This is a very competitive division which is great from Tyrone's point of view. Tyrone maybe out of Division One but I can not recall Division Two being as strong in a long time. Naturally I think Tyrone will win the division but I expect big things from Derry this season under Damien Barton who will bring pride and passion back to an underperforming squad. Relegation wise I think Meath are my favourites to go down along with Fermanagh.

Byanthon (Tyrone) - Posts: 1780 - 21/01/2016 13:36:22    1818277

Interesting views already...Armagh who I forgot to write about in my original post to start this thread are an interesting one...They loose to Cavan in the first game this year with was suppose to be a horrible performance with big disipline issues so many red cards...

then they beat a decent Monaghan team by kicking 16 points

Loose to UUJ with a poor performance ...
Hard to take much from a McKenna cup but as an Armagh man siad here usually they see one or two that shine to give more option for the new year ahead but reports I got from their supporters were a bit doom and gloom .

In saying that they have probably the most players to come back of anyone but the early games in the league is where they could loose a grip on this division.

Meath away and Laois at home and Fermanagh at home are probably two of their 3 easiest fixtures if they don't pick up at least 4 points in these games it could be a struggle.


Interesting to hear Meath men writing off their team I wouldn't be so sure.The fixtures have been kind to them Armagh at home Fermanagh away and Cavan at home in the first three games is as much as they could hope for.Having Laois even tho its away in the last game is also a comfort as they will be thinking if they need two points they could get it there.

Laois seem to have got the better teams at home in Galway,Derry,Tyrone and Meath...That could work agaisnt them as I'm sure they would have preferred to have the likes of Cavan Fermanagh and Armagh at home but sometimes teams find it easier to play away from their own patch so maybe it won't make any difference.

As I said it has the potential to be the most open division of the lot apart from Tyrone looking nailed on for top spot anything could happen in this division!

BigJohn.6_8 (Galway) - Posts: 704 - 21/01/2016 13:38:51    1818278

TheRightStuff

Fair enough Htaem . Are there many of the former great Meath players coaching at underage ? The list of great football men is endless in the royal county. I would love to see Meath back at the top although im still annoyed about 1990 lol .

Tell you the truth TheRightStuff I'm not great at keeping track of these things but I don't think there's too many Meath legends currently involved with the underage teams (no disrespect to those that are).

I'd love if we were back as well but taking the biased/wishful cap off we're not even quite on the right track yet so barring good fortune we're not going to make a return to the top table any time soon. But your own county is a good example of what can be done to turn things around in a reasonably short space of time when the will is there, of course you's have better players than us and having Jim McGuinness around didn't do any harm either.

Ha ye 1990, Meath and Donegal were two serious teams back then, at least you's got us back in 2002.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 21/01/2016 14:40:28    1818301

Laois - I know they can play ball with the best of them but you d never put them in a betting slip. Never have a great Diamond No 6 8 9 & 11. You ll need that in Div 2

Derry- I fancy Derry to win all home games & probably get promoted.

Tyrone- Not the Conveyor belt of Talent of old but they fight with Galway for 2 nd Spot id say.

Galway- have wonderful players in the forwards but missing a few 27 28 30 year old leaders id have to see them to judge but the point taking of past galway sides I love them.

Meath- Not even the best players in Meath are in this Panel. Burke CB in O Byrne Cup speaks volumes about the lack of depth. Newman & Reilly class going 4ward. The view I have of this generation is the guys on the Hill cheering on the great past teams. CB lost sight of what was needed. Now they re changing their champ structure , But they re 5-7 years behind Dublin & Ulster. Kevin Reilly outstayed his need & now new leaders have to develop. But this team will try its best but no good.

Cavan- Will beat Tyrone on Day 1 & drive the county Spare.. Will lose to Derry & after that how they cope is important could go on a good run & be in contention for Promotion or lose their manager midway. The players have the ability to tighten Ulster this year so the League is very important to this panel ,who have a nice bunch of talent at their heels

Armagh- Well I don t rate that county anymore. Less the Cross players for 1 st 3-4 games they have zero chance..

Denn Man (Cavan) - Posts: 413 - 21/01/2016 14:47:57    1818302

Well rightstuff Stephen bray retired, Kevin Reilly retired, Damian Carroll dropped himself, david bray dropped himself, brian Menton took a year off (at least) Connor Gillespie long term injury, shane O'Rourke? No one really knows what's going on with him but unlikely to play any part, donacha Tobin injured, vast majority of those would start for Meath and certainly come on as a sub, you can add another midfielder too injury list in Adam Flanagan. And I'm sure I am forgetting a few. Now one positive is the return of cillian Sullivan who has been absent since 12 with terrible injuries, he was the star of the minor team who reached ai final. That coupled with the lacking of management to have a basic game plan and any real direction, leaves many (even myself the most optimistic supporter) with been fearful of the year ahead.
But sure who knows maybe this year is the year when it all clicks into place, lets hope so.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 21/01/2016 15:19:30    1818322

I think Tyrone will go up.After that I'm not sure,but I fancy Galway.

As for relegation,its easy to say Fermanagh and Laois,but Laois always seem to stay up.Fermanagh are well coached and will be up for it.Might see one of those go down,with Cavan or Meath.

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 21/01/2016 15:40:17    1818331

Goldrick

Actually one thinh Meath lack is big strong players.

Kev Reilly - Retired
Menton - not available for the league
Gillespie - could be forced to retire

After that,we have Harry Rooney and Andrew Tormey who are physical.Thats about it.I would strongly suggest we are by far the lightest side in the division.

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 21/01/2016 15:44:20    1818333

Tyrone will finish top of the pile no question micky harte will be all out to get back to div 1.
Second place v hard to call i think derry just will get it new manager seems to be getting a system in place which works especially more of a scoring threat.
Bottom two Loais and armagh, don't get hype about armagh i think there going nowhere they will try and bully teams but they lack real quality and laois could easily beat tyrone on there day but get stuffed by everybody else.

Yourjoking (USA) - Posts: 705 - 21/01/2016 15:51:22    1818335

Only 7 teams in Division 2 denn man?

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 21/01/2016 16:05:47    1818340

Good debate about this division

About Laois not having a great diamond

I think the have the strongest midfield in the division in Quigley and O'Loughlin and Kingston at number 11 isn't bad.
Kieran Lillisis back this year after injury and was kicking well for Portlaoise in Leinster if he regains his 2013 form then its a decent Diamond.
I agree about them on a betting slip .

I also agree with your point about my own county lacking leaders but the quality is there for sure.I just hope we can get something the first day against Laois who we have a hopeless record against!

BigJohn.6_8 (Galway) - Posts: 704 - 21/01/2016 17:10:30    1818353

Galway: If Galway manage to win their first match v Laois they could win the Division as their last four games are very winnable and they have Tyrone at home

Fermanagh: This is a step up for them in terms of consistency, They have to play at the higher standard every week and they have. Home form will decide if they stay up as they have Meath, Laois and Cavan at home. Hope they do

Tyrone: Might not be as easy as people think, they have the Ulster teams at home and they can sometimes be easier beaten in Omagh, however with the squad they have they should be in the mix

Derry: Good league team and could be the surprise package

Cavan; Don't like the idea of giving a manager "one last year" would worry for them, except I'm from Monaghan (sorry)

Laois: Who knows totally hard to read, an enigma

Armagh: Agree with the other posters about the Cross players missing early on in the league, think they will stay up though

Meath: First game will be the one for them, win it they could win the first three, lose it and they could go down, up until last summer they have been easy to beat with a defensive system. I expect them to be harder to beat this year

Promoted: Galway and Derry or Tyrone
Relegated: Cavan and Laois

mhunicean_abu (Monaghan) - Posts: 1044 - 21/01/2016 17:41:43    1818360

Galway and Tyrone go up here. Galway cruised over Armagh in the champ last year and beat Derry pretty comfortable in conditions worse than anything you'll see in the spring. Once they don't implode against the likes of Laois and Meath they should get promoted handily.

elvistheking (Galway) - Posts: 99 - 21/01/2016 17:45:21    1818361

Tyrone to go down , here's hoping

topdownfan (Down) - Posts: 555 - 21/01/2016 18:22:39    1818369

Be great to see Galway come up. Having three division one Connacht teams would be of benefit to Connacht as a whole.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11232 - 21/01/2016 19:23:12    1818380

Promotion between Tyrone and Derry/Galway
Laois and Armagh for the drop, mid table for Meath, provided they get off to a good start against Armagh

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2142 - 21/01/2016 19:28:53    1818382

Monaghan abu if cavan are to be relegated to div 3 then what for monaghan in div one? Considering one point separated both teams in championship! I predict cavan to retain status anyway. this division is impossible to predict as teams are all fairly even. What I do predict is that monaghan will get a chance to measure themselves against the four teams who stay in the division in 2017

sceptical (Cavan) - Posts: 544 - 21/01/2016 21:17:42    1818396

Sceptical
I am not doubting Cavans ability. I dont think there is any confidence in the manager thats all, the first sign of pressure and the players will give up on him knowing he is gone at the end of the season.

mhunicean_abu (Monaghan) - Posts: 1044 - 21/01/2016 21:59:41    1818402

Interesting point about Cavan Laois were the same last year with TOF I think the players had lost faith in him and they knew he was going thus the antrim performance in the championship.

Cavan have some quality and need to start showing this year they are ready to mix it with the big boys in Ulster!

It must grate at them that their neighbours have done so well coming from no where to contest the last three ulster finals winning two of them!

BigJohn.6_8 (Galway) - Posts: 704 - 22/01/2016 09:18:43    1818410

Good to see a actual decent debate on merits of each team. Lets just be clear no Meath fan is playing the cute hoor card, we really dont know what's going to happen, with so many players gone that would be automatic starters it's hard to call, yes a few young lads who came onto team seem good, but this is O'Byrne cup we talking about and league will be totally different, add to That serious question marks over management ability and general setting a team up and you see why we all so pessimistic.
Now all we can do is hope things like, fitness and attitude of players have been resolved over winter, and manager has learned how to read a game in real time and can play players in their best position. If all that happens , and its a big if, Meath may get promoted, however I feel we missed our chances last year,

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 22/01/2016 09:23:32    1818411

Tyrone are obviously the favourites for promotion and rightly so, as it stands you'd have to fancy Derry to go up with them. Derry for a number of years have performed well in the league and probably peaked this time of year as opposed to 4 months down the line come the championship although this might change as their under new management.

I was hopeful Galway would get promoted this year but not so now, Lundy & Duane have taken years out whilst O'Griofa is injured for the season. Then we have injuries to the 2 Sweeneys and they might miss the whole league campaign. Shane Walsh, Sice, Bradshaw & Hanley are all injured too and will probably not play much part in the first 2 games of the campaign. Thats 7 players who would be considered amongst out best 15 players.

As for relegation i'm really struggling to make a strong case for anyone but given how pessimistic the Meath posters are I'll go them and the new boys Fermanagh.

TheWestIsAwake (UK) - Posts: 529 - 22/01/2016 10:28:07    1818427