Dublin are getting very easy draws

Imposter

Originally posted by cruiserweight
For the record from what I have seen this year the best teams in Leinster are

1. Laois
2. Wexford
=Westmeath
3.Offaly
=Dublin

However I expect that to change, by September we will see
1. Laois
2. Wexford
3. Dublin
4.Westmeath
5.Offaly

But I am a little biased(for wexford)

Ya think!!!
I don't want to keep harping on about Westmeath (seeing as I didn't rate them at the start of the year either) but If they were to beat Laois on Sunday they will have beaten all your other teams in the top 5,
in championship matches but you still only rank them as 4th. Something there makes no sense!

cruiserweight

Originally posted by Imposter
Ya think!!!
I don't want to keep harping on about Westmeath (seeing as I didn't rate them at the start of the year either) but If they were to beat Laois on Sunday they will have beaten all your other teams in the top 5,
in championship matches but you still only rank them as 4th. Something there makes no sense!

At the moment I have them second, but I think that the other three teams ahead of them will make the quarter finals. Westmeath have done very well this year, but I can not see them winning on Sunday, and then depending on the draw they may be out. Do not get me wrong I would like to see them win, but just think that Laois are a superior outfit.

Shaque attack

Originally posted by Imposter
Right big collective reply here,



And to them other 2 jokers (Shaque and Cruiser),
Ye seem to forget that Laois are strong because of the strong underage teams they had in the mid to late 90's. Well Westmeath also won a minor all-ireland then beating laois in the Leinster final after (I think) a second replay. Now I don't mean to suggest that Westmeath should be favourites on Sunday, I don't think that. But I do think that Shaque's comment about not knowing how good Laois are until they play in the quarters is rubbish. If Dublin were playing Laois you wouldn't have said that. Just because WM beat Dublin and Wexford beat Kildare doesn't mean that it's easy all of a sudden for Laois. Wexford and Westmeath won because they were better on the given days than their opposition. That is all any team can do.

Wrt the WM V Laois match on Sunday WM won't be afraid of Laois like they would the other more traditional big boys in Leinster. After beating Dublin they've shown that that's in the past, I hope. They are also gaining confidence with every game. They will respect Laois like they did Offaly, Dublin and Wexford but fear them they won't.

For me all this confidence that the Westmeath team has in themselves is in stark contrast to the teams of a few years ago that would bottle it in games they should have won. I reckon it'll be very tight on sunday and either team could win. Laois by virtue of their experience are and should be favourites but Westmeath are far from a team that can be brushed aside. This is the Leinster final after all. You need to win at least 2 matches to be there.

i'm not forgetting that fact, i can still remember westmeath beating us by a point in the third game having went to it, but the truth is that Laois have quality players in every position (with the exception of the half forward position where micko is struggling to find a young replacement for mick lawlor who is unable to play 70 mins every game) and it appears to me that westmeath are relying on 1 or 2 forwards to create their scores and the quality of passing isn't all that great either. also it is worth noting that when wexford played laois earlier this year the legendary mattie forde who is a very similar player to dessie dolan only scored two points off joe higgins, both of them frees. Having said that i do expect westmeath to put up a hell of a fight, especially since O'Connell's suspension was lifted, but i think they have another year or two to go before they will win a leinster.

But I do think that Shaque's comment about not knowing how good Laois are until they play in the quarters is rubbish.

i didnt actually say that. what i meant was people seem to underestimate just how much laois have improved since last year

twas crusier who said

Originally posted by cruiserweight
The fact of the matter is nobody will know how good Laois are until they play in the quarter finals. They should brush aside Westmeath, and then we will see what they are made of, until that happens nobody knows what level they are at!

If Dublin were playing Laois you wouldn't have said that. Just because WM beat Dublin and Wexford beat Kildare doesn't mean that it's easy all of a sudden for Laois.

i didnt expect WM to beat Dublin tbh but at the same time i dont rate dublin in the same ranks as armagh or kerry

I think that neither Meath or Wicklow provided a test for Laois.

eh cruiser we never played wicklow that was meath, we played carlow who did provide a physical challenge for about 40-50 minutes in Dr Hyde park

Originally posted by Waylander
I also agree they are probably the best team in Leinster, I just do not think that that is much of an achievement at teh moment.

because dublin and meath arent challenging for it... out of that list of teams you stated only tyrone and galway on a good day could knock laois out this year but only one of those teams will survive the next round and the rest of the teams you mention are the stereotypical ones that are always thrown about, which is what annoyed me enough to say that only armagh are capable of beating laois

Imposter

Originally posted by Shaque attack
i didnt actually say that. what i meant was people seem to underestimate just how much laois have improved since last year

twas crusier who said

Sorry about that.

also it is worth noting that when wexford played laois earlier this year the legendary mattie forde who is a very similar player to dessie dolan only scored two points off joe higgins, both of them frees.

Earlier in the year isn't really a great indication of how players perform in Championship matches. Forde has been awesome in all of his games to date. Perhaps the Laois defense can handle him but I wouldn't count on it.

i didnt expect WM to beat Dublin tbh but at the same time i dont rate dublin in the same ranks as armagh or kerry

Agreed about Dublin but then nobody really knows how good Kerry actually are either. Cork were weak and while Limerick are coming on in leaps and bounds nobody knows how good they are.

Roll on Sunday!

Waylander

Everyone of those teams has the potential to beat Laois. In fact any team in the country has the potantial, all teams have good and bad days. As you say yourself, Laois made hard work of Carlow for 50 mins, are you trying to tell me that Kerry couldn't? You are talking bull Shaque. I do not think the teams I listed would beat Laois evey time they play, although I think Kerry would beat more often than not, but each of those teams would beat Laois 3or 4 times out of ten. Ifd you really believe the crap you are talking you are setting yourself up for a big fall depending on the draw after the provincial finals.

cruiserweight

Originally posted by Shaque attack
also it is worth noting that when wexford played laois earlier this year the legendary mattie forde who is a very similar player to dessie dolan only scored two points off joe higgins, both of them frees.

eh cruiser we never played wicklow that was meath, we played carlow who did provide a physical challenge for about 40-50 minutes in Dr Hyde park

Sorry got a bit confused. As for the league game, Wexford were aready safe and laois needed to win to stay in division one, Wexford eased off to concentrate on the championship!

Shaque attack

originally posted by imposter
Roll on Sunday!

Indeed cant wait its gonna be a great game of football

originally posted by crusierweight
Wexford were aready safe and laois needed to win to stay in division one, Wexford eased off to concentrate on the championship!

your probably right there tbh

cruiserweight

Originally posted by Shaque attack
Indeed cant wait its gonna be a great game of football

Originally posted by Imposter
Roll on Sunday!

I am looking forward to the game, unfortunately I can't go I would have liked to have been there as a neutral! Ah well RTE will have to suffice!

It should be a good game of football and a close score with it going down to the wire. Good luck to both teams, it is great in the last few years we have been getting away from Dublin vs Meath!

Waylander

I agree it is great to see that Meath are not doing so well at the moment, must beg to differ on your Dublin point of view though:D

cruiserweight

Originally posted by Waylander
I agree it is great to see that Meath are not doing so well at the moment, must beg to differ on your Dublin point of view though:D

Ah well what's good for the goose is good for the gander:D