All Ireland contenders...

[EC Unique]

Now that we are well into the league who are the main contenders for Sam this year? Kerry, Dublin and Cork are obvious. Tyrone need to be included given their league form but got to remember it is division 2. Kildare are average so far but I expect them to improve. Are there any supprise packages?

[Maguire01]

I can't see anyone outside those 4 teams being anywhere close.

[CK_Redhand]

Tyrone fear nobody except Cork maybe... havent beaten them in the Championship since when?

[From the Bunker]

Tyrone fear nobody except Cork maybe... havent beaten them in the Championship since when?

Don't think Tyrone, sorry but they have been well off the mark the last couple of years. Beaten well by Dublin in 2011 and 2010. They'll be there or there abouts in Ulster, but unless they get a couple of handy draws, i can't see them making an All-Ireland final.

Cork, Kerry, Dublin the rest are not up to it and that includes the Meejas favourite Kildare who are miles off!

[IolarCoisCuain]

Mayo are worth a punt at 16/1. The way the draw is looking in Connacht now means that they'd be very, very unlucky not to make the last eight by August. Flaw in the system of course, but there you are. 16/1 is value.

[INDIANA]

Mayo are worth a punt at 16/1. The way the draw is looking in Connacht now means that they'd be very, very unlucky not to make the last eight by August. Flaw in the system of course, but there you are. 16/1 is value.

Mayo are nowhere near all- ireland contenders. I've  a lot of friends up there and I would like to see them up there but they look like they've gone backwards this year. Last 8 I think and would require a soft draw to make the last 4.

[Jinxy]

Below those 4 obvious contenders there are a few teams that could take one or more of them out without having the ability to win the whole thing i.e. Kildare could beat Tyrone, Mayo could beat Cork.
I think Dublin and Kerry are less susceptible to being caught like this.

[Dinny Breen]

Kerry, Cork or Dublin.  Kerry have the best XV but Cork and Dublin in particular have the stronger squads.

[lenny]

Kerry, Cork or Dublin.  Kerry have the best XV but Cork and Dublin in particular have the stronger squads.

Tyrone are the form team by far. All the others are showing inconsistency. Dublin look good but may not have the same hunger this year. Kerry are nowhere near the team they were a few years ago and Cork don't look good at the moment at all. Tyrone are blowing all their opposition out of the water and have some of their big guns still to come back. I think they are a really good bet at the moment for Sam and I, for one, will be sticking a few quid on them. Having said that I would love to see someone from outside those 4 teams (bar donegal) come through to win just to freshen things up.

[moysider]

Mayo are worth a punt at 16/1. The way the draw is looking in Connacht now means that they'd be very, very unlucky not to make the last eight by August. Flaw in the system of course, but there you are. 16/1 is value.

Mayo are nowhere near all- ireland contenders. I've  a lot of friends up there and I would like to see them up there but they look like they've gone backwards this year. Last 8 I think and would require a soft draw to make the last 4.

Mayo at 16/1 while almost guaranteed to make the 1/4 finals tells its own story. Unless management implodes the team will be much better by then though. It might not be be obvious to an outsider but there were one or two changes for today s match that may indicate that some scales are falling from eyes.

Last year Mayo got the toughest 1/4 final draw going - AI champs Cork and still made semis. The problem with Mayo is that there is a problem beating 2 big teams in a row or losing when they are expected to win (Meath2009). The latter is the most worrying imo. A team that cannot win when expected to are not a team to put money on. I won good money on the win v Cork last year but wild horses would not have made me bet on the kerry match. Not that we were expected to beat Kerry of course. But ye know what I mean.

Even if Mayo were 100/1, the reality is betting a tenner on a win is still just giving a tenner away.

[Hill16 Blues]

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.

[INDIANA]

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!!

[mannix]

we can all be fairly sure mayo will not be champions this year, short a few players and all that, BUT, not many of the big fellas would really comfortable meeting mayo because Mayo seem to spring nasty surprises on teams that are sure of beating them. i reckon  its between kerry,cork and maybe one more.
on the betting thing, tyrone were 33/1 in august the last time they won Sam.

[INDIANA]

Mayo are worth a punt at 16/1. The way the draw is looking in Connacht now means that they'd be very, very unlucky not to make the last eight by August. Flaw in the system of course, but there you are. 16/1 is value.

Mayo are nowhere near all- ireland contenders. I've  a lot of friends up there and I would like to see them up there but they look like they've gone backwards this year. Last 8 I think and would require a soft draw to make the last 4.

Mayo at 16/1 while almost guaranteed to make the 1/4 finals tells its own story. Unless management implodes the team will be much better by then though. It might not be be obvious to an outsider but there were one or two changes for today s match that may indicate that some scales are falling from eyes.

Last year Mayo got the toughest 1/4 final draw going - AI champs Cork and still made semis. The problem with Mayo is that there is a problem beating 2 big teams in a row or losing when they are expected to win (Meath2009). The latter is the most worrying imo. A team that cannot win when expected to are not a team to put money on. I won good money on the win v Cork last year but wild horses would not have made me bet on the kerry match. Not that we were expected to beat Kerry of course. But ye know what I mean.

Even if Mayo were 100/1, the reality is betting a tenner on a win is still just giving a tenner away.

For me you just dont have the backs to get the job done. I think its a real weakness for you. Dublin will probably be missing 4 first choice forwards next Saturday but I doubt you'd hold our forwards in a championship game in CP.

I think you need 3-4 good underage sides to follow each other to give you the pool of players to contend for an all-ireland. Its pretty much how we did it. Unless you're kerry or killkenny where players grow on trees its the only way.

[EC Unique]

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 would say Kildare are they only decent team Tyrone have beaten this year. Tyrone look to be flying but as is said it is division 2. You can only beat who is on the pitch on the day. A winning habit is a good thing but until Tyrone play one of the big 3 we will not know how much progress has been made.. I can't wait.