All-Ireland Series Sam Maguire 2026

[DaleCooper]

New rules suit people who can play football with skill.

Old rules suited athletes who train up to the standard which put so many off.

When you look at who was missing for Armagh they had a damn good year and shouldnt be too disheartened.

How would this kerry side do minus their talisman DC and two midfielders?

[imtommygunn]

It's not just about individuals though it's about tactics as a team.

I think Kerry would still be very close to being the best about without DC. Dylan Geaney now a serious player then you have Paudie Clifford, Sean O'Shea, Paul Geaney not half bad etc.

Tyrone also did a very good job on Joe O'Connor this year. He's a serious operator.

[Armagh18]

New rules suit people who can play football with skill.

Old rules suited athletes who train up to the standard which put so many off.

When you look at who was missing for Armagh they had a damn good year and shouldnt be too disheartened.

How would this kerry side do minus their talisman DC and two midfielders?

All the top players still have to be serious athletes still, look at Clifford. Unbelievable skill wise and athletically a freak, still looks like a minor playing u14's at times. O'Connor another animal of a man as are the 2 big midfielders.

Main men Armagh missed this year were Rian- who similar to Clifford is a machine athletically and skill wise as well, Crealey who'd be useful for his size/strength than his skill and Grugan who has a serious engine on him (at his best anyway)but main attribute would be his brain/skill rather than brawn.

Take Clifford out and they're a different team, yes the other lads are superb footballers but with Clifford you're looking at probably the best to ever do it, the other team are starting 8 points down most weeks with him there.

[DaleCooper]

Well at this juncture in the sport all the guys are top fitness wise. Would agree Kerrys kickout movement and understanding is like something like youd see in NFL.

Would love to know how many set plays and running patterns can be called upon and how the signalling works.

[Captain Obvious]

New rules suit people who can play football with skill.

Old rules suited athletes who train up to the standard which put so many off.

When you look at who was missing for Armagh they had a damn good year and shouldnt be too disheartened.

How would this kerry side do minus their talisman DC and two midfielders?

Athletes are more required now than ever, under the old rules you could get by a few tall cumbersome players in your side.

Kerry especially in championship knock out games are the most structured team. You'll see them conceding less the All-Ireland semi-final and final now that they have a two week break between games.

The Armagh issues from last year when making a championship exit to Kerry and conceding 0-32 was never addressed however it's transitional period for Armagh and winning Ulster and retained Division 1 status is something to build on.

[imtommygunn]

Kerry have more kickers and more top forwards. They also have really tightened up their defense Ultimately they are better. This Kerry team would have ended up thriving on the old rules too I would suspect.

Also they are pretty cute with the kickouts and the screening etc etc.

[Blowitupref]

Looks like Louth v Mayo All-Ireland semi-final is already sold out. I wonder did the Tailteann Cup Finalist get their hands on many tickets?

[Rossfan]

No tickets for either game now on ticketmaster.

[snoopdog]

Looks like Louth v Mayo All-Ireland semi-final is already sold out. I wonder did the Tailteann Cup Finalist get their hands on many tickets?

Good question. Not sure of allocation. I logged on at 11.50 and was put in a Q. 8k infront of me and all that was left were hill and Davin. Clun allocation was probably All cusack and hogan. I doubt tailteann got more than 5k each to the county board

[Armagh18]

All gone for both days on ticketmaster

[EoinW]

Well at this juncture in the sport all the guys are top fitness wise. Would agree Kerrys kickout movement and understanding is like something like youd see in NFL.

Would love to know how many set plays and running patterns can be called upon and how the signalling works.

This is what puzzles me.  Given how important it is to win your own kick out, and the dire consequences when you get it totally wrong, why aren't teams running set plays - like a QB passing to a WR?

Bill Walsh and Joe Montana would script the first 20-30 offensive plays before each 49er game.  Can't GAA teams prepare in a similar way?

Is it impractical to huddle quickly before each kickout then send the 11 players out to run a set play like wide receivers?

[brokencrossbar1]

Well at this juncture in the sport all the guys are top fitness wise. Would agree Kerrys kickout movement and understanding is like something like youd see in NFL.

Would love to know how many set plays and running patterns can be called upon and how the signalling works.

This is what puzzles me.  Given how important it is to win your own kick out, and the dire consequences when you get it totally wrong, why aren't teams running set plays - like a QB passing to a WR?

Bill Walsh and Joe Montana would script the first 20-30 offensive plays before each 49er game.  Can't GAA teams prepare in a similar way?

Is it impractical to huddle quickly before each kickout then send the 11 players out to run a set play like wide receivers?

I think most teams do but they are just limited in their imagination.  I know we were doing it nearly 30 years ago and had about 7-8 set plays for kick outs.  I have tried to get other teams coached the same way but the appetite wasn't there for it!  Most games have at least 50 kickouts,  for and against.  Easiest set ups to managew

[DaleCooper]

They absolutely do. Just wondered how detailed it is and what degree of autonomy players have.

Its likely Kerrys all star goalkeeper will not feature at all in this years quest for Sam. Murphy could well get his own all star to boot.

Darren O Sullivan claimed Murphy has also been nursing an injury all year...which was kept very quiet and hes getting flak for revealing it.

[bennydorano]

I've heard McGeeney giving off about the Carton house fiasco a few times, he referenced some intensive work being missed- I've been assuming its the special teams (set pieces) type stuff (as American football would call it) that he was talking about.

[thewobbler]

Well at this juncture in the sport all the guys are top fitness wise. Would agree Kerrys kickout movement and understanding is like something like youd see in NFL.

Would love to know how many set plays and running patterns can be called upon and how the signalling works.

This is what puzzles me.  Given how important it is to win your own kick out, and the dire consequences when you get it totally wrong, why aren't teams running set plays - like a QB passing to a WR?

Bill Walsh and Joe Montana would script the first 20-30 offensive plays before each 49er game.  Can't GAA teams prepare in a similar way?

Is it impractical to huddle quickly before each kickout then send the 11 players out to run a set play like wide receivers?

Comparing GAA to NFL in terms of setting up a playbook is something of a stretch.

In NFL:

after each stoppage, all defensive players line up in roughly the same formation.

Roughly half of those players hold a horizontal line at the restart, and will never go deeper than that line.

It is perfectly within the rules for attackers to block the runs of defenders.

And even with the advantages created here in terms of set plays, teams go 4 and out more often than they score.