Qualifiers

[Orior]

Seems to be a bit of confusion as to whether Antrim play Westmeath at 2pm or 3pm.

[Craigyhill Terror]

Seems to be a bit of confusion as to whether Antrim play Westmeath at 2pm or 3pm.

Both. The hurlers play this Saturday at 3pm, the footballers are the week after at 2pm

[Don Johnson]

So what matches do you think will be televised? Who has the rights for the qualifiers?

Obviously Louth Meath will be. Possibly two others?

[Blowitupref]

So what matches do you think will be televised? Who has the rights for the qualifiers?

Obviously Louth Meath will be. Possibly two others?

I'd say one more Cavan v Longford.

[ross4life]

I would like to see London v Fermanagh on TV is would be a big boost to London GAA to have a game televised but i guess the 1.30 throw in rules that out.

[armaghniac]

I would like to see London v Fermanagh on TV is would be a big boost to London GAA to have a game televised

Let the TV in London show it.

[Rossfan]

I would like to see London v Fermanagh on TV is would be a big boost to London GAA to have a game televised but i guess the 1.30 throw in rules that out.

I'm sure anyone in London that's interested will go to the game.
I suspect they wont have much problem fitting them in.

[Croí na hÉireann]

Westmeath in Casement. Happy enough.

+1

[Blowitupref]

To keep this thread ticking over, teams that will be in the draw for round 2

    Limerick
    Waterford
    Derry/Armagh
    Donegal/Tyrone
    Leitrim
    Galway/Mayo
    Kildare/Dublin
    Wexford/Carlow

[PAULD123]

Definatley some tough draws coming up in round 2. Any one of Armagh/Derry, Mayo/Galway or Dublin/Kildare, and even Donegal/Tyrone will mean either a division1 or very good division 2 side being in the hat. That's four teams out of eight that anyone would want to avoid

[macdanger2]

Definatley some tough draws coming up in round 2. Any one of Armagh/Derry, Mayo/Galway or Dublin/Kildare, and even Donegal/Tyrone will mean either a division1 or very good division 2 side being in the hat. That's four teams out of eight that anyone would want to avoid

Yeah, any of those four could easily be a provincial final - it might actually be an advantage to the 4 losing teams however to lose in a semi-final rather than a final considering the record of provincial finalists in Rd 4 qualifiers.

[armaghniac]

Yeah, any of those four could easily be a provincial final - it might actually be an advantage to the 4 losing teams however to lose in a semi-final rather than a final considering the record of provincial finalists in Rd 4 qualifiers.

It might. If some of these "top ten" teams get beaten at this stage and they get somebody like the winners of Westmeath/Antrim then they are on the road again, if they get a Div 1 team like Monaghan or Down they might not proceed and it wouldn't be great season.

[PAULD123]

Yeah, any of those four could easily be a provincial final - it might actually be an advantage to the 4 losing teams however to lose in a semi-final rather than a final considering the record of provincial finalists in Rd 4 qualifiers.

The record is staggering. Out of 40 Round 4 qualifiers since the back-door began, only 15 losing provincial finalists have made it through to the quarter finals (37%). 2005 was the only year all four losing finalist went through, but in 2010, 2004 & 2003 none made it at all.

This could be because provincial finals rarely have the best two teams in the final. They have the best teams either side of a draw. So they normally have the best team (who has beaten the second best team on the way to the final) playing the team that came through the "weak" half of the draw, or had a lucky victory. That means the losing finalists have to play the teams that in truth would have been the second best in each province.

Basically it's not that getting to provincial final is of any disadvantage at all when entering the qualifiers it is simply that being in the weak half of the draw, or a weak provincial tournament is an unrealistic advantage which is shown up when you have to face the best of the rest from the stronger provinces/draws.

[snoopdog]

Do the 8 that come hrough this round of qualifiers be drawn agianst the 8 losing semi finalists?
Or is it an open draw?

[western exile]

Do the 8 that come hrough this round of qualifiers be drawn agianst the 8 losing semi finalists?
Or is it an open draw?

The former.
Round 3 is the only round that is open draw (because there are only qualifiers in it)