Realistically the top 4 only lose to each other. Dublin's last two championship defeats came against Donegal last year and Mayo in 2012. Mayo's last two championship defeats came against Kerry and Dublin in the 2013 AI final. Kerry lost to Dublin in 2013, and Donegal in 2012. Donegal are the exception having lost to Monaghan in 2013, and they were eventually knocked out by Mayo.

PK57 (Louth) - Posts: 1654 - 30/06/2015 14:09:36    1745444

Dublin are already in the final this year given the way people are talking on here about them.. Mayo have beaten them on a number of occasions in the last ten years and should have come out on top in 2013 so hopefully if they do cross paths in the semi final then they can have a serious effort.

So if Mayo fail its up to Kerry or Donegal to put a stop to the all conquering blue juggernaut all ireland, sorry i mean leinster champions of 2014.
People need to wait until they meet have half decent opposition before they start kidnapping SAM from its birthplace and handing him over to the dubs.
Kildare were frankly an embarrassment the way they rolled over and it may be harsh but i would be ashamed to be part of such an inept performance.

Donegal are my tip to beat them this year in the final if they reproduce their performance against Armagh, i think they will be very hard to stop.
However, an interesting year awaits and the dubs may well steam roll everyone they meet and good luck to them if they do but ive often seen a 10/11 backed horse or team beaten, so them odds are not all their made out to be. Donegal are much better value and the hills will be celebrating again this year.

KY4SAM2015 (Kerry) - Posts: 898 - 30/06/2015 14:09:41    1745445

OhToBeArossie

Mate, Its fairly black and white.

The Leinster final is the A side of the draw

Therefore:

As it stands, Providing we beat Westmeath we could only play - Fermanagh/Antrim/Offaly/Kildare/Longford/Clare/Cavan/Roscommon/Cork/Kerry (Teams also on the A side of the draw) in the quarter finals

Obviously by the time round 4A of the qualifiers is finished, they will only be able to play a couple of the listed teams (except westmeath cause they meet in the final)

Conversely, IF Dublin were to lose the Leinster final they would play one of the above mentioned teams in the qualifiers (again, similar to above there wont be as many of the teams listed above by the time Dublin/Westmeath go into the qualifiers)

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 30/06/2015 14:12:06    1745449

Wayno - fair play to you , you are a good poster on here . I'm certainly not trolling, I simply don't feel that you's won't be beaten .

It must get difficult for Dublin management to keep a lid on things . The media always blow them ( Dubs ) up and their is nothing that the players can do about it . What must be more frustrating is that most of the journalists are from the country . They also can't control the betting shops . Then when there's a crash , they're the worst in the world .

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 30/06/2015 14:20:48    1745460

Jaysus,
It's not so long ago that people were talking about how ordinary Dublin look against blankets, now you have this crack of are Dublin beatable and no doubt as soon as or if we do get beaten you will be back to the gombeens sneering and saying how arrogant it was to suggest we were unbeatable. It's obviously in others interest to peddle this rubbish and put a label on Dublin.
As for those looking for a bit of attention and suggesting Dublin are the cause of the demise of football well you are a sorry case indeed as is evident from all your negative posting on here. Go away and have a lie down for yourself.

SLLY (Dublin) - Posts: 463 - 30/06/2015 14:20:52    1745461

30/06/2015 14:09:41
KY4SAM2015
County: Kerry
Posts: 112

1745445 Dublin are already in the final this year given the way people are talking on here about them.. Mayo have beaten them on a number of occasions in the last ten years and should have come out on top in 2013 so hopefully if they do cross paths in the semi final then they can have a serious effort.

So if Mayo fail its up to Kerry or Donegal to put a stop to the all conquering blue juggernaut all ireland, sorry i mean leinster champions of 2014.
People need to wait until they meet have half decent opposition before they start kidnapping SAM from its birthplace and handing him over to the dubs.
Kildare were frankly an embarrassment the way they rolled over and it may be harsh but i would be ashamed to be part of such an inept performance.

Donegal are my tip to beat them this year in the final if they reproduce their performance against Armagh, i think they will be very hard to stop.
However, an interesting year awaits and the dubs may well steam roll everyone they meet and good luck to them if they do but ive often seen a 10/11 backed horse or team beaten, so them odds are not all their made out to be. Donegal are much better value and the hills will be celebrating again this year.
+1 moommoo

HughHunt24 (Cork) - Posts: 841 - 30/06/2015 14:40:56    1745472

ritchie
County: Cork
Posts: 233


So eloquent! I got a hot flush reading that. Nearly as good as Big Jims article this morning. Will you have my babies?

A69

Aido69 (Dublin) - Posts: 381 - 30/06/2015 14:42:06    1745473

TheRightStuff
County: Donegal
Posts: 721

1745443
Master - that's a fair post . Your basically saying that overall , it's not about the next one or two years. Rather it's about the posterity of our association where Dublin will win 19/20 Leinster championships . Will underage players from other Leinster ever ask ' what is the point ' ???

1/100 on for a Leinster final is insane . I couldn't help but think that although Westmeath had a fantastic win, they will not get within 20 points of Dublin . This will put Westmeath football back 5 years IMO.

-------
No different to other provinces TRS. Donegal in the Ulster final for the 5th year in a row. Monaghan there for the 3rd year in a row. In Munster 80 out of last 81 titles have been won by Cork or Kerry. What will the defeat of Tipp have done to Tipp football? Why do Clare, Waterford or Limerick even bother? Why does the Scottish Premier League even exist and when was the last time Celtic or Rangers did not win it? La Liga is the same. It's sport.

Dublin were beaten by Donegal last year. They have 2 AI titles in the last 19 years. This is not Kilkenny hurling that we are talking about.

This Dublin team is superb, no doubt. They will inevitably decline at some point, as all great teams do, as you only unearth Brogans and Connollys once every decade and a half or so. No end of population or money will prevent that - how many Peles have Brazil produced, how many Maradonas and Messis have Argentina produced? It's cyclical.

Can Dublin be beaten? Donegal did it last year so yes they can be beaten. I would be concerned about midfield, and if two or three key forwards do not fire then we could have problems. I wouldn't say that we or any team has a silver bullet for a blanket defence and that's always a concern. Donegal and Kerry are well capable of executing that perfectly and turning us over I would say. Mayo have more bravado and so I would be more confident of exploiting the gaps that they would leave as a result.

Good fishing TRS but I ain't biting.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 30/06/2015 14:51:28    1745477

Every team can be beaten.I thought Kildare were woeful and more niggly than Kildare teams usually are.Dublin are very good but not unbeatable by any means.

Barnowl94 (Galway) - Posts: 3150 - 30/06/2015 14:52:30    1745479

Aido69
County: Dublin
Posts: 291

1745473
ritchie
County: Cork
Posts: 233


So eloquent! I got a hot flush reading that. Nearly as good as Big Jims article this morning. Will you have my babies?

A69


All credit to reproduction between our two countries .. I have already completed the full back line for me club so me baby making days are over.. I give a good cuddle though

ritchie (Cork) - Posts: 346 - 30/06/2015 15:18:53    1745496

TheRightStuff
Master - that's a fair post . Your basically saying that overall , it's not about the next one or two years. Rather it's about the posterity of our association where Dublin will win 19/20 Leinster championships . Will underage players from other Leinster ever ask ' what is the point ' ???

1/100 on for a Leinster final is insane . I couldn't help but think that although Westmeath had a fantastic win, they will not get within 20 points of Dublin . This will put Westmeath football back 5 years IMO.

But that is already happening TheRightStuff. Imagine having to come up against a juggernaut every year, getting trounced at basically all levels bar the odd minor shock-win or whatever. That wears people down, eventually you just do something else - something that you are actually getting a fair chance in. It is no coincidence that Meath, Kildare and Laois are falling off the football planet at the same time as Dublin are fulfilling their potential. They have all lost motivation because the odds are stacked against them every time they put on a pair of boots. It is like playing tiger woods for money and only being allowed use the spare set of clubs from the clubhouse - will you be going back to do that again? It isn't like professional soccer where lads can transfer around, in gaa you know the team you will be playing with from now until you finish playing before you even start. If they aren't getting a fair crack of it, why would you bother? There is no motivation for them.
That is now filtering across the country into other provinces as Dublin get stronger. If it is left to develop, the situation in leinster is coming to the rest of the country. That has all sorts of repercussions for the game itself - all negative. For instance, we have sky dipping their toe in the waters. The could provide massive funding for the gaa. Do people think that one team that is obviously far too strong, hammering everyone every year is going to develop that interest and bring in the money we want? The example is the SPL, and the shell of a league that has become. We need to re-evaluate what we are doing and where we are heading.

Sooner or later we need to realise that what makes the gaa (or indeed any sport) great is not so much the level of the best team, but in fact fair competition. If we had games like Meath v Westmeath every week, sky would be all over the gaa. But more importantly, interest in the gaa in our own youth would improve. Kildare would look at that game and say, well we can be as good as them, they have nothing we don't have, so would laois, limerick, Tipperary etc. But now teams look at Dublin and say, we cant get near what they have, so they don't do as much and the hiding they receive yearly only reinforces it, and so it becomes a downward spiral - the reason for that is a lack of fair competition. The way it is going to go is the way of the spl. Then it will be rubbish and nobody will care. Only then will they act - about 15 years too late.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 30/06/2015 15:23:54    1745500

Like Ros this year, Dubs were talking about AI last year, but have learnt lesson and wont be caught again. Dubs for Sam 15

Miler (Mayo) - Posts: 1015 - 30/06/2015 15:28:44    1745505

Joxer - that's a fair post and some valid points made . I actually posted a similar thread back in 2013 and I was proved right . Off course in theory Dublin can be beaten but I'm talking in reality : will it happen two years on the trot .

As regards Dublin dominating Leinster , I have on numerous occasions stated that the other Leinster counties ie : Meath and Kildare need to get their house in order rather than continuously blaming Dublin . The quotas are all gone up here , no bloody fish left !

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 30/06/2015 15:32:19    1745510

I wish people would learn!!

It is not Dubs setting up these ridiculous threads.

Why do so many people bite.

Some people just want to have an excuse to have a go at the Dubs.

Stupid thread,

jacktheDub (Dublin) - Posts: 944 - 30/06/2015 15:33:09    1745511

Realistically they'll make the all Ireland semi final without a challenge.

I think that's the match one of kerry, mayo or donegal could catch them. they'll not have had a test in months and yet they'll be overwhelming favourites.

If they win the semi like they did in 2013 against a top team they'll win it in the final. That's my prediction.

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 30/06/2015 15:34:41    1745513

Joxer
No different to other provinces TRS. Donegal in the Ulster final for the 5th year in a row. Monaghan there for the 3rd year in a row. In Munster 80 out of last 81 titles have been won by Cork or Kerry. What will the defeat of Tipp have done to Tipp football? Why do Clare, Waterford or Limerick even bother? Why does the Scottish Premier League even exist and when was the last time Celtic or Rangers did not win it? La Liga is the same. It's sport

All the above is wrong. Donegal and monaghan have similar resources as everyone else in ulster. So tyrone or derry for example will come strong as they get weaker and a natural cycle will take place, like it did in the past. Dublin have a population that far exceeds the critical mass for this cycle to come into effect. That is to say their 'dip' has been and will still be far above the level of the other teams' peaks, so they win perpetually. The same goes for Kerry, who actually have just a little over the average population. What is exceptional there is they have developed a football mad culture that other counties don't have - but other counties could develop if they so wished, so it isn't an advantage. Nobody can match Dublin's 1.3 million people if they wished, that is the difference.

You say the SPL exists - well I agree, that is all it does, it exists. That isn't sport at all, that is professional sports teams in a professional league. They continue because they earn money - if they don't they go out of business, the players continue because they want to make it big and get to play for celtic or Barcelona, not compete against them for free every year. That has actually the complete opposite of the true sporting ethos. The clue is in the name - 'Sport', as in sporting, i.e. fairness of competition.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 30/06/2015 15:39:40    1745519

Jacki.........Why do so many people bite.

Some are biting and some are being coy.........Dubs for Sam 15!!

Miler (Mayo) - Posts: 1015 - 30/06/2015 16:52:53    1745580

TheMaster
County: Mayo
Posts: 13342

1745519
Joxer
No different to other provinces TRS. Donegal in the Ulster final for the 5th year in a row. Monaghan there for the 3rd year in a row. In Munster 80 out of last 81 titles have been won by Cork or Kerry. What will the defeat of Tipp have done to Tipp football? Why do Clare, Waterford or Limerick even bother? Why does the Scottish Premier League even exist and when was the last time Celtic or Rangers did not win it? La Liga is the same. It's sport

All the above is wrong. Donegal and monaghan have similar resources as everyone else in ulster. So tyrone or derry for example will come strong as they get weaker and a natural cycle will take place, like it did in the past. Dublin have a population that far exceeds the critical mass for this cycle to come into effect. That is to say their 'dip' has been and will still be far above the level of the other teams' peaks, so they win perpetually. The same goes for Kerry, who actually have just a little over the average population. What is exceptional there is they have developed a football mad culture that other counties don't have - but other counties could develop if they so wished, so it isn't an advantage. Nobody can match Dublin's 1.3 million people if they wished, that is the difference.

------
You always bring up this very simplistic view of population equals success. Last I checked Cork and Limerick were well populated cities in Munster yet Kerry dominate. In Connacht you have the city of Galway playing second fiddle to Mayo. In Ulster you have Antrim. Was this 'critical mass' not always present in the case of Dublin or did we have an overnight baby boon? Dublin have 2 sams in 19 years and there was a 12 year gap prior to that. Where is the evidence of this 'perpetual' winning that you refer to? Do your stats only start at 2011? You see counties like Mayo who crave success yet are stuck in a perpetual cycle of underachievement will continually point to 'advantages' of bigger counties to paper over the cracks and failings within their own counties which they fail to address. Look at posts from some Meath posters. You would swear that they had just been hammered by the big bad Dubs but instead capitulated to an unfancied Westmeath team. Yet still they blame Dublin's advantages for their suffering. Bizarre!

Incidentally, look up the definition of Sport. I think you will find that it has more than one meaning. Think 'fun'.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 30/06/2015 18:12:34    1745624

The only way I can see Dublin getting a game in the quarters is if kerry lose to Cork and they draw them.

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 30/06/2015 18:44:51    1745641

dublin are evens to win it.that suggests they are as likely to win it as not win it end of story..for what its worth i think they are more likely to win it than not..

kavvie (Clare) - Posts: 505 - 30/06/2015 19:56:07    1745679