County most likely to break into the top 4

[Syferus]

Yeah but that really was an exception Syferus. It's very rare that a team comes from div 2. Also Donegal were div 1 year before last and back in it this year. They wouldn't be a classic div 2 team

Tyrone made the AISFs from D2 the previous year. Its no anomaly.

[Sidney]

Derry are awful and will get relegated from Div 1 this year. They wod appear to be going no-where fast under McIvor. For me the team to watch for in Ulster is Monaghan. Tyrone, Donegal on the slide and Armagh and Cavan on the up.

In Connacht Mayo are miles ahead with Galway makes some gains but well behind.

Leinster, after the dubs you have Meath and Kildare and that's it.

Munster, Kerry on their own with Cork stuttering and Tipp very much on the rise.

Top 4
1. Dublin
2. Kerry
3. Mayo
4. Monaghan

What will be different about Monaghan this year that will elevate them to top four? They've been playing at the limit of their potential over the last two years in my view and that hasn't been good enough to get there. They're a handy top 8 team but no more, and we saw what happened when they met Dublin. They just don't have the strength in depth.

Galway are lurking. I don't think they're nearly as far behind Mayo as people think and could well turn them over in Connacht this year. Wouldn't surprise me at all to see them mount a serious All-Ireland challenge over the next 2 or 3 years.

[Farrandeelin]

Derry are awful and will get relegated from Div 1 this year. They wod appear to be going no-where fast under McIvor. For me the team to watch for in Ulster is Monaghan. Tyrone, Donegal on the slide and Armagh and Cavan on the up.

In Connacht Mayo are miles ahead with Galway makes some gains but well behind.

Leinster, after the dubs you have Meath and Kildare and that's it.

Munster, Kerry on their own with Cork stuttering and Tipp very much on the rise.

Top 4
1. Dublin
2. Kerry
3. Mayo
4. Monaghan

What will be different about Monaghan this year that will elevate them to top four? They've been playing at the limit of their potential over the last two years in my view and that hasn't been good enough to get there. They're a handy top 8 team but no more, and we saw what happened when they met Dublin. They just don't have the strength in depth.

Galway are lurking. I don't think they're nearly as far behind Mayo as people think and could well turn them over in Connacht this year. Wouldn't surprise me at all to see them mount a serious All-Ireland challenge over the next 2 or 3 years.

Agree totally, especially seen Mayo play Galway in Salthill and their wounds will be sore from the last two beatings we dished out to them in the championship. It'll be a much closer game than people think.

[giveballaghback]

Galways problem in both football and hurling is they have a soft centre, they have a beautiful style of football but unlike Kerry they will not get down and dirty when they have to, they are just too nice for the current no holes barred football. They need a ruthless streak.

[Blowitupref]

O'Curraoin Flynn a midfield pairing that will mix it with the best, forwards such as Walsh
Lundy Conroy Burke that will cause damage to even the best teams however its defensively that Galway have issues and will Kevin Walsh be the right manager to improve that weakness and bring Galway back to the level of 97 to 2002?

[AZOffaly]

Galways problem in both football and hurling is they have a soft centre, they have a beautiful style of football but unlike Kerry they will not get down and dirty when they have to, they are just too nice for the current no holes barred football. They need a ruthless streak.

No holds barred. No holes barred means something different entirely!

[GalwayBayBoy]

Derry are awful and will get relegated from Div 1 this year. They wod appear to be going no-where fast under McIvor. For me the team to watch for in Ulster is Monaghan. Tyrone, Donegal on the slide and Armagh and Cavan on the up.

In Connacht Mayo are miles ahead with Galway makes some gains but well behind.

Leinster, after the dubs you have Meath and Kildare and that's it.

Munster, Kerry on their own with Cork stuttering and Tipp very much on the rise.

Top 4
1. Dublin
2. Kerry
3. Mayo
4. Monaghan

What will be different about Monaghan this year that will elevate them to top four? They've been playing at the limit of their potential over the last two years in my view and that hasn't been good enough to get there. They're a handy top 8 team but no more, and we saw what happened when they met Dublin. They just don't have the strength in depth.

Galway are lurking. I don't think they're nearly as far behind Mayo as people think and could well turn them over in Connacht this year. Wouldn't surprise me at all to see them mount a serious All-Ireland challenge over the next 2 or 3 years.

I have my doubts to be honest. You would imagine Galway v Mayo could be a lot closer this year but realistically I think Mayo might have at least one more year of Connacht dominance left in them. Both Galway and Roscommon still have some ground to make up. I mean both sides have looked decent so far but they are not playing division 1 opposition like Mayo are.

[muppet]

Galways problem in both football and hurling is they have a soft centre, they have a beautiful style of football but unlike Kerry they will not get down and dirty when they have to, they are just too nice for the current no holes barred football. They need a ruthless streak.

No holds barred. No holes barred means something different entirely!

That is too funny.

[Sidney]

Yeah but that really was an exception Syferus. It's very rare that a team comes from div 2. Also Donegal were div 1 year before last and back in it this year. They wouldn't be a classic div 2 team

Tyrone made the AISFs from D2 the previous year. Its no anomaly.

Donegal reached the All-Ireland semi-final in 2011 from Division 2 also. Cork were Division 2 in 2009 when they reached the All-Ireland final.

In hurling Dublin won Leinster in 2013 from Divsion 1B, which is effectively Division 2. The last two Munster champions, Limerick in 2013 and Cork in 2014 were in 1B also.

The best teams will naturally tend to be in Division 1 but it's nonsense to say you can't win an All-Ireland after being in it. Donegal didn't lose the All-Ireland last year because they had been in Division 2.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Yeah but that really was an exception Syferus. It's very rare that a team comes from div 2. Also Donegal were div 1 year before last and back in it this year. They wouldn't be a classic div 2 team

Tyrone made the AISFs from D2 the previous year. Its no anomaly.

Donegal reached the All-Ireland semi-final in 2011 from Division 2 also. Cork were Division 2 in 2009 when they reached the All-Ireland final.

In hurling Dublin won Leinster in 2013 from Divsion 1B, which is effectively Division 2. The last two Munster champions, Limerick in 2013 and Cork in 2014 were in 1B also.

The best teams will naturally tend to be in Division 1 but it's nonsense to say you can't win an All-Ireland after being in it. Donegal didn't lose the All-Ireland last year because they had been in Division 2.

Down and Kildare played Division 2 football before meeting in the last four in 2010. Were Meath also Div 2 in 2009?

[From the Bunker]

The team that will move up a level (rather than enter this fictional top 4) will come out of the blue (if it does) over the summer. There may be slight hints of their progress over the League Campaign. But don't be expecting to see the next big thing in Gaelic football at this time of the year. If they are flying now chance are they will fade come May. Other red herrings are teams from counties doing well in the AI club championship. This means very little to the county team and if anything it disrupts preparations of the county team with players coming and going and player fatigue later in the year.

For my counties main rivals Galway and Roscommon, reaching the next level is not just beating Mayo, it's about going on and reaching at least a semi final. But beating Mayo would be a good start in the right direction.

In fairness at the moment I can't see any new threat, but as I said the team that does it will be a surprise. That's what makes sport exciting and great!

[moysider]

Derry are awful and will get relegated from Div 1 this year. They wod appear to be going no-where fast under McIvor. For me the team to watch for in Ulster is Monaghan. Tyrone, Donegal on the slide and Armagh and Cavan on the up.

In Connacht Mayo are miles ahead with Galway makes some gains but well behind.

Leinster, after the dubs you have Meath and Kildare and that's it.

Munster, Kerry on their own with Cork stuttering and Tipp very much on the rise.

Top 4
1. Dublin
2. Kerry
3. Mayo
4. Monaghan

What will be different about Monaghan this year that will elevate them to top four? They've been playing at the limit of their potential over the last two years in my view and that hasn't been good enough to get there. They're a handy top 8 team but no more, and we saw what happened when they met Dublin. They just don't have the strength in depth.

Galway are lurking. I don't think they're nearly as far behind Mayo as people think and could well turn them over in Connacht this year. Wouldn't surprise me at all to see them mount a serious All-Ireland challenge over the next 2 or 3 years.

I have my doubts to be honest. You would imagine Galway v Mayo could be a lot closer this year but realistically I think Mayo might have at least one more year of Connacht dominance left in them. Both Galway and Roscommon still have some ground to make up. I mean both sides have looked decent so far but they are not playing division 1 opposition like Mayo are.

In the right hands Mayo could be dominant for some time and probably indefinitely with a good board and good underage structures.
We will have to wait and see if H&C are up to the task that they were so anxious to take on.
Remember less than 5 years ago old 'soft-chat' management had us losing to Sligo and Longford in championship. The current management dismayed a lot of people I know with some 'soft-chat' after the loss to Tyrone. Look there is no shame losing an early league match to Tyrone or anybody else but daft spin is worrying. Pateen too fond of excuses for a lot of peoples liking. The Monaghan game will tell us a bit I think.

[Syferus]

In fairness I think the dominance is over. If Mayo win Connacht this year it will be after being tested, indeed we did that last year too. Connacht rarely stays in a anyone's hands for very long.

[moysider]

In fairness I think the dominance is over. If Mayo win Connacht this year it will be after being tested, indeed we did that last year too. Connacht rarely stays in a anyone's hands for very long.

You're not hearing me Sy' pal
Connacht changes hands when Mayo screw up - usually when we have a management not up to it. Pateen is getting a second chance at not being up to it or not
If we re caught in Connacht this year it is not a case as Gal. and Ros. catching up; it s a case of Mayo f**king up. Like we did in '98 and 2001  e.g.

[Shrewdness]

I don't think Mayo's goose is cooked yet. They won't have any fear about playing in Salthill against Galway. Galway have new management, but what else is new. On the field, who will Galway have this year that they didn't have last year?. Themselves and Roscommon are improving, but i have my doubts about whether either will be good enough to stop Mayo's 5 in a row in Connacht this year... Mayo could find it tougher in Croke Park this year if there's any slippage in them, but i believe it will take better than Galway or Ros to floor them for this year.