Guide to the Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cup in 2024

[Blowitupref]

Wouldn't be comparing it professional sports. The proof will be in the pudding for the All Ireland Quarter finals this summer. I believe Mayo and Tyrone would have given a better account of themselves last year with more time to prepare for their Quarter final and it's worth taking into account Tyrone and Mayo would be among the best when it come to fitness and conditioning of their players. 

No point in pulling out hypothetical situations to fit your narrative. Both Kerry and Dublin would widely be seen as better sides with bigger squads than either Tyrone or Mayo. I could equally point to how a rested Armagh were knocked out by Monaghan (after extra time) despite them playing 3 weeks in a row and who were seen as underdogs prior to that match. There are a whole range of factors that could affect a result including momentum, injuries, suspensions, illness, match fitness, confidence, freshness etc.

It might well be an advantage depending on the circumstances but I just don't think its as cut and dried as some people try to make out. There will be players who would much prefer to be playing every week because if they aren't they are invariably spending a full day in a training camp on the weekend before the next match anyway.   

Granted Dublin and Kerry are better but 12 points the better team I think not.  No amount of training replicates a high intensity championship knock out tie and coming through that and going up against a rested Kerry,Dublin the following weekend most certainly doesn't help in making an All Ireland quarter a competitive watch. 

[cavanmaniac]

Not a brutal draw from Cavan's perspective - absolutely delighted there's no other Ulster team in there, but perhaps it's all moot anyway with the news that Paddy Lynch is gone for the season after doing the cruciate.

You'd imagine Galway or Mayo will be good enough for second place behind the Dubs and Cavan and Roscommon will renew their modern day B-lister rivalry for the third spot. Roscommon wouldn't be overly fearful in that one either.

[Armagh18]

Not a brutal draw from Cavan's perspective - absolutely delighted there's no other Ulster team in there, but perhaps it's all moot anyway with the news that Paddy Lynch is gone for the season after doing the cruciate.

You'd imagine Galway or Mayo will be good enough for second place behind the Dubs and Cavan and Roscommon will renew their modern day B-lister rivalry for the third spot. Roscommon wouldn't be overly fearful in that one either.

If Cavan bring the intensity they brought in the 2 Ulster games at times they'll give any of the Connacht teams a good rattle. Lynch is some loss though, was sorry to hear that.

[Gael85]

Not a brutal draw from Cavan's perspective - absolutely delighted there's no other Ulster team in there, but perhaps it's all moot anyway with the news that Paddy Lynch is gone for the season after doing the cruciate.

You'd imagine Galway or Mayo will be good enough for second place behind the Dubs and Cavan and Roscommon will renew their modern day B-lister rivalry for the third spot. Roscommon wouldn't be overly fearful in that one either.

Has Gearoid McKernan retired?

[Main Street]

Would be happy enough with that draw from a Monaghan perspective, though Meath and Louth probably thinking the same thing.

We  could write off the first game v (probably) Kerry in Killarney, but good to have home ground v (hopefully) Louth and neutral v Meath. There's hope.
Whoever loses the Ulster final will probably wonder why they bothered trying to get there.

[Armagh18]

Would be happy enough with that draw from a Monaghan perspective, though Meath and Louth probably thinking the same thing.

We  could write off the first game v (probably) Kerry in Killarney, but good to have home ground v (hopefully) Louth and neutral v Meath. There's hope.
Whoever loses the Ulster final will probably wonder why they bothered trying to get there.

To win it. Fairly unlikely that an Ulster team wins Sam.

[cavanmaniac]

Has Gearoid McKernan retired?

Not part of the panel this year. Either wasn't asked or decided not to. His last few seasons his form had dropped off significantly, to be fair, but he had big mileage clocked up.

[cavanmaniac]

If Cavan bring the intensity they brought in the 2 Ulster games at times they'll give any of the Connacht teams a good rattle. Lynch is some loss though, was sorry to hear that.
[/quote]

Years of ingrained tactical baggage seem to still inhibit this team, until a game is slipping away. Then, when there is literally no reason left standing not to throw caution to the wind and just have a right cut off it, instinct and skills are given their head and apparently we can give a game to a good many teams. It's maddening stuff at times and we keep repeating the dose.

[seafoid]

The last rr - pre qf- qf
 is the killer

I wonder how many first seeds will win their qf . Will it be 3/4 like last year ?

You would have to assume 4/4 would be the standard every year for the group winners making it the the semis.
This would have been the case last year only for Monaghan's penalty win over Armagh.

I wouldn't be surprised if 3/4 would be the usual most years for the first seeds in as regards making the semis. I think most years you've a very decent chance of one of the Ulster teams turning over one of the other provincial winners.

As you said the the preliminary quarter-finals route with 3 games in 3 weekends looks like an absolute death-trap of a route towards Sam. It's very hard to see a team winning Sam through that route.

the top 4 don't necessary have to be the provincial champions.

[galwayman]

I love Gaelic football - I have since I can remember.
I'm in my forties now and this is the first year ever that I just can't get excited about the championship whatsoever.
The format has completely fucked it up. I honestly believe the only way forward is to get rid of the provincial championships. It won't happen because the Ulster championship is so strong & competitive. The elephant in the room is that the other three are a complete and utter pile of horse shit.
When a team would be better off losing a provincial semi final (if they were to go on and lose the final) so that they could potentially get a pot two opponent of Louth, Clare or Sligo it says it all.
Dublin & Kerry can sleepwalk into a top seed spot in a group.
It's a completely uneven playing field.
It has to change so that teams of a similar standard are playing against each other and teams such as Dublin & Kerry can't just proceed through to the business end in first gear every year.
I get that they are quality teams and would do well anyway but there's no real peril for them at the moment unlike any of the Ulster teams for example.
Even ourselves last year - once we beat Roscommon we had a handy game against Sligo to get into pot one.
A lot of the games now don't mean a huge pile.
It's killing the football championship