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Looks like Tyrone will be in the semis after all

"Tyrone's sloppy first half performance was forgiven as they squeezed an eventual 13-point margin of victory puts them in a strong position to qualify, most likely as the best runner-up.
Their scoring average (1.34) is considerably stronger than that of Fermanagh (1.17), Down (1.16) and Derry (1.00). Armagh's stronger scoring average of 1.53 will have no impact if Tyrone beat Donegal, because the Orchard will either top section A and qualify automatically, or finish with fewer points than the Red Hands."

Tyrone were poor against mayo but there was only a point in it. Mickey is still the man for the job. the system has not let us down, the forwards and freetakers have. We aren't that far away

I'd agree Tyrone aren't that far away. If Tyrone had a McManus or O'Connor for hitting frees alone they'd have won an AI in the last 2 years. Surely that has to be remedied this season. Harte to take them on the right and someone else on the left, what about Matty Donnelly? He's seriously accurate from play from distance. Morgan shouldn't be let near a free ever again

The information that girl was tested for HIV/stds was in the public domain and that was the context for Gilroy to ask the question. He explained the context in the interview.
Being tested for stds implies sexual intercourse.

Where was that information in the public domain?

Statement by the father, presented to media,  read out on public radio. Did you not listen to the interview?
That defines 'information being in the public domain'.

If you show me where that information was in the public domain before the interview was broadcast, I'll take your point on board.

If you can't then your initial point has no weight.

Yes Bomber, I certainly wasn't aware of that before hearing the Newstalk interview & I've read the book & followed the story quite closely. You would wonder who's advising McCarron - he came across badly on Newstalk. He needs to wrap it up now, keep the head down & try to move on

Irish News All Star, Without doubt 1 of the 1st names on the Tyrone team sheet, Arguably drove his team to a county title (along with Bradley) but he is essential to their game plan and tactics, Did he score 2 in the County Final from Half Back??

You might be better finding that Fishing Board because you know nothing about Tyrone Football

guess it shows where tyrone football is at the minute when u think he is one of the first on the team sheet. if he were in dublin, kerry or mayo hed be out the door. but i dont mean to be disrespectful to the lad i just think there are much better footballers in the county. if we are gonna be serious about winning all irelands then we need the best we have on the field.

He is a unique player, he wins a lot of frees, the problem is we have no one to hit them. I would have him on in half back as he adds something different than any other team has. Jack mc caffrey probably the most similar player to him except Jack is a better shooter.

You my friend are talking rubbish

I'm not mad on him either - to compare him to Jack McCaffrey is a joke. In the big games he's been found short e.g. Kerry in 2015 and Mayo this year. He was really poor against Mayo, never ventured forward much or attempted to break the defensive line

I'd say Burns is well down the list of new faces who we will see next year unless he has made great strides at club level since last year.
Meyler was flying this year in the league games, looking very strong and fast running with the ball in hand. He looked to be ahead of McShane and Bradley before he got injured. I would expect them three plus Rory Brennan to be the main lads to become regulars from that u21 team. McGeary & Lee Brennan you would imagine will be next in line although young Kavanagh looked good from that team too as Norf said.
I'll be shocked if Mickey makes a space for Hampsey this year unless someone is out injured. He is very loyal to McCrory, McNamee and McCarron but I believe Hampsey played very well in the Tyrone championship.

Richie Donnelly is the player I was most disappointed with last year although I'm being quite hard on him as he and his brother have set the bar high. He shows glimpses of some amazing catches, point scoring and pieces of skill but he seems to fade out of matches a lot. He's 24 now I think so should be one of our better players rather than being in and out of the team but again maybe our system of play isn't bringing out the best in him.

I'm looking forward to the league and hopefully Mickey will try out a few of these lads and play a bit more attack minded but I doubt it. I think most of us were disappointed how we approached the Mayo game and despite the good wins over Derry and Cavan we didn't show so much of our pace from changing from defence into attack in the Donegal and Mayo games.

Was Richie Donnelly not one of our best players thoughout the league last year until he got injured? Didn't really make it back in after that tbf

Yes, Richie was really good during the league but then got injured after the Derry championship game & never really recovered fully. I'd have him in ahead of McShane - especially for his ability from long-range, remember he kicked 4 beauties from play against Derry in the league

A fair old hike in pay, if he was a Grade 7 Principal Information Officer in the Civil Service his top whack salary would have been £52k. Good luck to him.

He'll be hoping the salary's paid in Euro now!

Good quality game, Coalisland's shooting from distance was exceptional. As mentioned ref made a complete hash for the goal, awarding free the wrong way & then letting it be taken 20 yards from where the foul was. Hampsey was exceptional 1st half but quieter 2nd. Neither team had any bother pointing long range frees or 45's - should give Tyrone some coaching on it!

[I'd say neutrals wouldn't be sure about that]

MM do you really think many Mayo supporters would swap 26 year old Dean Rock for 24 year old Cillian? 

If we had 6 forwards who were kept scoreless from play for as long as the Dubs were we would be ridiculed from all quarters. But when the reverse occurs we are told to dump our lot and import the Dubs?

I think it's certainly true that Mayo get undue criticism from people about their forwards, however it is also true, in my opinion, that Mayo people have a very defensive attitude to criticism of the forwards, and maybe more pertinently their forward play in general. There is absolutely a lack of top quality, either individually or as a collective, in the forwards and that is what has, in my opinion, stopped them from taking that final step. Cillian O'Connor is a fine player, but if Paul Geaney was born in Mayo rather than Kerry, Mayo would probably have won by now. Or James O'Donoghue, or maybe even Michael Quinlivan or young Comer from Galway.

It's certainly not bottle, or fitness, or even defensive tactics that are causing them to lose, I think it's just that small bit of extra quality which is missing.

What is usually missing, is proper analysis. Usually it is' a lack of bottle' that is thrown at us, as a lazy stereotype. In fairness you ruled that out. Think Joe Brolly and his 'lazy celebrity' crap.

Regarding the Dubs, Paul Flynn and BB have been two of the best forwards of their respective types, that I have seen. But I wouldn't take them now. Mannion (24) and Costello (22) look good prospects, but do we throw away Diarmuid O'Connor (21), Evan Regan (23)  and Conor Loftus (21) for them? I'd say neutrals wouldn't be sure about that, never mind Mayo fans.

Anyone would take Connolly, but not with his form against us. Kilkenny would obviously be very desirable, but would we swap AOS? McLoughlin is a big favourite with Mayo fans (I don't like seeing him as a sweeper) but I can't see Mayo fans willing to trade him either.

After 160 mins there was no more than a kick of a ball, a player's mistake or a referee's decision in it, depending on who you listen to. What wasn't the difference (read the thread above), imho, was that one set of forwards were world class, while the others set should be scrapped. Of course Mayo fans will be defensive when we read that sort of lazy analysis.

I'd take Mannion & Costello every day of the week.

Same here, this is a ridiculous argument. I remember a Mayo fan at the start of the summer raving about this guy Regan, he was sensational against Down in the league etc. etc. I laughed & said let's see what he does come August/September. If they were so good why didn't they play in the 2 finals? DOC was rubbish too - and if he was injured then he shouldn't have been playing & some of these other "star" forwards should have played instead

[That may all be true Lar but we didn't lose to Donegal because of those yellow cards and we didn't lose the 2013 final because McQuillan let the Dubs be aggressive/physical.]

Seems a bit excessive this time though. Connolly is no saint and Cavanagh was a villain until a year or two ago and is now whiter than white making Keegan look bad. Sure Crowley was always as bad on Cavanagh anyway when he marked him.

Do you not just think it is a case of the Dubs camp taking advantage of the newspapers that are desperate to sell papers? With Dublin being where they will sell the most papers , having a piece with some ex Dublin hero attached to it is going to sell more copy than with an ex Mayo stars' name attached to it.

If the Dubs think they will sink Mayo by pressurising a ref to book or send off Keegan through the papers then let them at it but I think they have gone way over the top this week and it could well backfire on them.

id seriously worry about Deegan he seems a very weak willed character that the crowd know they can get at , like a lot of refs he seems to pick a few rules to ref on a certain day and ignore 90% of the rest of whats going on

You are dead right, ros.
Deegan can be easily influenced by what he reads in the papers. Remember the AI against Donegal when Brolly had waged a one man war against Horan and the team after the win over Dublin.
Mayo started off badly and the backs were totally disorganised as Donegal mounted attack after attack. Both Boyle and Vaughan got yellow cards in the opening few minutes for fouling their markers. But even the commentators were amazed that Deegan would dish them out that early in the game before the players had a chance to settle down.
They fouled alright but getting a yellow at any stage of the game would have been harsh.
Brolly saw things in that game that nobody else saw. 
He capped it all by saying that he had a few pints with Pat Gilroy afterwards and Gilroy was "seething" at Mayo's tactics. 
Now, the thick plottens as my Connemara buddy used to say......
Dublin was the side that came to the game with a reputation for heavy tactics and oin the first few minutes, McStay and his co-commentator were amazed at some of their tackles  that McQuillen was letting go.
No doubt Dublin were giving better than they got but Brolly saw otherwise.
Deegan was watching every Mayo move but saw sweet feck all wrong with Donegal's tactics. At that  time, Donegal had an even worse reputation than Dublin for sneaky stuff.
So I am worried that Deegan could be influenced by the witch hunt against Keegan and pay no attention to McMahon at the other end.

That may all be true Lar but we didn't lose to Donegal because of those yellow cards and we didn't lose the 2013 final because McQuillan let the Dubs be aggressive/physical. If Lee gets the line unfairly while it piss me off big time I don't think it would stop Mayo from winning on Sat and anyway if Deegan does book Lee early he is the type of Ref that won't give him a second yellow (because it is an All Ireland final) unless Lee karate kicks him to the head or tears his arm off!!!

Nah, but the point I was making is that Deegan can be influenced by what he reads.

Deegan was influenced in last years semi-final against Kerry by RTE's montage of Tyrone "dark arts" against Monaghan in the quarter-final.

Tyrone had a stone-wall penalty shout denied in the last 5mins & McNulty booked for diving instead.

I thought there were previous examples of a point not being given (or the opposite) and the match being replayed in the men's game?
Did this not happen this year in the Christy Ring final?

With the evidence as clear as it is from the TV replays then why do they not have a good case?

Christy Ring was different - a point was awarded correctly but not added to the scoreboard. Dubs shouldn't be crying, point was in the 1st half & they were by far 2nd best in the 2nd half. Only for a last second penalty they were well beat.

Standard was brutal apart from some great scores in the 2nd half by Cork FF

Zulu I think the important point is having some affiliation with a club in Dublin. My kids are club members in Dublin and I know a few Dub players and would feel very uncomfortable if I had to ref a Dublin game if I was a ref.

I'm a club member in Dublin now as kids are too but I'd be perfectly comfortable reffing the Dubs & giving decisions against them 😛

You'll see a time when your kids will stand on the Hill in blue supporting the Dubs - even when they're playing Tyrone.

Tell me about it, they're already cheering on the Dubs! They were laughing in Omagh the last time Tyrone played them there & Dubs scored 2 goals in the 1st 5mins - they didn't get any treats bought for them at ht that day!

Zulu I think the important point is having some affiliation with a club in Dublin. My kids are club members in Dublin and I know a few Dub players and would feel very uncomfortable if I had to ref a Dublin game if I was a ref.

I'm a club member in Dublin now as kids are too but I'd be perfectly comfortable reffing the Dubs & giving decisions against them 😛

Just on the issue of where a ref lives, works etc. I don't understand why the GAA would leave possible question marks when hiring a referee. Hughes getting Monaghan games when he lives near boarder. Cormac Reilly getting Cavan games. There is a big panel. Get a ref with no connection what so ever. In Premier League Kevin Friend is not allowed referee Leicester because he lives there. I don't think Gough affected the result because beat team won but why have a question mark at all. It happens all year long throughout the country.

Ireland is too small a country - it's too easy to come up with possible connections across counties e.g. relations, residence etc. And you'd be excluding the 2 best refs at the minute from doing Dublin games - Gough & Coldrick - so with Dubs current dominance you'd be effectively ruling them out of reffing an AI Final which seems unfair.

[When this great team is gone then order will be restored for you.]

Did someone say Gough is a teacher who lives and works in Dublin but he represents Meath at intercounty level?

You have to wonder does that impact on a ref to any extent when he knows if he makes a bad call against Dublin then he will be hearing about it the next day at work or from his neighbours whereas if it had of been a Ulster ref he wouldn't have cared about any such bad calls.

I just think the Crowley one was so obviously a foul and if it had of happened near the start of the game it would have been given and maybe a yellow card. If he had of given it and it was a draw would so many of you be saying the ref did quite well?

On top of that Gough is on the Dublin team's payroll, regularly coming in to referee A v B games at €80 a pop. It also gives the Dublin team extra info on what he blows for and what he lets go.

They get in multiple referees, as do other counties, its whats been done for years so please try and find another excuse!

Yeah but he's been hired by Dublin over a dozen times and has yet to be hired by Kerry, so he clearly knows what side of his bread is buttered and was hardly going to do anything last Sunday to jeopardise this nice little earner. If you think there's nothing wrong with a ref refereeing a game between a county he's getting regular payments from and a county he's getting nothing from you must work for the Olympic council.

That would be a failing by Kerry id imagine, Are you scruff Parkinson in disguise. The result of the match was 1. Kerry couldn't close out the game and 2. The Dubs finished the strongest. But to make it fair we will get a Kerry Ref the next match.

Bottom line, the Dubs are the better team and Kerry were lucky to be so close with two flukey goals.

Enjoy the final.

Dear Mayo,

Please Win.

kind regards,

31

Its all been the 31 v 1, throw in New York and London too.

We prefer it that way and it makes winning so much more enjoyable to know its gets to you all so much.

But it saying that its easier to say things on forums, talking in person with people from different counties especially in work its basically " it was a great game, could have gone either way, should be a good final" etc.

It was an absolutely brilliant game imo, but is there any need to whinge and back slap yourself so much in victory?

16 years of abuse from the rest of the country so yes, we do. When this great team is gone then order will be restored for you.

Not an effin' hope.
Dublin's domonance can be put down to a lot of factors but the idea that this talented side just sort of all came together at the same time is pure BS.
Remember 2010 when Meath put five past Cluxton.
Don't forget the Meath side were piss-poor too as Louth beat them fair and square in the final.
Yet after that, the Dublin board got its act together and came up with the "Blue Wave" project; they won the AI the very next year.
You cannot say that sheer talent alone did that for them.

You have 28% of the Republic''s population;' at least a dozen clubs with more underage players than a half dozen entire counties; no problem with players having to cross the country for training and 49% of the total money for GDA from the GAA.
By comparison, Kerry has just over 10% of Dublin's population so the scope for sponsorship is greatly reduced; many players face longer distances to training sessions than even Mayo or Donegal and Kerry don't get to play all their competitive matches on their home pitch.
Apart from all that, you could say the there is little between the teams.
BTW, I don't blame Jim Gavin or anyone connected with the GAA in Dublin for this; they are just making use of the favourable factors that propelled them to the top, where they wll be there or thereabouts for decades to come.
That dominance is the result of socioeconomic factors with the population along the east coast increasing at a great rate and rural depopulation devastating all regions along the west coast.
No problems with Dublin GAA but there is no way you can say Dublin is just blessed with a fine team because of natural talent alone.

Again with the population, Dublin's senior football playing population is division 1-3, 1.5 million play senior Men's Gaelic football, think about what your saying.

None of this was a problem when we were being laughed out the gate by Kerry and Tyrone and to the joy of so many people in the country.

To me they are the greatest team of all time and play the best football, total football, all heros and gents.

Anyway nearly time to move on now, your hope for relief lies with Mayo now.

Of course population is a factor. The top 3 divisions in Dublin are way stronger than equivalents in any other county purely due to the playing population in Dublin - sure some clubs have several adult teams so the best players in those will filter up to the Div1 team.

Plus the Dublin clubs have full-time paid youth coaches who can visit schools multiple times a week to help with coaching kids.

It's ridiculous to say population/money are not a factor in Dublin's dominance 

I was at the game on Sunday & couldn't help but think Tyrone are light years behind Dublin. Yes, Rock showed the value of a reliable free-taker - he only missed one & many of his efforts were from sizeable distances &/or awkward angles. Also JOD scored a point for Kerry from almost the exact spot where McCurry missed against Mayo. Those 2 things sum up where Tyrone are at for me, the forward power just isn't there at the minute. McCurry, RON, McAliskey, Bradley would struggle to get on the Dublin 26 never mind the 1st XV.

Tyrone's best finishers are arguably Mattie & Peter Harte but you couldn't play them inside as they're needed out the pitch. Plus with the current system they'd be totally wasted in there as nobody would pass the ball into them!

After the euphoria of the Ulster Final win it's a bit of a downer as an AI title doesn't look very probable in the next few years.