Championship draw 2015

[orangeman]

f**k me, you have to laugh!

Is that the hardest draw ever for Donegal or Tyrone? Five of the top six Ulster teams on one side.

Think Monaghan just might be favourites for Ulster next year...

PP odds

Monaghan 3/1
Donegal 4/1
Armagh 9/2
Derry 9/2
Tyrone 6/1
Cavan 15/2
Down 15/2
Fermanagh 25/1
Antrim 50/1

Cavan @ 15/2 the value bet.

On the other hand Malachy O'Rourke is one lucky chap. No disrespect to Cavan, Fermanagh and Antrim, Monaghan will be in Ulster final if they can beat a resurgent Cavan team who didn't deliver at senior level in 2014.

[Mike Sheehy]

What is so hard about Ulster ?

I've never understood this fixation with the "competitiveness" of the Ulster championship.

Leinster and Munster sides have always been more successful when it comes to the crunch. Surely the obvious conclusion from that is that  Ulster sides compete "equally" at their own level and are found wanting at the higher level ?

Cork would have more provincial titles than Cavan if they were in Ulster. This is an indisputable fact.

[Throw ball]

In fairness it's very questionable if any Ulster team will be a serious AI challenger next year. Competitiveness and quality are two entirely separate issues.

Exactly.  Donegal are one of the best teams in the country over the past 4 years.  But who in Ulster has done much otherwise? 

Donegal handled Dublin fairly easily this year, but the second-best team in Ulster were absolutely destroyed by Dublin in the previous round.

To be fair Monaghan were shot before they played Dublin and may then may not have been the second best team in Ulster. Besides Dublin destroyed everyone except Donegal this year.

[armaghniac]

Cork would have more provincial titles than Cavan if they were in Ulster. This is an indisputable fact.

With a population 8 times Cavan that isn't any great feat.

[Jell 0 Biafra]

In fairness it's very questionable if any Ulster team will be a serious AI challenger next year. Competitiveness and quality are two entirely separate issues.

Exactly.  Donegal are one of the best teams in the country over the past 4 years.  But who in Ulster has done much otherwise? 

Donegal handled Dublin fairly easily this year, but the second-best team in Ulster were absolutely destroyed by Dublin in the previous round.

To be fair Monaghan were shot before they played Dublin and may then may not have been the second best team in Ulster. Besides Dublin destroyed everyone except Donegal this year.

Fair point; the quick turnaround did Monaghan no favors.  But the main point still stands: Ulster is the most competitive province, but only one team in the past 4 years has been a contender.  So competitiveness on its own doesn't amount to much. 

In the 2000's, this was obviously a different story, but right now....

[Mike Sheehy]

Cork would have more provincial titles than Cavan if they were in Ulster. This is an indisputable fact.

With a population 8 times Cavan that isn't any great feat.

They have 3 times our population. That doesn't stop us beating them.

You Nordies are All-Ireland champions at excuses.

[Croí na hÉireann]

f**king Louth again. I'm sure they're as sick of us as we are of them. Great draw apart from that. Kildare and Dublin on the other side, path there to the Leinster final if we get the right man in.

[Bord na Mona man]

Offaly like 18 bus. Wait 16 years for one and then 2 come together.

Can we arrange a draw and the pick of the two teams play Dubs?

Both counties need to canvass for the winner to get a home draw against the Dubs.

[rrhf]

Exactly Monaghan will be favourites because they have the easy draw same as Kerry Dublin and Mayo for. Sam

[Zulu]

The nations thought process?

Connacht: Mmm so Galway get the trip away this year eh
Leinster: Who have to play Dublin first?
Munster: zzzzzzzzzzzzzz wake me up for the Ulster draw
Ulster: Wow...Jesus... No way!.. That's savage... Christ the night... no!.. lol Such a hoor of a province to get outa!

The provincial system is kinda messed up don't ya think?

Er, no.

Every year now there is a very competitive Division One league with best teams from all provinces that produce good quality games but get risible attendances. Any 'champion's league' championship format would get the same response imo. People might come out for the 1/4 on but that would be it. At least now the provincial system keeps the local skirmishes going which is vital imo. Putting Sam Maguire as a prize for some new formula would cut no ice. Yeah, the competition can be lopsided but it always was.

That's not much of an argument in fairness - it always was lopsided so it should remain so! The league attendances are bigger than many championship attendances but the reason the league crowds aren't massive is because we tell everyone it isn't worth going to. Supporters will go to see well prepared, full strength teams, trying to win games. The provincial championships are killing Gaelic games and we don't need them to provide local skirmishes, they'll occur in any format.

[Shamrock Shore]

Both counties need to canvass for the winner to get a home draw against the Dubs.

This thought crossed my mind as well. But I don't think it will happen. A packed Pearse Park or O'Connor Park would be a smashing day out and take the Dubs down the bog for the first time since 2006.

But the Leinster Council finance people won't let it happen.

[blewuporstuffed]

Brolly looked and sounded depressed as he talked about each draw. Really, you can see how he should be. There is little to get excited about. Munster as bland as ever. Seedings and byes into Semi-finals leave only a 50/50 chance of Cork/Kerry being forced early into the back door and one of the others having a bit more of a chance of winning a Muster title. Leinster/Connacht draws hard to get excited by as well. Then we have Ulster, and the whole Provincial Championship looks a joke. No seeding here. No soft day trips to New York or London. Not all your games played on your home turf. Just looking at Donegal and in order for them to retain their title have to beat Tyrone, Armagh, Down or Derry and possibly Monaghan. And then they are only in the Quarter finals. It beggars belief?

+1

Harsh reality; Cork and Kerry play one "real" match to qualify for the AI Q Finals while Donegal or Tyrone are faced with 3 to reach the same position!

+1 to all this.

There is something badly wrong with a competitions structure when there is such a varying degree of difficulty to get to the same stage ( say tyrone or donegals route to a semi final versus that of cork or kerry)

[Rossfan]

Brolly looked and sounded depressed as he talked about each draw. Really, you can see how he should be. There is little to get excited about. Munster as bland as ever. Seedings and byes into Semi-finals leave only a 50/50 chance of Cork/Kerry being forced early into the back door and one of the others having a bit more of a chance of winning a Muster title. Leinster/Connacht draws hard to get excited by as well. Then we have Ulster, and the whole Provincial Championship looks a joke. No seeding here. No soft day trips to New York or London. Not all your games played on your home turf. Just looking at Donegal and in order for them to retain their title have to beat Tyrone, Armagh, Down or Derry and possibly Monaghan. And then they are only in the Quarter finals. It beggars belief?

+1

Harsh reality; Cork and Kerry play one "real" match to qualify for the AI Q Finals while Donegal or Tyrone are faced with 3 to reach the same position!

+1 to all this.

There is something badly wrong with a competitions structure when there is such a varying degree of difficulty to get to the same stage ( say tyrone or donegals route to a semi final versus that of cork or kerry)

The Ulster bag o spuds on the showlder whinge machine is in full flow FFS.
If taking part in an Ulster championship is such a burden why the fcuk don't ye just abolish it. Play the McKenna Cup in May and June and just take part in the Qualifiers.
As for the down whinge about away fixtures - why don't ye copy the sensible Connacht folk and have home and away in turn.
And ye call Willie Frazer thick ..... 

[blanketattack]

Brolly looked and sounded depressed as he talked about each draw. Really, you can see how he should be. There is little to get excited about. Munster as bland as ever. Seedings and byes into Semi-finals leave only a 50/50 chance of Cork/Kerry being forced early into the back door and one of the others having a bit more of a chance of winning a Muster title. Leinster/Connacht draws hard to get excited by as well. Then we have Ulster, and the whole Provincial Championship looks a joke. No seeding here. No soft day trips to New York or London. Not all your games played on your home turf. Just looking at Donegal and in order for them to retain their title have to beat Tyrone, Armagh, Down or Derry and possibly Monaghan. And then they are only in the Quarter finals. It beggars belief?

+1

Harsh reality; Cork and Kerry play one "real" match to qualify for the AI Q Finals while Donegal or Tyrone are faced with 3 to reach the same position!

That's one real match more than Dublin and Mayo have had to play over the last few years to qualify for a 1/4 final.

[Orior]

Brolly looked and sounded depressed as he talked about each draw. Really, you can see how he should be. There is little to get excited about. Munster as bland as ever. Seedings and byes into Semi-finals leave only a 50/50 chance of Cork/Kerry being forced early into the back door and one of the others having a bit more of a chance of winning a Muster title. Leinster/Connacht draws hard to get excited by as well. Then we have Ulster, and the whole Provincial Championship looks a joke. No seeding here. No soft day trips to New York or London. Not all your games played on your home turf. Just looking at Donegal and in order for them to retain their title have to beat Tyrone, Armagh, Down or Derry and possibly Monaghan. And then they are only in the Quarter finals. It beggars belief?

+1

Harsh reality; Cork and Kerry play one "real" match to qualify for the AI Q Finals while Donegal or Tyrone are faced with 3 to reach the same position!

It's the fault of the fecking english again - they created the counties without due care and attention as to how it would affect the football championship. Fecking english tossers.