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Always a great day when the noisy neighbors get hammered RoyalStalwart24 (Meath) - Posts: 43 - 11/07/2026 20:11:50 2685271 Link 1 |
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Bit of perspective here Lads, We got a bigger hammering ourselves at the same stage last year.
Ibbecek (Meath) - Posts: 197 - 11/07/2026 22:34:07 2685311 Link 4 |
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Eh. I would take Louth winning an All-Ireland over Dublin anyway, even if it's a non runner this year. RoyalStalwart24 (Meath) - Posts: 43 - 12/07/2026 13:50:30 2685390 Link 1 |
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Great win for Kerry. Watching the game, I felt as though that Meath should learn from them teams for defending. Dublin effectively kept David Clifford at bay for about 55 minutes, and Kerry couldn't break through their excellent zonal defending - until Kerry, of course, went up the gears to their higher levels. So organized, so composed - when we're defending, it's nearly always haphazard and pure chaos. There's moments like that in every match, but I have a funny feeling that it occurs to us more than most. That being said, as mention earlier, our defending did improve as the year went on. If we can replicate that again for next season, I'd be optimistic for the year. Our main issues are keeping calm, discovering depth and preventing the dreaded collapse. RoyalStalwart24 (Meath) - Posts: 43 - 12/07/2026 18:07:20 2685428 Link 0 |
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So a Mayo team we probably should've beaten is in the All-Ireland. Just shows if you get your act together on a few things and a run of the green, anything is possible. Kerry needed that rub of the green to beat a Dublin team we'd fancy beating ourselves so if I'm Robbie Brennan looking at that, I'm thinking we can do something next year if we get a few things right. NYRoyal (USA) - Posts: 170 - 12/07/2026 18:35:07 2685435 Link 0 |
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A few things stood out to me from the weekend: 1. We have been somewhat unlucky with who we came up against in the championship. Lost to Westmeath and they won Leinster. Lost to Mayo and they're in the final. Could even throw in Cork who went up and beat Donegal. 2. Dublin won't be far off the top table over the next few years but I expect there will be a drop off when Kilkenny, Con & Costello retire. Don't think they have the top quality forwards to replace them. Could even see yesterday, scoring 20 points isn't going to get it done. But they are well set up and we need to learn from that. 3. Kerry are a different question - they have so many top talents that it would be hard for us to topple them but with the new rules it certainly isn't impossible. 4. Priorities for us for 2027 has to be to continue to work on our defensive system and to work on game management. gwanyagudthing (Meath) - Posts: 211 - 13/07/2026 09:44:15 2685537 Link 1 |
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Wholeheartedly agree. We definitely got tough fixtures, and I reiterate this - three Championship away games in a row is simply diabolical. Despite this, we were in touching distance in all three Championship games we lost - we could've nicked it in Westmeath, were in the Cork game until the last kick of the ball, and in Mayo we had our chances even when we were a man down. This Championship has revealed that last year wasn't a fluke, and that the top tier is gone - going into this year, we had it in our heads that Kerry and Donegal were in a league of their own, but Donegal didn't even make the Quarter Finals, and Kerry look fairly average at times - Mayo have a chance to become All-Ireland Champions, and we only lost to them a man down by thee points. The gap from the top of Division 3 all the way to the top of Division 1 has become far smaller. There will always be teams better than others overall, but honestly, anything can happen - it's all game by game, and we should be heartened by that going into the League. Look at Wicklow - they just win the Tailteann Cup against Down, who knocked Donegal out of the Ulster Championship in Ballybofey. We will struggle to adapt to playing Division One teams, but I think once we do it'll stand to us. Getting to the top Division is crucial, as while the top tier mightn't exist, the highest standard is definitely in D1. If we could stay there, it'll be huge. RoyalStalwart24 (Meath) - Posts: 43 - 13/07/2026 12:58:37 2685579 Link 0 |
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Great interview by Kinsella in the Irish Times. Such an awful injury. Hope his recovery goes smoothly. RoyalStalwart24 (Meath) - Posts: 43 - 13/07/2026 21:00:03 2685661 Link 1 |
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Yeah we're not as far away as people think, there's a lot of luck involved too, getting the right draw etc.. That Westmeath game probably derailed our season, had we won that we'd have made a Leinster final, probably won it and had a home draw in the first round of the championship. Instead the ball bounced the other way and we ended up with 3 tough games on the road. Now we should have beaten Cork in Pairc Ui Rinn anyway, so an awful lot of shotting ourselves in the foot didn't help either. But lots to be optimistic about, and it starts with staying in Division 1, I think that's the most important thing. If we are competitive and can stay there, it will send the right message to others that we aren't just a flash in the pan and are here to compete. And the teams we lost to this year weren't bad teams either, Westmeath were Leinster Champions, Cork were 1/4 finalists and promoted to Div 1, and Mayo are All Ireland finalists. A disappointing championship for sure, but lots to look forward to. Cabbagepatch1667 (Meath) - Posts: 176 - 13/07/2026 23:20:47 2685686 Link 1 |
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They took plenty of swipes at us after the semis last year, social media was full of it (despite losing by a similar margin to the same team two rounds prior). Not to say that we should be giving it loads either when they lose, but every time we lose they basically throw a parade. We can all relax now and enjoy the final. LowerHogan (Meath) - Posts: 107 - 14/07/2026 09:50:06 2685700 Link 2 |
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To be fair, I think Mayo have improved massively since we played them. They look much tighter defensively and they still have a mouth-watering full forward line with Beirne, O'Donoghue and of course Kobe. Not trying to knock your point (there is truth to it), but could argue that Mayo have improved every game since we played them.
RoyalStalwart24 (Meath) - Posts: 43 - 14/07/2026 15:25:43 2685740 Link 0 |
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Mayo have improved alot but would have expected Meath to improve when getting to Croke Park too. Louth were unable to beat their men out the field to break Louth press in the way Meath did for alot of the game in Castlebar. I think over the winter months there will be alot of regret in the Meath camp and the management will know now in hindsight the midfielder substitutions were unnecessary at the same time at that period. Actually could have sacrificed Morris, Frayne or JOC for another fielder instead. With regret there will also be optimism about 2027, a div. 1 campaign, a newly renovated Pairc Tailteann to play in next summer and a group of highly capable players. Lets see what club championships being and what the squad will look like in early 2027. winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 1033 - 14/07/2026 20:49:48 2685778 Link 1 |
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There'll definitely be regret, as realistically with how open everything is we could've made an All-Ireland final and we certainly seemed to have Mayo's number. And of course we are undefeated in Croke Park this year, beating Derry, Louth, Tyrone and Cork there. Despite this, there is a feeling of optimism with most Meath people I speak to. Imagine it - All-Ireland Championship game, first in Páirc Tailteann for nearly two years - the place packed to the brim. We could make it a real cauldron, a fortress even, and it's such a shame we won't have it for the League. All the same, playing in Croker will continue to do us a world of good. Looking at Division 1, it's tricky to see where we steal the points from. It'll depend very much on where we play teams and when. Either way, Cork, wherever it is, is a must-win fixture for both teams. RoyalStalwart24 (Meath) - Posts: 43 - 14/07/2026 23:45:14 2685810 Link 0 |
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Was thinking of our performances this year, and have compiled a list of how them from best to worst. RoyalStalwart24 (Meath) - Posts: 43 - 15/07/2026 18:03:57 2685882 Link 0 |
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I would swap 2 and 5 maybe. Kildare were a mess all year, they made us look great. Preferred the Tyrone game, much better opposition and meath kicked 3-24 (presume thats the most they kicked all year) Jack O'connor had 1-8 in the first half, Lynch was on fire as were Kinsella and Frayne.
Sheridan2010louth (Meath) - Posts: 351 - 16/07/2026 09:56:37 2685918 Link 0 |
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Agree. I would also put the Louth win at home ahead of the Cavan and Offaly wins away who were poor sides. Meath played excellantly against Louth at home in the first half before letting them back into it. Louth despite the heavy defeat against Mayo at weekend proved to be a good side this year. One thing I was thinking about regarding the momentum swings especially the 2nd halfs could perhaps be attributed to concentration but maybe even some fatigue and fitness. I know these players are really fit but remember after the 95 Leinster final, there were serious questions asked about Meath after Dublin blew them away in last 20 mins after a tightly contested game up to that point. Meath trained super hard and introduced 5/6 u21 players and won All-Ireland in 96. Meath are no doubt a fit team but some improvement here plus more mental resiliance could push them to next level. winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 1033 - 16/07/2026 10:47:16 2685924 Link 1 |
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The result I'm sorest about is still the Mayo game. Yes, the Westmeath game was a sliding doors moment in that we could have had a great shot at Leinster if we got over that day but I'm willing to cut the team some slack on that as they just got caught off guard and couldn't meet the intensity levels. They had also come off the back of a tough and successful league campaign. gwanyagudthing (Meath) - Posts: 211 - 16/07/2026 15:53:31 2685955 Link 0 |
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It was an underwhelming year tbh, id welcome counter opinion and willing to be convinced otherwise. We've made no progress on last year. Collapses were pervasive through league with no progress made to address. No changes made to team despite consistently poor performances by certain individuals. No wins against division 1 sides....croke park home ground should have been ideal prep, i could go on. Please tell me something we improved on last year?! bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1858 - 16/07/2026 17:51:49 2685973 Link 1 |
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Agree with most of your points, and Mayo is the most sickening one for sure. Westmeath was a disaster and Cork were always going to come back at us, the main issue with that is we couldn't beat them a man up. Looking ahead, the League fixtures will be crucial, but here is an overview. Donegal - A very weird one. Donegal failed to show up in the Championship apart from their game against the All-Ireland Champions (who they, remarkably, played three times this year and won each time), all three defeats major upsets - Down just got promoted to Division Two, Cork had lost their best midfielder and were going to Ballybofey, and while Dublin have clearly improved, they had been in dire straits before that, conceding 4 goals against Louth and nearly losing to Wicklow in Leinster. I think they are definitely bearable and their aura of invincibility is gone. They'll want to hit the ground running in the earlier rounds, just like us, but won't go full throttle again after this year. I think we can beat them if it's in Croke Park. Still, with the quality they have (difficult to know whether Murphy will stay on), it would take a fantastic performance for us to beat them. Their ceiling is one of the highest in the nation. Kerry - A tough ask anywhere but they were vulnerable in the earlier rounds of the League, Roscommon nearly catching them out coming to mind. We've also proven in the last 18 months that we can beat Kerry. I'd nearly prefer to play them in Killarney, to get the easier teams in Croke Park. Kerry in Croke Park is rarely a good idea, as they thrive in the space. I wouldn't put it past us if we are totally on it and Kerry off it, but it's hard to see points coming from them. Mayo - I think we'll be able to know a lot more on this one after the final. We should've beaten them a few weeks ago, and now they are in the All-Ireland final. However, if you look at the teams they've played to get there, it's an interesting story. They beat Monaghan, a Division 2 team that can cause trouble but as proven by Louth, are no great shakes. They then lost to Tyrone, a team that probably deserved to make the semifinal and have improved massively but are still a Division Two team. Then they beat us, a borderline Division 1/2 team, and then beat Cork, another borderline side. Then they beat Louth, an impressive but still Division Two team, and now they are in the final. Also, they'll be without Kobe next year. I'd definitely fancy our chances against them, and while they're definitely difficult, I think we could take them in MacHale Park or Croke Park. Roscommon - Another team we've played relatively recently, nothing between us in Dr. Hyde Park and we beat them comfortably in Páirc Tailteann. However, under Mark Dowd they've massively improved and had a spectacular Division One campaign, and a Connacht title. I don't think they had much left in the tank for the All-Ireland. Like us, they'll be eager to hit the ground running. In the Hyde they are tricky, but I think we could do well in Croke Park. However, their whole style of play involves a lot of absurd running (their pace is stunning) at defenses, which we have always struggled with throughout this season and last - and the years before that too. I would be wary of them, to be honest, particularly if we're relying on a result against them. Still, not impossible. Galway - Galway are a tremendously weird team, and inconsistency is the word that sums them up best. They often play to the level of their opposition, and they've had two underwhelming years in a row - obviously, we beat them in that famous quarter final, and I think we could do it again. If we are focused, and have seriously attempted to remedy the issues presented this year, we can beat them. Still, they have the quality and could cause our defense a lot of trouble. I think we could 100% beat them in Croke Park - Pearse Stadium, not so much. Armagh - another team with a lot of question marks surrounding them. Armagh had looked good all Championship, but that Mulroy last second goal broke their mentality. They had been keeping Kerry at bay until Ethan Rafferty's blunder essentially told them Game Over. Still, after two successive poor League campaigns, and this time a poor Championship, Armagh will like so many others want to hit the ground running. They have a strong squad and some class players, and they are extremely well coached. I would worry about playing them in the Athletic Grounds, but we have a chance in Croke Park - I think Croke Park suits us perfectly, and that we have a chance against all teams there. Cork - an absolutely huge fixture. Both teams know that they almost certainly need to win in order to stay up, and it's crucial that we get this one in Croke Park. Cork haven't won in Croker since 2015 if I'm not mistaken, and I would be very optimistic of getting a win there. On the other hand, it's extremely hard to get a win in that Páirc Uí Rinn, which we know too much of already. Cork have a strong midfield and some nifty forwards that cause our defense trouble, but there's absolutely nothing between the two teams and we can, and must win this game. RoyalStalwart24 (Meath) - Posts: 43 - 16/07/2026 18:27:37 2685976 Link 0 |