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National Football League 2026

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You would swear winning a league was a burden. Bain sult as!

Kerry not fully tuned up but great teams - Dublin, Limerick, Cats NEVER shipped a hiding like that in their pomp.

Worrying signs ???

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 4119 - 29/03/2026 21:18:44    2663834

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Murphy should have seen red..how officials missed it is beyond me..still think Donegal would have won,by far the better team..

CTGAA10 (Limerick) - Posts: 2664 - 29/03/2026 21:25:15    2663836

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Replying To CTGAA10:  "Murphy should have seen red..how officials missed it is beyond me..still think Donegal would have won,by far the better team.."
You've a hurler who was in court with multiple witnesses and he effectively got off! Explain that?

Ulsterchamps72 (Donegal) - Posts: 185 - 29/03/2026 21:41:44    2663843

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Replying To Saynothing:  "Players have got away with worse. Dangerous shoulder charges into players chests, players took out off the game on the throw in on All Ireland final day. Why pick Murphy out"
Don't be embarrassing yourself

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2590 - 29/03/2026 21:48:00    2663846

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Replying To legendzxix:  "It was a red. It has to be said.

Good win by Meath. Cork pushed them to be fair. All provincial championships are setup for a ding dong battle. As it should be really."
Anything else to say about the final? Apart from the should have been red card? Or is a congratulations beyond the curmudgeons on this forum.

Al_Maguire (Donegal) - Posts: 337 - 29/03/2026 21:54:26    2663850

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Replying To yew_tree:  "Because this is the NFL 2026 thread and we are discussing today's final. Whataboutery from you."
Hands up from me, only seen it once up until I've seen it on Sunday Game. Red all day and didn't look good. Shouldn't take away from Murphy the man. Donegal can afford to play Down without him and still cruise home. Then Down fans will have nothing to cry about.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2598 - 29/03/2026 22:02:51    2663854

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Replying To Saynothing:  "Hands up from me, only seen it once up until I've seen it on Sunday Game. Red all day and didn't look good. Shouldn't take away from Murphy the man. Donegal can afford to play Down without him and still cruise home. Then Down fans will have nothing to cry about."
Yeah seen it better there too, red all day long alright, Michael will be very disappointed with that, it was clumsy and late at best and no need for it, only Michael will know why it happened, still though seeing him bang in that goal brought back some great memories for me from the 2012 final,
hope we can get back to another All Ireland final this year before the great man hangs up the inter county boots for good, there's young lads there now in our panel who will learn so much from playing and training with the man.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3798 - 29/03/2026 22:16:18    2663859

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Replying To CiarraiMick:  "Congratulations to Donegal.Super performance and totally outplayed us today.Enjoy the celebrations."
Ah we are further down the road in preparations for the Championship, looked sharper and fitter.
We will see a different Kerry in the business end of the season.

Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 889 - 29/03/2026 22:36:00    2663864

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Replying To CTGAA10:  "Murphy should have seen red..how officials missed it is beyond me..still think Donegal would have won,by far the better team.."
Yeah, no arguing, I think all Donegal fans are in agreement, don't know what he was thinking.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1683 - 29/03/2026 23:14:48    2663868

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Replying To Saynothing:  "Hands up from me, only seen it once up until I've seen it on Sunday Game. Red all day and didn't look good. Shouldn't take away from Murphy the man. Donegal can afford to play Down without him and still cruise home. Then Down fans will have nothing to cry about."
Nah, Down will be dogged, The way they played against Wexford definitely didn't flatter them, I thought Wexford deserved to win that game in normal time. But last season when we played them in Ulster was difficult, and they beat us in 2023. Down are hard team to shake. Their attack plays against Wexford poor, their running and off the ball movement was poor. However I expect them to deploy a very different game plan against us.

Congratulations to Meath, Down and Carlow btw, really delighted for the Barrowsiders in particular, they really deserve this success.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1683 - 29/03/2026 23:20:41    2663871

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Very impressive display by Donegal few seen that happening. It was a Donegal side with a point to prove. While Kerry deserved their win last July they aren't 10 points better. 5 two pointers to zero was the difference that day and a late goal.

Kerry aren't as bad as they look today. Worst showing by them in Croke Park for 25 years. The O'Se brothers will be busy with their articles trying to write off Kerry now

3-20 scored at Donegals ease today and it could have been a lot more. Kerry with just 1-4 scored 58 minutes played is truly woeful for side with what is regarded as the best forward line in Ireland. Should be a big reaction from Kerry if they meet Donegal again this summer.

Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3876 - 30/03/2026 00:36:54    2663882

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Replying To Onion_Sack:  "Personally I thought Murphy was going for the ball! As they say! You lose a yard or 2 at that age!"
Ah hear

brayballer (Wicklow) - Posts: 526 - 30/03/2026 01:23:08    2663884

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Replying To cloidigh:  "What. Two punches in back and one on the jaw is nothing."
Spot on.

brayballer (Wicklow) - Posts: 526 - 30/03/2026 01:24:15    2663885

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "Cheers Mick, Kerry weren't at it today at all, I expected a much closer game but I'm happy with our performance overall anyway, things are looking good as we have used the league well to blood a lot of very good young players who will be pushing for Championship places now, we have some key men still to come back in but they will have to earn their starting places.
I thought we took our chances well though we missed a good few as well, I think if we meet again later on it will be a much different Kerry we face, still though we will enjoy this league win and look forward to meeting Down now in Letterkenny in 4 weeks time, it gives us plenty of time to hopefully get the bodies right for that clash, under no illusions about how tough it will be to retain the Anglo Celt this year, we are going for a historic 3 in a row so it will be fantastic if we can do it.
Have to say a massive well done to Jim and the management team and all the panel, they have taken us back to the top table, should be a good Summer ahead for us but we know the real hard graft starts now."
Ah enjoy Tirchonaill.We dont know what lies ahead but Donegal in a good place.You destroyed us today but hopefully we recover.Well deserved and as usual your supporters were class.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 4124 - 30/03/2026 01:28:55    2663886

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "Yeah seen it better there too, red all day long alright, Michael will be very disappointed with that, it was clumsy and late at best and no need for it, only Michael will know why it happened, still though seeing him bang in that goal brought back some great memories for me from the 2012 final,
hope we can get back to another All Ireland final this year before the great man hangs up the inter county boots for good, there's young lads there now in our panel who will learn so much from playing and training with the man."
Many will disagree with the "will be very disappointed with that" part.

Armagh, Donegal and Galway are in the top 4 contenders. I think more will agree with that after the league.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9601 - 30/03/2026 06:58:17    2663890

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We'll be changing the rules again in a few years to combat the possession football played by McGuinness. He showed his championship plans for 2026. Hold the ball, pass side to side for 5 mins, then attack! Starve the opposition of possession.
Only way to combat that is to play the same style.

StopTheLights (Galway) - Posts: 463 - 30/03/2026 08:12:08    2663894

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "Yeah seen it better there too, red all day long alright, Michael will be very disappointed with that, it was clumsy and late at best and no need for it, only Michael will know why it happened, still though seeing him bang in that goal brought back some great memories for me from the 2012 final,
hope we can get back to another All Ireland final this year before the great man hangs up the inter county boots for good, there's young lads there now in our panel who will learn so much from playing and training with the man."
Not clumsy or late.

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 1113 - 30/03/2026 09:05:21    2663904

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "I thought for a while today in that final it was green and red jerseys we were playing Yew Tree lol! just joking now, relax.
You never expect Kerry to collapse in a final but I think they are playing a bit of rope a dope as well so we won't be carried away by a league final result.
Michael could easily have seen red for that tackle, he isn't a dirty player as we all know but Michael has fierce strength and if his timing is anyway off your gonna feel it,
I remember him buckling Diarmuid Connolly years ago with a missed timed tackle and Diarmuid was a strong boy himself.
As players get older the timing can be that bit off anyone who has played football at any level knows that, glad the player wasn't hurt but he may have a sore jaw chewing his cornflakes in the morning!"
"Timing off"?

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 1113 - 30/03/2026 09:08:22    2663905

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "I thought for a while today in that final it was green and red jerseys we were playing Yew Tree lol! just joking now, relax.
You never expect Kerry to collapse in a final but I think they are playing a bit of rope a dope as well so we won't be carried away by a league final result.
Michael could easily have seen red for that tackle, he isn't a dirty player as we all know but Michael has fierce strength and if his timing is anyway off your gonna feel it,
I remember him buckling Diarmuid Connolly years ago with a missed timed tackle and Diarmuid was a strong boy himself.
As players get older the timing can be that bit off anyone who has played football at any level knows that, glad the player wasn't hurt but he may have a sore jaw chewing his cornflakes in the morning!"
Yea a bit like 2013 when we played ye ;) Kerry would never collapse against us in a final. All joking aside Donegal were the best team throughout the league and that was some performance today. So well deserved and congrats.

The worry is have from a Donegal perspective is, can you keep this going thru to the end of July? Kerry missing a few players today and now enter the luxury of the Munster Championship while Donegal have to go to extreme battle in Ulster. If ye both advance to the final again it will be very interesting to see what happens.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11997 - 30/03/2026 10:14:24    2663913

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Replying To CTGAA10:  "Murphy should have seen red..how officials missed it is beyond me..still think Donegal would have won,by far the better team.."
Has "He's not that type of player" been trotted out yet?

ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1577 - 30/03/2026 10:16:43    2663915

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