Kerry/Dublin/Mayo/Donegal
Don't know why people include Cork, they rarely beat Kerry when it really matters.
I wouldn't expect too many surprises but that does not mean there won't be some cracking games. Leinster and Munster are very predictable, maybe Galway can shake Mayo this year but Ulster the only province that is hard to predict.

switec (Kildare) - Posts: 525 - 13/01/2015 13:09:43    1682805

Now that Kerry have learned to apply real tactics rather than ideological ones they will be a very dangerous animal - Dublin have a strong chance as it is not a back to back year for them but the team truely capable of doing back to back as shown before is Kerry.

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 13/01/2015 13:11:23    1682806

GAA hatrick thats not the point - if Messi was born in Getafe,it doesnt mean hes stuck there for life,regardless of him being the Worlds best player.He can reach the top.If Messi was a GAA player from Fermanagh or Wicklow is he going to enjoy his career and fulfill his potential?Is he going to showcase his unbelievable talent on the big occassions and get all the medals and awards that his skill and ability merit?2 hypothetical questions by the way.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 13/01/2015 13:15:51    1682808

Points I was trying to make (not very well) was that
1. AI starts in August
2. Finalist will come from 1st group of 5, a minimum of 3 from this group in semis, with an outside chance of someone from the 2nd group making the 4th semi spot.

It's always been the same as long as I can remember, in any year you could pick the semi finals/final with ease. I do feel that the gulf between the "top" teams and the rest has grown to such an extent that the competition itself has become stale. No problem with that in itself as the stronger teams will always win out in the long run.
As for being depressed about Meath football, who from Meath wouldn't be, when you look at the record in the last few years in Leinster. Same could be said for all other Leinster counties. It's up to Meath and everyone else to improve or at least show signs of improvement. Same could be said for Munster and Connacht
Comparing with the Premier League is ridiculous as firstly it's a league and secondly it's professional.
I always found the GAA National League more interesting as counties are playing at levels where they can be competitive. Just a shame it isn't part of the summer.

moylagh (Meath) - Posts: 484 - 13/01/2015 13:35:35    1682822

I agree with you Moylagh re the League.I enjoy it more than the predictable Leinster championship these last few years.Good,honest,competetive games against teams of a similiar standard.Div 1 looks very tasty this year.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 13/01/2015 14:14:25    1682837

cuederocket I didn't see that point brought up previously. My point was that we are lucky that we get the odd upset thrown in. Your point is valid of course but for a different thread. There are many players that back up your point, Leighton Glynn & Emlyn Mulligan spring to mind.
I was just saying that although the big guns will be there, there is always a chance of an upset.
Armagh were close to doing it last year after all.

Looking forward to next year anyway - Dublin & Kerry should both improve & it remains to be seen what Mayo & Donegal will be like with the new management.

GAAHattrick (Dublin) - Posts: 278 - 13/01/2015 14:29:08    1682844

Yes sorry about that gaahattrick,i was discussing this on another thread yesterday and thought this was the thread.My mistake.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 13/01/2015 15:00:42    1682858

Have to agree with moylagh in that it is always easy to predict at least 5 of the 8 quarter finalists every year, and as long as the qualifier draw doesn't pair 2 'big guns' in the earlier rounds it is generally easy enough to pick at least 2 of the remaining 3 teams too. But, as the saying goes, it has always been thus, and in a competition based on where players are from rather than who can afford to pay them it will always be this way.{ and rightly so before someone thinks I want pay for play or a transfer system in the GAA).
Thats why in a lot of ways I prefer the league every year. Well matched teams playing regular, competitive football.It is a template that will eventually replace the current championship system, but in an organisation that embraces change as slowly as the GAA does, it could be quiet a while before we witness it.

AHP (Dublin) - Posts: 323 - 13/01/2015 15:14:26    1682866

really looking forward to 2015 with galway
we have lots of good young players
with lots skill and talent
and most of all
i think kevin walsh will get galway
to up the workrate and tackle count
where we have been weak

rhudson (Galway) - Posts: 1478 - 13/01/2015 17:41:37    1682911

12/01/2015 14:13:24
KingdomBoy1
County: Kerry
Posts: 2698

1682557 Cork are gona be a dangerous animal in Munster this year, they have all the motivation they need to bury us, they still have some of the best players in Ireland and if they had a proper management team in place no one not Kerry or Dublin or mayo or Donegal would touch them and that's a fact.

+1
The lads are training 5 nights a week since October.think we could win this year.Will have a fully fit Colm O'Neill from the start

HughHunt24 (Cork) - Posts: 841 - 13/01/2015 17:46:10    1682917

12/01/2015 16:16:55
KingdomBoy1
County: Kerry
Posts: 2698

1682603 Clondalkin
Dublin are a fine team of athletes but ye don't have enough football to take back Sam . If ye play to ye'r strengths and go back to ye'r rugby league style ye had under gilroy ye MIGHT make the final. Sam is very happy down here in the southwest , we carry it out for walks on carrantuohill and around the national park trying to air it out ;-) the canasters Sam and tommy , and us Kerry folk are all wintering well thank god and looking forward to taking a stab at the allirelands of 2015.

You can see the Kerry boys are getting worried aiming cheap insults at the jackeens.I didn't see Kerry employing their traditional kick and catch tactics in final.They had to resort to the blanket defence and rugby tactics in final and semi final.

HughHunt24 (Cork) - Posts: 841 - 13/01/2015 17:52:42    1682918

KingdomBoy1,that is not a fact.It is your opinion.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 13/01/2015 18:44:44    1682933

Hate to busrt the kerry lads bubble but dublin were the best team in country in 13 and 14 and wait for it they best in 15 too and probably next year as well. As a meath man that's hard to say. But barring another fluke like donegal game all things equal dublin will stroll to another all ireland.

foreverroyal (Meath) - Posts: 349 - 13/01/2015 19:01:48    1682939

correct hugh free count in first half all ireland Donegal 10 Kerry one, catching and kickn alright me thinks?

thebadbounce (Galway) - Posts: 87 - 13/01/2015 19:05:42    1682941

KingdomBoy1
County: Kerry
Posts: 2698

1682603
Clondalkin
Dublin are a fine team of athletes but ye don't have enough football to take back Sam . If ye play to ye'r strengths and go back to ye'r rugby league style ye had under gilroy ye MIGHT make the final. Sam is very happy down here in the southwest , we carry it out for walks on carrantuohill and around the national park trying to air it out ;-) the canasters Sam and tommy , and us Kerry folk are all wintering well thank god and looking forward to taking a stab at the allirelands of 2015.

I think ye showed last year Kingdomboy that a team with decent players who put in the hard work and know their limitations can still win Sam.( granted a good dollop of luck is needed) but i think its a good thing ,because it shows other counties that you dont need brilliant Footballers to win Sam. Ye realised that ye hadnt got those type of players like Dublin who can run at pace with the ball , but ye did have hard workers who could tackle and break up the play and make it difficult for the opposition , so ye used it to your advantage and with Donegal out on their feet after the semi,ye slugged it out with them in the final and stumbled over the line.
But bottom line is Sam is wintering well in Kerry. ( Tradition has changed down south :) )


Although i think ye will be found out next year

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 13/01/2015 20:49:13    1682989

Ok boys can ye answer this for me: if we win the allireland again this year will we still be considered an average team? And will the Dublin region ;-) still be considered the best team in the country?

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 14/01/2015 09:09:23    1683030

K'boy1: I'd park it, you are not going to win or change the opinion of inside the Pale, the records will show that consistently Kerry will win Sam in average every 4th or 5 year, Consistently in a quarter or Semi every year and yes we won this year against the odds considering retirements and injury. I have said previous that last year Kerry were prob a year ahead of themselves and I always felt that we would be better this year, adding in Tommy and Colm and any other new player that puts himself forward.

Bottom line is Skill and talent is the difference…. You can train to be fit, blinkered and competitive.. you cannot teach talent… a Skilled player or team will always win out against athletics.

Horsebox77 (Kerry) - Posts: 5491 - 14/01/2015 09:30:29    1683037

Aye lads the anti-Kerry brigade was out in full song on here last night!

'Donegal out on their feet after the semi-final', did you ever hear such tripe!!!

Sure let the Dubs think they have the best team in Ireland, we have Sam!

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 14/01/2015 10:47:11    1683064

"But barring another fluke like donegal game"

Nothing fluky about that win my boy. The only thing which could have made that win sweeter was if it was in the final itself!

Like the Kerry poster said, those that say that Donegal were "out on their feet" after the Dublin game and had nothing left in the tank are talking dung.
The lads were at peak fitness and had a few weeks to prepare for 70 minutes of football. The fact is that on the day Kerry's tactics were spot on and a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes from Donegal were ruthlessly punished. I think if McFadden's attempt had went in at the end a replay would have been very interesting indeed.

But it didn't and Kerry are worthy champions.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9155 - 14/01/2015 11:30:31    1683075

True for ya Hermit... sit back and smile

Horsebox77 (Kerry) - Posts: 5491 - 14/01/2015 11:49:58    1683087