All Ireland contenders...

[CorkMan]

Think it will be a Cork - Kerry final and as much as it pains me to say it, Kerry will win because we can't beat them at Croke Park.

Dublin and Tyrone also there I think.

The double-header final.  An interesting new development in our games.

Ah, you know what I mean. Cork, Kerry, Dublin and Tyrone the main contenders for me.

You know Mayo more than likely and maybe Kildare, Donegal or Meath (I think despite their slide, they can be a dangerous obstacle)  will take 1 if not 2 of those 4 you mentioned out before the semis.

Yeah, like a dead cow, decomposing in a field.
Just walk around it and keep going.

The dead cow probably has more chance of winning the AI this year.

[Farrandeelin]

The Galway boys must be loving this thread. I can't understand how they're not on it. They have a very good manager and will win Connacht this year imo and could cause a few shocks in Croker later on. I also happen to think they will beat Kildare on Sunday as well. I don't know why, but it's just a hunch.

[Captain Obvious]

The Galway boys must be loving this thread. I can't understand how they're not on it. They have a very good manager and will win Connacht this year imo and could cause a few shocks in Croker later on. I also happen to think they will beat Kildare on Sunday as well. I don't know why, but it's just a hunch.

The new manager will need time to find his best 15 and the U-21s coming through need time to develop, will be a few years before Galway are All Ireland contenders.

[Syferus]

The Galway boys must be loving this thread. I can't understand how they're not on it. They have a very good manager and will win Connacht this year imo and could cause a few shocks in Croker later on. I also happen to think they will beat Kildare on Sunday as well. I don't know why, but it's just a hunch.

They have a very good u-21 manager. Don't bet anything on Galway emerging from the Hyde with a victory, let alone winning Connacht. They'd have to beat Roscommon, Sligo and Mayo to do that and for a team in full rebuild mode that's alot to expect. Galway would probably find happier hunting grounds in the qualifiers.

[GalwayBayBoy]

The Galway boys must be loving this thread. I can't understand how they're not on it. They have a very good manager and will win Connacht this year imo and could cause a few shocks in Croker later on. I also happen to think they will beat Kildare on Sunday as well. I don't know why, but it's just a hunch.

Sure Mayo just trounced the All-Ireland champions a few days ago. We managed to get one draw from games against Louth and Westmeath in division 2. Not to mention Mayo are on the easier side of the draw in Connacht. We'll have our hands full just trying to win our first game up in the Hyde at the end of May. Will we even see Michael Meehan back in a Galway jersey again? Looking doubtful at the moment.

Or in other words I wouldn't be rushing out to put any schekels on us just yet.

[Cosmo Kramer]

Yes, but if it was to end up being a Galway/Mayo Connacht Final, Galway would be in a great position going in with two tough games behind them and with home advantage in Salthill. Mayo could well go in to such a game having not had a tough match in three months and having little idea of players' championship form.

Galway will have a big task in getting to a Connacht final but they'll have a great chance of winning it if they get there. 7/2 Galway for Connacht is a great price.

[nrico2006]

I have a feeling at least one of Cork and Kerry will be in for a shock this year. Alot of key personnel on both teams are getting on and there's plenty of reasons to think they could be more vulnerable than established logic dictates, both panels are past their peaks.

Most of Kerry's defenders are over 30 them guys will need to be replaced. Cork are made up from those two U-21s winning teams in 2007,2009 along way from past their peak yet.

Cork have quite a few players who are pushing on,whereas Kerry have a team that comprises of alot of key men approaching the end of their careers. 

[CorkMan]

I have a feeling at least one of Cork and Kerry will be in for a shock this year. Alot of key personnel on both teams are getting on and there's plenty of reasons to think they could be more vulnerable than established logic dictates, both panels are past their peaks.

Most of Kerry's defenders are over 30 them guys will need to be replaced. Cork are made up from those two U-21s winning teams in 2007,2009 along way from past their peak yet.

Cork have quite a few players who are pushing on,whereas Kerry have a team that comprises of alot of key men approaching the end of their careers. 

Cork have quiet a few young players as well. I don't think Kerry are finished just yet.

[Syferus]

I have a feeling at least one of Cork and Kerry will be in for a shock this year. Alot of key personnel on both teams are getting on and there's plenty of reasons to think they could be more vulnerable than established logic dictates, both panels are past their peaks.

Most of Kerry's defenders are over 30 them guys will need to be replaced. Cork are made up from those two U-21s winning teams in 2007,2009 along way from past their peak yet.

Cork have quite a few players who are pushing on,whereas Kerry have a team that comprises of alot of key men approaching the end of their careers.

Yeah. Kerry are older but by very little. Most of the key players like Canty, Kissane, O'Connor and O'Neil are all north of thirty. O'Leary is going to be the same in less than a month. I think it's a little skewed to say the spine of the current Cork team is the younger players, only Goulding, Shields and Walsh (and without trying to set a cat amongst the pigeons, Walsh is a good player who has been hyped up too much for someone still only earning his stripes) have really emerged to the level of what was there before them and Cadogan isn't even available for most of the year.

Cork are fully capable of winning another All-Ireland this year, but they're not as foreboding a threat now and if they were to do it'll be because the old guard summon up one last rattle. It simply could go anywhere for Cork this year, further south from last year or a second Sam.

[mannix]

 thankfully cork cannot remove the idea that they are much better than mayo from their heads, cork were given a 5 point lead in croke park and were reeled in and beaten by an inferior team in their own minds.Im not saying Mayo will win the allireland, but they will probably take one of kerry,cork,dublin or tyrone out before they finally go themselves.
tyrone were jumping for joy when they got mayo in the 2004 championship draw,an easy route for them. things seldom go to plan if you are that sure of yourself. dublin 2006 was another example, a book release ready for the dublin kerry final that never happened.
and of course, london almost caught mayo last year, while longford did the year before.

[CorkMan]

Cork have two of the best young footballers in the country in Aidan Walsh and Ciaran Sheehan. I'm pretty sure Paul Kerrigan and Paddy Kelly are both under 25. Colm O'Neil is a great forward and was under 21 3 or 4 years ago. We probably have as many players who are under 25 as we have who are over 30.

[Syferus]

thankfully cork cannot remove the idea that they are much better than mayo from their heads, cork were given a 5 point lead in croke park and were reeled in and beaten by an inferior team in their own minds.Im not saying Mayo will win the allireland, but they will probably take one of kerry,cork,dublin or tyrone out before they finally go themselves.
tyrone were jumping for joy when they got mayo in the 2004 championship draw,an easy route for them. things seldom go to plan if you are that sure of yourself. dublin 2006 was another example, a book release ready for the dublin kerry final that never happened.

Arrah, plenty of teams can beat Mayo, in Connacht and outside the 'top four'. Mayo are the ultimate swing team and it amazes me no end that Mayoeens never seem to realise that. I can't ever remember a year in my entire life where I could say Mayo were at all sure of a Connacht title.

[Jinxy]

Cork might win the All-Ireland press-ups championship alright.

[heffo]

Colm O'Neil is a great forward and was under 21 3 or 4 years ago.

I'd say he was promising. Has he started two championship games back to back or even a single game?

[mannix]

thankfully cork cannot remove the idea that they are much better than mayo from their heads, cork were given a 5 point lead in croke park and were reeled in and beaten by an inferior team in their own minds.Im not saying Mayo will win the allireland, but they will probably take one of kerry,cork,dublin or tyrone out before they finally go themselves.
tyrone were jumping for joy when they got mayo in the 2004 championship draw,an easy route for them. things seldom go to plan if you are that sure of yourself. dublin 2006 was another example, a book release ready for the dublin kerry final that never happened.

Arrah, plenty of teams can beat Mayo, in Connacht and outside the 'top four'. Mayo are the ultimate swing team and it amazes me no end that Mayoeens never seem to realise that. I can't ever remember a year in my entire life where I could say Mayo were at all sure of a Connacht title.

thats what i just said!  you dropped the longford and london piece of the end for some reason. london were the second worst team in the championship last year and mayo had a very hard time beating them. plenty of teams can beat kerry too, tyrone did, down did, dublin did, meath did, etc etc.
my point is that nobody can be sure of victory because on the day the underdog might have more bite than bark.