Who can stop Kerry?

[Zulu]

Oh I agree. I'm not saying it isn't lopsided but until we scrap the four set groups of uneven number (better known as the provinces!!) then we are doomed to the nonsense competition we see each year.

I've just posted in another thread that the most dispiriting thing about this whole thing is that we have teams and players that would provide the best sports entertainment in the world week in week out if they played each other in big games where the attitude was to go and win as opposed to not lose.

[yellowcard]

We currently have a system where there is a provincial competition played twice during the season. The provincial championships and the pre-season McKenna/O'Byrne cups etc etc. The pre-season competition could be retained for use as the provincial championship and then have an open draw All Ireland series.

[David McKeown]

I think the point I was trying to make in a very bad way is that I don't think Kerry's championship is any easier than any of the other quarter finalists. Not suggesting it's much harder either though. That's probably more to do with the fact that at present there seems to be three teams on the top shelf in terms of quality (Tyrone, Kerry and Dublin). 2/3 on the next level (Donegal, Mayo and Galway). After that it's a big drop in quality in my opinion.

To get the quarterfinals you don't have to beat any of them because of the back door.

Kerry have already played 2 of the other quarter finalists who arguably make up the best of the rest.

Tyrone have played an average Derry side, an average Cavan side and a good Donegal side. Even had they lost to Donegal they would only have had to beat an Average Cork side to make the quarters.

Similar comparisons can be made for other counties (bar Dublin as Leinster seems to be a shambles). So I don't buy this myth that Kerry have it easy. Their route to the quarter finals has been harder than Dublins and comparable to Tyrones in my opinion.  Certainly not far easier than Tyrone or Galways path.

That said I do find it very unfair that two Munster teams have already received a bye through the first round of next years qualifiers.

[Wildweasel74]

Tommy Carr on commentary here in the Kerry, Clare game, why god why??

[Wildweasel74]

Donaghy the worst man in the country for hitting wee men on the sneak with borderline yellow card tackles

[BennyCake]

Pass of the championship? (For the goal)

[king of leon]

Kerry think they're in the Semi already, real lack of intensity

[Wildweasel74]

Some of these drag down tackles look like the reason the black card was brought in for, cant understand why the ref gives yellow, they look fairly deliberate drag downs to me.

[tyroneman]

Kerry block man off ball. No action taken. Donaghy fouls at will. No action taken. The deference shown to the Kerry team is still unbelievable.

[Wildweasel74]

As Joe Brolly said, Roscommon really are useless to be beaten by Clare, Clare have no forwards, kerry will win this pulling up

[thebuzz]

As Joe Brolly said, Roscommon really are useless to be beaten by Clare, Clare have no forwards, kerry will win this pulling up

Clare aren't useless either. It's just that Kerry have a psychological advantage over them. They'd put up a better effort against Dublin.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Donaghy the worst man in the country for hitting wee men on the sneak with borderline yellow card tackles

The box on the head he gave to the Clare lad was more a borderline red card to be honest.

[Jinxy]

Podge Collins is very selfish.
Only gives the pass when he absolutely has to, which is usually a second too late.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

That annual procession went as inexorably as expected, though Championship fare it surely ain't!

[yellowcard]

The fact that an All Ireland quarter final didn't even merit a thread of its own tells you all you need to know about this match.