I can see Garrycastle as the darkhorse and going far this year, and I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up with a Garrycastle vs. The Downs final. They've been consistent all season and reaching the league final was a huge statement for a club that only just came up from intermediate. That said, I know some people on this forum don't put much weight on the league.
For me, it's between St. Loman's and Garrycastle for the other final spot. Loman's are really feeling the loss of Sam McCartan he was the engine that drove the ball forward to their forwards, while also being a huge defensive asset. Without him, they've looked wide open at times and have been run through on multiple occasions. I know they're missing T.J. Cox, Gaffney, O'Toole, and Danny McCartan who just returned back, but they still have a big hill to climb. The Shamrocks game will tell us a lot about where they stand. At the moment though, I think The Downs and Garrycastle look like the two strongest teams in the county. but this wasn't a good weekend for the county we saw a number of heavy defeats-something nobody likes to witness midway through the competition. Bal, Kilbeggan, Ballycomoyle, Shamrocks, and Multy all suffered tough losses that will be difficult to bounce back from.
Replying To Captainfantastic: "Lomans were beaten but not dispossessed yet. They'll be in a SF or final for sure and probably could well play Downs again in a real championship match in the final. Different game then. Yesterday's game was just a bit of shadow boxing. Look at Kerry in the league phase of the AI series versus the real championship knockout. League championship lacks the full bloodiness of knockout."
They're definitely not a spent force, but do they still have the same power and depth as in recent years? At halftime they made three changes, yet the game barely shiftedThe Downs still saw it out with ease. In previous seasons, Lomans could bring on subs just as strong as the players already on the pitch, but that no longer seems to be the case.