Tyrone V Kildare

[Redhand Santa]

The Kildare posters have taken over and its turned into a rugby thread! Enough of that!

Tyrone should be in good shape after a weekend away and with Jordan and Dooher back in training should have extra options. Would be good to win this one to at least leave the Meath game interesting.

[Dinny Breen]

The Kildare posters have taken over and its turned into a rugby thread! Enough of that!

Sure you have the match won might as well talk about something else.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Sure Tyrone's brand of football is more akin to rugby-league anyway so you'd think ye boys would be used to the rugby talk. 

Seriously though, this match should be a good indicator of where Kildare stand. I get the impression from the teams put out for the matches so far that McGeeney isn't that pushed on promotion. Whether that will change now that it's in our own hands, who knows.

Hopefully the starting XV for the summer is beginning to take shape. I'm sure the management are already planning without Earley, Conway and Peter Kelly but it would be a massive bonus if even one of them was back to play some role in a few months time. Connolly has looked very solid and looks to have secured his place between the sticks. I think the full-back line will remain the same. McGrillen is one of the first names on the teamsheet these days. Mick Foley is playing super football at the moment. There might be concerns about him on more open pitches when the ground firms up but he's the best option in Kelly's absence. Mac had a fine season last year and is a real leader within the squad. We haven't seen enough of Ollie Lyons and Ciarán Fitz due to injury and Mac has the edge on both in terms of experience.

Morgan Flats and Bolton will make up 2/3s of the half-backs. Hard to know who will line out with them. McGeeney is clearly a big fan of Flanagan but he's yet to regain his form of 2009. Chalky has played superbly in the past two games and is in with a big shout. I'd like to see him tried alongside Flynn at midfield with Leper at centre-back. I suspect McGeeney might think a half-back line of Flats/Leper/Bolton might be too attack minded though.

Flynn's partner at midfield is another dilemna. Paudie is worth a place on the team but I don't think it's at midfield. Hugh Lynch is an excellent distributor of the ball but he's not the quickest or the best ball winner. Tomás Connor apparently did very well at midfield for the juniors last week and might be worth a run. I'd love to see Chalky and Flynn together against Tyrone where they'd get a stern test.

Forward line will be between JD, Jimmers, Rob Kelly, Eoghan Flats, Roli, Paudie, Cribbin, Smith, Dowling and Leper (depending on where McGeeney wants to play him). Smithy is under pressure but he normally comes good in the summer. Wouldn't surprise me to see him back starting on Sunday. Kelly has played very well in the full-forward line while both Cribbo and Dowling have had good cameos. I'd like to see how the following team would get on:

                Connolly
McGrillen     Foley      McLoughlin
M Flaherty   Callaghan     Bolton
      Flynn         White
Sweeney  O'Neill    E Flaherty
Doyle     Kelly       Kavanagh

Jimmers and Kelly to play as a two man full-forward line. JD and Flats on the forty with Roli and Paudie playing out around midfield.   

[Jinxy]

The Kildare posters have taken over and its turned into a rugby thread! Enough of that!

Tyrone should be in good shape after a weekend away and with Jordan and Dooher back in training should have extra options. Would be good to win this one to at least leave the Meath game interesting.

Interesting how?

[ONeill]

The Kildare posters have taken over and its turned into a rugby thread! Enough of that!

Tyrone should be in good shape after a weekend away and with Jordan and Dooher back in training should have extra options. Would be good to win this one to at least leave the Meath game interesting.

Interesting how?

In terms of promotion. Tyrone would have to head into Royal heartland looking for a win to gain promotion against a shower we never bate.

To be honest, I think Tyrone will swipe Kildare aside. Sure what have they ever won.

[Radda bout yeee]

Sure Tyrone's brand of football is more akin to rugby-league anyway so you'd think ye boys would be used to the rugby talk. 

Seriously though, this match should be a good indicator of where Kildare stand. I get the impression from the teams put out for the matches so far that McGeeney isn't that pushed on promotion. Whether that will change now that it's in our own hands, who knows.

Hopefully the starting XV for the summer is beginning to take shape. I'm sure the management are already planning without Earley, Conway and Peter Kelly but it would be a massive bonus if even one of them was back to play some role in a few months time. Connolly has looked very solid and looks to have secured his place between the sticks. I think the full-back line will remain the same. McGrillen is one of the first names on the teamsheet these days. Mick Foley is playing super football at the moment. There might be concerns about him on more open pitches when the ground firms up but he's the best option in Kelly's absence. Mac had a fine season last year and is a real leader within the squad. We haven't seen enough of Ollie Lyons and Ciarán Fitz due to injury and Mac has the edge on both in terms of experience.

Morgan Flats and Bolton will make up 2/3s of the half-backs. Hard to know who will line out with them. McGeeney is clearly a big fan of Flanagan but he's yet to regain his form of 2009. Chalky has played superbly in the past two games and is in with a big shout. I'd like to see him tried alongside Flynn at midfield with Leper at centre-back. I suspect McGeeney might think a half-back line of Flats/Leper/Bolton might be too attack minded though.

Flynn's partner at midfield is another dilemna. Paudie is worth a place on the team but I don't think it's at midfield. Hugh Lynch is an excellent distributor of the ball but he's not the quickest or the best ball winner. Tomás Connor apparently did very well at midfield for the juniors last week and might be worth a run. I'd love to see Chalky and Flynn together against Tyrone where they'd get a stern test.

Forward line will be between JD, Jimmers, Rob Kelly, Eoghan Flats, Roli, Paudie, Cribbin, Smith, Dowling and Leper (depending on where McGeeney wants to play him). Smithy is under pressure but he normally comes good in the summer. Wouldn't surprise me to see him back starting on Sunday. Kelly has played very well in the full-forward line while both Cribbo and Dowling have had good cameos. I'd like to see how the following team would get on:

                Connolly
McGrillen     Foley      McLoughlin
M Flaherty   Callaghan     Bolton
      Flynn         White
Sweeney  O'Neill    E Flaherty
Doyle     Kelly       Kavanagh

Jimmers and Kelly to play as a two man full-forward line. JD and Flats on the forty with Roli and Paudie playing out around midfield.

I only recognise two names on that teamsheet yet everyone knows who the tyrone boys are in Ireland as its a whose who of all ireland medals and all stars therefore Tyrone will win! 
Would love to beat Kildare to wipe that smirk of McGeeneys face!

[Jinxy]

Kildare really are becoming the team everyone loves to hate.
I finally understand why the Laois folk have it in for them so much.

[Dinny Breen]

Looking through your post there DH it's fair dues to Geezer for developing such a squad and the fact that we are without the three mention yet we can absorb those losses quite comfortably and when you make allowance for the fact that our performaces haven't been good and we are still in contention for promotion it augers well for the summer.

[Donnellys Hollow]

The Kildare panel is so strong, even big Willie Heff can't get a look in!

[Fuzzman]

Holy God what have yis done to this thread.
Don't be letting the kids near yer logon lads

2 pages of pure rubbish

So back to the game.
Do we expect any of the U21's to be named tonight?
Sounds like a few of them had blinders last night v Down
I hope Peter Harte gets a position tied down and doesn't become another Joey and be moved all over the place.
Not that Joey is good no matter where he plays

Do I detect a renewed optimism that should we win this game that we could still get promoted? Its all about Derry getting defeated isn't it but I think we could be in for a tough encounter ourselves.

[nrico2006]

I expect Tyrone to win this one, McGeeneys weights and Protein shakes can only take a side so far.

[rrhf]

Good point nrico.  Tell me this will he travel down to kildare to travel up again with the team on the bus or will she just pull in in Armagh and pick him up?  My feeling is that he needs to be on the bus the whole road no matter how much option B would save.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Good point nrico.  Tell me this will he travel down to kildare to travel up again with the team on the bus or will she just pull in in Armagh and pick him up?  My feeling is that he needs to be on the bus the whole road no matter how much option B would save.

McGeeney has lived in the Pale for years.

[Lamh Dhearg Alba]

Must confess I have never heard of this Kildare before but suppose that's the charm of Tyrone dropping to Division 2 for a year, we get to take on some of these lesser teams. Hope Kildare enjoy their day in the sun.

[lynchbhoy]

DH - if they played Flanagan at chb thy might see the best of him...

Kildare certainly not playing like they did in championship last year, they werent even using the trademark armagh cynicism off the ball or fouling the ball carrier further out the field (so they could get men back behind the ball).
Kildare beating meath wasnt a huge task, meath are woeful right now (though they could still beat Derry as we are more unpredictable than forrest gumps box of chocolates).
Unless the flourbags can 'turn it on' all of a sudden, then its tyrones to lose.
However, the red arse county have been as much jekyll and hyde as ourselves this year and its hard to see a pattern with them too.
However, in the last two league games, Harte will bring his team closer to championship XV and its now all left to see whether the in-breds have it or are they over the hill.
I suspect Harte will summon the best out of them and the six fingered banjo players will beat the horsey set by 5 points or more !
(thats a kildare win then !!)