Kerry v Tyrone

[Frank Casey]

Must be Tyrone's to lose. Kerry finished. The red hand shall rise in the south.

[Keane]

This is the perfect draw for Kerry, it's shit or get off the pot for us.

We were pretty good last year, pretty good in the league this year, pretty average against Tipp and pretty awful in the two games since then. I don't really buy the idea that lads' legs have fallen off all of a sudden in the last six or eight weeks, it's looked much more to me as though guys just haven't been tuned in. If they don't get up for this game they might as well pack it in.

I'm hoping for and expecting a big performance from Kerry, can't wait for Saturday.

[everymanaman]

Will be a hollow victory for Jack O'Connor. Won't be able to take much kudos from beating a Tyrone side full of inexperience. Allied to the fact that they are at home. Looks like he will retire not having fulfilled his cherished dream of taking the scalp of a Tyrone team in the big arena of Croke Park on a much bigger occasion than a 3rd round qualifier in Killarney.

[ONeill]

It's a great game to look forward to.

The three players who always stood out against Kerry for me were Jordan, McGuigan and Gormley. We'll be missing about half of that and I'm not sure if the replacements have the same drive. It's a real test for the likes of McCarron, the Donnellys, Harte, Clarke and McNabb if he makes it. We don't know what they're made of in terms of playing under such pressurised conditions. Playing down in Killarney will tell the tale.

If Tyrone win this they'll be in a very good place. Lose and it was the luck of the draw at this early stage.

[barelegs]

Packie, 31
McCrory, 24
Clarke, 20
Carlin, 29
Cathal McCarron, 26
Gormley, 31
Sean O'Neill, 25
Colm Cavanagh, 26
Joe McMahon, 29
Ronan McNabb, 22
Peter Harte, 22
Mark Donnelly, 28
Mulligan, 30
SON, 31
Penrose, 29

Average / Mean = 26

Just want to correct you on one of  the ages, Colm Cavanagh will be 25 this year, fairly sure he's still 24. Seems to have been around forever. The idea that Tyrone are some bunch of old men now is just wrong.

Mickey started to change the team in Longford last year in the first round of the qualifiers. We could well be beaten on Saturday but there's progress been made this year and I'd be very confident we'll be a much stronger prospect next year. Quietly confident we can take something out of Killarney

[Qwerty28]

Tyrone 2/1 to claim victory....worth a punt!?

Was Kerry Westmeath game yday, Tyrone have very little to fear but should be a great occasion, listening to the Bomber on the radio, expecting a massive crowd down for it and be cracking atmosphere!

[Lamh Dhearg Alba]

This is the perfect draw for Kerry, it's shit or get off the pot for us.

We were pretty good last year, pretty good in the league this year, pretty average against Tipp and pretty awful in the two games since then. I don't really buy the idea that lads' legs have fallen off all of a sudden in the last six or eight weeks, it's looked much more to me as though guys just haven't been tuned in. If they don't get up for this game they might as well pack it in.

I'm hoping for and expecting a big performance from Kerry, can't wait for Saturday.

I tend to agree with this, I think it's a better draw for Kerry than for Tyrone. It wouldn't be the first time that Kerry have been unconvincing against a team that they would have expected to beat pretty easily - then gone on to lift their game dramatically against a stronger outfit. If Kerry were indeed finished then they wouldn't have come back at the weekend. 1-9 to 1-3 down in Mullingar and with the momentum against them it would have been the easiest thing to chuck it. Instead they dug it out. The chance of finally burying Tyrone and in front of their own people is bound to bring them on further. There is also the fact that Kerry right now are stronger than Tyrone, they almost had Sam last summer whereas Tyrone were flattered by a 7 point defeat against the Dubs. I actually think Tyrone have made good progress since then and are on the right track, but they are still not at a high enough level to win this one, and the loss of Sean and Coney has put them back a bit.

All that said it will be a good experience for the young lads and how sweet a victory it would be if they did manage to dig it out . Don't see it though. I believe Kerry will win this with a bit to spare.

[Frank Casey]

Come Saturday night around 8.30 will he have predicted the end of Kerry all along or the end of puke football once and for all.


This could well be a cracker and despite the bookies view of Kerry at 1/2 the handicap is only 2pts. Wont be much in it one way or another.

Question is which Kerry is going to turn up. The one that surprised the Dubs in the 2009 AIQF or the one running on dirty petrol.

[Orchardman]

Packie, 31
McCrory, 24
Clarke, 20
Carlin, 29
Cathal McCarron, 26
Gormley, 31
Sean O'Neill, 25
Colm Cavanagh, 26
Joe McMahon, 29
Ronan McNabb, 22
Peter Harte, 22
Mark Donnelly, 28
Mulligan, 30
SON, 31
Penrose, 29

Average / Mean = 26

Just want to correct you on one of  the ages, Colm Cavanagh will be 25 this year, fairly sure he's still 24. Seems to have been around forever. The idea that Tyrone are some bunch of old men now is just wrong.

Mickey started to change the team in Longford last year in the first round of the qualifiers. We could well be beaten on Saturday but there's progress been made this year and I'd be very confident we'll be a much stronger prospect next year. Quietly confident we can take something out of Killarney

On the contrary, after looking at those ages I realise that the idea that tyrone are a new young team is way off the mark ( i havn't heard them called an old team this year). The like of Donnelley and even micky murphy havn't played much football the past 10 years but they around 28 yeard old.

I loved watching these 2 teams at their peak, and i always backed tyrone, and wish they would have met in champo again in 09 or 2010 when both teams were still at their best. Kerry are getting on but they still have 10 top class footballers. I would fancy tyrone to be in a better place than kerry in 3 years time but kerry should have enough to win this time.

In saying that, tyrone will probably win it again

[Ciarrai_thuaidh]

Seriously pumped up for a qualifier for virtually the first time ever. Kerry co. board are refusing to postpone league games set for Sunday though which means we can't have a few in Killarney Sat night...if we win I won't care much though. Clare a handy draw for the winners but nobod thinking that far yet.

Has anyone called for segregation of the fans yet? 

[tyssam5]

Packie, 31
McCrory, 24
Clarke, 20
Carlin, 29
Cathal McCarron, 26
Gormley, 31
Sean O'Neill, 25
Colm Cavanagh, 26
Joe McMahon, 29
Ronan McNabb, 22
Peter Harte, 22
Mark Donnelly, 28
Mulligan, 30
SON, 31
Penrose, 29

Average / Mean = 26

Just want to correct you on one of  the ages, Colm Cavanagh will be 25 this year, fairly sure he's still 24. Seems to have been around forever. The idea that Tyrone are some bunch of old men now is just wrong.

Mickey started to change the team in Longford last year in the first round of the qualifiers. We could well be beaten on Saturday but there's progress been made this year and I'd be very confident we'll be a much stronger prospect next year. Quietly confident we can take something out of Killarney

On the contrary, after looking at those ages I realise that the idea that tyrone are a new young team is way off the mark ( i havn't heard them called an old team this year). The like of Donnelley and even micky murphy havn't played much football the past 10 years but they around 28 yeard old.

I loved watching these 2 teams at their peak, and i always backed tyrone, and wish they would have met in champo again in 09 or 2010 when both teams were still at their best. Kerry are getting on but they still have 10 top class footballers. I would fancy tyrone to be in a better place than kerry in 3 years time but kerry should have enough to win this time.

In saying that, tyrone will probably win it again

You might be right the Kerry veterans should have sufficient motivation to get up for this one. The animals will love it if they win this one - but they must surely realize that the noughties team that they could never beat when it counted is gone. We will see what our young cubs have in them in Killarney, no lose situation for us. That said I'd love to win and keep this team building confidence for a push next year

[NaomhBridAbú]

Seriously pumped up for a qualifier for virtually the first time ever. Kerry co. board are refusing to postpone league games set for Sunday though which means we can't have a few in Killarney Sat night...if we win I won't care much though. Clare a handy draw for the winners but nobod thinking that far yet.

Has anyone called for segregation of the fans yet? 

Everyone wants to sit beside Mike Sheehy, for some reason...

[ziggysego]

The ref is Meath's David Coldrick.

[Syferus]

Tyrone on the way up, Kerry on the way down. Will the two teams meet in the middle?

My money's on a victory for Tyrone.

Kerry 1-09 Tyrone 2-11

That's questionable. Tyrone have the better young players coming through but they've got worse since last year.

How?

They got promotion to Division 1 in the National League. Exited the Ulster Championship at the same point, to a very strong Donegal side, that would trouble most teams.

What I meant is a little complicated - I'd agree that in the medium term Tyrone's fortunes look to be trending up but the retirements and injuries since last year have meant that Tyrone aren't as strong or as able to flood the field with good subs as they were last year. if Tyrone were an 8.5 last year they'd maybe be a 8 this year, if we go down that road. A slight, but noticeable drop.

I think another factor is that Tyrone seem to take every game of the year very seriously, from McKenna Cup to NFL. That's a very good tact to take but it means that whereas plenty of teams tend to up their performance in the championship Tyrone tend to stay in the same area throughout. Hence great early season results and only good late season results.

That's also to say that Kerry have had a far more sharp drop and unless the weariness that seems to be permeating the panel is blown away by the arrival of Tyrone I don't see them going much further. Tyrone more so than Kerry have alot to win in this game, the momentum from beating Kerry in Kerry and a soft draw in the 4th round can put Tyrone in a good position to upset a provincial champion. I'll need to see more from Kerry before I could say they're capable of even that.

[ONeill]

The ref is Meath's David Coldrick.

Mmmmm. I remember he turned a blind eye to the Donegal cynicism in the Ulster semi.