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Don't think we can blame the ref, Tyrone were given a free in at one stage for a foul by O'Grady that clearly happened inside the square.

I wasn't basing my point on the results of the games - I was basing them on the clear evidence in front of my eyes. Even when we win this, we usually fade badly before the end.

To me the series underlines that claims that our top footballers train to the level of professional athletes is bullsh*t. We looked really good at the start of both games, but were swamped by the end by a team playing with an alien ball.
I'm not having a go at our players, they can't be expected to hold down a job and reach the top level of conditioning. But they also can't cod themselves that they're superfit - or jump down Jerry Kiernan's throat when he states the obvious.

Got the tactics wrong in playing a blanket and allowing the Aussies to rack up hundreds of hand-passes. Need to put more pressure on them in their half to force them to kick it.
Aidan O'Shea played ok but wrecked my head with his constant theatrics. He could learn from the opposition in that regard.

So sick of people talking about the money. Whether it's an important factor or not (I suspect it isn't), it is what it is, and I'd rather talk about the football.
So congratulations to the Dubs posters here, it's a magnificent side, and they're deserving champions.
As for us, I'm hoping the few green shoots we saw today might blossom into something really good around 2019/20, when our better players are in the 26-28 age group.

Despite what the Dubs have achieved over the past six years I've had enough bad days watching them that I would never go to a final assuming that they would win, and the same applies next Sunday. I expect Kildare to arrive very well prepared and they will not be turning up just to make up the numbers. I expect them to fight to the final whistle and I believe that they have a good chance of having their noses in front at the end. Of course I hope that the Dubs will come out on top but would never take a win for granted.

Cheers Jim.

Our formline not looking so convincing, considering we were edged by Galway and what the Jacks did to Roscommon

We had more possession than them though.
So... there's that.

Was thinking RTE just got that the wrong way round? Sky had it 60-40 in Kildare's favour.

So... there's not even that.

There's the seven All-Irelands though, should be enough to keep you going.

We had more possession than them though.
So... there's that.

Was thinking RTE just got that the wrong way round? Sky had it 60-40 in Kildare's favour.

Ciaran Whelan hit the nail on the head about Kildare needing to perform well in Croke Park. I think this is a year or two too soon for us to have a realistic chance of an upset win, but I'd be satisfied if we simply played well for most of the game to banish the hangover from the 2015 horror shows.

I've series record set on TSG, watched Down game live earlier & couldn't believe the standard of commentary so just gone back to check some of it now. Here's Martin Carney when asked to build up the game just prior to throw-in:
"Look at Down for openers, like in the last 3 years, they've played something I think like 7 games and in championship, they've only won 1 & that was eh eh against Leitrim I think in qualifiers"
WTF is that for delivery, it's a f*cking joke that we pay a license fee to listen to this chancer. Have Down played 7 games with only 1 championship win in last 3 years or is this what Martin thinks?? These are simple facts which should be easily delivered by someone with any competence. RTE are sadly lacking in this

Agree and also noticed Paul Earley on Sky talking about Carlow beating Wexford "in Wexford Park" and twice asserting that Carlow would go straight to round two of the qualifiers.
Too many of them see it as handy cash to talk shyte and don't do even the most basic preparation.

Should do a best 15 of June 1998-August 1998 next

They tried playing him at half back in the AFL which was stupid.

It's not really, would have zero chance of making it as a tall forward in that game. Pace and ability to read the game is what they're after, is why Kennelly, Clarke and Tuohy all did/are doing reasonably well at half-back.

Kildare

Stephen Cluxton
Marc O Se
Rory O'Carroll
Keith Higgins
Tomas O Se
Cian O'Sullivan
Karl Lacey
Dara O Se
Sean Cavanagh
Paul Flynn
Trevor Giles
Brian McGuigan
Colm Cooper
Padraic Joyce
Peter Canavan

I would differentiate between the full-forward and half-forward lines. Greg Blaney and Trevor Giles are very different types of player to Canavan and the Gooch.