To the naysayers I hope you were paying attention yesterday. Donegal did what most on here knew was always possible. This forum has been awash with posters feeling sorry for themselves and not up to the fight, we even had a thread looking to put Dublin into a different province. Now will you, your team and county boards get off your backsides, show some bottle next year and just a little belief. Donegal hopefully will inspire the Leinster championship to be just that a championship, competitive and one to be worth winning.

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 01/09/2014 21:23:24    1646455

Cant apply the same rules to both provinces. As much as I dont like saying it, Ulster teams simply have more bottle than their southern counterparts. If that was Kildare, Meath or Wexford playing Dublin last Sunday the game would have been over before a ball was even kicked.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 02/09/2014 19:41:18    1647146

If they would even the playing field in Leinster it would make a difference. But Dublin will never play outside Croker.

MaigheoAbu (Mayo) - Posts: 343 - 02/09/2014 19:46:39    1647151

All the will in the word won't get you over the line if you're considerably short of the required talent and that's the problem with every other team in Leinster at the minute. Plus if you're consistently being beaten by a county at all levels then naturally confidence plummets, Donegal have only played Dublin twice in 12 seasons so they carry no baggage.

Anyway look, I hope the Leinster championship becomes competitive again but there's a lot of work to be done by the chasing pack, I can only speak on my own county's behalf and admit some of our county boards over the last 15 years were very poor so the situation we're in is not all that surprising.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 02/09/2014 19:59:47    1647159

Funny to hear Galway speaking of bottle - the county that produces numerous successful underage teams ( in hurling and football ) , but folds miserably at senior

Malonemagic (Laois) - Posts: 768 - 02/09/2014 19:59:52    1647160

Hahaha Imagine....'Galway' & 'Bottle' in the same sentance!

Per Ignem (Wexford) - Posts: 385 - 02/09/2014 20:27:45    1647171

Is Kerry playing ulster in the final funny because I thought it was Donegal they were playing,so why is it when say Donegal get to a final that every one starts this crack of Ulster against the rest.This is the all Ireland not the rail way cup ,This is Donegal s time not Ulster s.
We seen what the dubs done to Monaghan and if Monaghan had to face them in the first or second round next year they would soon ask them self's what's the point. Each province has four all Ireland contenders each year (ulster had none last year by the way)Kerry,mayo,Dublin and Donegal.

Midlu1 (Louth) - Posts: 790 - 02/09/2014 20:35:40    1647177

Dear Sir,

We would like to be contenders, but we only receive a fraction of the millions that you receive in hurling and football.

However money cannot help you when you are getting a scutching on the pitch.......

sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2904 - 02/09/2014 20:39:11    1647180

MaigheoAbu
County: Mayo
Posts: 225

1647151
If they would even the playing field in Leinster it would make a difference. But Dublin will never play outside Croker.

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Do you seriously think that Dublin wouldn't beat Meath or Laois outside Croke Park? Besides what games would you propose to move out of Croke Park, round 1 of LSFC? Is that really going to 'even the playing field' and make a difference?

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4703 - 02/09/2014 20:51:29    1647186

Joxer
County: Dublin
Posts: 1809

----
Do you seriously think that Dublin wouldn't beat Meath or Laois outside Croke Park? Besides what games would you propose to move out of Croke Park, round 1 of LSFC? Is that really going to 'even the playing field' and make a difference?

**************************

Yes it would. Like it or not it would be a lot harder for Dublin to win in Navan or Portlaois. It should not matter what round either. At the moment the LFSC is an open draw but Dublin for some reasons still get all games scheduled in Croker. What is it now?
something like 47 on the trot I believe. When was the lat time ye actually did play a match outside of Croke Park ?

Also the argument can easily be made that if Kerry played all their games in Fitzgerald stadium, if Mayo played all their games in McHale Park then they too would be nearly impossible to beat. And you would end up with similar situations like you have currently in Leinster year after year.

MaigheoAbu (Mayo) - Posts: 343 - 02/09/2014 21:07:08    1647198

Problem with Leinster is that Dublin is top 2/3 team but the next team in the Province isn't even top 10. Comparing Donegal to Kildare/Meath/Laois isn't realistic as they are miles behind.

county man (Limerick) - Posts: 1102 - 02/09/2014 21:07:57    1647199

MaigheoAbu
County: Mayo

I think you have an awful lot more to be worried about than making Leinster competitive.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4903 - 02/09/2014 21:11:41    1647204

if you dont realise the importance of home advantage i suggest you look at corks record v kerry in killarney compared with at home

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 02/09/2014 21:15:54    1647206

Longford beat Derry this year and there was very little between Kildare and Monaghan .

Midlu1 (Louth) - Posts: 790 - 02/09/2014 21:17:48    1647210

Good man joncarter, post of the week

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1418 - 02/09/2014 21:18:04    1647212

Playing in your own stadium definitely helps but Dublin would hammer any team in Leinster no matter where they played them. And where else could they play them? Portlaoise maybe for first round but that is a small enough ground at around 27k.There is no where else in Leinster.

Most big games in Ulster are played in Clones too. Is that an unfair advantage to Monaghan? Connacht have Castlebar and Salthill and there are 4 big grounds in Munster.

Mayo are a good bit ahead of the rest in Connacht so would dominate in Castlebar but don't think Kerry would dominate Cork if all games were in Fitzgerald stadium (and visa versa).

county man (Limerick) - Posts: 1102 - 02/09/2014 21:25:15    1647217

i think nobody disputes that county man just the potential shocks are a lot less likely and competitive games in general are also less likely as long as the dubs are always in croke park

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 02/09/2014 21:28:26    1647218

Dublin are the best team in Ireland by a country mile. They lost on Sunday to a good Donegal side who were better on the day but are still a long way of Dublin. They got it right on the day and fair play to them. However, if they were to play every day again for the next week- I genuinely would think that Dublin would win all of them handsomely (which is obviously pure irrelevant conjecture) I hope Donegal go on and win the All-Ireland now as they deserve too. Dublin will be beaten again in the future. There is no doubt about that. However, they will win a lot more games than they lose. Over the next 10 years I expect 9 Leinsters 5 All-Irelands and 7 leagues to be won at a minimum. I expect that they no team will win the head-to-heads with them in that time. Of course I could be wrong and hope I am as I am anything but a Dublin fan.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 02/09/2014 21:48:01    1647235

Yeah true enough Fabio, the other counties in Leinster are so far behind it doesn't matter where they play Dublin at the moment but if it was a tight province, playing at home definitely helps.

county man (Limerick) - Posts: 1102 - 02/09/2014 21:49:01    1647236

The National League is becoming a fair reflection on where most teams are at? Reality is Leinster teams ain't doing too well at the moment.
Are they trying, you bet your bottom dollar they are.

Asking Counties to get off their backside and start competing next year probably shows you don't know much about the other counties in your province. Donegal, Tyrone, Kerry, Cork, Mayo, Dublin - all the big hitters over the past while have been consistently present and competitive in Division 1, that's not by chance. All the rest have been hovering around the lower leagues and that's not by chance either.
Is it all about Leinster and the Dubs, no - its about improving each year, making progress and getting the most out of yourself as a team. Your open letter dear high and mighty will be ignored by most for now but hopefully not for long.

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1418 - 02/09/2014 21:53:55    1647238