Seems to me there has developed three tiers of top class forwards.
Personally, I think there is the top top top class of forward, ie Gooch, Stevie and Forde.
after that i think there is a few absolute stars like McGuigan, Brogan, Mulligan, Meehan, Bray, Clarke, Sheehan, Kavanagh, O'Sullivan, Doyle, Freeman and Bradley
Then after them you have the likes of Keaney, Mortimer, Masters, Dolan, Farrell etc
What would ye think lads. How would ye categorise the top forwards in the country 2008?

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8170 - 15/05/2008 11:24:17    19257

Liam i would totally agree although i think forde has a bit to go before being mentioned in the same breath as gooch and stevie. Could be wrong maybe if he was playing in a stronger team he would be every bit as good, but for me i think gooch and stevie are way ahead of the rest

samin10 (Armagh) - Posts: 2434 - 15/05/2008 11:34:01    19264

I think Bradley should be in the top divison, few forwards go out and score a tally of 7 points each match.

Niamh (Derry) - Posts: 2397 - 15/05/2008 11:39:53    19270

oh and add P Joyce to the second tier
there was a time he would have walked into the top tier, one the of true greats, but 2008 PJ is in the second tier, not a bad place to be tho!!!
Id McDonald is back this year, he goes straight into the second tier also, just BARELY missing out on the top tier, BARELY

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8170 - 15/05/2008 11:42:43    19273

Niamh Bradley is class, sheer class, but I think the 3 i have in the top are just that little cut above the rest. If Matty Forde was a Dub we would have at least one sam by now, so too Cork and even Mayo

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8170 - 15/05/2008 11:43:58    19274

forde isnt top class maybe a star... bit hot and cold.... bradley any day ahead of him...

Southern Dandy (Wicklow) - Posts: 789 - 15/05/2008 11:50:49    19286

i would definitely have johnny doyle in the top category
pure class

mac21 (Leitrim) - Posts: 677 - 15/05/2008 12:26:33    19322

top top top class of forward, ie Gooch, Stevie and Forde.
after that i think there is a few absolute stars like McGuigan, Brogan, Mulligan, Meehan, Bray, Clarke, Sheehan, Kavanagh, O'Sullivan, Doyle, Freeman and Bradley
Then after them you have the likes of Keaney, Mortimer, Masters, Dolan, Farrell etc
What would ye think lads. How would ye categorise the top forwards in the country 2008?

Top tier: gooch
Second tier: mcdonnell, mcguigan, bradley, clarke, kavanagh, forde, freeman, brogan (alan), doyle, meehan, o sullivan (declan), joyce, bray
Third tier: masters, mortimer, keaney, o rourke, brogan (bernard), dolan

In the second tier i know mcdonnell is clearly a little above everyone else but i still dont think he's quite in the same class as the gooch. Definitely the second best forward in the country though

Dont know where id place mulligan to be honest. Definitely not in tier two. Havent been that impressed with him in recent times. If stephen o neill was back anywhere near his best he would be in tier two just behind mcdonnell

redandgreen (None) - Posts: 691 - 15/05/2008 12:51:33    19350

ye mean to say mortimer not better than meehan,freeman,kavagnagh get a rip lads easily up in the top tear along with bradley obviously cooper out on his own due to the quality of team he plays on . dont insult mortimer placing him with keaney bray even one year never made anybody a great player in brays case . five years doing nothing with meath. how many of so called top tier have allstars ?? mortimer has . and has been cosistently good with mayo for his seven years involved and still only 25. wake up and smell the coffee.

torres (None) - Posts: 34 - 15/05/2008 13:27:20    19375

I can see this thread ending in tiers!!!

JayoCluxton (Dublin) - Posts: 2688 - 15/05/2008 13:29:56    19377

liam if bradley played for the dubs you would have won an all ireland. with the exception of glaway i cant remember when he hasnt scored 6 or seven, that includes being marked my marc o se. ford yet to prove himself on the all ireland stage. would love him in my team but div 3 defenders and also leinsters for the last few years are not the best.

Baker the glen (None) - Posts: 371 - 15/05/2008 13:37:18    19384

U may be right Baker, Fair point.

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8170 - 15/05/2008 13:51:45    19395

baker, not sure about this but would i be right in saying Bradley has played in one national league final that being his biggest stage? Forde is the same although he lost against the mighty armagh

Torres i presume you are from mayo, because the reality is very few people outside of mayo rate him that highly. Good but far from the best

samin10 (Armagh) - Posts: 2434 - 15/05/2008 14:07:25    19414

What about Mulligan ? - Top scorer in the championship so far this year!!!

Leitrim Lad (Leitrim) - Posts: 264 - 15/05/2008 14:16:29    19421

Mortimer is good, but he aint in the same league as any of the lads i have in tier 1 and 2, but he is a good forward and well worthy of his place in Tier 3.
I also should have Donaghy in tier 2

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8170 - 15/05/2008 14:18:54    19425

lads i know i'l get berrated for this but why is gooch been talked about as the only top top top top forward in the country. for the last couple of years he hasnt been playing out of this world football( i know he had a hard time of it 2 years ago) but i remember i was at the all ireland semi final between kerry and cork in 06 (i think) and the gooch gave the best display of point taking and general play i have ever seen. left or right from any angle were going over the bar. even the cork lads were in awe of what he was doing. he hasnt done that since then although his form picked up a bit last year.

there have been more forwards playing better than cooper over the last 2-3 years so dont talk about him like he's some kind of god....freeman, brogan, keaney, bradley, masters, kavanagh have all been on a level with him for the last few years.

howshecuttin (Longford) - Posts: 376 - 15/05/2008 14:28:23    19434

but u see cuttin , this is it, ya those lads have been maybe as good, and maybe he hasnt been his brilliant best, but the thing is, if every forward in Ireland played to the absolute max of their ability all year, every one of them, I guarantee you he would come out top. Straight up guarantee it. If I had to pick one forward in Ireland to kick a point to save us all from extermination at the hands of the Martians......he would be that forward!!! Bloody Martians!
He is quite simply, the best.

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8170 - 15/05/2008 14:51:15    19446

Its no bother to the Gooch when hes cuttin through useless defences like Mayo and Cork who don't even bother with a goalie between the posts!

Dessie_Cross (Armagh) - Posts: 145 - 15/05/2008 15:02:58    19454

Where would you all rate Colm McFadden? I think he has the potential to be a second tier forward. Time for him to really make the step up this year.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 10364 - 15/05/2008 15:04:39    19458

lockjaw. i think colm mcfadden is an excellent player but i think like the rest of the donegal team he is underachieving

samin10 (Armagh) - Posts: 2434 - 15/05/2008 15:20:15    19465