Later GAA Football Power Rankings

[Dinny Breen]

http://eircomsports.eircom.net/News/news/gaa/TheChampionshipPowerRankingsJune20.aspx

Ewan MacKenna

1. Cork (No change from last week's ranking)
All roads lead to Killarney, but they were never going to take this side anywhere else. In fact, so emphatic have they been that they're the only team in the country so far this season who have inadvertently put forward the idea of a two-tier championship.

Consider the battles on and off the field this group have been through and you'll realise that saying last September was a victory for persistence rather than excellence isn't the insult it initially appears. From the problems with their own county board to their problems with Kerry and Croke Park, it took a mentally superb team to finally fall over the finishing line. Thing is, that win has helped this side evolve into a superb team when it comes to playing ability as well.

A group of once-flaky forwards kicked more points than anyone else this league if you take out Kilkenny's results, with Daniel Goulding and Donnacha O'Connor casting off self-doubt and Pearse O'Neill and Ciaran Sheehan shedding poor form. Throw in potential Player of the Year Paddy Kelly and the speed of Paul Kerrigan and suddenly their scoring power looks up there with their towering midfield, rugby league-like physicality and the drive that begins at the back. The only pity is Colm O'Neill won't get to develop with that forward unit in 2011 because of injury.

But as much as being All Ireland champions has improved Cork, it's raised a question and a nagging doubt that facile wins over Clare and Waterford just couldn't answer. The pain of losing initially brought Noel O'Leary and Michael Shields to Rylane Boxing Club in winter and last season the whole side danced on the canvas. But without pain, how will they react and where will the desperation to succeed come from when they face another contender? Graham Canty, Nicholas Murphy and O'Leary were old dogs for the hard road, but this is now a different road and while their journey to the top was tougher than most, it won't be any tougher than staying put on their perch. Were eased into the summer by Clare and Waterford but we won't learn much about their drive for a double-double until that Munster final in Killarney.

2. Kerry (-)
Like Cork, we won't know until these top two put antler to antler. What we do know is that Kerry are still right up near the top of the food chain. The wonderful interchange of their forwards at the Gaelic Grounds against Limerick underlined what a threat they still are going into the summer.

So far, the positives have been many: Kieran Donaghy, against poor opposition, showed the sort of form that will likely win an All Star a few months down the line and maybe even a Footballer of the Year accolade if his county go all the way; the Gooch keeps on kicking with another seven points; and Declan O'Sullivan is still arguably the most effective player in Ireland. On top of that, Tom O'Sullivan really came back into form and Marc Ó Sé once again looked solid at three.

But there has been a downside too. This group must be mentally strong to have won so much and to have conquered all before them. Which raises the question about why they lack such discipline. A meaningless early Munster win against Tipperary was turned by Kerry into a newsworthy event for no other reason than the fact they are susceptible to being wound up. They can publicly blame whoever and whatever they want, but like before, they have no one to blame but themselves. Now more than at any stage over the past 15 years, they need every one of their senior players each Sunday. Suddenly though, they don't have Tomás Ó Sé until the All Ireland quarter-finals. What's worse is that his red card casts a shadow over all the positives and hope that came flooding forward from the league and that Limerick win.

For the first time in an age, they don't look as strong as Cork on paper, with major problems around the middle, but while being declared team of the decade left them without a sense of mission, that has now returned and there is no more dangerous side when there is a chip on their shoulder and there is a point to prove. As long as they have their full compliment that is, and play ball with their heads and feet, not their fists.

3. Dublin (-)
Laois provided little or no contest for Dublin at Croke Park in the Leinster quarter-final and, on another day, what was an eight-point win could have been double that. Eoin Culliton pulled off a trio of wonderful saves before Diarmuid Connolly – who was rather wasteful on the day – slipped one through his legs. Bernard Brogan was not quite his usual deadly self but what we saw from brother Alan and Co means they will again go close later in the year. Pat Gilroy's team work harder than anyone else and while Darragh Ó Sé wrote recently that emptying the tank so early in games will cost them against the best sides, most will not get to the 60-minute mark retaining any hope of overtaking them.

But as much as finally reaching that national final this season was a serious accomplishment, not to mention the manner they went about it where they scored 18 goals in eight games, outside of Tyrone last year Dublin still haven't won that game against a heavyweight when the safety net has been taken away. The saying still holds true that while Dublin don't lose to lesser teams, they don't beat better teams either.

If this group didn't realise the importance of winning a league title during those cold 6am training sessions in Clontarf in January, they will have since the league final defeat. After all, before them that day was a team that evolved on the back of winning the league. As much as you need to lose one to win one, Dublin have lost too many. Yes, they have the players to go a long way, especially with Eamonn Fennell returning to the fold in a recent challenge game, but you wonder if they have the defence and more importantly the belief to go all the way and you wonder when their predictable counter-attacking style will be exploited by the opposition.

4. Tyrone (-)
Referee Cormac Reilly handed out 14 yellow cards in their game against Monaghan and the two that saw Dick Clerkin sent off after a half hour had a massive impact. But it was the Tyrone experience (and with seven starters being 30-plus, there was plenty) of Stephen O'Neill, Sean Cavanagh and Brian McGuigan that allowed them to squeeze through. Only just though, particularly when you consider the teams were separated by 10 points in last year's Ulster final and Monaghan are now in a transition period.

But it's too easy to forget they are reigning Ulster champions and could have won an All Ireland were it not for the bounce of the ball of a post in the quarter-final last season. Recently spent time being guided through a flexibility programme by the renowned Ger Hartmann in the University of Limerick but you get the feeling it's come along too late for the likes of Brian Dooher, O'Neill and Conor Gormley. And yet they are still so dependent on those three and so many of the names that were lighting up the summer six years ago.

A look through the teamsheet shows so many big names are still there, but that is part of the problem. As much as Mickey Harte's loyalty is admirable, a once pioneering side could learn from Cork's use of the bench and the Munster side's mix of youth and experience. Outside of Collie McCullough, Peter Harte and now Mark Donnelly, so few have broken through since 2005 and this in a county that has won three of the last four Ulster minor titles and two of the last three All Ireland minor titles. Instead the likes of Niall McKenna have been left to rot and regress on the bench. It's a numbers game and Tyrone need to realise it's about more than a mere 15 if they are to go all the way.

5. Kildare (-)
Though Brian Farrell was harshly sent off for Meath and Graham Geraghty's goal should have been allowed, Kildare deserved to win that game at a canter and it says something about this side that they can beat their great rivals without hitting anywhere near top speed. A big problem is that James Kavanagh hasn't found the starter on his engine yet as he could have had a couple of goals against Banty's side but it's been like that for Kildare as they have racked up an amazing 35 wides in two games.

All the same, you can see the raw materials are there – not to mention one of the most refined gems in Johnny Doyle and underrated footballers in Eamonn Callaghan – and Kieran McGeeney has put together a formidable unit. He doesn't want to hear about them being the fittest side in Gaelic football nor is he willing to say if the team are better than last year but so what, the clash against Dublin will answer both questions. It's that game that will define their season and it's why it's so important that Daryll Flynn returns.

Meath floundered badly in the Leinster quarter-final and Wicklow were eventually a walkover. It was easy for those sitting at home to criticise Kildare's shooting in that Wicklow game, but you had to be in O'Moore Park to get a sense of a wind that changed direction as often as it changed strength. But the positives should bury the 12 of 40 scoring opportunities taken that day and they range from Michael Foley's continuing growth into the full-back role, Hugh Lynch's efforts in the middle, Doyle filling in for Dermot Earley in body as well as soul and Tomas O'Connor's impact close to goal.

The circle seems to continue with Kildare. Good summer, creating high hopes, followed by a disappointing league, only for it all to begin again and any rust that formed over the colder months was brushed away in their opener. It's about timing with McGeeney and while it was off last year leading to that opening game defeat to Louth, it seems spot on this championship. But don't forget how bad the opposition were and don't forget a provincial title is a big ask this time around. When they play bigger and better teams, you get the feeling they are lightweight at midfield without Earley's guidance, are missing an All Star in corner-back Peter Kelly and you still wonder if all six forwards can turn them into the highest-scoring team in the nation for a second successive year, especially on the back of a league where they averaged less than 12 points per game and just half a goal per game.

6. Down (+1)
Armagh's collapse doesn't do them any favours but for a number of reasons it's too easy to describe them as one hit-wonders, unable to produce that difficult second album. Firstly, the qualifiers can do a confidence team like Down so much good. Secondly, they've been here before, just as they've been to the All Ireland final before. And thirdly, they can take solace in the fact that to produce a true heavyweight fight like that in the Athletic Grounds, it takes two serious opponents. In fact watching them fall made you think of just how important the qualifiers are to football, because to lose a team like this in May under the old system would lessen the championship as a whole.

But just as they showed in the league they are contenders, they showed in Armagh that to maintain their status as one of the best in the country, the likes of Kevin McKernan, Peter Fitzpatrick, Danny Hughes and Mark Poland will need another defining season while Benny Coulter will need to keep getting goals. On top of all that Marty Clarke needs to up his game to 2010 levels. They'll have plenty of game time to do all that now and we expect to see them much further down the line, despite the setback. Will annihilate Clare next day out and that will get the juggernaut rolling.

7. Donegal (+1)
It's not pretty but it's plenty effective and against Antrim and Cavan what we suspected all along came to pass. Now, after proving they are a legitimate top-eight team, they have the chance against Tyrone to prove they are a team capable of collecting silverware. Michael Murphy's revoked suspension will help in that aim as will the emerging influence of minor star Paddy McBrearty who could yet be a major factor in 2011, and of course beyond.

Under McGuinness the county has its most dedicated team in an age and their hassling and harrying at the back in Ulster so far shows as much. That they gave up their pre-championship night out, instead taking in the Scottish League Cup final back in March is another example of the unity and organisation in the group. The Ulster semi-final will be defining but belief is back under a man that should have been given the job before now. Have a chance at an Ulster title but even if that doesn't happen, anything less than an All Ireland quarter-final will be a disappointment and that shows how far they've come so quickly.

8. Mayo (+1)
Yes, yes, we saw it too. But there's no point in over-the-top reactions or in moving them down the rankings on the back of a freak occasion. As much as they could, and should, have been on the end of one of the greatest ever shocks the game has seen, they weren't. Their league solidity showed it was a bad day and despite their trip to London, this is a side that is gradually growing under James Horan. Consider this. In 2006 they didn't get us all hot and bothered during an opening-day win in Ruislip either and ended the year in the All Ireland final. We aren't saying that will happen again but they are still the best team in Connacht and outside of Andy Moran and Alan Dillon, every other player has so much to work on and so few excuses not to improve hugely ahead of the Galway game.

[Dinny Breen]

9. Monaghan (+1)
A loss with asterisks is still a loss but there are still a few golden stars to plant on their copybook too. Last season Tyrone beat them by 10 points in the Ulster final whereas 14-man (eventually 13-man) Monaghan held the provincial champions to within two at Omagh just a year later. Dick Clerkin was sent off five minutes before half-time and it was a decision that irked manager Eamonn McEneaney. But his revamped team, which included six debutants, battled valiantly on the way to defeat. One statistic that stood out from the game was that Monaghan out-fouled Tyrone by 37 to 20, something they may need to keep an eye on, even if referee Cormac Reilly gave only six of his 14 yellows to them before also showing red to Dessie Mone late on.

They may not have won a whole lot at underage but McEneaney has at least recognised the quality of player Monaghan's under-21 and minor teams have been spluttering out over the last few years and gave youth its chance during the league. They rewarded him too and were unlucky to go down. It's transition time and this summer there'll still be an over reliance on Paul Finlay but the county are at least rebuilding in terms of both personnel and style, with the next generation being given a chance to express themselves on the ball rather than the quick-release style of recent seasons. Offaly should be cannon fodder in the qualifiers.

10. Derry (+1)
Just the one place gained after that performance? It's because so often with Derry we've seen sunshine followed rapidly by rain. But against Armagh it was all sunshine. Their midfield cleaned up, Eoin Bradley was unmarkable with the supply of ball that was aimed at him and the defence was crowded and chaotic. In essence, John Brennan got every little thing right. Now for the hard part and building on expectation and beating either Donegal or Tyrone to win an unlikely provincial title. Mickey Harte or Jimmy McGuinness won't be as naïve tactically as Armagh were, and while a good start to the season is half the battle, there's still a huge battle. Given how this team have flopped so often in recent seasons, it'll take an Ulster title to truly convince us this Derry is different.

11. Armagh (-5)
To undo all the excitement created by the win over Down was going to take one stinker of a performance. And we got it, from the line and on the pitch. Hunger was missing when it came to breaking ball as was Ciaran McKeever who was dragged too far from that battleground, the full-back line was isolated and Jamie Clarke never saw enough of the ball. Before the semi-final defeat we talked about how Clarke ended the days of a one-dimensional attack, how good Billy Joe Padden looked at 11, freeing up Aaron Kernan, and how Kieran Toner and Charlie Vernon had progressed. It's too harsh to take it all back, but given the players they have, a performance like that against Derry was unacceptable and given the tactics you wonder how much longer Paddy O'Rourke will be hanging about.

12. Meath (-)
The karma police supplemented the work of the Gardaí at Croke Park against Kildare as Brian Farrell was locked up on the sideline, Graham Geraghty was fined to the sum of one goal, and Meath felt a fraction of the hurt Louth did a year earlier. Of course it's not quite as perfectly cyclical and poetic as all of that because Meath were actually outclassed for much of the game. They lost the second half 0-11 to 0-03 after going in two points up and never looked like they had a plan B.

The cracks and the schisms are there, and Seamus McEnaney will need to win a couple of big games in the qualifiers to save face and his job. Even if he can do something about the problems in his hands, there is so much out of them too. Inside managers don't seem to work in Meath since Sean Boylan left the tribes fighting over power, and an outside one seems to be in just as much trouble.

As much as there was nothing McEnaney could do about a county that has been at civil war ever since Boylan left a power vacuum in 2005 and as much as you felt for him when quite a few life-long Meath fans abandoned ship simply because the first non-native was given the role of senior manager, this latest mess is all the Monaghan man's own doing.

Bringing back Geraghty was lunacy. Even if he is still a decent footballer, he was a bad influence before and right now there is no shortage of decent forwards in the county. In fact the idea of asking Darren Fay back too shows where the real problem was. Only now there's a bigger issue than their defence. It's the sideline. Liam Harnan is a huge loss to the backroom team and the interim replacements on the line prove that no one wanted to be a part of a project that is sinking fast. The qualifier draw ensures that motivation will not be an issue now – a chance to show Louth that last year's fortunes were the gods merely fast tracking the cream to the top, but further down the line it's impossible to see them beating a serious side.

13. Wexford (-)
Jason Ryan must be itching for a return to the scene of Wexford's biggest crime: the Leinster final. Dublin hockeyed them in the 2008 provincial decider and now Carlow stand in their way of another crack at the Delaney Cup. They have dismantled both Offaly and Westmeath with some high-scoring displays, all the while offsetting the reliance on retired Mattie Forde with an even delegation of responsibility to others. To score 3-40 in two games, without the player of Wexford's generation, is some doing, particularly when you've only let in 23 points at the other end.

Their win over Offaly wasn't as convincing as the scoreline suggested, because the opposition were so bad and unlucky at times, but there were enough positives between both games to make them think they deserve to be in a Leinster final on merit rather than a soft draw, even if they've little chance of actually winning it. Red Barry and Ciaran Lyng have looked increasingly threatening this season, with Ben Brosnan looking comfortable over deadballs, kicking long points and play-making around the 40, while Rory Quinlavan looks a capable box-to-box midfield player. Don't forget through that this is a side that not so long ago needed just a point from their closing league games against Tipperary and Limerick to gain promotion but blew up with the prize in sight. The long ball into their own square may be the undoing of them, but they are very much in the shake-up and now with more confidence.

14. Laois (-)
You could hear the sigh of relief after their opening win. The feeling before that Leinster first round was that where others had tried and failed, Justin McNulty had immediately brought consistency and structure to the side, just like Jimmy McGuinness has done in Donegal. But against Longford, you couldn't but notice all the problems they still have.

Only Cork scored more in the top three flights this league, yet under pressure their finishing was poor, the full-forward line of Ross Munnelly, Billy Sheehan and MJ Tierney disappeared, Donie Kingston brought little upon his arrival and the midfield was bullied for long spells. But at least there was that sigh of relief because a first-round loss would have undone all the good work.

Against Dublin though, there was a sigh for a very different reason. A portent of things to come, MJ Tierney posted on Twitter that he was being dropped and, after being asked why, said that he had no idea. From the sidelines he would have seen his team try to play little football as they brought extra men out the field but it made no difference; as a consequence, Dublin had an extra man back and he did. A good league campaign suddenly seems a long time ago but at least revenge against Tipp in the qualifiers will provide extra motivation.

15. Galway (-)
They were the lowest scorers in the top flight, conceded the most in the top flight and in between a struggling attack and leaky defence is an even bigger problem with a total lack of mobility around the middle. At least Tomas O Flatharta has seen sense and realised that while nothing good can come out of the present, the future is bright and that dazzling under-21 side will learn the senior ropes sooner than they'd planned. But that's for better days down the line. As for the present, they won't take Mayo lightly even after the troubles their rivals had in England. And they won't take Mayo either.

16. Roscommon (-)
Leitrim provided no real test in the Connacht semi-final but you can't blame them for that. The shot selection of the provincial champions was a little ill-advised at times but then they had so many opportunities that it didn't matter. A 12-point win is always to be admired and it sets them up nicely for the final, though one wonders if Fergal O'Donnell would have hoped for a few bigger tests before taking on the winner of Mayo-Galway.

They are behind both of those Connacht counties in this list but despite being reigning champions in the west, that's their true level and gives perspective to their victory last year. But as much as Donie Shine and their provincial crown helped energise last summer it's now time for some steadiness and subtle improvements. Promotion has made it a good year, retention of a Connacht title would make it superb.

[Dinny Breen]

17. Sligo (-)
Consider what's become of Kevin Walsh's managerial credentials and you'll get a sense of what has happened Sligo. These past 10 months, they've now won just one of 10 league and championship games and it's hard to work out what has been more humiliating – losing a Connacht title after beating Galway and Mayo, being taken apart by Down, being relegated or being bumped off at home to Leitrim? That last game shows they haven't learned their lesson when it comes to showing lesser sides respect. Once bitten, twice unforgivable. Now they've no tangible goal left to aim for, just pride to restore.

18. Westmeath (-)
The forwards looked dangerous against Wexford, for a time, but that changed as the first half wore on and the side wore out. In the end, Dennis Glennon and Dessie Dolan were the only forwards to score from play as the Model County coasted clear. That the result was rarely in doubt was the big concern for a county looking to revive its fortunes after a couple of bad years. Pat Flanagan used Division 3 to get a settled squad and some settled results, and still managed to finish top of the pile. But the Leinster quarter-final showed it'll take a couple of steady years in the second tier before they are ready to compete in the championship. 

19. Longford (-)
A lesson in patience. Glenn Ryan could easily have been sent packing long before that famous win over Mayo over that Division 4 victory but in a county of limited resources both trust and time are key. The question now is: if given more time, can he inspire belief? That was all that was lacking against Laois. With the game on the line in the second half, it looked as if they suddenly realised their backs were on top, their midfield was winning ball and they had a real chance of victory. Then they froze. They've taken plenty of baby steps these past two seasons, but is the ceiling they've now reached glass? We'll see against Cavan.

20. Louth (-)
The wonder is whether Louth have now found their level. As Division 3 champions, they of course deserve to be cut a little slack for now and, with such a tasty qualifier to come up against Meath, we are sure to see the real Louth before the season ends for them. Three points up against Carlow with just 10 minutes to go though, the Barrowsiders scored the final four to steal their way into the Leinster semi-final. Not the form of robbed 2010 Leinster champions; the kind side of the draw was perhaps too sweet for Peter Fitzpatrick's men.

21. Limerick (-)
Never has an 11-point win seemed so flattering to the vanquished. Kerry walked all over Limerick and put up a hurling scoreline of 1-26, one that could have been far worse had the Kingdom forwards been more inclined towards going for the net. The losses of Stephen Lucey and John Galvin were huge but not enough to measure 11 points.
But is there a player more vital to a team than Galvin is to Limerick? Is there the possibility of a bigger single loss to any other county this summer? We don't think so on either count. As much as they've shown before that they don't so much need a goal to turn them from a poor league outfit into the nearly men of summer, they actually need the ultimate goal of chopping down Cork or Kerry, that was impossible without their best player and physical and spiritual leader. If Galvin was with a more renowned county, the injury would have gotten more attention and it's a pity that people don't realise the summer has now lost one of its finest players.

22. Antrim (-)
Just as we suspected Donegal had turned the corner and were proven right, the same can be said of Antrim. That Ulster final appearance seems a long time ago and while Baker Bradley's appointment of so many vice-captains could be viewed as giving players responsibility, some inside the camp have muttered that it's about keeping players happy. Not the side others would have liked to avoid in the qualifiers in recent seasons.

23. Tipperary (-)
It's a sign of what John Evans has done when you consider this season to date has been seen as a disappointment. Not so long ago, Division 3 seemed a pipedream whereas now narrowly avoiding relegation was seen as an underachievment. Not so long ago competing with Kerry seemed a pipedream, yet they can consider themselves unlucky not to get closer than the scoreline suggested. Their problem though, like so many of the teams at the wrong end of these rankings, is physicality, and until they bulk up they will always fade late on against true giants. A qualifier clash with Laois, who they beat last year, is a good incentive.

24. Cavan (-)
They might have fallen in this list had most of the teams below them done anything more than bend over in their own games. Cavan were completely outplayed by a stronger Donegal side and the early dismissal of Ray Cullivan for a kung-fu kick on Kevin Cassidy with seven minutes on the clock was pure lunacy. Lucky to see Michael Murphy also sent to the line, otherwise a nine-point loss could have gone well into double digits for a team with six debutants.

But keep calm, it's a case of slowly, slowly for Val Andrews and Terry Hyland. Unlike in other counties, that Cavan under-21 side had been wrapped in cotton wool this year, kept away from the senior set-up for the most part and given time to develop as their own unit. It's a sign that the county want to do things right rather than do things now, and while the upside is a decent side in two or three years, it means the highlight of 2011 has already come and gone.

25. Offaly (-)
Since reaching the 2006 Leinster final they've only won a single provincial game and that was against Carlow. Judging by their opening performance that wait will go on and on and on. Aren't physically strong enough and are so overly reliant on Niall McNamee that they've given up on invention and other ways to probe and take on a defence. Tom Cribbin summed up how bad they are when asked about lifting it for the qualifiers. "It'll be virtually impossible," he sighed. Music to Monaghan's ears.

26. Carlow (-)
One game away from a Leinster final now despite all the naysaying. There was talk of unrest, that there was little quality in the squad outside of Brendan Murphy and Thomas Walsh but to come from three points down with 10 minutes to go against Louth, last year's Leinster finalists (champions, says you), and make it through showed a lot of guts. And that from a county which has lost its last six championship games in a winless streak that stretched back to 2006. Wexford should account for Luke Dempsey's side in the semi-final but not without a few more booming points from Murphy. In a poor championship to date, they've already been the most refreshing story.

27. Wicklow (-)
How to question a god? As much as Mick O'Dwyer has brought excitement and commitment, the Kildare defeat was further evidence of his outdated methods. While the opposition had spent much of the year in the gym, he had his players running laps and it showed. They couldn't break the tackle and it took its toll as they looked exhausted throughout the second half. Their tactics were poor as well, as outside the hoofed ball towards Seanie Furling, they had no clue. We've said it before but for all they've brought to recent summers, they are still a Division 4 team and won't improve until they rectify that.

28. Leitrim (-)
We thought they'd have gained some belief after beating Sligo, not a feeling that they'd already achieved enough in this championship. To score just 0-2 in the opening 52 minutes of the Roscommon game says all you need to know about their provincial exit and it was so bad that the win against Sligo has to be forgotten now, as fantastic an achievement as it was.

29. Fermanagh (-)
With all their internal problems, they started the year behind the rest of Ulster and they were never going to catch up. Never won a qualifier under Malachy O'Rourke and, had London not come up in the draw, we could have seen that trend continuing into the latest regime. Missing more good footballers than are on the team, they averaged less than 10 white flags a game last summer and exclude the Kilkenny result, they weren't much better against Division 4 opposition this season. Can take no positives away from the Derry game and are in danger of ending the season as the worst side about. A loss in London would confirm that.

30. Waterford (-)
Consolidation in Division 3 would have been their greatest achievement since their Munster victory 114 years ago. But even in failing to stay up, the two wins showed they can compete. Their long-term development will be based on next year's league rather than this year's championship although a good qualifier would only increase confidence further.

31. Clare (-)
A string of near misses last year suggested the county was turning a corner. But there were no such positives from this league campaign and while the over reliance on David Tubridy for scores remain, then they'll remain close to the bottom of the pile. A sign of their standing is that the Cork game was always going to be a non-event.

32. London (-)
As much of a lift as they'll get from going close against Mayo, it's nothing near what should have been gotten from the day. Two points up late on against a side struggling everywhere, for the short term it'll be seen as one that got away rather than one where they did themselves proud. But in time they'll realise there is hope and as Paul Geraghty put it, "We are sick of going out and making it a day out for people. We need to start building and get results". But until that happens they will remain at the bottom. The visit of Fermanagh could be the shock to resuscitate their fortunes.

[whitegoodman]

There is very little between teams 5 - 12, maybe even 4 -12. Dublin are yet to convince either.

There is a top 2, then another 2 and then maybe 6 - 8 average teams around the same level who could beat each other and on their day produce a big performance to beat one of the big 2 like Down did last year.

Fermanagh have had some fall from grace

[Armaghgeddon]

Down move up one place yet Armagh move down five. They might have taken a hammering but thats quite a crap ranking system. No offence to Mayo fans but they were almost beaten by London. And Derry are one place above Armagh - surely further up than that!

[PAULD123]

There is very little between teams 5 - 12, maybe even 4 -12. Dublin are yet to convince either.

There is a top 2, then another 2 and then maybe 6 - 8 average teams around the same level who could beat each other and on their day produce a big performance to beat one of the big 2 like Down did last year.

Fermanagh have had some fall from grace

Totally agree with this assessment of the top 10-12 teams

Overall though Dinny has underestimated Galway, who should be 12th. Their league results were against a lack of confidence and no star forwards. As they got their players back their performances certainly improved. I would put Galway at 12th as I think they are better than Meat, Laois or Wexford. Monaghan should be moved down at least two places. Armagh and Derry are both far better teams.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Totally agree with this assessment of the top 10-12 teams

Overall though Dinny has underestimated Galway, who should be 12th. Their league results were against a lack of confidence and no star forwards. As they got their players back their performances certainly improved. I would put Galway at 12th as I think they are better than Meat, Laois or Wexford. Monaghan should be moved down at least two places. Armagh and Derry are both far better teams.

Dinny is not Ewan MacKenna.......... or is he?   

[Dinny Breen]

Ha! I'm no in-bred fecker from Athy 

[Donnellys Hollow]

That rules out Ger Gilroy as well so