For anyone interested in betting

[Lone Shark]

It's not hard find examples of teams having a good league - championship was and still is the barometer of teams, and in the championship Wexford haven't done it, and there is no way any team who would be considered to be even money against Meath right now would not have been strong favourites against Wexford in 2004.

It's the great thing about working for a bookie - you can go back and check odds, which is as good a barometer as to the ability of teams as there is. In 2004 Dublin started the year at 16/1 to win the All Ireland. In 2007 they start the year at 11/2. Your opinion is your opinion, but it doesn't tally with the general public.


Incidentally, you'll notice that I never said that ye're Leinster wasn't the hardest won Leinster in the zeros - merely that Kildare's run this year is harder.


Finally, just on one other thing - HAIR-LINE? Hairline is a controversial decision that could have gone either way. The ball was wide, as proved by TV cameras. There was nothing hairline about it, it was just wrong.

[Bord na Mona man]

Dunno if it was stage fright that day or what. We haven't done ourselves justice in Croker since 2004, hopefully we get back there this year to put that right. 2006 was a bit of a stop start season with us what with injuries to key players and blooding of youngsters.

Still though, u have to get to a quarter-final to compete... 

IMO Dublin have improved since the uphappy end days of the Tommy Lyons regime in '04. I also believe that Westmeath have disimproved a fair bit since then too. Results back up both theories.
Westmeath may have had stage fright in the quarters, but even if they didn't, they were very unlikely to have beaten Dublin.

[Croí na hÉireann]

It's not hard find examples of teams having a good league - championship was and still is the barometer of teams.

Agreed but you can't dismiss the league out of hand. The league winners of 2003, 2004 and 2006 went on to win the Championship. We'll see how Eastmeath get on this year.

It's the great thing about working for a bookie - you can go back and check odds, which is as good a barometer as to the ability of teams as there is. In 2004 Dublin started the year at 16/1 to win the All Ireland. In 2007 they start the year at 11/2. Your opinion is your opinion, but it doesn't tally with the general public.

Like I said I don't share the popular opinion about recent Dublin teams.

Incidentally, you'll notice that I never said that ye're Leinster wasn't the hardest won Leinster in the zeros - merely that Kildare's run this year is harder.

Did indeed notice, else I'd have been busy double-checking the winners routes to Leinster glory 

Finally, just on one other thing - HAIR-LINE? Hairline is a controversial decision that could have gone either way. The ball was wide, as proved by TV cameras. There was nothing hairline about it, it was just wrong.

Re-phrase your honour, we got a lucky break that day to even out the unlucky break we got with the dismissal (ducks for cover)...

[Croí na hÉireann]

IMO Dublin have improved since the uphappy end days of the Tommy Lyons regime in '04. I also believe that Westmeath have disimproved a fair bit since then too. Results back up both theories.

They sure seem more professional (spit, spit) and dedicated. Still by and large the same players though. Westmeath are re-building.

Westmeath may have had stage fright in the quarters, but even if they didn't, they were very unlikely to have beaten Dublin.

Who's to say, we may even have been on the right end of one of them last minute goals for a change. All if, buts and maybes. Hopefully we'll meet them again this year and give them a better rattle.