Your predictions for the All Ireland

Yavvy

im going to keep it simple

Ulster
Football : Armagh
Hurling: Antrim

Munster
Football: Kerry
Hurling: Waterford

Leinster
Football: Dublin
Hurling: Kilkenny

Connacht
Football: Mayo ( a shock I know) Galway will do well via the back door
Hurling: Galway

SFC Winners - Kerry
SHC Winners - Galway

cruiserweight

Ulster
Football : Donegal
Hurling: Antrim

Munster
Football: Kerry
Hurling: Clare or Cork

Leinster
Football: Wexford (a suprise choice but wait and see)
Hurling:Wexford

Connacht
Football: Galway
Hurling: Galway

SFC Winners - Kerry
SHC Winners - Kilkenny

Johnny_the_fox

Ulster
Football: Tyrone
Hurling: Derry

Munster
Football: Kerry
Hurling: Cork

Leinster
Football: Laois
Hurling: Kilkenny

Connacht
Football: Galway
Hurling: Galway

SFC Winners - Galway
SHC Winners - Kilkenny

The Rooster

Winners in CAPS

Football
TYRONE v Armagh
ROSCOMMON v Mayo
DUBLIN v Laois
KERRY v Limerick

Final
KERRY v Galway

Hurling
DOWN v Antrim
WATERFORD v Cork
KILKENNY v Laois

Final
CORK v Tipperary

Imposter

Ulster
Football : Armagh
Hurling: Antrim

Munster
Football: Kerry
Hurling: Tipp

Leinster
Football: Meath (them feckers are too quiet for my liking)
Hurling: Kilkenny

Connacht
Football: Galway
Hurling: Galway

SFC Winners - Laois
SHC Winners - Tipp

Also watch: Wexford and Longford (football obviously)

cournioni

Ulster
Football: Cavan
Hurling: Antrim

Munster
Football: Limerick (I have a feeling they will win it)
Hurling: Waterford

Leinster
Football: Laois
Hurling: Kilkenny

Connacht
Football: Galway
Hurling: Galway

SFC Winners - Cavan
SHC Winners - Waterford

The Rooster

SFC Winners - Cavan
SHC Winners - Waterford


Pornapster, this is a GAA board.

Kindly stick to GAA, we've no interest in hearing who's going to win these Crystal Making Competitions you're obviously talking about.

:ninja:

Yavvy

zing

The Rooster

Also watch: Wexford and Longford (football obviously)

Wexford beat Cork in Cork at the weekend. 3-12 to 0-9 or something similar. Cork, missing Canty, but otherwise near enough full strength. Even Corkery who missed all the league played the second half.

Wexford should give Kildare a right good game in the Leinster quarters.

Longford on the other hand, I hear, are currently in disarray. They were well beaten by Westmeath (who incidentally seem to be improving after a terrible start to the league) at the weekend, morale is low and there is a lot of discontent in the team with management and the county board. Doesnt bode well. Longford may beat Carlow, but Laois should easily account for either one of them.

powerage22

Kerry to win the football, although galway will be very close

Mighty_Mouse

Ulster
Football: Tyrone (hard to call from Armagh)
Hurling: Antrim

Munster
Football: Kerry
Hurling: Cork

Leinster
Football: Laois
Hurling: Kilkenny

Connacht
Football:Galway
Hurling: Galway

SFC Winners - Galway
SHC Winners - Kilkenny

cournioni

Originally posted by The Rooster
SFC Winners - Cavan
SHC Winners - Waterford


Pornapster, this is a GAA board.

Kindly stick to GAA, we've no interest in hearing who's going to win these Crystal Making Competitions you're obviously talking about.

:ninja:

I think I'll go to the bookies and see what the odds are on the two of them winning...

cournioni

By the way... Armagh will not come close to winning anything this year. I've seen them in action against Cavan (not crystal making ) and they weren't the team they were last year and the year before.

Imposter

Originally posted by The Rooster
Wexford beat Cork in Cork at the weekend. 3-12 to 0-9 or something similar. Cork, missing Canty, but otherwise near enough full strength. Even Corkery who missed all the league played the second half.

Wexford should give Kildare a right good game in the Leinster quarters.

Longford on the other hand, I hear, are currently in disarray. They were well beaten by Westmeath (who incidentally seem to be improving after a terrible start to the league) at the weekend, morale is low and there is a lot of discontent in the team with management and the county board. Doesnt bode well. Longford may beat Carlow, but Laois should easily account for either one of them.

Didn't hear that about longford but fair enough. Both of them have been slowly improving in the last few years. At some stage they're bound to break through. I wouldn't be talking up Westmeath. They had a good O'Byrne cup run when all the attention and hype was there after Paidi's arrival. Then in the league they were woeful and couldn't finish off games they should have won. Granted they managed to beat Mayo but Mayo were out of it at that stage. I'd be very surprised if we (ye, i'm from westmeath) got it together enough to do anything this year. We may beat Dublin (providing we beat offaly), but that'll be it. Any sort of strong opposition in the qualifiers and we're gone there too. Hopefully I'll be proved wrong but I can't see it happening.

klong

Ulster
Football: Tyrone
Hurling: Antrim

Munster
Football: Kerry
Hurling: Cork

Leinster
Football: Meath (fingers crossed)
Hurling: Kilkenny

Connacht
Football:Galway
Hurling: Galway

SFC Winners - Id like it tobe Meath but probably Tyrone...
SHC Winners - Cork

Waylander

Ulster: Football Armagh
Hurling Antrim

Leinster: Football Dublin
Hurling Kilkenny

Munster: Football Kerry
Hurling Clare

Connaught: Football Galway
Hurling Galway

Championship: Football Kerry
Hurling Kilkenny

kaimera

not gonna bother with the Hurling.

SFC:

Ulster: Tyrone

Leinster: Laois

Munster: Kerry

Connacht: Galway

SFC final:
Tyrone v Galway depending on the draw.

Galway to win.

thirdmantackle

Ulster:
hurling: Down
football: Donegal

Connacht
football: Roscommon

Munster
Football: Cork
Hurling: Clare

Leinster:
Football: Offaly
Hurling: Kilkenny

All-Ireland
Football: Kerry
Hurling: Galway

Big Ears

I am a bit sleepy a the moment but if im right no one has gone for a team not to with their provincial tournament but still to win the all Ireland .

all Ireland :
Football : Kerry
Hurling : Tipp ( Tipp to lose in Munster final to Cork though )

cruiserweight

no one has gone for a team not to with their provincial tournament but still to win the all Ireland .

I said that Wexford would win Leinster hurling, but Kilkenny would win All-Ireland.

I hope that Tipp get knocked out early, I have a bet on with a friend of mine from Tipp. She would back them to win even if they only had ten players.

Tribesmen7

Ulster
Football: Armagh
Hurling: Antrim

Connaught
Football: Galway

Leinster
Football: Laois
Hurling: Kilkenny

Munster
Football: Kerry
Hurling: Tipperary

All Irelands
Football: Armagh
Hurling: Tipperary

Imposter

Originally posted by Big Ears
I am a bit sleepy a the moment but if im right no one has gone for a team not to with their provincial tournament but still to win the all Ireland .

Did you read the thread at all?

begbie

I really can't see an ulster team not winning the football. That style of football they play is very hard to break down. :dunno:

Waylander

Gotta disagree with you Begbie. I think talent wise Kerry are head and shoulders above the rest. I also think if they had had a good manager over the past few years they could be on three or four in a row now. I also think the good run in the league was important under the new manager.

cruiserweight

I really can't see an ulster team not winning the football. That style of football they play is very hard to break down.

I would have to disagree. I would see Kerry,Galway and Laois all as having real chances of winning the All-Ireland. In terms of Ulster teams I take it you mean Tyrone and Armagh. I would say that Armagh are in decline, but would have to concede that Tyrone have a great chance.

The way to combat their style of play is to play quick ball into the full forward line. Have a big man on the edge of the square, as Kerry appear to be trying to do. Or in Galway's case they have quick forwards inside and a third man roving out the field and play low balls inside and have a two on two with the full back line.

I really hope that teams that play football rather than stopping their opponents play football come to the fore this year.No more "puke football"

Waylander

I think you are a bit rash consigning Armagh to the thrash heap. They are a good, strong, physical side and are a match for most teams. Also I think you are being very generous to Laois putting them in the same bracket as Kerry, Galway and Tyrone.

cruiserweight

I am not putting Armagh on the trash heap, after all they did make the all-ireland final last year. However I just think with that defeat last year and so many years on or near the top (since about 1999) maybe they have started to run out of steam a small bit.

As for Laois I believe they will make the Leinster final this year, and maybe win it. They have a good attacking side and have many good young players. Their team is built on numerous underage successes and they have argueably the greatest football manager of all time at the helm. They are a danger and will go far.

Waylander

I agree that they will make the Leinster final, but think they will go no further, even if they win it I think they will be put out in the next game unless they get very lucky with the draw. Have Armagh not only been on top for the last two years? I do not think they had won provinciial honours in some years before that. Anyway, Joe Kernan is a winner, I can't see them going out before the All Ireland semi's at least. He brought Cross to 3 all ireland titles, I think he can bring one or two more to Armagh also.

cruiserweight

Have Armagh not only been on top for the last two years?

Meath beat them in semi's in 1999 and went on to win All-Ireland. Kerry beat them in semi's after replay and ET and went on to win All-Ireland. Galway beat them in qualifiers in 2001 and went on to win the All-Ireland. Won in 2002 and lost final in 2003.

It is very hard for a team of pretty much the same players to keep going for so long. Also McGeeney who they rely on heavily is getting on and is not the player he once was.

I do believe they will do okay but will not reach the heights of the past few years.

Laois on the other hand are a young,hungry and highly talented team. It was inexperience that cost them in th QF last year. I do not think that they are like Dublin 2 years ago where confidence carried them so far until they were found out. Laois are a team of substance.

Anyway, Joe Kernan is a winner, I can't see them going out before the All Ireland semi's at least. He brought Cross to 3 all ireland titles, I think he can bring one or two more to Armagh also.

With Micko in charge who knows what can happen. After all he won numerous All-irelands with Kerry and almost got a 5 in a row. Only two counties have won four football titles in a row Wexford(1914-1918 I think) and Kerry(twice). He also brought Kildare from obscurity to win two Leinster titles there first since the twenties and to an All-ireland final

spudulike

I was in croker last weekend and althought it's early in the season i think Kerry will go all the way, they looked class all over the park, but yet i could still see them improving more. Galway will be there abouts but they reply on a few key players very heavily e.g. bergin in midfleld, meehan at half back and of course Joyce at full forward... but I think Kerry will be the team this year - their only possible weakness is midfield.... but at that they are still bloody strong there aswell... moynihan at half back in interesting aswell... he's just a class act to watch...

Anyway apart from that I think Offaly will surprise some people in Leinster - i predict Laois to do nothing this year - they had their day in the sun last year and that will be it for them...

I don't think the Ulster teams will do much this year - though i do fancy Donegal to pull off the odd upset...

Waylander

Yeah, Cruiserwight you are right about Micko. I have a massive amount of respect for him. I do think though that people are reading too much into Laois last year. I think they are a reasonably good side, but had a bit of luck last year to help them on the way. As for Offaly, I am probably going ot regret saying this if they do play the dubs now, but I think alot of people are seriously overstating their chances. I think they are a very average team, and I will be surprised if Westmeath do not get past them.

cruiserweight

Yes but Laois are helped in Leinster by their draw. Kildare,Dublin,Offaly,Westmeath and Wexford are in the opposite side of the draw.

An illustration of the quality that Laois have is that they did not really bother with the league until they had to, and when they had to they won and won well!!

laoisfan

laois-dublin leinster final (laois to win).

--laoisfan

ps. one thing that worries me about laois is that while they have the skill etc they are lacking a bit of strength or muscle.

what do ye think?

Imposter

Laois should be coming good due to the minor teams they had starting in 95, iirc. They had 3 brilliant teams there in 3 years. Yes Micko is a great manager but having the players at your disposal helps. In saying that though, what he did in Kildare was nothing short of a miracle

cruiserweight

laois-dublin leinster final (laois to win).

Sorry you are wrong Laois vs Wexford final with Wexford to win.

Dublin are poor and will win nothing this year.

laoisfan

Sorry you are wrong Laois vs Wexford final with Wexford to win.

Wexford? Hmmmm why not indeed!!

Dublin? Yes, good side, but under Lyons they are going nowhere.

--laoisfan

cruiserweight

Dublin? Yes, good side, but under Lyons they are going nowhere.

I would say that Lyons is an excellent manager. Won the NFL and Leinster title with Offaly when nobody expected it. Took a rubbish Dublin team to the Leinster title and an All-Ireland semi. Dublin are the most over-rated team in the country

Waylander

Cruiser you are seriously underestimating Dublin. They will win Leinster this year. How many wides did they have last year against Laois? I know that we dubs talk them up all the time, but you culchies more then compensate!

country_gurl

C'mon the Katz! Show them we havent lost it ... yet!!! Champions 04 (hopefully)

Galway for football and if kilkenny are not knocked out of the hurling i suppose id have to say galway:D

Imposter

Originally posted by Waylander
Cruiser you are seriously underestimating Dublin. They will win Leinster this year. How many wides did they have last year against Laois? I know that we dubs talk them up all the time, but you culchies more then compensate!

I don't think he is. Dublin are nowhere near as good as dubs or the medja think they are. Kicking so many wides is hardly the sign of a good team. I would suggest that if most of the losing teams in championship matches reduced their number of wides then they would have won. Being a good team means you can take your chances.

Are the whole Dublin forward line getting reshod for this years championship or how exactly are they not going to shoot as many wides as last year?

And before you suggest it is, this is not dublin bashing but an attempt to figure out why dubs think that their team is so good.

The Rooster

I think it was 17-6 in terms of wides in the Dublin - Laois game last year. Yet Laois only won by two points. Dublin also missed three clearcut one-on-one goal chances in the latter stages of the first half. But of course you can't say how Laois would have reacted had the Dubs put over more scores. Every time Dublin came back at them, Laois managed to pull away a bit. Dublin did not get to within a goal of them until the very end. But at the end of the day Dublin fans were saying that was the worst performance they'd seen in years, while Laois fans were saying it was the best performance they'd seen in years - and still only two points separated them at the end. Can Dublin play as badly again? Are Laois really that good or are they one year wonders?

For the record Dublin's forward line for the Laois game was:

Tom Mulligan - Shane Ryan - Bryan Cullen
Alan Brogan - Ray Cosgrove - Liam O'hEineachain

Cullen and Brogan are the only two of those who will start in the forward line this year, I believe. So not quite the whole Dublin forward line getting re-shod, just 67% of them!

I don't think any Dublin fan believes we have the best team in Ireland, but some of us do think we have the best in Leinster.

Waylander

I am in full agreement with Rooster there. I have said in several threads that I do not think Dublin are a great team, but I do think they are the best of a mediocre bunch in Leinster. THat performance against Laois last year was awful, and I have not seen them play that badly in the championship in some time. I do not think we need to "reshoe" the whole forward line to improve on that performance. I do not think they could play that badly again. I have also said in the other threads, which you participated in Imposter, that I think after Leinster the Dubs will go out fairly quickly, and I never stated that we had a great team, I just get a bit sick of the bashing we get all the time. So despite your denial I think your post is Dublin bashing. I do not think that you are very objective when assessing the Dubs, but don't worry I am the same when assessing Meath. Even when they win championships they are still crap as far as I am concerned.

Imposter

Originally posted by Waylander
I am in full agreement with Rooster there. I have said in several threads that I do not think Dublin are a great team, but I do think they are the best of a mediocre bunch in Leinster. THat performance against Laois last year was awful, and I have not seen them play that badly in the championship in some time. I do not think we need to "reshoe" the whole forward line to improve on that performance. I do not think they could play that badly again. I have also said in the other threads, which you participated in Imposter, that I think after Leinster the Dubs will go out fairly quickly, and I never stated that we had a great team, I just get a bit sick of the bashing we get all the time. So despite your denial I think your post is Dublin bashing. I do not think that you are very objective when assessing the Dubs, but don't worry I am the same when assessing Meath. Even when they win championships they are still crap as far as I am concerned.

Call it what you will but I don't think it is bashing. Look at the pools prediction thread and you'll see that every dub seems to have gone for Dublin to win Leinster. Only one other person think Dublin will win it (assuming JazzyJ is a dub).

While people will look at their own county in such things with slightly rose-tinted glasses I don't think there are many other counties that would demonstrate the same faith in their counties ability, especially if they've been below what's been expected of them in the last few years (PORNAPSTER aside).

The Rooster

I don't think there are many other counties that would demonstrate the same faith in their counties ability, especially if they've been below what's been expected of them in the last few years

Below expectations last year alright, but the year before they got to the All Ireland final and were six inches from getting a draw against the team that went on to win it. The year before that it took Kerry two games to beat them, Kerry only getting a draw the first day thanks to one of the best points ever scored by Maurice Fitz. So I don't think they were below what was expected of them.

And despite not having a great league campaign we still had the best league campaign of any Leinster team in Division 1. So I don't think its outrageous that a lot of Dublin fans would be hopeful of winning Leinster. Not that its a foregone conclusion, or anything close to it. I think some of the games will be very very close, but in such circumstances its natural to go with the heart when deciding who will prevail. Of all the games in Leinster I think the only one that will be very one sided will be Laois v Longford/Carlow.