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On a completely different note, has Sean Cavanagh had a bit of botox?

Thought he looked a bit waxy myself alright

The years stuck competing in the Bibi Baskin Cup can do awful things to the mind

55 minutes played it was level 2-7 to 0-13 a surprise it took the final quarter for Derry to pull away but win it is and the defending champions into the McKenna cup final. Result Derry 0-17 Armagh 2-7.

17 scores to 9 doesn't look great

Derry weren't good in the first half, but rectified it a bit in the second. And overall they were by far the better side. Decent spread of scorers. Good to see Loughlin getting a few from play. More game time for some subs. And a two week rest coming up.

Clare players were having a ball hitting everything that moved with little or no punishment, especially as they had nothing to lose.. And when a card did appear, they were taken off to be replaced with someone who would do the same.

I like Hurson as a ref, but today he was v poor. McConville was talking last week about protecting players and that didn't happen especially for Glass and McGuigan. Could've been helped more by the linesmen as well.

I think you're the first person I've ever seen praise Hurson

Pour auld Cavan. Will they ever manage to win the Bibi Baskin at this rate?

Was there not a double hop for Monaghan's 15th point?

Louth left that behind them with a lack of quality. Physically and emotionally they were well up for it but just couldn't execute when it mattered fair play to them they're definitely on the up.

Mayo very flat that's all the main contenders who have been flat recently hard to predict much from the group stages.

Who in under God has Mayo as a genuine contender to win the All-Ireland? Have they not watched football in the last 30 years?

Derry's current form is drawing with a division one side and winning the ulster title. Donegal's is one win in a tight enough game against a team Derry annihilated last year and defeat to a division three who then got well beat by a team Derry beat. Derry's form poles apart.

Using this kind of logic to predict results has been proven infallible to be fair

All about Galway this year. Ye can call it yerra or whatever you want , they're the team most people fancy . Sean Kelly the best defender in the land , Walsh , comer , Tierney and finnerty , first two X factor footballers other two would make any starting 15 in the country . Cian o neill has them primed for glory . If Dublin can reignite the flame , it will be some final (if avoided before final ) , can't see anyone else spoiling the party in Tuam on 31st July .

Ah Larry, dya not think it's Mayos year? The only thing stopping them all this time has been the fabled curse and that's now removed. Kieran McDonald with his one all star is the greatest player never to lift Sam. If they can only get Cillian o'Connor back fit, we all know of his prolific record from play in finals. The county never truly wanted the 2020 and 2021 finals when with covid they couldn't properly celebrate. The tin roofs from Swinford to Belmullet will be swinging when the day comes in 2 months time

Word on the streets of Castlebar is that Aidan O'Shea at FF is the key to finally ending the famine.

[Team Semifinal appearances in last 10 years]

I was looking back over the last 20 years at what teams were making the AI semifinals the most and have listed below, the last 10 years semi finalists. No surprise with the top 3 anyway although amazing Tipp have made more semis than any other Ulster team bar Tyrone. Interestingly back in the 00's you had Cork and Meath up there too.

Obviously for years we are used to Kerry and Dublin being the two main favourites to make it into the semis or the final but Mayo in the last 10 years have joined them with Galway nowhere to be seen for years until recently.
The Ulster champions have a tendency to put in great performances in Ulster and provide good early form but then often disappoint in Croker. Donegal and Monaghan have been doing this for years although Derry reached their first semi last year since 2004, although they did easily hammer Clare.

Galway lost to the Super Dubs in 2018 whilst Monaghan made their first semifinal since the All Ireland series started but still struggle to win in HQ.

In my eyes it's only when you really beat one of the top 3 or 4 teams from the year before that you be truly considered an AI contender. Tyrone hadn't beaten Kerry, Dublin or Mayo from 2008 until 2021 although they did get to a few semis.

I'm a little surprised how many people are talking up this Galway team who got to the final last year but hadn't beaten any of so called big guns on the way. They beat the Rossies in the Connacht final and then struggled to beat Armagh. They did beat Derry quite well in the end in a very defensive match with both teams seemingly at similar levels during the league.

Galway put up a good performance in the final but in my eyes they are being slightly over stated as one of this years strong favourites just on last years showing. I suppose they have improved a bit during the league and with Walsh and Comer in their team they are always in with a good shout. In my eyes Walsh didn't really stand out all year except in the final whilst Comer was the opposite.
I'm sure Mayo are loving such talk and would relish meeting them later in the year.

Team       Semifinal appearances in last 10 years
Dublin   10
Kerry     8
Mayo      8
Tyrone   6
Galway   2
Tipp       2
Donegal  1
Derry      1
Monaghan1
Cavan      1

Tyrone are an interesting country to look at from that list. They played Ulster teams in the QFs the years they progressed and the one year they played a non Ulster team (Mayo 2016), they lost. 

2013 Monaghan
2015 Monaghan
2017 Armagh
2018 Donegal

In 2019 they shared a Super 8 group with Dublin, Roscommon, Cork and obviously progressed without any issue.

I would say beating Donegal in Ballybofey in 2018 is by far the pick of those victories with the rest being fairly reasonable draws when you look at who they could have gotten.

If you compare them with the other dominant Ulster team of that era, Donegal, it's pretty interesting. Their QF opponents in those year were:

2013 Mayo
2015 Mayo
2016 Dublin
2018 Tyrone
2019 Mayo

Quite a stark comparison.

There's a seam in this Mayo team that runs all the way back to when Jimmy ruined football. Indeed they were the lads that finally put Jimmy to bed (2014 I think) with a savage beating in Croke. Some 12-13 years of football have taken place in that time, and Mayo have been right at the forefront of competitiveness in most every season. All without a marquee forward.

Every man, woman and dog on the street has enjoyed watching Mayo during this time. It's high energy football based on belief and personal responsibility.

If everyone tried to play football like that, we'd have the greatest game of all. Yet every club and county team across Ireland has instead tried to emulate Jimmy's "formula". All because it worked once, just happening to do so just before the great Dublin team came along.

Shame on you coaches of Ireland. Shame on you.

This is almost entirely made up

Just seen the highlights there. McFadden should seen the line, awful clothesline on a Clare man. And McGee a black.

Are you doing a ref report for all the matches or what is the plan

Watching these two teams it seems like if anything they have regressed from last year

This is like a division 3 match

Gallsman wants Gallagher hung, drawn, and quartered,no winners in this sorry episode for Doire Gaa,Gallagher,or his family, enough said

Are you related to Gallagher or something? Why are you so keen to stop others discussing this? Very strange.