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Ok. Football Championship 2017 and it's hard to look beyond the 'big 5' as i'm labeling them. Namely Dublin, Mayo, Kerry, Tyrone and Donegal.
I haven't checked the odds etc but who from the following teams could potentially win a shock all-ireland.
1. Monaghan: A solid well organised division 1 side with 2 recent Ulster championships. Have Conor McManus. Won 2016 Ulster U21 championship. To me, as a neutral, i could see them win an other Ulster but an all-ireland would be a long stretch.
2. Cork: Always have underage talent and plenty of footballers. Since 2010 have never really been the sum of their parts and lack consistency. Last county out of the 5 mentioned to win an all-ireland, 2010. Dark horses if they can get organised.
3. Meath: In 2016 v Dublin looked feeble to be honest. An untypically Meath lacklustre challenge. Didn't appear to have the requisite talent given what i saw on the pitch that day. Have tradition and a highly rated new manager in Andy McEntee. Can Meath posters tell me if there is talent out there? I'm not overly familiar with the club scene in the county. Had a good minor team in 2016. Probably a project for a few years.
4, Cavan: On the up, in division 1. Drew with Tyrone this year but looked a good notch lower than them in the replay. Underage talent coming through. A lot will depend on new management. Like Meath probably need a few years. If you were taking a wild punt on them for an all-ireland in 2017 you would be a very optimistic Cavan supporter.
5. Galway: Looked like they were going places this year until Tipperary implosion. Have tradition, underage success and a history of emerging from nowhere like in 1998. Need to sort out defensive structure and regain confidence.
6. Roscommon: Riding high in March 2016, by July at a low ebb. Why didn't they go for the win in the drawn Connaught final? Under one manager will they perform better in the championship? Lots of underage talent. In my opinion need to strengthen up physically. Haven't won an all-ireland since the 1940s. Of all counties i'd label the Rossies the most 'football mad'. Great support.
7. Tipperary: Currently the most successful dual county in the game after reaching the 2016 semi. The word is out now. Are there many players who were missing last year returning to the footballers? Can they sustain the progress. A gap to the top 5 as was shown in the all-ireland semi.
8. Derry: Always a division 2 borderline divion 1 side. Strong club scene. Played in league final in 2014 when lost to the Dubs. Nothing to suggest they can win an all-ireland. Even an Ulster seems a bit away.
9. Down: Look in decline.
10. Kildare: Minors looked really good until they came upon superb Kerry team. Success and challenging in Leinster a while away.
11. Westmeath: Credit to get to 2 Leinster finals and are the number 2 team in Leinster on championship form. Silverware in the championship highly unlikely.
Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 12/10/2016 20:03:06
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Replying To Laois76: "Ok. Football Championship 2017 and it's hard to look beyond the 'big 5' as i'm labeling them. Namely Dublin, Mayo, Kerry, Tyrone and Donegal.
I haven't checked the odds etc but who from the following teams could potentially win a shock all-ireland.
1. Monaghan: A solid well organised division 1 side with 2 recent Ulster championships. Have Conor McManus. Won 2016 Ulster U21 championship. To me, as a neutral, i could see them win an other Ulster but an all-ireland would be a long stretch.
2. Cork: Always have underage talent and plenty of footballers. Since 2010 have never really been the sum of their parts and lack consistency. Last county out of the 5 mentioned to win an all-ireland, 2010. Dark horses if they can get organised.
3. Meath: In 2016 v Dublin looked feeble to be honest. An untypically Meath lacklustre challenge. Didn't appear to have the requisite talent given what i saw on the pitch that day. Have tradition and a highly rated new manager in Andy McEntee. Can Meath posters tell me if there is talent out there? I'm not overly familiar with the club scene in the county. Had a good minor team in 2016. Probably a project for a few years.
4, Cavan: On the up, in division 1. Drew with Tyrone this year but looked a good notch lower than them in the replay. Underage talent coming through. A lot will depend on new management. Like Meath probably need a few years. If you were taking a wild punt on them for an all-ireland in 2017 you would be a very optimistic Cavan supporter.
5. Galway: Looked like they were going places this year until Tipperary implosion. Have tradition, underage success and a history of emerging from nowhere like in 1998. Need to sort out defensive structure and regain confidence.
6. Roscommon: Riding high in March 2016, by July at a low ebb. Why didn't they go for the win in the drawn Connaught final? Under one manager will they perform better in the championship? Lots of underage talent. In my opinion need to strengthen up physically. Haven't won an all-ireland since the 1940s. Of all counties i'd label the Rossies the most 'football mad'. Great support.
7. Tipperary: Currently the most successful dual county in the game after reaching the 2016 semi. The word is out now. Are there many players who were missing last year returning to the footballers? Can they sustain the progress. A gap to the top 5 as was shown in the all-ireland semi.
8. Derry: Always a division 2 borderline divion 1 side. Strong club scene. Played in league final in 2014 when lost to the Dubs. Nothing to suggest they can win an all-ireland. Even an Ulster seems a bit away.
9. Down: Look in decline.
10. Kildare: Minors looked really good until they came upon superb Kerry team. Success and challenging in Leinster a while away.
11. Westmeath: Credit to get to 2 Leinster finals and are the number 2 team in Leinster on championship form. Silverware in the championship highly unlikely." Laois73, I don't think there is a big 5. There is a Big 3 and the rest are challengers. Of the rest Donegal have already won an All Ireland. They were overly cautious this year and need to play a more expansive game. There is nothing between the Big 3 in Ulster, Tyrone, Donegal and Monaghan. They are all capable of beating each other. Are any of them capable of winning an All Ireland ? Probably not. Are any of the rest capable of winning an All Ireland at the moment ? Probably not.
Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 12/10/2016 20:49:06
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Just from a Meath point of view, I think the positives are we have a good new manager, with plenty of ambition, steel and no nonsense attitude in him, compared to Mick O'Dowd who was basically a nice man. Think of McEntee as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman and O'Dowd as Sergeant Bilko, that's the sort of difference.
On the club scene it's a bit of a mixed bag, I think there's certainly the talent to do better than we have done of late but no superstars like we've had in the past either. Also the club championship structure is a big problem, it simply isn't competitive enough (in theory you can lose 3 games and still become Meath champions) and it badly needs an overhaul.
As for our underage, I think we're slowly turning the corner after years of neglect which is positive and hopefully will bear fruit in the near future.
Our target in 2016 really should be an AI quarter-final, now given recent form I couldn't justify us being a top 8 team but if you're not setting targets to improve then what the hell are you doing!
Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 12/10/2016 20:52:54
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Replying To Laois76: "Ok. Football Championship 2017 and it's hard to look beyond the 'big 5' as i'm labeling them. Namely Dublin, Mayo, Kerry, Tyrone and Donegal.
I haven't checked the odds etc but who from the following teams could potentially win a shock all-ireland.
1. Monaghan: A solid well organised division 1 side with 2 recent Ulster championships. Have Conor McManus. Won 2016 Ulster U21 championship. To me, as a neutral, i could see them win an other Ulster but an all-ireland would be a long stretch.
2. Cork: Always have underage talent and plenty of footballers. Since 2010 have never really been the sum of their parts and lack consistency. Last county out of the 5 mentioned to win an all-ireland, 2010. Dark horses if they can get organised.
3. Meath: In 2016 v Dublin looked feeble to be honest. An untypically Meath lacklustre challenge. Didn't appear to have the requisite talent given what i saw on the pitch that day. Have tradition and a highly rated new manager in Andy McEntee. Can Meath posters tell me if there is talent out there? I'm not overly familiar with the club scene in the county. Had a good minor team in 2016. Probably a project for a few years.
4, Cavan: On the up, in division 1. Drew with Tyrone this year but looked a good notch lower than them in the replay. Underage talent coming through. A lot will depend on new management. Like Meath probably need a few years. If you were taking a wild punt on them for an all-ireland in 2017 you would be a very optimistic Cavan supporter.
5. Galway: Looked like they were going places this year until Tipperary implosion. Have tradition, underage success and a history of emerging from nowhere like in 1998. Need to sort out defensive structure and regain confidence.
6. Roscommon: Riding high in March 2016, by July at a low ebb. Why didn't they go for the win in the drawn Connaught final? Under one manager will they perform better in the championship? Lots of underage talent. In my opinion need to strengthen up physically. Haven't won an all-ireland since the 1940s. Of all counties i'd label the Rossies the most 'football mad'. Great support.
7. Tipperary: Currently the most successful dual county in the game after reaching the 2016 semi. The word is out now. Are there many players who were missing last year returning to the footballers? Can they sustain the progress. A gap to the top 5 as was shown in the all-ireland semi.
8. Derry: Always a division 2 borderline divion 1 side. Strong club scene. Played in league final in 2014 when lost to the Dubs. Nothing to suggest they can win an all-ireland. Even an Ulster seems a bit away.
9. Down: Look in decline.
10. Kildare: Minors looked really good until they came upon superb Kerry team. Success and challenging in Leinster a while away.
11. Westmeath: Credit to get to 2 Leinster finals and are the number 2 team in Leinster on championship form. Silverware in the championship highly unlikely." I would say none of them unfortunately!
rossy15 (Roscommon) - Posts: 616 - 12/10/2016 20:59:02
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Replying To Laois76: "Ok. Football Championship 2017 and it's hard to look beyond the 'big 5' as i'm labeling them. Namely Dublin, Mayo, Kerry, Tyrone and Donegal.
I haven't checked the odds etc but who from the following teams could potentially win a shock all-ireland.
1. Monaghan: A solid well organised division 1 side with 2 recent Ulster championships. Have Conor McManus. Won 2016 Ulster U21 championship. To me, as a neutral, i could see them win an other Ulster but an all-ireland would be a long stretch.
2. Cork: Always have underage talent and plenty of footballers. Since 2010 have never really been the sum of their parts and lack consistency. Last county out of the 5 mentioned to win an all-ireland, 2010. Dark horses if they can get organised.
3. Meath: In 2016 v Dublin looked feeble to be honest. An untypically Meath lacklustre challenge. Didn't appear to have the requisite talent given what i saw on the pitch that day. Have tradition and a highly rated new manager in Andy McEntee. Can Meath posters tell me if there is talent out there? I'm not overly familiar with the club scene in the county. Had a good minor team in 2016. Probably a project for a few years.
4, Cavan: On the up, in division 1. Drew with Tyrone this year but looked a good notch lower than them in the replay. Underage talent coming through. A lot will depend on new management. Like Meath probably need a few years. If you were taking a wild punt on them for an all-ireland in 2017 you would be a very optimistic Cavan supporter.
5. Galway: Looked like they were going places this year until Tipperary implosion. Have tradition, underage success and a history of emerging from nowhere like in 1998. Need to sort out defensive structure and regain confidence.
6. Roscommon: Riding high in March 2016, by July at a low ebb. Why didn't they go for the win in the drawn Connaught final? Under one manager will they perform better in the championship? Lots of underage talent. In my opinion need to strengthen up physically. Haven't won an all-ireland since the 1940s. Of all counties i'd label the Rossies the most 'football mad'. Great support.
7. Tipperary: Currently the most successful dual county in the game after reaching the 2016 semi. The word is out now. Are there many players who were missing last year returning to the footballers? Can they sustain the progress. A gap to the top 5 as was shown in the all-ireland semi.
8. Derry: Always a division 2 borderline divion 1 side. Strong club scene. Played in league final in 2014 when lost to the Dubs. Nothing to suggest they can win an all-ireland. Even an Ulster seems a bit away.
9. Down: Look in decline.
10. Kildare: Minors looked really good until they came upon superb Kerry team. Success and challenging in Leinster a while away.
11. Westmeath: Credit to get to 2 Leinster finals and are the number 2 team in Leinster on championship form. Silverware in the championship highly unlikely." cork if they get their act together...i think monaghan have gone as far as they can bar they get an exceptional return off these underage sides as its extremely difficult to stay competitive with a population like that and they have been found wanting in croke park....tipp possibly but very difficult to know....the structure of the championship makes it very hard to know really because a lot of it is down to the luck of the draw and who u play and when u play them i.e Longford Monaghan a classic example
alano12 (Dublin) - Posts: 2208 - 12/10/2016 20:59:31
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Can't see anyone outside those 5 winning.
Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4201 - 12/10/2016 21:01:39
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Replying To Htaem: "Just from a Meath point of view, I think the positives are we have a good new manager, with plenty of ambition, steel and no nonsense attitude in him, compared to Mick O'Dowd who was basically a nice man. Think of McEntee as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman and O'Dowd as Sergeant Bilko, that's the sort of difference.
On the club scene it's a bit of a mixed bag, I think there's certainly the talent to do better than we have done of late but no superstars like we've had in the past either. Also the club championship structure is a big problem, it simply isn't competitive enough (in theory you can lose 3 games and still become Meath champions) and it badly needs an overhaul.
As for our underage, I think we're slowly turning the corner after years of neglect which is positive and hopefully will bear fruit in the near future.
Our target in 2016 really should be an AI quarter-final, now given recent form I couldn't justify us being a top 8 team but if you're not setting targets to improve then what the hell are you doing!" Cheers Htaem,
I'm kinda curious as to what Meath will be like. I remember Mick O'Dowd from college days and he was as you say a nice man. Hifself and Trevor Giles were good mates. I can see what you mean by a bit of steel being required. Who would have thought we'd ever be saying that about yourselves!
We're a little optimistic in Laois. When Clare and Fermanagh make the top 8 it's only natural that teams like Meath, Laois, Kildare, Armagh, Derry and a dozen others would aim for that.
Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 12/10/2016 21:21:49
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Replying To Greengrass: "Laois73, I don't think there is a big 5. There is a Big 3 and the rest are challengers. Of the rest Donegal have already won an All Ireland. They were overly cautious this year and need to play a more expansive game. There is nothing between the Big 3 in Ulster, Tyrone, Donegal and Monaghan. They are all capable of beating each other. Are any of them capable of winning an All Ireland ? Probably not. Are any of the rest capable of winning an All Ireland at the moment ? Probably not." I presume you mean Dublin, Mayo and Kerry as a big 3 Greengrass? If so Tyrone lost by a point to Mayo and you could argue Donegal should have beaten Tyrone in the Ulster final. That's the way i'm looking at it. Donegal were in a final as recently as 2014 etc.
Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 12/10/2016 21:24:35
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Replying To rossy15: "I would say none of them unfortunately!" I'd agree Rossy! If someone emerges it'll more than likely be someone who won the all ireland recently too like Cork. Ye have amazing support. 2015 league game in Portlaoise 20 Rossies to 1 Laois! Also a poor reflection on our support.
Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 12/10/2016 21:27:33
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Replying To alano12: "cork if they get their act together...i think monaghan have gone as far as they can bar they get an exceptional return off these underage sides as its extremely difficult to stay competitive with a population like that and they have been found wanting in croke park....tipp possibly but very difficult to know....the structure of the championship makes it very hard to know really because a lot of it is down to the luck of the draw and who u play and when u play them i.e Longford Monaghan a classic example" Agreed Alan. And as you say the unpredictability of what state a team is in at qualifier stage.
I'll remember this thread (and poster) if a poster makes a Leicester City type prediction :)
Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 12/10/2016 21:29:57
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Replying To Whammo86: "Can't see anyone outside those 5 winning." No same here. Maybe Cork at a push. A team might make a big jump like Donegal in 2011 but it would take at least 2 yrs to win an all-ireland.
Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 12/10/2016 21:31:23
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Replying To Laois76: "Agreed Alan. And as you say the unpredictability of what state a team is in at qualifier stage.
I'll remember this thread (and poster) if a poster makes a Leicester City type prediction :)" everybody felt tyrone would make major strides and it hasnt happened yet..there close but not there yet and may never get there due to overly cautious tactics and poor forward play..if it was run on a league basis or something were the good sides were playing each other a decent amount you would have a far better gauge of who is going well
alano12 (Dublin) - Posts: 2208 - 12/10/2016 22:19:48
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tipp in div 3 this year case in point about how the league isnt the best thing to look at
alano12 (Dublin) - Posts: 2208 - 12/10/2016 22:20:24
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Replying To Laois76: "Cheers Htaem,
I'm kinda curious as to what Meath will be like. I remember Mick O'Dowd from college days and he was as you say a nice man. Hifself and Trevor Giles were good mates. I can see what you mean by a bit of steel being required. Who would have thought we'd ever be saying that about yourselves!
We're a little optimistic in Laois. When Clare and Fermanagh make the top 8 it's only natural that teams like Meath, Laois, Kildare, Armagh, Derry and a dozen others would aim for that." I think htaem hit the nail on the head regarding Meath. , and as much as i hate to admit it a certain jurno wrote Meath had gone soft. This is unfortunately true, however the talent is there to improve quite considerably under a no nonsense manager. Which we now have. Mick was/is a very nice man, a great personal trait but perhaps not the ideal one for a inter county manager, Andy McEntee is different and when he speaks you listen and do as told, if not you are gone. I have been keeping a closer eye on club lately than in the past and there is one guy who scored 1, 7 last week that I cannot understand has not yet got a run with seniors, he has pace power and strength, I am sure he will at least get a run in O'Byrne, there is also a few others who have caught my eye. With the return of Flanagan to midfield, I think our other weakest point is the half back line, hopefully Menton will return and this should help significantly, we wont beat any of the perceived top 5 this year, we certainly have the talent to give them a game though. Under Andy dubs wont get 100% of kick outs uncontested that's for sure. Division one is the priority this year and I think we will achieve that.
royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 13/10/2016 09:40:44
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Replying To royaldunne: "I think htaem hit the nail on the head regarding Meath. , and as much as i hate to admit it a certain jurno wrote Meath had gone soft. This is unfortunately true, however the talent is there to improve quite considerably under a no nonsense manager. Which we now have. Mick was/is a very nice man, a great personal trait but perhaps not the ideal one for a inter county manager, Andy McEntee is different and when he speaks you listen and do as told, if not you are gone. I have been keeping a closer eye on club lately than in the past and there is one guy who scored 1, 7 last week that I cannot understand has not yet got a run with seniors, he has pace power and strength, I am sure he will at least get a run in O'Byrne, there is also a few others who have caught my eye. With the return of Flanagan to midfield, I think our other weakest point is the half back line, hopefully Menton will return and this should help significantly, we wont beat any of the perceived top 5 this year, we certainly have the talent to give them a game though. Under Andy dubs wont get 100% of kick outs uncontested that's for sure. Division one is the priority this year and I think we will achieve that." The chap I speak of is,Brian Hanlon (Gaeil Colmcille)
Thought I had included his name until I read I back.
royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 13/10/2016 09:59:09
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Replying To Laois76: "Cheers Htaem,
I'm kinda curious as to what Meath will be like. I remember Mick O'Dowd from college days and he was as you say a nice man. Hifself and Trevor Giles were good mates. I can see what you mean by a bit of steel being required. Who would have thought we'd ever be saying that about yourselves!
We're a little optimistic in Laois. When Clare and Fermanagh make the top 8 it's only natural that teams like Meath, Laois, Kildare, Armagh, Derry and a dozen others would aim for that." What do you mean by that? Fermanagh are a very hard team to beat. Struggle against northern sides but are quite happy to play any side from any other part of the country.
The only sides to beat Fermanagh last year were Tyrone in the Mckenna cup, Derry, Cavan and Armagh in the league (although that Armagh defeat had some shocking referring decisions) and Donegal and Mayo in the championship. Cavan beat Fermanagh well. Fermanagh were beating Derry at ht in the league and collapsed in the second half. If we had scored that penalty against Donegal then who knows and we all know what happened with Mayo and big Aidan.
Lets look at the sides that didn't beat Fermanagh that you included in your list:
Meath
Galway
Down
Laois
Tyrone (in the league)
Fermanagh actually finished 4th in Division 2 last season. Would you please tell me how teams such as Tipp, Laois, Armagh and Down fared last season? There is far to much heed paid to tradition in the gaa.
If you go back to the previous year we beat a number of other teams included in your list and beat them quite easily.
Tipp
Westmeath
Roscommon (although that wasn't to easy)
So I would like you to tell me what you mean by if teams like 'Clare and Fermanagh can do it'. We deserved our spot in the qf in 2015 and it's not an unrealistic ambition for the 2017 year. It's where we are hoping to be.
gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 13/10/2016 10:03:01
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I think Dublin are there to be shot at next year, It will certainly not be easy to dislodge them from their perch but not impossible.
That being said, I think that there are only 3 or 4 teams who could realistically hope to do so. But all of those teams have some form of improvement to make before next summer. Kerry and Mayo are best placed while Tyrone need to sharpen their attacking options.
Of the rest, I'd love to see how Tipperary would fare if they managed to get all their absentees from last year back. I really hope they don't rest on their laurels now and drive on.
Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9108 - 13/10/2016 10:25:20
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Replying To Lockjaw: "I think Dublin are there to be shot at next year, It will certainly not be easy to dislodge them from their perch but not impossible.
That being said, I think that there are only 3 or 4 teams who could realistically hope to do so. But all of those teams have some form of improvement to make before next summer. Kerry and Mayo are best placed while Tyrone need to sharpen their attacking options.
Of the rest, I'd love to see how Tipperary would fare if they managed to get all their absentees from last year back. I really hope they don't rest on their laurels now and drive on." I'd agree with you here. Dublin stumbled to an All Ireland this year and will be looking for a three in a row with several lads who have been going since 2011 or 2012. I can't see anybody outside of Mayo, Kerry, Tyrone or Donegal toppling them, but they will be vulnerable. All four have their flaws and would need a perfect performance to beat the Dubs.
Of the rest of the pack, Cork, Monaghan, Fermanagh, Galway and Meath can all improve on 2016 but are so far behind now that a semi final spot would be the best they could hope for. i think Tipperary will find it difficult to emulate their achievements this year. they have lost their most important player Peter Acheson to emigration.
GeniusGerry (Kerry) - Posts: 2105 - 13/10/2016 11:09:01
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Replying To gotmilk: "What do you mean by that? Fermanagh are a very hard team to beat. Struggle against northern sides but are quite happy to play any side from any other part of the country.
The only sides to beat Fermanagh last year were Tyrone in the Mckenna cup, Derry, Cavan and Armagh in the league (although that Armagh defeat had some shocking referring decisions) and Donegal and Mayo in the championship. Cavan beat Fermanagh well. Fermanagh were beating Derry at ht in the league and collapsed in the second half. If we had scored that penalty against Donegal then who knows and we all know what happened with Mayo and big Aidan.
Lets look at the sides that didn't beat Fermanagh that you included in your list:
Meath
Galway
Down
Laois
Tyrone (in the league)
Fermanagh actually finished 4th in Division 2 last season. Would you please tell me how teams such as Tipp, Laois, Armagh and Down fared last season? There is far to much heed paid to tradition in the gaa.
If you go back to the previous year we beat a number of other teams included in your list and beat them quite easily.
Tipp
Westmeath
Roscommon (although that wasn't to easy)
So I would like you to tell me what you mean by if teams like 'Clare and Fermanagh can do it'. We deserved our spot in the qf in 2015 and it's not an unrealistic ambition for the 2017 year. It's where we are hoping to be." No offence intended. Ye have small resources and do a great job with them. Ye deserved your spot in the quarter final and could have beaten Mayo this year.
All i'm saying is that naturally counties like Laois, Roscommon will say if Clare and Fermanagh who have no record of underage success and have a small playing base to pick from why can't we? That's not disrespectful.
In a smaller county we wouldn't be as inclined to say 'Well if Cork make a quarter final why not we?'. We'd compare ourselves to someone similar in history, resources and tradition.
Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 13/10/2016 11:39:15
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Replying To gotmilk: "What do you mean by that? Fermanagh are a very hard team to beat. Struggle against northern sides but are quite happy to play any side from any other part of the country.
The only sides to beat Fermanagh last year were Tyrone in the Mckenna cup, Derry, Cavan and Armagh in the league (although that Armagh defeat had some shocking referring decisions) and Donegal and Mayo in the championship. Cavan beat Fermanagh well. Fermanagh were beating Derry at ht in the league and collapsed in the second half. If we had scored that penalty against Donegal then who knows and we all know what happened with Mayo and big Aidan.
Lets look at the sides that didn't beat Fermanagh that you included in your list:
Meath
Galway
Down
Laois
Tyrone (in the league)
Fermanagh actually finished 4th in Division 2 last season. Would you please tell me how teams such as Tipp, Laois, Armagh and Down fared last season? There is far to much heed paid to tradition in the gaa.
If you go back to the previous year we beat a number of other teams included in your list and beat them quite easily.
Tipp
Westmeath
Roscommon (although that wasn't to easy)
So I would like you to tell me what you mean by if teams like 'Clare and Fermanagh can do it'. We deserved our spot in the qf in 2015 and it's not an unrealistic ambition for the 2017 year. It's where we are hoping to be." From a Laois perspective we beat Fermanagh by a point in the 2014 qualifiers and we lost to Clare by a point in the 2016 qualifiers so naturally we're going to believe we can be at the same level and entertain thoughts of a quarter final. Also Laois were in the 2012 quartef final and lost to Dublin by 3 points.
Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 13/10/2016 12:27:14
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