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[Will their first 15 stay injury free (cause they have nothing on the Bench]

Have Donegal progressed from last year?  Do they have the same hunger? Will their first 15 stay injury free (cause they have nothing on the Bench). Maybe, but my money is on Tyrone.

Where in the name of God did you get the idea that Donegal have nothing on the bench!! During the league when there were up to 6 regulars missing then we were thin on the bench no doubt, but at full strength our bench is just fine. 

By that I mean Donegal's bench is nowhere near as strong as their first 15 and will struggle to replace anyone who gets injured. Your point of having 6 regulars missing during the league actually backs up my point as looked what happened to you without those players. Tyrone's bench is that bit stronger this year and they can make 3 or 4 changes without weakening the team. That can not be said for Donegal.

The quote you used was that Donegal have "nothing on the bench". If you meant something else, then say something else.
Of course Donegal's bench is not as strong as the first 15. If it was they would be on the team, but players like Christy Toye, David Walsh,  Dermot Molloy & Martin McElhinney featured in just about every game last year. The only reason they are not better known is that Donegal went through the whole campaign with virtually no injuries so they never got a chance to play 70 mins.

And when these players got their chance in the league - they were relegated! So are you saying that they weren't really trying in the league? Surely they'd have been breaking their balls to break onto the starting 15? Or are they just not good enough? In which case it's a fair assessment to question the quality of the Donegal bench!

Fair enough Donegal were relegated but the division was so tight that at one point in the second half Donegal were only two points short of being in a semi final place. Nobody outclassed them & in the end the Donegal scoring difference was 0 wheras Kildare who qualified for the semis had a scoring difference of -8. Dublin apart there wasn't much between the other teams in Division 1

But Kildare had 8 points and Donegal had 5?

Correct, but the point that you were making was that the reason Donegal were relegated was because their subs were not up to the job. A kick of the ball one way or another would have seen a completely different league table. There was nothing between the teams in Div 1 this year, Dublin excepted, which is displayed by the fact that one team can get to the semi finals with a worse scoring difference than a team that gets relegated.

Donegal's style of play means teams aren't going to rack up big scores against them, so you'd expect their score difference to be low. Donegal have made a habit of winning those tight games - in this league campaign they didn't - why not? I'd say its because the replacement players are short of the quality needed and if Donegal have injuries to a few key men - especially Murphy and McFadden then they will struggle, just like Tyrone did when they lost key men in 06 and 09. I'd say in 2013 Tyrone may be more able to absorb injuries than Donegal. But we'll wait and see.

They were only one point better the previous year, & this year came into the league just after winning an All Ireland, playing their club championship, celebrating & travelling all round with the cup & to cap it all went on holiday in January. Add that to the injuries & it is no wonder things didn't go great. Look I know as well as anyone that the odds of winning again this year are stacked against them, history tells us that. It was just the line that said we had "nothing on the bench" that got me going a bit. Like you say time will tell but a good debate will keep us all going till then!!

I think you are over egging it. Donegal are a division 2 team. Tyrone are a full 8 places ahead of them, I think Donegal in 5 months will still be on division 2, Tyrone will be looking at all Ireland s

Haha dream on. What you are looking forward to is what we had last year only in reverse!!!!

[Will their first 15 stay injury free (cause they have nothing on the Bench]

Have Donegal progressed from last year?  Do they have the same hunger? Will their first 15 stay injury free (cause they have nothing on the Bench). Maybe, but my money is on Tyrone.

Where in the name of God did you get the idea that Donegal have nothing on the bench!! During the league when there were up to 6 regulars missing then we were thin on the bench no doubt, but at full strength our bench is just fine. 

By that I mean Donegal's bench is nowhere near as strong as their first 15 and will struggle to replace anyone who gets injured. Your point of having 6 regulars missing during the league actually backs up my point as looked what happened to you without those players. Tyrone's bench is that bit stronger this year and they can make 3 or 4 changes without weakening the team. That can not be said for Donegal.

The quote you used was that Donegal have "nothing on the bench". If you meant something else, then say something else.
Of course Donegal's bench is not as strong as the first 15. If it was they would be on the team, but players like Christy Toye, David Walsh,  Dermot Molloy & Martin McElhinney featured in just about every game last year. The only reason they are not better known is that Donegal went through the whole campaign with virtually no injuries so they never got a chance to play 70 mins.

And when these players got their chance in the league - they were relegated! So are you saying that they weren't really trying in the league? Surely they'd have been breaking their balls to break onto the starting 15? Or are they just not good enough? In which case it's a fair assessment to question the quality of the Donegal bench!

Fair enough Donegal were relegated but the division was so tight that at one point in the second half Donegal were only two points short of being in a semi final place. Nobody outclassed them & in the end the Donegal scoring difference was 0 wheras Kildare who qualified for the semis had a scoring difference of -8. Dublin apart there wasn't much between the other teams in Division 1

But Kildare had 8 points and Donegal had 5?

Correct, but the point that you were making was that the reason Donegal were relegated was because their subs were not up to the job. A kick of the ball one way or another would have seen a completely different league table. There was nothing between the teams in Div 1 this year, Dublin excepted, which is displayed by the fact that one team can get to the semi finals with a worse scoring difference than a team that gets relegated.

Whatever about the McKeever case I could agree with O'Neill here. Donegal made a case of the alleged bite and went to the CCCC with it, then Donegal/McBearty drop it before the final hearing and the GAA can do nothing but declare the accused innocent.

If Donegal weren't happy to see the case through to the end then they shouldn't have bothered bringing it up in the first place. No fault of the CCCC

As I understand it the CCCC acted on foot of the referee's report not at Donegal's request.

[Will their first 15 stay injury free (cause they have nothing on the Bench]

Have Donegal progressed from last year?  Do they have the same hunger? Will their first 15 stay injury free (cause they have nothing on the Bench). Maybe, but my money is on Tyrone.

Where in the name of God did you get the idea that Donegal have nothing on the bench!! During the league when there were up to 6 regulars missing then we were thin on the bench no doubt, but at full strength our bench is just fine. 

By that I mean Donegal's bench is nowhere near as strong as their first 15 and will struggle to replace anyone who gets injured. Your point of having 6 regulars missing during the league actually backs up my point as looked what happened to you without those players. Tyrone's bench is that bit stronger this year and they can make 3 or 4 changes without weakening the team. That can not be said for Donegal.

The quote you used was that Donegal have "nothing on the bench". If you meant something else, then say something else.
Of course Donegal's bench is not as strong as the first 15. If it was they would be on the team, but players like Christy Toye, David Walsh,  Dermot Molloy & Martin McElhinney featured in just about every game last year. The only reason they are not better known is that Donegal went through the whole campaign with virtually no injuries so they never got a chance to play 70 mins.

I though the quote "they have nothing on the bench" is quite self explanatory. I hardly meant that they don't have any physical subs on the bench.

I take it to mean that the subs are useless. They are far from it.

[Will their first 15 stay injury free (cause they have nothing on the Bench]

Have Donegal progressed from last year?  Do they have the same hunger? Will their first 15 stay injury free (cause they have nothing on the Bench). Maybe, but my money is on Tyrone.

Where in the name of God did you get the idea that Donegal have nothing on the bench!! During the league when there were up to 6 regulars missing then we were thin on the bench no doubt, but at full strength our bench is just fine. 

By that I mean Donegal's bench is nowhere near as strong as their first 15 and will struggle to replace anyone who gets injured. Your point of having 6 regulars missing during the league actually backs up my point as looked what happened to you without those players. Tyrone's bench is that bit stronger this year and they can make 3 or 4 changes without weakening the team. That can not be said for Donegal.

The quote you used was that Donegal have "nothing on the bench". If you meant something else, then say something else.
Of course Donegal's bench is not as strong as the first 15. If it was they would be on the team, but players like Christy Toye, David Walsh,  Dermot Molloy & Martin McElhinney featured in just about every game last year. The only reason they are not better known is that Donegal went through the whole campaign with virtually no injuries so they never got a chance to play 70 mins.

And when these players got their chance in the league - they were relegated! So are you saying that they weren't really trying in the league? Surely they'd have been breaking their balls to break onto the starting 15? Or are they just not good enough? In which case it's a fair assessment to question the quality of the Donegal bench!

Fair enough Donegal were relegated but the division was so tight that at one point in the second half Donegal were only two points short of being in a semi final place. Nobody outclassed them & in the end the Donegal scoring difference was 0 wheras Kildare who qualified for the semis had a scoring difference of -8. Dublin apart there wasn't much between the other teams in Division 1

[Will their first 15 stay injury free (cause they have nothing on the Bench]

Have Donegal progressed from last year?  Do they have the same hunger? Will their first 15 stay injury free (cause they have nothing on the Bench). Maybe, but my money is on Tyrone.

Where in the name of God did you get the idea that Donegal have nothing on the bench!! During the league when there were up to 6 regulars missing then we were thin on the bench no doubt, but at full strength our bench is just fine. 

By that I mean Donegal's bench is nowhere near as strong as their first 15 and will struggle to replace anyone who gets injured. Your point of having 6 regulars missing during the league actually backs up my point as looked what happened to you without those players. Tyrone's bench is that bit stronger this year and they can make 3 or 4 changes without weakening the team. That can not be said for Donegal.

The quote you used was that Donegal have "nothing on the bench". If you meant something else, then say something else.
Of course Donegal's bench is not as strong as the first 15. If it was they would be on the team, but players like Christy Toye, David Walsh,  Dermot Molloy & Martin McElhinney featured in just about every game last year. The only reason they are not better known is that Donegal went through the whole campaign with virtually no injuries so they never got a chance to play 70 mins.

Would be a bit concerned alright.

From a betting perspective I'd put Tyrone as favourites at the moment to win Ulster even though they were 7/2 with powers a few weeks ago.

Not much time to get a new gameplan into action considering everyone knows the old one inside out by now.

Alot of predictable long balls up to Murphy and seemingly few reliable scoring options outside him and McFadden.

Back door option looms large I feel. Tyrone would need to have a bad day . Even with an extra man they were well better than us in the league game.

I have to assume that you are a Donegal man from your use of the word "us". If that is the case then your knowledge of Donegal's tactics in championship games is lamentable. You state that everyone knows their "old" gameplan. A wee test for you then, explain it.
As for the league game, that was a league game, in winter, in Omagh, a world of difference from a championship game, in summer in Ballybofey.

[Will their first 15 stay injury free (cause they have nothing on the Bench]

Have Donegal progressed from last year?  Do they have the same hunger? Will their first 15 stay injury free (cause they have nothing on the Bench). Maybe, but my money is on Tyrone.

Where in the name of God did you get the idea that Donegal have nothing on the bench!! During the league when there were up to 6 regulars missing then we were thin on the bench no doubt, but at full strength our bench is just fine. 

Karl Lacey to make his comeback appearance in a league game against Kilcar. As things stand Donegal have a fully fit squad to pick from.

Though how many of them will be match fit.

It all depends on your definition of match fit. At the moment they are doing 3 nights intensive fitness training plus a league match for their clubs every weekend. I would have thought that seven weeks of that level of preparation would have you ready for action.

True, they are not playing matches as a county team but then neither is anyone else.

Karl Lacey to make his comeback appearance in a league game against Kilcar. As things stand Donegal have a fully fit squad to pick from.

Very enjoyable game but to read anything from it into championship form would be a mistake.

Think we're quiet happy! We dug out win in tight game against blanket defence!

Hill
If you think that was a blanket defence you are in for quite a shock later this summer

Jesus, you're not still on about this are you?
I wouldn't mind if there was one new fact to be gleaned but there isn't just more & more outlandish conspiracy theories.
I have a new one, Maybe JMcG bit him!!!

Some of the conspiracy theories here are  very entertaining.

Look, the truth of the matter is that we will never know what actually happened during that day. Neither will we know what evidence the CCCC considered because they won't tell us.
Everything else is just smoke & mirrors & does nobody any favours.

It's over, Just move on everyone, there is nothing to see here.