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Luke Loughlin with 1-17 today.

Mans looking like one of the best forwards in the country at the moment

Alot of talk Derry are going well on the challenge match circuit.

Made light work of Monaghan apparently.

Rian with the team

If he gets back on board at his best changes everything. Huge player as important to Armagh as Shane O'Donnell to Clare, also has returned.
Good to see it, you want the very best out there.

Armagh could go as much as favourites if Rian is back and flying

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cj45kzq7px1o

Not a rugby expert by any stretch but is the Lions Tour not ultimately just a few challenge matches.

The GAA could learn a lot about how rugby are able to market it.

I'm not sure.

The value of the competition - in terms of importance to those who are involved - long predates any marketing initiative.

It's not a career highlight for a player because Sky /O2 / Guinness say so. It's a career highlight because it's what Willie John McBride, Phil Bennett, JPR, Gavin Hastings, Brian O'Driscoll, Martin Johnson, Syd Millar, Keith Wood, Barry John and a hundred other greats of the game have made it so.

In this regard it's like a golf major. Nobody owns the right to what is a major in golf. But we all know what they are and while marketing helps maintain that position, it didn't and couldn't create it.

All that is true but like alot of things in rugby it doesn't make logical sense.

It's like Armagh Donegal Tyrone and Derry getting a team together to play in 3 tests against Galway or Mayo.

It isn't really. The Southern hemisphere teams need the money that 6N teams generate when they tour. They have the talent but they don't have the cash. GAA doesn't have hemispheres.

That may be true.

But I'm talking from a sporting point a view it doesn't make sense.

Plus I've no issues with Northern Hemisphere teams touring South Africa or New Zealand etc. on their own. I actually like that concept.

But amalgamating 4 teams to play a struggling Australia on their knees I just don't get it.

From a contest perspective rugby is a game of systems, partnerships, tactics practiced to within an inch of their life. in the modern era, putting a scratch squad together is actually more difficult than the amateur days, it's why the home team is always favourites against the Lions.

Maybe so.

Is it still regarded as the pinnacle of players careers?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cj45kzq7px1o

Not a rugby expert by any stretch but is the Lions Tour not ultimately just a few challenge matches.

The GAA could learn a lot about how rugby are able to market it.

I'm not sure.

The value of the competition - in terms of importance to those who are involved - long predates any marketing initiative.

It's not a career highlight for a player because Sky /O2 / Guinness say so. It's a career highlight because it's what Willie John McBride, Phil Bennett, JPR, Gavin Hastings, Brian O'Driscoll, Martin Johnson, Syd Millar, Keith Wood, Barry John and a hundred other greats of the game have made it so.

In this regard it's like a golf major. Nobody owns the right to what is a major in golf. But we all know what they are and while marketing helps maintain that position, it didn't and couldn't create it.

All that is true but like alot of things in rugby it doesn't make logical sense.

It's like Armagh Donegal Tyrone and Derry getting a team together to play in 3 tests against Galway or Mayo.

It isn't really. The Southern hemisphere teams need the money that 6N teams generate when they tour. They have the talent but they don't have the cash. GAA doesn't have hemispheres.

That may be true.

But I'm talking from a sporting point a view it doesn't make sense.

Plus I've no issues with Northern Hemisphere teams touring South Africa or New Zealand etc. on their own. I actually like that concept.

But amalgamating 4 teams to play a struggling Australia on their knees I just don't get it.

Nervy night until the subs Mount,Amad produced a big impact.

Tottenham will fancy their chances in the final having beaten United 3 times already this season but this United team reaching the showpiece and beating the 4th best in Spain 7-1 on AGG has far exceeded expectations for that group of United players.

They've also options off the bench now which they haven't had all season.

Would still have Spurs slight favourites.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cj45kzq7px1o

Not a rugby expert by any stretch but is the Lions Tour not ultimately just a few challenge matches.

The GAA could learn a lot about how rugby are able to market it.

I'm not sure.

The value of the competition - in terms of importance to those who are involved - long predates any marketing initiative.

It's not a career highlight for a player because Sky /O2 / Guinness say so. It's a career highlight because it's what Willie John McBride, Phil Bennett, JPR, Gavin Hastings, Brian O'Driscoll, Martin Johnson, Syd Millar, Keith Wood, Barry John and a hundred other greats of the game have made it so.

In this regard it's like a golf major. Nobody owns the right to what is a major in golf. But we all know what they are and while marketing helps maintain that position, it didn't and couldn't create it.

All that is true but like alot of things in rugby it doesn't make logical sense.

It's like Armagh Donegal Tyrone and Derry getting a team together to play in 3 tests against Galway or Mayo.

Rumours Rian O'Neill back for Armagh - I presume these are false?

FT Louth 2-17 Dublin 1-8.   Louth's last minor Leinster win was 1953 and for Offaly 1989.

Gavin Devlin appointed director of underage football in Louth this year... Has he had any impact or just coincidence?

For Inter Milan's sake they'll be hoping history doesn't repeat itself by losing a Champions League final to another soulless club.

There's something more likable about this PSG side though... Full of young talent instead of the big egos of the past.

Play great football also

Yeah absolutely. Fair play to Dembele too he was being totally written off by plenty with his injury record.

Youse are getting on like PSG are plucky outsiders instead of being fueled by a multi-billion Qatari slush fund. The QIA has about £0.5 *trillion* in it!

You've obviously never played football manager.

If you got 500 million euro of Qatari money there's no joy in buying galacticos... Buy the young guns instead.

Arteta would be a hard fella to like

Enrique a more likable guy. Would be a nice story seeing him win after his daughter passing away so young few years back.

Read somewhere today that Acerbi one of inters scorers last night has survived cancer twice and was once an alcoholic

For Inter Milan's sake they'll be hoping history doesn't repeat itself by losing a Champions League final to another soulless club.

There's something more likable about this PSG side though... Full of young talent instead of the big egos of the past.

Play great football also

debatable penalty for PSG is saved.

You have to give though do ya not?

Unnatural position away from his body... Shots on target. Unlucky but you've to give it.

Down v Monaghan - Armagh
Clare (more than likely)  v Louth/Meath - Roscommon
Armagh/Donegal v Mayo/Galway - Sligo Carrick or Cavan
Tyrone v Cavan - Enniskillen or Clones
Mayo/Galway v Armagh/Donegal - Sligo Carrick or Cavan
Dublin v Derry - Newry
Roscommon v Cork - Ennis
Louth/Meath v Kerry (more the likely) - Portlaoise

I've looked at the groups a dozen times since yesterday and for the life of me I can't work out why G4 is being labelled a "group of death", but not G1.

Have people not been paying attention to the recent decline of Dublin and Derry?

These teams might manage a revival for a game or two and while Tyrone are likely to beat either of these, Cavan is not.

Have you not seen Mayo's form.

I actually think if Mayo win Connacht; there would be a real danger of them finishing bottom of that group 4.

Them winning Connacht is not that far fetched either as they've always one big performance in them.

Its a no brainer that group 4 is the tougher.

If Mayo are good enough to beat a strong All Ireland contender in Galway they should certainly be good enough to beat a fading force in Dublin in Castlebar and out of sorts Derry.    In Summary,  Group 4 going in Connacht winners Mayo can top it.  Group 1 off the back of losing to Galway a real danger of finishing 3rd in the group and then a tricky away knock out tie.

Mayo don't do logic though. They drew with Dublin last year and Derry knocked them out at home the week after. So its a real possibility the above scenario could happen; unlikely though.

Galway should win on Sunday but wouldn't be surprised if Mayo bring a big performance; but it mightn't be enough to beat a strong Galway side.