Messages

Bring Dennis Hollywood on.

The shots that were coming off for Armagh last year not coming off today.

Some move. On the time thing I don't understand why the clock goes on before the ref blows the whistle to allow the free to be hit. 

Far more mobility in the Dublin team.Tyrone keeping in it rightly though.

Donegal don't play to the new rules. Too risk averse in shooting, don't kick enough and still need precision in kick outs.

That said I still wouldn't be surprised if they win...

Also no one seems to give meath a chance. I could see them winning.

Very little talk of Tyrone Dublin on this thread.

I think this too. Find it hard to believe Kerry won't really put it up to Armagh or beat them. That said paudie Clifford a loss as I think he makes them tick.

It has the same kind of likelihood as casement getting built. Another ongoing saga with just one roadblock after another and mounting costs as this happens.

"Thems the Rules" and it's the same qualification criteria for next year's system.

Maybe you might explain the rules to Milltown Row2 - he seems to think that Kildare & Offaly will be in Sam next year.
Not necessarily so - if the are both relegated from NFL Div2 then then will play in Tailteann Cup (of course Kildare may qualify for Sam by winning this year's Tailteann Cup.

Take a scenario where Antrim & Laois top Division 3 next year. They too could well be denied a place in 2026 Sam Maguire and then be relegated the following year meaning never getting opportunity to play in Sam Maguire.

The door from TC Cup to Sam Maguire is narrow and the gap in standards is widening all the time.

If only antrim could win division 3 next year...

Do you think the TC is widening it though? Funny I think Down and now Kildare have basically had the boot up the arse they needed because they should be better than they are. Westmeath are a funny one - they seem to have lost a few and are about yo yo level. I thought they were unlucky in the league but then if you want to be in the sam maguire you would need to be beating wicklow.

Clare were whipping boys this year. You have the likes of derry having to play dublin galway and armagh and then teams in clare's group just needed to beat clare to go through. Something has got to give there.

The numbers being talked about there are absolutely insane. 1.2 million a year in salaries in a Gaa club... nuts.

All you have to do is look at the Kevin Cassidy and Declan Bogue thing. He does the everyone is out to get us thing and it is not new. There's nothing new in how he is conducting himself.

I don't understand why Kerry are being written off - Armagh should be slight favourites but no more than that.

Meath wouldn't be a big surprise either - they have beat Dublin and Kerry and Galway have been hit and miss.

I wouldn't be surprised if Tyrone get hammered or I wouldn't be surprised if they won.

I couldn't see Monaghan winning though Donegal would need their second half form rather than their first from the weekend.

What about fans who are down there every year   

I think it's a good competition. I probably come from a different place though as my county has won maybe half a dozen provincial championship matches in my life and that's getting closer to half a century than I would care for it to be 

FWIW I don't think Fermanagh were particularly up for it this last few years but were this year. I do think it will get them better as where they are at the minute(particularly in ulster) then they are likely to be beat in the first game unless they get antrim (Cavan and Down maybe they would fancy themselves against but I wouldn't be so sure). Maybe if it were more open in the next round or two then they might take a few scalps but the way it is they can blood players, get a run of confidence etc and I don't think that would happen in an A championship only.

What odds were they?

I think this manager they have is a very capable boy. It's unlikely they'll beat cork but if he gets a bit of time to develop players then they might become a much bigger threat in Leinster.

Galway have become shockingly bad which is surprising with the manager though he didn't do great things in Dublin either. There's no way Galway should be as bad as they are.