NFL Division 1

[Blowitupref]

Dublin by four points
Donegal by two points
Monaghan by three points
Mayo by two points.

Be surprised if a patched up Mayo beat a strong looking Cork side.

I haven't seen the Mayo team yet however I'd even fancy Armagh to beat that Cork selection on Sunday.

The list of Mayo absentees tells you which of the two are stronger going into Sunday.

To quote WJ over on mayogaablog. the notion that we're likely to name a weakened team tonight doesn't look all that plausible.

I had Cork down to win I think I might change that now.

In the other games an all Ulster affair between Down Donegal could end in a draw. Down must win their home games to be in any chance of staying up. Same goes for Roscommon but Monaghan have selected a near full strength team and will fancy their chances to return home with a win on Sunday.

Kerry have I think 8 of their All Ireland final team Sunday I would expect the dubs to win that game.

[Syferus]

Dublin by four points
Donegal by two points
Monaghan by three points
Mayo by two points.

Be surprised if a patched up Mayo beat a strong looking Cork side.

I haven't seen the Mayo team yet however I'd even fancy Armagh to beat that Cork selection on Sunday.

The list of Mayo absentees tells you which of the two are stronger going into Sunday.

To quote WJ over on mayogaablog. the notion that we're likely to name a weakened team tonight doesn't look all that plausible.

I had Cork down to win I think I might change that now.

In the other games an all Ulster affair between Down Donegal could end in a draw. Down must win their home games to be in any chance of staying up. Same goes for Roscommon but Monaghan have selected a near full strength team and will fancy their chances to return home with a win on Sunday.

Kerry have I think 8 of their All Ireland final team Sunday I would expect the dubs to win that game.

No, it's more than plausible. It's guaranteed. Most of those listed above won't be playing. And if many of them are it means Rochford is desperate and betting the house on an away league game to Cork (why would he?) and it would probably make a Cork win more likely not less.

[Hound]

Kerry team a lot stronger than I was expecting, although a very young bench. No sign of the Dubs team yet.

[Syferus]

Kerry team a lot stronger than I was expecting, although a very young bench. No sign of the Dubs team yet.

Only half of the starters of the team Dublin wiped the floor with four months ago..

[Beffs]

Dublin will be far from full strength either. I can see Kerry being really up for this one and going all out to win it. They need the win more than Dublin do, even if its only the league.

[Syferus]

Dublin will be far from full strength either. I can see Kerry being really up for this one and going all out to win it. They need the win more than Dublin do, even if its only the league.

They got back from their holidays two weeks ago.

[moysider]

The Dubs to win another league title because their strength in depth is way ahead of the rest. Would be a bold prediction to say Down or Roscommon will avoid relegation.

I think it's now time to scrap the semi finals for a group eight.

You never know. Stranger things have happened. In both 2014 & 2015, one of the newly promoted counties were relegated again the following year and the other one stayed up. One of them might just manage it. I think Roscommon might do it, given how early they play Kerry & the McStay factor.

Everyone overlooks FOD because of McStay but he's easily the best Roscommon manager/coach in my lifetime. McStay was so adamant on him that he wasn't going to agree to do the job if FOD wasn't co-manager.

Hmmm. McStay explained why he insisted on FOD. I was surprised he was so honest. Basically FOD has a lot of credibility with Roscommon fans and McStay is an outsider. They will get more slack if things go badly early with FOD in the management because outside managers (especially Mayo ones) get ran out on a rail when things go tits up. McStay sees this gig as a long term project and FOD seems to be on board to buy time if things don t work out early on.
I'm a bit disappointed that McStay did not have the conviction/confidence to go it alone but can see his reasoning. Turning to FOD as a safety net shows a bit of weakness though imo. Really now Ros. have joint managers in essence. That is not usually good.
FOD has already made his presence felt. He insisted McHale vacated his role as Ballina coach (and rightly so)  because there was a conflict of interest there, with McHale working with Ballina players who could be playing against Roscommon later.

[Syferus]

The Dubs to win another league title because their strength in depth is way ahead of the rest. Would be a bold prediction to say Down or Roscommon will avoid relegation.

I think it's now time to scrap the semi finals for a group eight.

You never know. Stranger things have happened. In both 2014 & 2015, one of the newly promoted counties were relegated again the following year and the other one stayed up. One of them might just manage it. I think Roscommon might do it, given how early they play Kerry & the McStay factor.

Everyone overlooks FOD because of McStay but he's easily the best Roscommon manager/coach in my lifetime. McStay was so adamant on him that he wasn't going to agree to do the job if FOD wasn't co-manager.

Hmmm. McStay explained why he insisted on FOD. I was surprised he was so honest. Basically FOD has a lot of credibility with Roscommon fans and McStay is an outsider. They will get more slack if things go badly early with FOD in the management because outside managers (especially Mayo ones) get ran out on a rail when things go tits up. McStay sees this gig as a long term project and FOD seems to be on board to buy time if things don t work out early on.
I'm a bit disappointed that McStay did not have the conviction/confidence to go it alone but can see his reasoning. Turning to FOD as a safety net shows a bit of weakness though imo. Really now Ros. have joint managers in essence. That is not usually good.
FOD has already made his presence felt. He insisted McHale vacated his role as Ballina coach (and rightly so)  because there was a conflict of interest there, with McHale working with Ballina players who could be playing against Roscommon later.

FOD also has a lot of experience at senior IC, McStay has none. He's not just there as a fireguard ffs. McStay has lived in Roscommon town for a long time and Ros Gaels was FOD's hometown club and also the one McStay has been involved in locally. His daughters are Rossies and grew up watching FOD play for or coach Roscommon.

McStay would know the club game in the county very intimately and knows many of the people in Roscommon GAA personally so the idea he was ever just an outsider was never correct. There's no one in the county talking about our 'outside' manager. In actuality McStay learnt how to be a manager exclusively within Roscommon.

They've know each other for years, it's not like McStay rang him up out of the blue to do a massive three or four year job, which ironically is exactly what Rochford did when he rang up Tony McEntee who was in the process of totally flopping at St. Brigids in Dublin. If they didn't get on well they would never have teamed up so intimately in the first place.

Simply put McStay got the best coach in the county involved. That can only ever be a good thing. Too many managers have too much ego and see any other talented coaches as threats. If anything McStay showed remarkable self-confidence working with someone as revered in the county as FOD.

There was also no way FOD was going to work with the outgoing CB chairman Michael Fahy again so it was very fortuitous his tenure was up in December.

[rrhf]

Wonder how much he is charging syf

[larryin89]

Wonder how much he is charging syf

Lol but it was a very defensive post by syf , jeez I nearly shed a tear reading it esp the bit abou mcstays daughters been rossies. And the fire guard analogy had me melting altogether .

What we can gather from it is if it goes tits up for Kevin MC and co , the rossie casuals are not going to gather round the dressing rooms after games lookin to kill the Mayo c u n t because hes nearly one of their on well at least his girls are anyway and the fireguard FOD will be big enough to take the summer heat off him .

[giveballaghback]

It is a very factual post by syf and is exactly how I understand the situation to be, fod A fireguard for Mcstay? you must be joking and if any of ye think that ye know nothing about Roscommon football.
What this combination bring out of these group of players remains to be seen, imo we are a couple of pence short of a schilling but as the team evolves these gaps can be filled, I give us an even chance of staying up but we may be relagated and if we are it wont be the end of the world because the lessons learned will stand to us in the long run, Tyrone went down last year and so far it has done them no harm, we have a few good players to come into the team yet and if we can get all fit we should be a good team able to compete at a high level.
Regardless of what some of our neighbours think the rossie supporters are a fairly down to earth bunch and know the limitations of our team, we also know when a good job is being done at management level and if we evicted one or two in the past it was not because of their race or creed.

[Main Street]

 

imo we are a couple of pence short of a schilling

your team are a couple of groschen short of a schilling.

[manfromdelmonte]

Here's a question.

Was McStay player manager when Roscommon Gaels were beaten by Ballina in the Connacht Club, way back in 2004, or something.

[Syferus]

Here's a question.

Was McStay player manager when Roscommon Gaels were beaten by Ballina in the Connacht Club, way back in 2004, or something.

He was the manager. Last time Ros Gaels have been anything but paper tigers in Roscommon. McStay was actually FOD's manager that year.

[From the Bunker]

Here's a question.

Was McStay player manager when Roscommon Gaels were beaten by Ballina in the Connacht Club, way back in 2004, or something.

He was the manager. Last time Ros Gaels have been anything but paper tigers in Roscommon. McStay was actually FOD's manager that year.

McStay would have been about 42.