Where are the Challengers to Kerry

[DUBSFORSAM1]

Considering at the start of the season people would have said Dublin, Cork, Tyrone, Armagh, Monaghan, Derry ,Galway, Mayo would be the main challengers for Kerry and we have already seen Monaghan and Tyrone beaten, Cork, Armagh, Galway struggle against lowly ranked teams.....Dublin are the only one of the major challengers who started well (even though people still critiscise them for the performance)...

So who is likely to come closest to beating Kerry?

[dubsnsubs]

Clare!

[ziggysego]

Sure Kerry aren't that great a Hurling.

[orangeman]

Derry and Dublin basically - that's it !

[anportmorforjfc]

Considering at the start of the season people would have said Dublin, Cork, Tyrone, Armagh, Monaghan, Derry ,Galway, Mayo would be the main challengers for Kerry and we have already seen Monaghan and Tyrone beaten, Cork, Armagh, Galway struggle against lowly ranked teams.....Dublin are the only one of the major challengers who started well (even though people still critiscise them for the performance)...

So who is likely to come closest to beating Kerry?

Leitrim, Cavan amd limerick are much better teams than louth this year.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

Considering at the start of the season people would have said Dublin, Cork, Tyrone, Armagh, Monaghan, Derry ,Galway, Mayo would be the main challengers for Kerry and we have already seen Monaghan and Tyrone beaten, Cork, Armagh, Galway struggle against lowly ranked teams.....Dublin are the only one of the major challengers who started well (even though people still critiscise them for the performance)...

So who is likely to come closest to beating Kerry?

Leitrim, Cavan amd limerick are much better teams than louth this year.

So that is Cavan who won only 1 game in the league and Leitrim/Limerick who finished below Louth in the league?? Yet they are 12/14 points better than Louth???

[anportmorforjfc]

alot changes from april-june. I wouldn't say Armagh and Galway struggled to win.

[Barney]

If you ask me its a done deal - Kerry and Dublin will play out the All Ireland Final.

Kerry should put away Munster. There is nobody in the Qualifiers that they would fear, and the Connacht champions will be easily taken care of.

Dublin look like having a cake-walk in Leinster. Yes, Westmeath have had a good season to date. But beating the Dubs in Croke Park is not on their agenda. Derry could push them if they get out of Ulster, but the boys in blue should scrape home.

After that in a one off game you never know..........

[rrhf]

I think an Ulster team will win the ai this year.  The cracks were starting to show yesterday for Kerry.  This team dosent even know the phonenumbers of a 3-in-a-row team. 

[bcarrier]

Kerry have best squad of players by some distance but could be vulnerable in the AI QF.

I cannot see them losing in semi or final.

There is little more than a kick of a ball between virtually everything else in Division 1 to 3 . Last years  Division 3 sides have probably covered spread in every game.

[screenexile]

Anybody who hasn't got Armagh high on the list is clean mad! Armagh impressed me a lot yesterday. McDonnell and Clarke on form, a strong midfield and a good defensive system. Armagh will take some beating this year again. As for the rest well yes we are struggling for any decent challengers where you've only got maybe Dublin and Derry. COrk are a poor team and to be honest they beat nobody last year as it has been shown you can discount Meath as being a top challenger.

Having said that there are a lot of twists and turns to be seen in the championship as of yet and we've seen on a number of occasions how teams can perform badly and then lift it to levels above what people thought they were capable of so I think this thread is premature and just a place for people to have their opinions rubbished later on in the season!

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Never count Donegal out.

[muscles magoo]

Kerry have best squad of players by some distance but could be vulnerable in the AI QF.

I cannot see them losing in semi or final.

There is little more than a kick of a ball between virtually everything else in Division 1 to 3 . Last years  Division 3 sides have probably covered spread in every game.

Wouldn't necessarilly agree about Kerry being vunerable in the quarters. As far as I am aware they have yet to lose a quarter final having competed in one every year since their inception?

[bennydorano]

I'm hoping Kerry run into Meath in the Q/F's, I reckon they are the team best placed to beat them.  Derry & Dublin have a chance, Armagh E/W maybe.

[kevmy]

I'd definitely say Kerry are clear favourites to advance and I'd also go so far as to say that on their day no team in the country will beat them. However Kerry do seem to have an off day once every year and it is possible to beat them if you have the belief and play well.

Imo there are a fairly large number of teams on an equal enough sort of level after that including Dublin, Meath, Derry, Donegal, Armagh, Tyrone, Down, Galway, Mayo and Cork. Obviously some of these teams won't perform to potential and others may surpass expectations. I would say that the best 4 teams in the country (bar Kerry) are Dublin, Derry, Down and Donegal. Having said that I think a Connacht team will get to the semis. You always get great confidence from winning a Connacht title beating the auld enemy and both Mayo and Galway are confidence teams who can score.

I'd say for the semis we could well have Kerry, Dublin, Down and Mayo but it really is hard to pick.