WestMeath v Roscommon

[Syferus]

I don't think the step-up will be as tough as some people think. Westmeath are actually the outlier in terms of going up and losing every game, and even they didn't suffer 'seven tankings'.

People are overthinking all this shite. You go up when you can, not when you decide to.

[ross4life]

Pretty sure the teams that go up from Division 2 tend to have decent enough championships in the same year ; the big problem is that teams that get relegated from Division 1 tend to have pretty abysmal championships that year. 

When a team gets relegated its possible that they might have a knock-on affect. What would happen if Roscommon got relegated from Division 1 and then lose in the first round of Connacht and went out early in the qualifiers? How would this affect morale/sponsorship/ability to attract decent management?

Another issue is the U21s - Roscommon are among the favourites for the U21 championship and it would surely help the U21s cause (depending on when the matches are scheduled) not to be involved in a Division 2 Final.

The big question is what sort of chance the teams that go up from Division 2 would have in terms of avoiding relegation.

Based on the way Division 2 has gone this year, it's very hard to make the case that whoever goes up is well prepared for the step-up in class. The two who go up would be competing with Dublin, Mayo, Cork, Monaghan, Donegal and one from Tyrone and Kerry to avoid relegation which looks to be a serious task

Meath,Cavan with the talent available to them should be able for the step up if we don't win Sunday then as Rosfan said div 2 will be our rightful place.

We were unlucky to get relegated from div 1 on 6 points in 2003 but that summer we had one of our best championships by reaching the All Ireland quarter finals. We didn't have a good championship the last time we were promoted to div 1.

Open to correction but i think since the restructure of the league format only Westmeath,Laois were relegated the following year after getting promoted. For example Kildare were promoted in 2012 on 9 points in their last game they beat Galway in Salthill with a last minute goal and went on to hold their own in div 1 in 2013

[moysider]

The Ros GAA public was split on whether we should relax when safe or continue to push for D1.
Being safe after 5 games most were then opting for the latter scenario and hoping it would be achieved against the arrogant ones from across the Suck. Some of their lot were back to their annoying worst on Sunday evening - poking Rossies with umbrellas etc asking them what did ye think of that eh? Ye can't bate Galway when it counts etc.

Both points of view still being debated - Playing in D1 would be great/ What damage could 7 tankings do?
We need to win Sunday firstly and see what happens after that. If we don't win Sunday then we remain in what is now our rightful place - Div 2.

Ffs. Some years ago when I didn t have to set good example I saw a Herrin Choker prod an elderly Mayo fan with an umbrella. When I had finished with same umbrella it wouldn t have been worth a shite for its intended purpose but it looked half decent wrapped around the pricks neck. Ye Rossies give Galway far too much respect. If ye spent half as much time hating them as us ye d be better off.

Can t believe there is any doubt about pressing on for promotion? You always want to be at the highest level. Div 2 next year will be cut-throat anyway with big physical defensive teams like Derry, Tyrone (prob.) and Armagh. Those games as tough as Mayo, Kerry or Donegal in the Spring.

Next time you see a bollocks prod somebody with an umbrella, shove it up his hole and then open it. You can leave him to get it back down himself.

[Syferus]

In fairness most of the Galway lads I've met at games this year have been very decent folks. In fact they'll have the chat faster than the Mayo ladeens will in my experience. They won't give us Ballagh or the time of day.. 

I know down near the Williamstown side of Castlerea where the mother is from Galway are the big rivals. I suppose Mayo is the default foe though.

[moysider]

Looks like ye doff the cap to Galway Sy. in fairness. Always knew that anyway. They can piss on ye and ye take it.
I ll never forget 2001. Was at the games in Tuam and Castlebar.

I remember the Tuam game because I wasn t driving and on the way up there was this unbelievably photo of Martina Hingis in Sunday Times Mag. with a bottle of champagne, running on a beach after winning the Aus Open, a few months earlier.

Ros. demolished Galway in Tuam that day.
A couple of months later ....

The thing is I remember Ros. supporters walking meekly away and being goaded from a height. I remember one young Ros lad saying 'at least we won Connacht- ye've won nothing'.
The reply was 'it s not worth a shite to ye now, is it!!'
Unfortunatley those presumptuous pricks got to see some good times.
 

[gibbs32]

Rossfn.your anslysis is complete bullshit. You may well get your wish that roscommon dont get promoted"where we belong" as you say but this time next year we will be relegated to div 3 and not have played some of the best teams in ireland.your a perverse so called rossfan.

[Farrandeelin]

How will ye be relegated next year gibbs? IF ye don't get promoted this year. FWIW I think Ros will get promotion on Sunday.

[gibbs32]

Better to have achieved so called defeat rather than play along down the divisions snd decide by so called posters pundits when we are good enough for div 1. This is our group 20+. We have everything in place bar our managers belief. Kevin mcstay would give us that belief,confidence to excel at the top. Wr are not a young team now. We might b in age but not in games. Do kick on we say.

[Syferus]

Looks like ye doff the cap to Galway Sy. in fairness. Always knew that anyway. They can piss on ye and ye take it.
I ll never forget 2001. Was at the games in Tuam and Castlebar.

I remember the Tuam game because I wasn t driving and on the way up there was this unbelievably photo of Martina Hingis in Sunday Times Mag. with a bottle of champagne, running on a beach after winning the Aus Open, a few months earlier.

Ros. demolished Galway in Tuam that day.
A couple of months later ....

The thing is I remember Ros. supporters walking meekly away and being goaded from a height. I remember one young Ros lad saying 'at least we won Connacht- ye've won nothing'.
The reply was 'it s not worth a shite to ye now, is it!!'
Unfortunatley those presumptuous pricks got to see some good times.

Ah now. The 2001 lads were the GAA's Crazy Gang. After that brilliant Conancht championship they seemed to check out. Had very little to do with it being Galway in Castlebar in an AIQF.

We'll see how well we doff the cap on Saturday. Of the two matches between the counties this one matters far more, we always knew we still had our destiny in our own hands even if we lost Sunday and it seemed to pay into how we went about things and even how Evans used players.

The mental block with Mayo is falling and the one with Galway is too. It just takes time. It's easy to be patient when things are going in the right direction.

[gibbs32]

Farrendeelin if we dont beat westmeath which could happen eith shadow team and evans dosnt fancy div 1. Div two will pro be derry tyrone cavan armagh fermanagh galway. Get my twist. Far harder with the amount of blanket grenades. In spite of evans i think we will do enough on sunday with the help of god .

[moysider]

Never saw Ros. having a mental block with Mayo and I remember seeing  Ros giving Galway an awful hammering in Salthill as way back as '78.
U21 is ok but wouldn t put much stock on it.

As regards the league and Evans?? He s a cute hoor obviously as well as a good manager. But does he see himself around for a few more years?  He's done good work and maybe he would like to have a Con. Champ. as his legacy in Ros. rather than a league promotion?  If Ros get promoted, they 're going to be a big story - McGee might embrace them again. Just say!!

Keep the head down and play the old soldier. Let Mayo and Galway get in a lather and set the trap for the weakened winner. He s a Kerryman after all.

[Syferus]

Never saw Ros. having a mental block with Mayo and I remember seeing  Ros giving Galway an awful hammering in Salthill as way back as '78.
U21 is ok but wouldn t put much stock on it.

As regards the league and Evans?? He s a cute hoor obviously as well as a good manager. But does he see himself around for a few more years?  He's done good work and maybe he would like to have a Con. Champ. as his legacy in Ros. rather than a league promotion?  If Ros get promoted, they 're going to be a big story - McGee might embrace them again. Just say!!

Keep the head down and play the old soldier. Let Mayo and Galway get in a lather and set the trap for the weakened winner. He s a Kerryman after all.

Evans is on a second two year term. I'd expect him to see that out unless we bomb in the championship. I wouldn't be surprised if he steps away after that because the sheer commitment to travel up and down from Killorglin two or three times a week would take its toll on any man, retired or not. After that I'd say it'll be Mark Dowd (depending on how the U21s go) or the two Mcs if they're interested. We won't be spending months on end looking for a manager this time around. Evans took the job when a lot of people backed off and fair play to him. He's done the hard yards for the next man.

[ross4life]

How will ye be relegated next year gibbs? IF ye don't get promoted this year. FWIW I think Ros will get promotion on Sunday.

Farra no ye with gibbs he's a certain Kilmovee individual that plays the same nonsense on stolensheep with numerous usernames. Thankfully the ignore feature is in place on both sites for his kind of trolling.

[weareros]

Looks like ye doff the cap to Galway Sy. in fairness. Always knew that anyway. They can piss on ye and ye take it.
I ll never forget 2001. Was at the games in Tuam and Castlebar.

I remember the Tuam game because I wasn t driving and on the way up there was this unbelievably photo of Martina Hingis in Sunday Times Mag. with a bottle of champagne, running on a beach after winning the Aus Open, a few months earlier.

Ros. demolished Galway in Tuam that day.
A couple of months later ....

The thing is I remember Ros. supporters walking meekly away and being goaded from a height. I remember one young Ros lad saying 'at least we won Connacht- ye've won nothing'.
The reply was 'it s not worth a shite to ye now, is it!!'
Unfortunatley those presumptuous pricks got to see some good times.

Ah now. The 2001 lads were the GAA's Crazy Gang. After that brilliant Conancht championship they seemed to check out. Had very little to do with it being Galway in Castlebar in an AIQF.

I'd say it had. It was the 1st year of the qualifiers and after beating Galway and Mayo in the same year for the first time since the 4 in a row team did it 4 years in a row, 77-80, we get an All-ireland qtr final not in Croke Park but in Castlebar against Galway again. Motivation was now with Galway and we had the trudgery of trying to do it again. Game over at half time. Westmeath of course would have a happy memory from that same year.

[Syferus]

Looks like ye doff the cap to Galway Sy. in fairness. Always knew that anyway. They can piss on ye and ye take it.
I ll never forget 2001. Was at the games in Tuam and Castlebar.

I remember the Tuam game because I wasn t driving and on the way up there was this unbelievably photo of Martina Hingis in Sunday Times Mag. with a bottle of champagne, running on a beach after winning the Aus Open, a few months earlier.

Ros. demolished Galway in Tuam that day.
A couple of months later ....

The thing is I remember Ros. supporters walking meekly away and being goaded from a height. I remember one young Ros lad saying 'at least we won Connacht- ye've won nothing'.
The reply was 'it s not worth a shite to ye now, is it!!'
Unfortunatley those presumptuous pricks got to see some good times.

Ah now. The 2001 lads were the GAA's Crazy Gang. After that brilliant Conancht championship they seemed to check out. Had very little to do with it being Galway in Castlebar in an AIQF.

I'd say it had. It was the 1st year of the qualifiers and after beating Galway and Mayo in the same year for the first time since the 4 in a row team did it 4 years in a row, 77-80, we get an All-ireland qtr final not in Croke Park but in Castlebar against Galway again. Motivation was now with Galway and we had the trudgery of trying to do it again. Game over at half time. Westmeath of course would have a happy memory from that same year.

That was my point tough - the team mentally checked out after the Connacht final. Maybe it being Galway again helped push them in that direction but Moy was making the point it was something to do with Galway being 'Galway' to us. I think in year where we already beat them in a massive game that's a hard case to make. If teams meet a second time in the same year and there's not a big gulf between them the team that lost the first encounter usually wins the second in my experience.