Gaillimh -v- Ros Comáin

[MaroonAndWhite]

Very tough on Darren Mullahy.....I guess this selection renders the league experiment with Deccie Meehan at wing forward a waste? I understand why Sammon went for Conroy and Dunleavy on the wings though.......he wants a bit more bulk and ball winning power in the wing forward positions to augment an untested pairing in midfield. I just think given that Mullahy's form was, in general, excellent during the league and Deccie hadnt the greatest league campaign, it should be Mullahy starting.
Good to see Bradshaw start.....rate him highly as a half back. Time will tell if he is sticky enough for the corner...... I'd say in a year or two, he will have the no 6 jersey on his back.
Sammon has a bit of a blind spot for Breathnach it seems....Armstrong is injured so he wasnt an option but even a half arsed Nicky has more football in him than Breathnach.

[AZOffaly]

I hope Roscommon can put up a big performance on Sunday. Galway will have a decent run this year whatever happens I think, but Roscommon never fear the Maroon and White for some reason, so I'd love to see them sneaking out with a win. Nothing against Galway at all, I have good time for them too, but the hassle that the Roscommon fans had to put up with over the whole Maughan thing was out of order, and I'd love to see them having a great celebration on Sunday evening.

Proud men of Rooskey, Boyle and Dundonald.
Strokestown, and Frenchpark, Elphin, Castlerea
Tell them at old Ballyclare on the Shannon
Men of Roscommon are marching again.

[myball22]

It seems that he is willing to give Breathnach and Matthew Clancy their chance based on their league form, I would be concerned that the only scorers in the Galway team are Micheal Meehan and Padraic Joyce. If they are kept quiet, then where are the scores coming from?

It would be a shock if Roscommon won but they will be willing to put the recent past behind them and restore pride and I will say they will come close to Galway and it will be tight.

As said elsewhere the provincial championships have been overshadowed with the qualifiers, the aim for Galway this year is to get to Croke Park at quarter-final stages and look to win there, either by winning Connaught or through the qualifiers.

[Rossie11]

Ross might not fear Galway but over past few years I dont think they actually believed they could beat them.
There were beaten as soon as the draw was made for the 2001 quarter finals. When they were 6-1 up at HT in 06 I dont think they believed they would hold on and so its transpired (within 5mins of 2nd half starting!!).

On saying that when you see that Galway team on paper it doesnt look as formidable as it normally is.
No Bergin, Armstrong, Paul Clancy (is he injured or retired), Nicky Joyce, as well the older generation like Savage and Donnelan.
Players who have caused us all sorts of bother in the past.
We are hopeful of putting on a good show but we conceded an average of 21pts per game in the league... facts dont lie and would be shock of year if we surprise them

[Rossie11]

Ross team
Geoffery Claffey;
Paddy O Connor,
Antony McDermott,
Seanie McDermott [capt];
John Rogers,
Mark O Carroll,
David Hoey;
Seamie O Neill,
Karol Mannion;
Conor Devaney,
Gary Cox
Cathal Cregg;
Senan Kilbride,
Jonathan Dunning,
Ger Heneghan.

Subs:Subs:Mark Miley,David Keenan, Peter Domican, Adrian Murtagh,Stuart Daly,John Tiernan,Brian Higgins,Frankie Dolan,Michael Finneran, David O Gara, Derek Connellan,Enda Kenny,Donie Shine,Stephen Ormsby.

A whole new half back line!! To be honest I cant see that been the starting team come 4pm sunday.

[mouview]

Ros' are 7/1 with PP to win - great odds, especially considering the Galway FF line. Just what is Breathnach doing to be kept there?? And Matt, honest though he is, won't score enough in the long run to justify selection. Noghtmare scenario for Galway is that they will win with the aforementioned playing ok - thus they will be shown up when the going gets much tougher in the games ahead. No great fan of Nicky's but he and Armstrong (if ever fit) will have to start sooner or later - then we would have the makings of a hlf-decent forward unit. Lydon's inclusion is also noteworthy, as I said yesterday that I thought Blake would get the nod. Darren bit unlucky not to start but maybe there are doubts about his pace on the hard ground. Alan Burke must also be wondering will he ever get a chance again. At least we have some options on the bench now.

[Shrewdness]

A bit surprised that David O'Gara didn't make the starting line up. I'd certainly have him in before Gary Cox.

O'Gara was one of our best performers in the league, despite being played out of position, and having to juggle U-21 commitments as well.

Now, when the championship starts, he's left on the bench

[heineken_on_tap]

I'd start Donie Shine myself - deadly on free's. Think he could make a major difference up front. Cox needs to seriously improve from the leaugue if he is to keep his place. Dunning is another man that needs to stand up and do it on the big day. I see Mannion moving in to full forward at some stage. I would abandon the short passing game and go for fast direct balls into our forward line.

[SLIGONIAN]

Really hope the rossies put up a good performance. Last few yrs theyve been in disarray and I just get the feeling they might push Galway close. My brain tells me it'll more than likely be a comfortable enough win for Galway but wouldnt completely write off ros. Dangerous animal when wounded.

O gara was outstanding against us in u21, and shine is top class free taker. They may still start. Rossies have plenty of free takers coming through, keep a eye out for Dara lennon in a few yrs.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Well seeing as Damien Burke has a knock you can understand why he's not in the team although I'm unsure about Gareth Bradshaw's abilities as a corner-back. He's played the vast majority of his young football career at centre-back or midfield and done very well there but corner-back is a lot different. Puzzled by Darren Mullahy's omission unless he also is injured. He was one of Galway's best players in the league.

Can understand why Conroy and Dunleavy are starting in the wing-forward berths as they add fetching ability to compliment the midfield which is where the big question marks are about this Galway team in the absence of Joe Bergin. Conroy and Dunleavy both played well against Kerry so you can see the logic there at least. Big Barry and Lydon given their chance in midfield. Cullinane we know can be a devastating fielder and even outfielded Dara O'Se a couple of times during the Kerry game but his footballing abilities are severely limited at ground level. I liked the look of Mark Lydon in the couple of matches I saw him play early on in the league before he went back to play for Moycullen. Seems an intelligent sort of player who is able to get forward, link-up and kick a score.

In the full-forward line it would have been tough to drop Mattie Clancy after having such a great league campaign but really I see no logical reason why Breathnach is starting ahead of Nicky Joyce. Breathnach works like a trojan but we need another natural scoring forward in there to take the burden off Meehan and PJ and while Nicky can be moody he is capable of brilliance and was Galway's best player last year by a mile. What's the story with Armstrong? Is he amongst the subs or are his fragile hammys still acting up?

I guess on the face of it that team would give Roscommon a better chance of competing seeing as there is no Joe Bergin, Damien Burke, Darren Mullahy, Nicky Joyce or Sean Armstrong there but we'll see how they go.

Good luck to Paul Conroy too. Minor captain last year and already on the senior team. I thought he would be the first to break through alright as he has size to go along with great footballing ability. Some of the others aren't physically ready yet. He kicked a great point against Kerry and I believe he kicked the equalising point near the end against Mayo up in Castlebar as well. Hope it goes well for him on Sunday.

[Solo Run]

Would love to see a competitive game to get the Connacht Championship off to a good start ( excluding NY/Leitrim ). Connacht was extremely competitive last year, I believed Sligo, Galway, Mayo and Leitrim could all probably have beaten each other on a given day. I'm not saying it was high-standard but it was certainly competitive and interesting. (Anyway the standard is a high as any other province, but thats another topic). I believed last year Roscommon were 'off the pace' and I believe they still are. I hope this doesn't happen but I expect Galway to beat them easily in a low-key one-sided match.

I'm thinking of backing Galway big time even though I only get a 17%-20% return, but in my view its a nice return on investment for 70mins. Of course, doubts creep-in when you are going in with a large sum. Images appear of big, rough, tough competitive Roscommon teams putting it up to Galway and Mayo and beating them; but that was then, this is now. Those players do not have the physical toughness for a major championship win, and are essentially playing for pride and hoping that playing to restore it plus calling on tradition will somehow lift them above their ability; they have no method, no consistency and will be full of doubt if they fall behind at all. This is clearly not Roscommon of old.

An easy run out for Galway methinks, but tough enough at times to bring them on a bit further for the awkward and testy visit of Leitrim, and onwards to the presumed final against Sligo or Mayo (Sligo, I think, but we'll see).

[jaykay]

I agree Solo, I cant see us troubleing Galway too much.  In years gone by when we might not have had the better team we were still likely to put it up to Galway in the physical stakes but not this year I fear.  Hopefully I will be eating my words for tea on Sunday evening though.

I dont know where your getting the 17-20% return, Galway are 1/10 with Paddy Power.

[Shrewdness]

I don't believe that the named Ros team is the one that will actually start.

[coosanglen]

from what i have heard the reason nicky isnt playing is that he might have enjoyed himself a bit to much last weekend out on the town. armstrong and burke are out through injuries, surprised bane isnt playing though

[magpie seanie]

Getting close to this game and as a man who likes to back on the points difference I'm stuck as to what to do. Powers have it as 7 points. Think that means a no bet. The bookies have defo got cuter on points difference. I think a few years ago you'd find a few glaring errors but last weekend they had Westmeath -2 (they won by 3) and Leitrim -12 (they won by 11). And I never backed Emlyn Mulligan to be top scorer in Connacht. Raging.