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[Think we should be ok around the middle against Derry but I'd be fearful enough against a Kerry/Donegal/Galway with the big brutes they have.]

Reading the Derry club thread Derry ones seem fairly confident. Not an unreasonable stance either.

Armagh seemed to be able to park the Ulster Final defeats very well and come out very strongly in the AI series after, what will the heads be like after a bit of mid season success?

I'd worry a bit about MF myself,  Crealey's loss will be felt a lot more as this progresses, but we're doing OK there to date.

Think we should be ok around the middle against Derry but I'd be fearful enough against a Kerry/Donegal/Galway with the big brutes they have. At the minute we're doing rightly at the shorts with the bad weather playing a big part on Sunday with the ones we lost. Hopefully we're able to park Ulster again and push on.

This sums it up, Derry have a mobile midfield but not a big enough midfield to trouble the Kerry/Donegals etc. Armagh will have the same problem eventually. Don't see midfield being the game winner in the Derry game. Crealey a huge lost.

Despite Galway having some big men around the middle, they were cleaned out by the Rossies in that department. I think there's as much to be said for having a bit of grit and doggedness and getting stuck into the battles for breaking ball etc. Not to mention a clever kickout strategy can go a long way.
Armagh seem to be on the way back, the hunger they had in 24, that was missing in 25, looks like it's back in them again. At least as an outsider looking in that's what I see.

Westmeath will need to improve for league final against Down.

They have the small matter of going to Wexford and getting a result first, before they can think of any potential final.
That one is 50/50 in my view given some of the Jekyll and Hyde performances from Westmeath this year.

Galway well on top at the end of the first half against a weakened Donegal team compared to what we've been seeing.

Stupid black card for Langan when he ran in to body check the Galway 15 after he'd pulled McMenamin down by the neck. Especially as the Galway lad was walking away with his hands up. Honestly was half expecting a red.

A nasty dig of the elbow, should have seen red. Ironically the Galway man managed to avoid a yellow for the original foul in the midst of it.

1. Down
2. Fermanagh
3. Clare
4. Sligo
5. Laois
6. Wexford
7. Limerick
8. Westmeath

Westmeath 2nd favourites for promotion.

Fogarty has a well established dislike for Westmeath...
Down should top the division and then I can imagine a tight race between Clare, Sligo, Limerick and Westmeath for second spot. Whoever hits the ground running early might nab it.
Wexford and Fermanagh for the drop for me

Any odds for Leinster? I imagine Ballyboden, Na Fianna, Naas, Portarlington, The Downs all fancying their chances if they get out of their own counties.

Sure it's only th'oul League.
Do teams play League games without Co players?

Teams are seeded for championship in Armagh based on their league position. So it's taken a bit more seriously than it would have been before. No real dead rubbers either as leagues have been condensed into 8 teams. It also affords smaller clubs an easier path to reaching intermediate or senior football than under the previous system.

So are there just 4 division in the league in Armagh/Tyrone then? Senior/Inter/Junior/Junior B?

An example in my own county of Westmeath, the likes of Killucan would have a large amount of dual players, and a few involved in both county football and hurling squads.
So they play league matches down a lot of players, hence they are in division 3. But when all players are available, they are able to hold their own in the senior championship, have done for the last 20 years or so.

Tyrone got tanked against Kerry down there in 2021 in a league game. Would read nothing into that today.

If it was in isolation then I'd agree with you but Tyrone are going nowhere this year and haven't been since they won the Covid AI title. You can't lose that many players and still remain competitive and they have done well to retain their division one status with practically a new team. They might come good in a few years time as they are still doing well at underage level but I expect that they will limp their way through the championship again and I'd be surprised if they make much of an impact.

The covid AI title?! Wasn't 2020 the covid all ireland title? WUM.

They got it called off a couple of times due to "covid" and got a full squad back together did they not?

https://www.impartialreporter.com/news/23514420.rory-gallagher-responds-domestic-abuse-allegations/

Who are his solicitors, and where has their statement been released? Is it just to the media outlet above?

How do statements through solicitors usually work in these cases?
Similarly I haven't seen anything directly from Derry GAA, just what was cited above.

Still waiting to see where this "genuine" statement from Rory Gallagher has come from, where is it?

What is it that Sligo are doing that is so effective at underage levels?
There are plenty of similarly sized counties that should be taking notes.

When are tickets on sale for this game does anyone know?

I was at the league game between the 2 earlier in the year, and I would agree it was fairly dreadful stuff. Having said that there was no Walsh, Finnerty, Comer off injured early and I think those 3 could be the difference this time around.
McDaid back would be a big plus too.

Sweeney could be one to follow Enda Smith alright but he would surely be overpowered. Don't think he played when they met in the league but has nailed down a place since then, would imagine Eoghan Kelly would be given a marking job too if he is fit.

Mayo probably the better team over the 70 mins and deserved the win, they were far more direct and intent in their attacking than Galway.
Having said that, Galway would be right to wonder about some of those frees given, when they weren't getting similar. Only 4 points from play for Mayo. Joyce seemed to indicate he thought some of the frees given were "questionable", I would have to agree with him. I'd be surprised if a lot of them were given in a big championship knockout game.
Mayo will be delighted, Rossies waiting in the long grass now though

How many have Tyrone on the team from last year? Still a mighty result for Down whatever the context.

I was at the first replay of Dublin Meath in 91.  Mick Lyons was sent off.  I can't remember if he was allowed back on in ET, but Meath were definitely allowed bring on a 15th man.  Something similar happened with Dublin Wexford back in the noughties, if I remember correctly, but Dublin benefited this time.

Stupid rule.

That was Dublin/Wexford 2010. We were actually down to 13 men that day. Denis Bastick and Ger Brennan  were sent off that day. Restored to 15 for extra time.  Agree crazy rule.

Does that rule still exist? Some genius who came up with that one.
If it's a new game then surely the player should have to serve the suspension during that game. And any player who didn't play the original game due to suspension would be allowed to play the extra time then?
For that matter, if it's a new game then you could surely put out whatever 15 players you wanted.

Westmeath - Offaly tomorrow should be interesting, usually has been close & fiery in the last few years.

How are Offaly looking under Maughan? Will ye be pushing for promotion or happy with staying up?