[haranguerer]

Dublin would be joint 3rd with Tyrone behind Kerry and Cork for me, at best. BCB, I can see you're trying to sugarcoat what you're saying re last year so the dubs dont just take it badly and start a slanging match....and thats not what I'm trying to start either, but lets be honest, there was more than a few bounces of the ball went their way. Kerry were the much superior team in the final, were in complete cruise control when they gave the ball away for the goal, and were then ambushed - it was daylight robbery. The win will have brought the dubs on a lot, but they're still not at kerrys level. You gotta laugh at some of them then turning round to pour scorn on others chances!!

[nothingbettertobeat]

Dublin would be joint 3rd with Tyrone behind Kerry and Cork for me, at best. BCB, I can see you're trying to sugarcoat what you're saying re last year so the dubs dont just take it badly and start a slanging match....and thats not what I'm trying to start either, but lets be honest, there was more than a few bounces of the ball went their way. Kerry were the much superior team in the final, were in complete cruise control when they gave the ball away for the goal, and were then ambushed - it was daylight robbery. The win will have brought the dubs on a lot, but they're still not at kerrys level. You gotta laugh at some of them then turning round to pour scorn on others chances!!

CORK are miles of it. they struggled to get an All Ireland in recent years when they had an abundance of talent i can assure you now Cork will not be walking up the steps to lift it come september. Fermanagh havent been beat yet either nobody is talking about them?

[brokencrossbar1]

Dublin would be joint 3rd with Tyrone behind Kerry and Cork for me, at best. BCB, I can see you're trying to sugarcoat what you're saying re last year so the dubs dont just take it badly and start a slanging match....and thats not what I'm trying to start either, but lets be honest, there was more than a few bounces of the ball went their way. Kerry were the much superior team in the final, were in complete cruise control when they gave the ball away for the goal, and were then ambushed - it was daylight robbery. The win will have brought the dubs on a lot, but they're still not at kerrys level. You gotta laugh at some of them then turning round to pour scorn on others chances!!

I would agree with most of this haranguerer.   I think though Cork will struggle this year a bit as they have lost a few experienced heads to retirement and have a number of key men injured.  Much will depend on how quickly they get them up to full fitness.  Kerry are the benchmark and are a good bit ahead of the rest if they have their game heads on, the thing is I reckon that Tyrone would beat them in a one off game.  I agree about last year for Dublin, they got a massive break when Declan O switched off for a split second.  The took full advantage of it and probably over the season were the most consistent team but that doesn't make them the "best" team. 

[EC Unique]

Watched Donegal on saturday night and they're shaping up well into their mean old horrible selves. Honestly don't think there's anything in Ulster to touch them if Murphy and McFadden are fit. Lose one of them and they're in bother. Down should make an Ulster final or there is something seriously wrong. If they met Donegal I think they'd struggle.

Tyrone and Armagh will be tight and if Armagh are up for it (which they haven't been in recent years), they could spring a surprise at home. If Tyrone do get by Armagh, Donegal will take them again even minus Kevin Cassidy who looks to be running the Gweedore Celtic Supporters club at this stage. Expect some trash talking and Armagh neutrals to get offended.

Tyrone will progress to last 8 with ease through the back door and possibly the last 4 if they get a good draw. Once that far, who knows. If they drew Kerry or someone like that the auld mind games would come back and the Kingdom would crumble (again). The Dubs or Cork would be who they would want to avoid.

Mayo will win Connacht and Kerry will win Munster.

Dubs and Kildare could be interesting as this surely has to be the big year for the Lilywhites. There isn't enough money in the country to keep McGeeney going for much longer. The troika will step in here but the Dubs will see them and McGeeney off.

No surprises then that it's Kerry, Dubs, Tyrone or Donegal, Cork, Mayo I'd have as title winners (in that order)...Let's face it, Dublin won it last year but Kerry were 6 points a better team. Slackness cost them. If they win, it could also be their last for a good while.

You think Donegal will beat Tyrone again? Last year it was more a case of Tyrone loosing the game than Donegal winning it. Pete harte missed frees that he will never miss again, Tyrone were in cruise control but took their foot off. They will be hoping to meet Donegal this year to address a few things that happened in that game last year   Armagh will be Tyrone's biggest challange in Ulster this year.

Jaysus, talk about rewriting history! Once Donegal got to grips with them after 25 mins, Tyrone kept running into crowds of players for the rest of the game, scoring a grand total of three points in the last 40 minutes. Why is it assumed that a rematch will follow the pattern of the first 25 minutes and not the remainder of the game? And yes, Tyrone missed a few scorable frees, but every team has days like that. By that logic, we should beat Dublin if we meet them again. We missed some scorable frees in the first half of last year's semi when we were on top and could have been a few more points ahead.
And I'm pretty sure if you look back, plenty of you boys were similarly mouthing off ahead of the Ulster semi last year.

Dublin, Kerry or Cork again for me. No one else comes close.

Fair enough if you think that but most will agree that Tyrone left that one behind. Like I said I really hope we can beat Armagh and play Donegal as the result and a couple of other things that happened in the game need addressed.

[sheamy]

Tyrone v Donegal will be a great game with so many plots and sub-plots. I enjoyed that game in Clones last year from a purely tactical point better than any other. The near-decapitation of Joe McMahon certainly had a bearing on the outcome.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

Dublin would be joint 3rd with Tyrone behind Kerry and Cork for me, at best. BCB, I can see you're trying to sugarcoat what you're saying re last year so the dubs dont just take it badly and start a slanging match....and thats not what I'm trying to start either, but lets be honest, there was more than a few bounces of the ball went their way. Kerry were the much superior team in the final, were in complete cruise control when they gave the ball away for the goal, and were then ambushed - it was daylight robbery. The win will have brought the dubs on a lot, but they're still not at kerrys level. You gotta laugh at some of them then turning round to pour scorn on others chances!!

Yes but the ball didn't bounce for Dublin against Cork the previous year or against Kerry in 2007, Mayo in 2006, Armagh 2002 does that mean we were the best team them years? Kerry were behind for most of the game and had a purple patch of about 15-17 mins where they got a 4 point lead. Hardly the sign of a team in total control of a game.