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Not sure just had a look in the Meath Vs Dublin Leinster Semi Final thread, 21 pages of interest and probably a big spread from around the country, loads o interest whether its love or hate is questionable. TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 20/07/2021 18:40:19 2362234 Link 2 |
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Not sure just had a look in the Meath Vs Dublin Leinster Semi Final thread, 21 pages of interest and probably a big spread from around the country, loads o interest whether its love or hate is questionable. TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 20/07/2021 18:40:19 2362235 Link 3 |
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You can be as confident as you like but the facts are that in recent big games between the counties Monaghan have had the edge over Galway. They beat them in this year's relegation playoff and they trounced them in the Super 8s in 2018.
Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 20/07/2021 19:33:58 2362246 Link 1 |
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I think that thread is a combo of a few passionate Meath fans trying to pretend it isn't a dead derby and the usual hijacked Dublin v Kerry tripe. Unfortunately this happens quite a lot as you know, so I wouldnt read too much into the popularity of any thread on this forum.
SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2385 - 20/07/2021 20:15:06 2362257 Link 2 |
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Not sure where your confidence is coming from as the current Galway team, undeniably talented, is well capable of going AWOL both as a team and individually. In other words they have not reached a level of consistency where I would be backing them in a big match against Monaghan, Tyrone or Donegal.
sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 674 - 20/07/2021 20:42:43 2362271 Link 1 |
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Dublin are way ahead. Kerry and Mayo have emerged from the pack to reach finals recently but I'd hardly say they're way ahead of the top 3 in Ulster. What have Galway done to be put alongside those 3 and clear of the Ulster teams? Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4210 - 20/07/2021 20:43:24 2362272 Link 9 |
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32.128k. views, the entire football championship thread has 40k. Must have something about it. Fair bit of interest there apart from contributors. Surprised real Donegal vs Tyrone, likely a more completive game has under 10k. Fair bit of interest quite mad really, now I think of it. That said both counties have big populations. Still interesting. TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 20/07/2021 20:55:21 2362277 Link 4 |
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Senior, u20 and minor intercounty, along with senior club, are the 4 big national titles. Derrys win at the weekend in the minor was the first of these 4 titles to be won by an Ulster side since 2015. The standard of football across the province has been poor in recent years, but the games have been often entertaining as they are close. It's similar to how the best games in Leinster are often between sides like Wicklow, Carlow, Wexford and Louth, except the Dubs then demolish whoever emerges from that. In Ulster last year Cavan emerged and the Dubs demolished them too. Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 20/07/2021 22:08:54 2362312 Link 0 |
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Some posters on here can have their say on a match and move on, others have to say it 20 times over and back for some reason. A lot of posters from Dublin and Meath on here too which I'm sure contributes to the numbers. But your right, you'd think there would be more to talk about between Donegal and Tyrone, the biggest Ulster rivalry of the last 10 years.
SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2385 - 20/07/2021 22:09:18 2362314 Link 0 |
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I'll try to reply through my tears. I made an error on the Donegal v Cavan, but the point stands as Tyrone played you. I've obviously rattled your cage here judging by your hostility. I was making the point that you are quick to jump in on Sligo and Leitrim, however Cavan are now on a par with them, being in division 4. Although if I'm honest I believe there is a world of difference between league and championship. Don't throw stones from your overly glazed home! Anyway. I'm not here to stick the knife into Cavan, more defend Sligo and Leitrim. My own Cork have also fell well and truly into the football doldrums. I'm just saying that all provinces have their weaker teams. However, I would also say that the other three provinces have at least one outstanding team in it. Dublin, Kerry and Mayo that are at the moment, and probably for the last 4 years quite a bit ahead of the rest, including Ulster. So it is going to be more highlighted when they play weaker opposition. BaldyBadger (Cork) - Posts: 311 - 20/07/2021 23:08:34 2362340 Link 2 |
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I agree with all of that. I think Armagh have come on massively this year. I think they have picked players that are fully committed to the county and got rid of a couple that perhaps had too many other distractions. They are a very exciting team on the up. The same with Derry also. Another county that struggled to get their best players to commit and look to be getting it right. I think Tyrone also, could click into another gear, if you give the new management team time. They are always dangerous opposition, and nobody fancies playing them. Ulster is difficult to call this year and probably for a few years to come.
BaldyBadger (Cork) - Posts: 311 - 20/07/2021 23:16:38 2362345 Link 0 |
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yes but you compared getting to a provincial semi in Ulster to getting to a provincial final in connacht. I was talking about how in connacht this year Mayo have got to the final by playing 2 div 4 teams (and it's not the first time that this scenario has happened by any means) and you saw fit to counteract that by saying it was similar in Ulster , which it clearly is not. s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 22/07/2021 08:25:33 2362721 Link 1 |
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Lack of interest outside of Ulster. I get your point though. The Meath / Dublin rivalry has been dead now for a decade at least. I wouldn't say that Ulster Football is keeping football alive either though. I think probably football is in serious decline in the majority of counties with silverware being impossible to win given the direction of funding for example and the way that is split. I think the Dubs will have a blip soon though for a few years perhaps but their bottomless pockets will ensure they will bounce back. In saying that too though I still they will be All-Ireland contenders even though their squad will have declined. I wouldn't argue that Ulster is the most competitive province and the games are enjoyable to watch but I think that also does the likes of my county and Westmeath a disservice who played out a very entertaining game at the weekend. However we just have a hope in hell of winning Leinster as it stands. From what we have seen from Kildare and Meath though we are well able to hold our own against the rest of the country bar maybe Kerry. So that in itself probably shows the need to do away with the current structure of championship and make it a more even playing field.
daytona11 (Kildare) - Posts: 4012 - 22/07/2021 09:45:23 2362741 Link 1 |
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There's always an east side to the draw in Connacht which can exist in Ulster too but never to the same extent. The easiest it can be at the minute is an Antrim probably followed by Fermanagh , that is still harder than Sligo and Leitrim and the Ulster semifinalist will have gotten there by beating a half decent team in that scenario. It's possible in Connacht to get a bye to the semifinal and the meet London or Leitrim there. Getting to the final in Ulster is definitely on average harder than any other Province. Winning Ulster is maybe less difficult than some think because we don't have a Kerry or Dublin to topple. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4210 - 22/07/2021 11:24:28 2362782 Link 8 |
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As well as the football being the best in Ulster the excellent tv coverage from BBCNI stops after the Ulster Championship, so for any of us that don't have Sky we are stuck with the drivel that RTE serve up from here on. Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 2739 - 22/07/2021 12:00:24 2362794 Link 2 |
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For the record, I wouldn't share the opinion that Ulster football is keeping football alive. There have been some great matches and the province has been as competitive as ever but there's still that sense of inevitability about the Ulster title being the final stand for an Ulster team in the championship. Dublin and Kerry look too far down the road once the semi's kick off and will very likely set up a final meeting (just for a change!). I hear a lot of people comparing the Monaghan v Armagh match to the Derry v Down match of 94. But for me that one stands a level above. Those 2 teams were probably the best in Ireland at that time and the result would go a long way to deciding were the AI would end up, it was the equivalent of Dublin drawing Kerry in a straight knockout, do or die, intensity and pressure through the roof. I agree with you about the Leinster teams as well, the straight knockout of the last 2 years hasn't done the rest of Leinster any favours at all. The only thing they can aim for is a good showing against a far superior Dublin. Other years we might have seen a Kildare or Meath gather momentum through the qualifiers and learn more about themselves as a team. Hopefully this is the last year of the old school format as currently I think its doing a lot of counties a major disservice, but I guess circumstances couldn't be helped for a while. SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2385 - 22/07/2021 12:30:09 2362806 Link 1 |
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Hi Saffron, Agree with most of your points lad. However as a man who has more attachment and interest in club football / hurling the straight knock out has been great. Just gives us more time rather than shunting club players to the end of a jam packed inter county season. I actually think in a round about way that straight knock out would help the like of the rest of Leinster close the gaps with the Dubs, You know if you're not up to scratch then you're gone. This backdoor qualifier super 8 nonsense is pointless in that all it gives you is more meaningless games and delays thousands of players the opportunity to play meaningful championship during the summer. The end result is still the same. 2 teams (Kerry,Dublin) with a chance of winning Sam, max 3 when an Ulster team comes good. #keepitknockout daytona11 (Kildare) - Posts: 4012 - 22/07/2021 14:33:40 2362865 Link 0 |
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I don't know about this. I think to be able to compete teams need to be getting a strong program of games in the main competition. I don't like the qualifiers much but straight knockout particularly with the provincial imbalance isn't great either. One thing though was that there is definitely added intensity to some of the fixtures knowing that's no second chance. To generate excitement the stakes do need to be high. So any new system has to be maintain that element of peril. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4210 - 22/07/2021 19:11:36 2362953 Link 8 |
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I'm sympathetic to the club scene myself but I think the problem lies with the scheduling more than the actual layout of the intercounty championship. Its improved the last couple of years for different reasons but years gone by it would take the guts of 6 weeks to finish the provincials alone which was madness and wreeked havoc with the club/county thing. There's no real reason that they couldn't play off the whole AI championship over 2 months and the same with the league. I agree that the super 8's are a waste of time and only suit the elite squads but a happy medium is probably the backdoor system previously used. I think if a team prepares all year for the championship, its a tough sell when it could be all for one match. The qualifiers at least give you a chance to build a run and learn more about yourself as a team in the most elite competition we have. As far as I know most players would rather have it that way too and it's important to bare that in mind as we've had plenty of stay away talent in recent years. The league probably should be the main competition but history and tradition make that a difficult switch. I do think the GAA need to get their act together when it comes to marketing and promoting competitions though. A two tier AI might work if done correctly and not like the Tommy Murphy etc. The Railway cup is another one that could be bigger. Even our own favourite AI club could do with a better platform for promotion. All I really hear about is the usual Dublin/Kerry talk from pundits and little to no interest in teams outside the top 5 or 6 in the country. Which is probably what brought about this idea of a 'super 8' in the first place. SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2385 - 22/07/2021 19:30:12 2362962 Link 0 |
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I don't think marketing really works. It's hard to trick people into caring about something that they just don't. A competition has prestige or it doesn't and I don't really think the GAA has the resources really to do a whole lot about that either. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4210 - 22/07/2021 19:42:43 2362967 Link 8 |