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Jinxy where are these counties not screaming for change? These counties have delegates on provincial councils and as far as I am aware there's not been one motion at Congress to change the format and/or introduce a second tier. I stand to be corrected but that's my belief.

The reality is there is no appetite for it.

Also don't want to be too harsh on Longford who to be fair have reached 4 Leinster u21 finals since 2003 and have won a Leinster minor championship. Also knocked Derry out twice and have beaten teams like Cavan and Mayo in the last 5 years while also reaching Division 2 for a period. So clearly there is good work going there.

But they went out today expecting to be beaten like that and Dublin duly obliged. Sheedy hadn't them prepared at all and had the audacity to try and moan about the Tyrone and Donegal match in his interview.

My concern here is the sympathy being extended towards Longford. I thought many of their players were hopeless today (a few exceptions) as was their manager. I've a feeling he sent them out knowing no matter what the result, there'd be this argument to fall back on. The wider discussion of championship imbalance should not distract from a very poor performance by Longford.

Why did Jack Sheedy start banging on about Tyrone and Donegal in his post match interview...i fail to follow what relevance that had to his team getting beat by 27 points.

wandering that meself!!

Also wondering the same thing.

It all ties in with the 'Everyone should get to play in Croke Park' type of thing we heard from Paul Barden before the game today.
Tell a player from Longford that he can either take a hammering from Dublin or he can play in a 2nd tier championship and he'd probably say the latter makes more sense (especially if you asked him now).
But, when you actually put him in that 2nd tier championship how will he react?
Well, we know how he'll react, because we've been here before.
Is it not just easier to let them risk a mauling at the hands of Dublin and then play a couple of qualifier games where they actually have a chance of getting a win?

Totally agree.

I found it hilarious that there was all this concern for what a result like that would do for Longford football yet not a mention of Waterford who lost by 22 points. These guys are sensationalist and produce the same analysis I would expect down in the pub. Why did Dessie Dolan not suggest an actual solution? For example how you would divide teams between tiers? Because next year Tipperary and Longford will both be Division 3 teams - should both be in a hypothetical second tier? Why did not analyse the Tipperary/Waterford game the same way they analysed the Dublin/Longford game? The Newstalk team of Parkinson, Devenney, Horan and Canavan are far superior to the majority of RTE analysts.

Hard to watch that

I had a bad day but that generally happens on Day 1 as I can never bring myself to back the Walsh/Mullins hotpots on Day One! Been that way the last 3-4 seasons. Have to say I never thought the 4-timer would still be on going to the last in the Mares. The bookies were all and truly stuffed up until that point.

Have to agree Donnellys Hollow - Faugheen could well be a multiple Champion Hurdle winner if he gets fortunate with injuries. It's early to be talking about next year's opposition but Jezki and The New One connections have a conundrum as regards what to do next. Douvan could realistically take the Irish 2m hurdling route allowing Faugheen take in a similar prep to this year.

Looking back at the day - Mullins domination today has got to be as close to perfection as you could have expected. First 2 home in the Supreme, Un De Sceaux so dominant in the Arkle, first 3 home in the Champion Hurdle, Annie Power falls at the last and he still wins with Glens Melody. The only way it could have been better was if Tell Us More or Alvisio Ville came 3rd and 4th in the Supreme and Perfect Gentleman won the 4-miler.

Hard luck to anyone on the 4-timer. I know they were all fav's and short ones at that but I never thought it'd be looking so comfortable coming to the last in the Mares - how unlucky is that. The other 3 were as impressive as you can get - career best from them all. What a day for Willie Mullins, still got the 4-timer himself!

[Annie Power]

Mares - Natural punters instinct in me is to take on Annie Power basically because she's too short and hasn't been seen in a year. Of course the ratings would say I'm mad, if I recall she has 7-8lbs for something like that in hand of her nearest rival, her stablemate and close to 20lbs ahead of many of her rivals. There's very little in the betting to oppose her with and it'll be a small e/w for me on the off chance she's isn't as good as the brilliant mare last year. Alan King runs two L'unique and The Pirates Queen - quick look through the form show both are decent but so is Carole's Spirit for former jockey Robbie Walford. First time blinkers, she's stays well and has a 5lb swing with another rival roday Bitofapuzzle, so perhaps a bit of e/w value. Very hard though when you haven't been following the mares races closely all season and where Annie Power and perhaps Glens Melody look the only genuine G1 horses on form so far.

[Kitten Rock]

Champion - Supposedly a 4 horse race I'm actually coming round to the idea of Kitten Rock or Arctic Fire getting into contention both of whom improving and probably unexposed. Assuming it does turn out to be a 4 horse race, the first one of the bunch I'll rule out is Jezki who has not reproduced his best form this season. My thinking is everything went his way last year, opposition falling or getting hampered or pulling too hard. Maybe the pace won't be as frenetic today and with conditions maybe not as optimal as last year, I'll look elsewhere. Hurricane Fly is a great warrior. Age is only a number - and he's looked as good as ever this year. A serious horse and forever a champion, I'd love to see him do it but the old adage, heart vs head thing, heart says yes he can win, head is saying otherwise. Faugheen is the most likely winner even if he hasn't beaten much. His most impressive win to-date was Punchestown last year and that's the reason he's hurdling this season and that's the reason he's here. He has jumping issues but he overcame them last year and he looks very strong. At the prices though, I marginally favour The New One. I think he has more in his favour today than all season, faster ground, back at Cheltenham, the smaller field and medium to fast pace should allow his jockey some room for manouevre. If he can overcome his jumping difficulties and get to the last in contention I think he'll finish very fast up the hill and win.

[Un De Sceaux]

Arkle - Un De Sceaux I can't add anything to the popular narrative surrounding this one. He's as exciting as you get but it's heart in the mouth stuff. He jumps so fast and so well and so accurately but he leaves himself so little room for error. If you weren't a horse racing follower you might get confused as one expert might tell you he's a brilliant jumper - another might say he could fall. In my opinion both are right. There is e/w value in the field though and I'll start by nominating Clarcam who is 2112 this season. He was impressive turning the form around with Vautour at Christmas, he jumps well and he has good Festival form from last year despite falling. Slight worry that he's a bit younger than everything else. I think he can get closer to Un De Sceaux in a bigger field with Un De Sceaux does not have such an easy time dictating plus the ground is better. Vibrato Valtat has been consistent but whatever it is about him, he has not really caught anyone's imagination. The reality is he's done anything but he faces a  stiff task against the Irish horses another of whom is Smashing already well beaten this season by Un De Sceaux. Josses Hill cannot win jumping the way he has so far and one would eyecatching one at a big price is Sail By The Sea who I only have come across in the last day or two but catches my eye due to the similarities with last year's winner. There's a whole pile of horses who'll be racing for second but if anything did happen Un De Sceaux, I'd go for Clarcam.

[Douvan]

Supreme - Usual Supreme story, competitive field full of promising horses with one horse being one of the punters bankers of Day One. Douvan only won the two races, both at tracks very different to Cheltenham although he did beat another who opposes him today in Sizing John, a good winner of a weak novice hurdle at Christmas (Nichols Canyon fell, McKinley injured). Not for me - too short, hasn't done enough to-date to justify his price, could well be the superstar but was in the Allez Colombieries shadow before that one died and interstingly the comparisons with Champagne Fever and Vautour are slightly misplaced as both of those NH bred, future staying chasers, this one is a flat bred speed merchant if anything. L'Ami Serge again not for me hasn't done enough or beaten enough to justify his price. Two for me are Tell Us More and Sizing John. Tell Us More looks very impressive winning back a few months ago and he jumped superbly well at Naas before either failing to get home or finding nothing off the bridle. Could well be given the Scorpion connection he's not genuine but he'll travel and jump well so I could see him getting into contention but maybe not seeing it out. Sizing John interestingly Jonny Burke does not think he was himself when losing to Douvan. He won a G1 since and comes here fresh. A leading Irish hope outside the Mullins batallion. Not sure Jollyallan jumps well enough by the way.

For the horse racing lads on here - if you were to back one horse at Cheltenham this week, who would it be?

Zarkandar

3 u21s in that Meath team, Harnan, Flanagan & Rooney.

Agree with Jinxie - looks Meath's best team bar those that are injured. I thought there was a place up for grabs in the forwards the last 2 games and I was surprised Carroll wasn't getting it. He has it now though. My other concern would be competition for places is weak enough although the plus side is it's a settled team. Can't have it both ways I suppose.

I could not be confident of a Meath victory but I'd be hopeful. Meath haven't looked good in either game so far but they are trying hard.

I would agree with the tone of the posts on here. The demands are too high. The training schedule of county teams might come as a surprise to some but the reality is it's not being exaggerated. Who's to blame though? Is it the GAA for allowing the culture of training like a professional get out of control?

A few weeks ago Colm O'Rourke questioned the GPA about it's role within the organization. The response from the players was a united one. I got the impression the players are okay with what's being asked of them. For me though, the only way the demands will stop increasing is if the players themselves take a stand. At present the rules and regulations are very grey around this. There's a collective training ban depending on when you're knocked out but we all know managers are exploiting this and finding ways around it. In fairness, was it this time last year, Wexford took a stand against an under-age manager who was asking too much? But at the end of the day if the players, the men and women who makes the games happen, are happy to continue training like mad, then nothing will change.

Also on the training schedule, I think some people might still have an idea of training involving players doing loads of laps and a game. Nowadays though, there are weights sessions, running sessions, nutrition sessions, ball-work sessions, video-analysis sessions, probably a few more things too. It's a 24/7 job too, it's not the physical work, it's the mental preparation too. For example your diet and your sleep. Neil McGee said recently you'd be getting your yourself psyched up for a Donegal training, the moment you got out of bed. That's the level you have to be operating at.

In my opinion doing something about the Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cups could really benefit the Spring calender. This is the time of year the burnout debate reaches it's peak because young players are potentially involved with college, u21 county, senior club, senior county multiplied by two for both codes.

I know the tradition that exists with these competitions but the tradition stems from a time when players could be away from home for several weeks and college football or hurling were a good way to keep playing at a high standard. They are now more of an inconvenience in the calender. Besides college is for education. The amount of colleges offering scholarships to young county players to beef up their Sigerson/Fitzgibbon team is ridiculous. Kind of unfair too that you have these lads getting into courses because of their sporting capabilities as opposed to intelligence.

I don't think the colleges would do away with them but maybe the GAA should try to do something to lessen their importance. Or maybe play them off in November and December.