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Good result today. Limerick are relegation favs but still its a good showing away from home with a convincing win. Well done all. Much toucher games ahead though.

There's an article about Dougan and his job in Irish examiner or times or something today. It sounds like he travels a lot with his work. I couldn't read it as it's behind a paywall.

Cahair and the Irish News online have it as well yesterday about him only coming back in July and traveling and working for a few months. Also a few of the other lads being away and only coming back about then. It shows that O'Rourke has trust in lads to keep in half decent shape and come back and do the hard yards when it really matters. Warnock in another Irish news interview last week said that they are not being run into the ground early on in the year. By the time the important time in the season comes round a lot of lads just want it all to be over to get a break is is his view on training. Probably a good few clubs have lads flogged at this time of the year thinking that's what they need to do to compete with Glen in September/October time.

Not every team can afford to take it easy until mid season and then up the ante. The quality of Glen players allows them to do that plus they have done the hard yards in previous seasons playing right up to Xmas time when every other club in Derry was finished few months earlier and as a result a high fitness level is in the bank.

If you can't match the Glen quality of player then the obvious other way to narrow the gap is fitness and that's why some clubs feel that is their best way of closing the gap.

As long as the Derry championship stays in the format it is then Glen will most likely win. They can pace themselves through that system and come good when it matters.

Only challengers realistically are Magherafelt & Slaughtneil.

Yes fair point although I hear the Championship format is to get a shakeup. Slaughtneil and M'felt will see Glens All-Ireland win as an opportunity to step in as Glens hunger will ease for a year or so at least. Slaughtneil in particular were very close last year, Rossa perhaps a bit to go yet with a younger age profile.

Are UUJ out or is there a backdoor after this round?

Back door route for UUJ as this match was in the winners section. I believe they now play a winner from the losers section.

Why was the game played in UCD if it was a home fixture for UUJ according to any fixture schedule published.
I know there is always a neutral venue if the distance between the colleges exceeds a certain mileage but Dublin to Belfast is not extreme in comparison to other journeys.

Maybe someone can explain 

Not sure but I suspect that UCD had a bye in the first round and therefore had a home game in the 2nd round Vs the winners of UU/UCC. That puts UCD in Qtr finals and UU into next round Vs winners of the losers group.

Anyone got the next fixtures? The coverage of Sigerson in the media is pathetic.

I think a restructure is needed. But not a 16 team div 1. There is too big of a gap between top of 2 and bottom. The initial 1a 1b looked very competative making 4 leagues

Armagh league is 1a- 8 teams, 1b 8 teams, 2a- 8 teams, 2b- 8-teams, with junior also split between a and b which makes for competitive games at all levels in the main.  Two up two down.  Previously, had the 16 team senior league 16 team intermediate league and rest in junior and quite a few mismatches in league games.   

Yes an 8 team league makes absolute sense (my club have proposed exactly this). It will be competitive, every game will mean something and it will give the league credibility. 2 up, 2 down. Its the only decent option.

Bonkers stuff!
A Div.1 of 10 teams max would be ideal. It would be competitive and give the league credibility. A 16 team league would be farce.. in most counties, especially Antrim.

"the alleged infraction was not proven"

What on earth does this even mean? Does it mean McGuinness didnt know the rule therefore he couldnt have knowingly broke it?
Seems crazy.

Has it been a rule for long that Freshers can't play Sigerson?

Yes a long time as far as I know. I remember it as far back as 2007/08 I think

Just me, or is there a major drop off of "county stars" that play sigerson these days? pulled 2014 final for example between cork + jtown... littered with big IC names

Ian Maguire Luke Connolly Brian O'Driscoll Conor Cox Michael Quinlivan Paul Geaney

Rory Beggan Chrissy McKaigue Colin Walshe Killian Clarke Matthew Donnelly Nial McKeever Kieran Hughes Ronan O'Neill Jamie Clarke Conor McAlliskey

That really was an exception rather than the norm. Sigerson should always be about discovering and confirming new stars rather than county stars playing. At least that's how it was in my time.

A great result for Queens against DCU. Horrible game. Both teams afraid to do anything. 15 behind the ball with very little attacking innovation. Both as bad as one another.

It was Jerome Quinn on commentary with a local Belfast man who hadn't a notion. I like Jerome as he delivers good coverage but his commentary is like commentating on a funeral. Slow and random. His co-commentator was absolutely clueless. Didnt know players, what was happening and just generally very poor. I turned it down after a while.

Great result for DIT in Galway also. 

A lot of doom and gloom around here due to two narrow defeats. Whilst I am mystified at some of the decisions McEntee has made over the past year he has done a decent job. Year 2 will be interesting to see if he can push on.

It's early in the year. A lot of players to return. I wouldn't be giving up hope just yet.

What way is the new fixture set up?

8 week ban for McGuinness

Did no-one think to check the rules before they played the boy? Very foolish move by people who should know batter.

Just right. Madness looking Armagh to tr**p to Ballybofey at half 7 the first Wednesday in Jan for a glorified friendly against a team we be meeting in the league soon. We fulfilled the fixture and gave young lads a chance to be able to say the played for their county. Some might never play again but theres a couple there who'll be big names for us in the future hopefully.

That's one way of spinning it. The other way is that Armagh showed the competition complete disrespect. They sent their u20s to take a hiding which did them no favours at all. Meanwhile, instead of fulfilling their obligations McGeeney brought his players to Dublin to play the All-Ireland Champions, perhaps they see themselves more at Dublins level and Donegal are below them? All in all, a very strange call by Armagh no matter how you look at it.

Armagh played Dublin last night in challenge game. Sent the U20s to fulfill the McKenna Cup fixture.

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I see Johnny's lad is getting started early this year. Name a manager that regularly names a correct starting team. I hate the practice but they are all doing it.

Just because they all do it doesn't make it right. Donegal, Derry, Armagh, Tyrone and Cavan all have panels named. Pick any 15 starters from the 24/28 named - it's fairly straight forward. But yet our county PRO team gets an award... go figure..
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What exactly is the point of naming incorrect teams? Does it really give the manager an advantage over the opposition? All it seems to do is p*ss everyone off.