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Anything that starts with Pat Spillane says...

Here he is last year

This brings me to Tyrone and their behaviour in 2021 when they refused to fulfil their All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry because of a Covid outbreak in the squad.

Essentially, they hood-winked the GAA and Kerry because I've never seen any conclusive proof of the extent of that outbreak.

Tyrone pulled a stroke; they succeeded in having the semi-final delayed and then went on to win the All-Ireland.

And people thought it was a bad thing when the blowhard left the Sunday Game.

My main thing is there are always tweaks but when the usual misery-guts lads tried to continously pipe up the actual games spoke for themselves.
The players also speak of tenjoying the game more, and even some old-fashioned defenders like Rafferty are coming to the fore.

Like in Leinster alone Wicklow showed well againt the Dubs. Kildare v Westmeath and Louth were both proper championship games. Then Meath beating the Dubs blew it all wide open and you had an amazing occasion for the final.

Like we can actually say it's been a good year and personally I am looking forward to the big games. It's like the Champions League. When it gets into the serious stuff the quality is awesome and with no skin in the game it sucks you in.
This weekend I am on the Tailteann Cup bandwagon but can't wait for the other game.

I know there are threads on the new rules and threads on the split season, and that nothing will ever be perfect, BUT this has been a good year overall and there have been some cracking games.

Louth winning Leinster and Meath coming back also meant bigger crowds and overall there's a more positive buzz to the championship in my head. The negative voices seem to be gettting drowned out by the actual football on show.

I know on the split season there is always chatter about giving up the summer, but no matter how hard they try noone gives a damn about the Lions or a lot of the other things.
Even if there are other big events there is still not as much genuine engagement compared to the GAA. We should never let armchaor fans dictate it.

The buzz with the games this weekend is brilliant. I'd still like a tweak to give an extra break week here or there mind around the business end of things to build hype.

I can see Michael Murphy going total throwback and wearing a cap!

I was half thinking McConville might have fancied Louth...so that's a decent gig still up for grabs.

Lads are making moves either way. Ger Brennan surely wants Dublin. Donaghy would fancy the Kerry gig. But there's a lot of politicking to be done there to get those massive jobs.

How does this year compare to others in terms of vacancies. In my head I don't remember so many Div 1 & 2 teams on the hunt.

Bringing this back to the top - where it belongs!

Kildare were atricious v Fermanagh but they are always bad against a team that really sit back. Still, there were so many individual 'meh' performances that I think there will be a reaction.
Limerick will surely just go for it as I don't think they are able to lock things down as well as other teams, so that should suit Kildare too.

Hoping for a win and finishing the year with promotion and a place in Sam. Kildare, Meath and Louth are all getting their acts together and the Dubs in transition should make the province better.
That being said there were some cracking games this year - Dublin v Meath, Kildare v Westmeath and Louth, plus the Final.

Any Limerick fold on here?

Paudie has had fitness issues all year. Seanie O'Shea is back fit but is a big man to be running around in that heat. David Clifford suffers cramps a fair bit too.

Canavan and McCurry were both poor the last day and you'd imagine there will be a reaction. Plus, the dry ball will suit them better and there are more nippy forwards on the bench.

The closer we get I think it'll be very close, or go the opposite way and Kerry will pull away early and it'll be game over. The closer it is in the final quarter I think Tyrone could do it.

From Tony Leen in the Examiner: Diarmuid O'Connor (shoulder) and Tom O'Sullivan (ankle) will miss Saturday's All-Ireland SFC semi final.

Would Andy Moran step back into the hotseat at Mayo or Roscommon? Even Cavan...

McConville to Louth or would another Dub step in. Like I was saying if Philly did the business with Naas would be jump?

Joyce might step away - I'd chat him to come in with Kildare as a coach as he lives there and he might be open to a backseat gig...

That's a fair rebuild in Cavan and it feels like them and the Rossies are just pottering along at a certain level. Both will have key men stepping away and both have a ceiling.

Clifford is a big unit for all his skill and you do see him tie up towards the end of some games. If Tyrone rely on the bench a bit more and go hell for leather earlier would that be an option?

Back to the here and now...25 degress this weekend. Who are the fitter team? Whose bench can be called upon earlier in the day?

This is literally heat of battle stuff on Sunday.

It's amazing how much a coach can set teams back and on the flip turn things round. The new rules are definitely suiting Meath and teams with good forwards more.
In Kildare we left things fester too long with a legendary player and the final year really did serious damage to a squad with potential. I do think Meath have far more up front than we do.

On the flip the new rules also work to make space for hard direct runs and Donegal have plenty of those, and lads who can loop round to finish.

I know some might say it's early in the Meath development but things are there to be won. It's giving a scorcher so the fitness levels and the subs will need to be on it.

Fancy Donegal by 4+ but you never know if Meath get their 2-pointers flowing.

Dublin are fond of putting a teammate under pressure with some of their short play.
Crappy little bouncey ones off the sod. They overhit so many when there was space inside too.

Cork didn't need any invitations mind. Some of their play was beautiful.

DunneRoyal would that be a runner for Keoghan to take Murphy if he drifts? He is not exactly lacking strenght and probably is more comfortable further out the field.