Dubs v Westmeath 25 June

[shark]

Jaysus I feel so guilty for bringing my young lad to watch Leinster football. Every game I come back thinking we do we bother as it is such a non event.
I can understand of course teams don't have the resources Dublin have but I can never understand their lack of fight and intensity, especially in the first half.
So many times a player gets a shot away with no power in the tackle at all. It's as if they just want to get the defeat over with so they can focus on the next game

You're going to the wrong games  . Westmeath scored 3-17 against Offaly last week. But yeah, they didn't believe they could win. Didn't want to be there. I don't know how the players are convinced to go back every year. They train their asses off when the chances of success are zero.

I know it didn't seem like it there today, but there are some excellent footballers on that WH team. But there are also some that wouldn't make some of the stronger club sides in Dublin. At that's where the gap shows.  A player who started corner forward in the great semi win over Meath 2 years ago can't get a kick of a ball with Vincent's since he transferred to them last year. Heslin looked like a poor footballer today, but if he was full forward for Dublin he would have lit up Croke Park. It's hard to know what the answer is, but it sure isn't the Dublin team's fault. You have to admire them.

There are very few excellent footballers in that Westmeath team, even Heslin or Martin. How Cribbin is still there is beyond me.

There are a few though. It will be impossible for me to convince you of that after today's game though. And Heslin is one of them. I'm certain the Dublin players who have played alongside him, like Mannion and McCaffrey would agree. Martin is somewhat one dimensional.
Anyone who has played football knows it's easier to look good playing on a winning team. If you took any one of the Dublin players in isolation and dropped them in to the WH team today they'd look useless too.

I've seen Heslin play against us in do-or-die matches and be marked out of it just as easily as today. Lad may have talent but there is a severe lack of purpose and belief in that Westmeath team, and even basic skills are lacking. I knew after seeing them in 2015 that Cribbin was a terrible manager so the fact he's there in 2017 tells me a hell of a lot about Westmeath GAA.

It tells you that there is no money there. Cribben is liked by the county board as he doesn't cost much  and doesn't spend much.

Heslin has never played a do or die match against Ros. He has played 1 league game, if that's what you refer to. In that game Ros were so far ahead all over the field that any forward would be easy marked.
Anyway you have your opinion, I have mine. An intercounty team is as strong as its weakest links, from 1-21. Westmeath's weakest are way below the level needed to compete with Dublin. And they won't be getting any stronger, players aren't there. Same players will keep plugging away though I'm sure.

It was a game where Westmeath had just come down from D1 with the specter of going straight down to D3 if they lost. For a county so far off the pace in their province that's far more do-or-die than any Leinster match they have faced in a long time. We had only came up from D3 that season so we had no business being so far ahead of Westmeath. If Heslin or that team had anything about them it would have shown that day. We played very poorly that day so it was incredible to me how far off the pace Westmeath were even despite that.

When you look at counties like Fermanagh, Longford, Monagahan and even Cavan and ourselves Westmeath have absolutely no excuse for being this bad. A manager being liked by the CB never stopped one being thrown out by the clubs here.. where's the leadership in the county?

I remember the game, and you describe it well. Except that league games are never do or die in this organisation. It's all about championship.
That team beat Meath two months later , for the first time in the county's history. Heslin shot the lights out.  They beat Kildare 12 months later. I'm not that old, but I remember a time when the very thought of those results would be pure fantasy.
All those counties you mention have also suffered hammerings in the past few years. And only have to fund 1 sport. Westmeath hurlers have beaten Offaly, Kilkenny and Wexford in senior, u21 and minor championships respectively, in the very recent past. That doesn't come cheap, resource-wise. 

There is plenty to complain about, and the county board are far from perfect. But as mentioned above, how do you fix it? They will be getting hammerings like today off Dublin for as long as the Leinster football championship exists.

Anyway, the point I initially made, about there being some excellent footballers on that WH team, I stand by. Today isn't a good day to back that up. Maybe they can get a run in the qualifiers. Will be hoping for Wexford/Carlow, but Armagh/Cavan would not be insurmountable challenges.

[tippabu]

Westmeath today reminded me a lot of their county board

not a clue what they are doing and no desire to have a plan to turn things around

To turn things around one would probably have to look to put Westmeath in Connacht. There they'd have a chance of winning a Provincial Title at least. Staying in Leinster under present circumstances and trying to spend your way out of this hole is not viable option.


People talk about Dublin and the fade out factor. How many of the 2011 winning team started today. This is a work in progress!

4 maybe 5 (not sure if Scully was minor) I'm 2011 played in the ai minor final against us in 2011, Costello played that day too and Fenton didn't make their minor panel that year......its some turn around from a single minor team

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

Dublin are class but in Leinster teams just let them have their way. Feck it, even a late hit would be something but its just let them do what they want.
Every team should be able to rattle it for 20 minutes surely?

Exactly, think there was only 1 card & that was well into 2nd half. At least try to get into Dubs faces, hit them hard, take a card or 2. Don't just stand back admiring them. Spineless stuff

Heslin picked up a card in the first few minutes for some mysterious reason. It was clear in the first 10 minutes that Westmeath had no intention of dragging the game down into a dogfight.

[Dinny Breen]

Dublin are class but in Leinster teams just let them have their way. Feck it, even a late hit would be something but its just let them do what they want.
Every team should be able to rattle it for 20 minutes surely?

Exactly, think there was only 1 card & that was well into 2nd half. At least try to get into Dubs faces, hit them hard, take a card or 2. Don't just stand back admiring them. Spineless stuff

Heslin picked up a card in the first few minutes for some mysterious reason. It was clear in the first 10 minutes that Westmeath had no intention of dragging the game down into a dogfight.

He was mouthing for not getting a free when he was dispossessed Dublin immediately got a soft one..should have been a black but refs eh!

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

Lane was very harsh on Dublin at times after they went 20 ahead so these things will balance out when they get their usual favourable decisions in September.

[Shamrock Shore]

Does this margin of defeat equal the Milltown Malbay massacre in 1978? 31 pts now a Leinster record I think. 4 pts more than our effort 4 years ago 

[The Hill is Blue]

Today was a huge mismatch but that shouldn't take from yet another sublime display of Gaelic football by this Dublin team. However, I expect that the manner of Dublin's win will not faze Kildare as it will shift the focus away from Kildare and onto Dublin and that is surely what Kildare would want.

I think there might be a great Leinster final in prospect.

[From the Bunker]

Today was a huge mismatch but that shouldn't take from yet another sublime display of Gaelic football by this Dublin team. However, I expect that the manner of Dublin's win will not faze Kildare as it will shift the focus away from Kildare and onto Dublin and that is surely what Kildare would want.

I think there might be a great Leinster final in prospect.

Talking the game up in the hope for away support to turn up for this game. Must have be depressing all on your own today in Croker?

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

Today was a huge mismatch but that shouldn't take from yet another sublime display of Gaelic football by this Dublin team. However, I expect that the manner of Dublin's win will not faze Kildare as it will shift the focus away from Kildare and onto Dublin and that is surely what Kildare would want.

I think there might be a great Leinster final in prospect.

Only 12 months since Westmeath knocked Kildare out, 2 years since Dublin knocked 5 goals past Kildare, we are improving but still a long way off. As long as we at least stand up physically I'll be happy, a performance like Westmeath's today would be a disaster and end all progress that has been made. It would be the final nail on the Leinster championship's coffin.

[Syferus]

Today was a huge mismatch but that shouldn't take from yet another sublime display of Gaelic football by this Dublin team. However, I expect that the manner of Dublin's win will not faze Kildare as it will shift the focus away from Kildare and onto Dublin and that is surely what Kildare would want.

I think there might be a great Leinster final in prospect.

The rest of us think another boring execution is in prospect, THIB.

You always seemed like a good skin but trying to dress up anyone in Leinster or indeed any of the other provinces as realistic contenders is a bit much. Surely even Dublin supporters are bored to tears by these depressing spectacles masquerading as sporting contests?

Wouldn't Dublin be better off in the long run helping the other counties reach higher levels and making the championship an actual competition instead of a duck shoot? What is happening now is not viable for the future of this sport.

[rrhf]

Today was a huge mismatch but that shouldn't take from yet another sublime display of Gaelic football by this Dublin team. However, I expect that the manner of Dublin's win will not faze Kildare as it will shift the focus away from Kildare and onto Dublin and that is surely what Kildare would want.

I think there might be a great Leinster final in prospect.

Why have Kildare won the lotto and not told anyone?  Today the divide between the have and the have nots was evident. Until all counties are funded with equal resources the dubs will not be beat in Leinster and possibly  in Ireland. It's a disgrace lads.

[lenny]

Today was a huge mismatch but that shouldn't take from yet another sublime display of Gaelic football by this Dublin team. However, I expect that the manner of Dublin's win will not faze Kildare as it will shift the focus away from Kildare and onto Dublin and that is surely what Kildare would want.

I think there might be a great Leinster final in prospect.

Why have Kildare won the lotto and not told anyone?  Today the divide between the have and the have nots was evident. Until all counties are funded with equal resources the dubs will not be beat in Leinster and possibly  in Ireland. It's a disgrace lads.

Do dublin hurlers not get the same funding? Where is their total domination? It isn't down to funding, the dubs simply have a great group of players.

[Syferus]

Today was a huge mismatch but that shouldn't take from yet another sublime display of Gaelic football by this Dublin team. However, I expect that the manner of Dublin's win will not faze Kildare as it will shift the focus away from Kildare and onto Dublin and that is surely what Kildare would want.

I think there might be a great Leinster final in prospect.

Why have Kildare won the lotto and not told anyone?  Today the divide between the have and the have nots was evident. Until all counties are funded with equal resources the dubs will not be beat in Leinster and possibly  in Ireland. It's a disgrace lads.

Do dublin hurlers not get the same funding? Where is their total domination? It isn't down to funding, the dubs simply have a great group of players.

Some of the best Dublin hurlers are on the senior football team, just as some of Cork's best footballers have been on their hurling team in the past.

It's a pity some try to trot this argument out when Dublin have made absolutely unprecedented in-roads into hurling over the last decade.

[From the Bunker]

Today was a huge mismatch but that shouldn't take from yet another sublime display of Gaelic football by this Dublin team. However, I expect that the manner of Dublin's win will not faze Kildare as it will shift the focus away from Kildare and onto Dublin and that is surely what Kildare would want.

I think there might be a great Leinster final in prospect.

Why have Kildare won the lotto and not told anyone?  Today the divide between the have and the have nots was evident. Until all counties are funded with equal resources the dubs will not be beat in Leinster and possibly  in Ireland. It's a disgrace lads.

Do dublin hurlers not get the same funding? Where is their total domination? It isn't down to funding, the dubs simply have a great group of players.

You just keep the blinkers on! You'll be all the more happier with your teams success that way. Acknowledging money being involved in your success can take the gleam off of things.

[Dinny Breen]

Ha! ignoring home advantage and support teams due to financial disparity Kildare are a work in progress. There is a massive will in the media for us to be competitive in the final and have over stated our display against Meath but the pragmatic Kildare fan knows we will be beat. What we are looking for is a performance, we are a young side but promotion and Leinster final means our realistic targets have been achieved. A quarter final appearance would be a nice bonus.

Dublin do not want a competitive Leinster why would they? They will be setting out to hammer Kildare, our players need to believe they can compete. I think they will but Dublin by about 7.