The Sam Maguire

[shakermaker1982]

I'll be interested to see how Mayo do this season. MacDonald seems to be gone which has its positives and negatives. He slowed play down and drifted deep but he was an excellent player. Perhaps the other individuals will raise their game without him? Also there won't be the nonsense of the manager being in the middle of an election campaign this time.

we're surely due a Sam

I'd love to have Kieran back, on his day there is no finer player but his fitness would surely be a concern.

[gilberto_eire]

we're surely due a Sam

I'd love to have Kieran back, on his day there is no finer player but his fitness would surely be a concern.

Not a hope of that happening, when will ye realise and give up?

With a bit of luck we could make it, we badly need a midfield though, have'nt replaced Kevin Walsh or O'Domhnaill yet, with Walsh gone 4 years and O'Domhnaill at least twice more!.

[shakermaker1982]

Not a hope of that happening, when will ye realise and give up?

With a bit of luck we could make it, we badly need a midfield though, have'nt replaced Kevin Walsh or O'Domhnaill yet, with Walsh gone 4 years and O'Domhnaill at least twice more!.

The Sam is turning into a bit of an obsession for most Mayo folk and the longer it takes the worse it gets.

I haven't got a clue how we'll do this year, the optimism only starts gathering momentum if we get out of Connaught as winners. you guys roughed us up big time last year and it was as if our players didn't realise how ferocious a game with Galway can be........hopefully if we meet again this summer we'll be better prepared.

[bennocelt]

He was fairly good when he managed out Minors (1995) and U21's (1999)
to All Ireland victories but I dont thik he got the respect of the Seniors.

yeah he was great for Westmeath and kind of built that senior team too
I think the players actually let him down, and then you have Dolan senior trying to run the team from afar.
After they won the Leinster a few of the players brought the trophy to Luke to thank him for their success, which speaks volumes about what they tought of him
But the style that his teams play is very predictable and will not get you any all irelands

[bennocelt]

This weekend
really looking forward to Kildare V Wicklow
Surely Kildare will beat Wicklow? But will be interesting to see how Kildare play with their new man in charge

Meath V Carlow, meath to win

galway to beat Roscommin. But why the hell is this on RTE. Connaught champs games are torture to watch, really boring stuff.

would much prefer to see antrim V cavan on the box. Will be a close game, but i actually think cavan could do it, even if they are not on form

[geysir]

No brownie points though for picking Galway 1/10 and Meath 1/20.
Kildare are a better bet at 2/9
Their new man would become their old man if they don't beat Wicklow.

[gilberto_eire]

Galway to beat Roscommin. But why the hell is this on RTE. Connaught champs games are torture to watch, really boring stuff.

Antrim Vs Cavan?? That's no bad decision by RTE, cop on will ya, not one of those counties have any prospects of winning it. We're one of the stronger counties and even the Rossies would take either of those boys!!.

Connacht games torture to watch?... over the Ulster hand-passing play which has destroyed the game down south over the past 10 years?.

Edit: Your prayers have been answered 4 games online on sunday!!

[geysir]

It's possible that Micko has been playing a cute preparation game with the Wicklow boys and they could all be looking world beaters in training and ready to ambush Kildare.
They can be tenacious and sometimes a good team will have to beat them repeatedly with a stick to shake them off.

Micko gets a whiff of Sam.
"I love this time of year. Long days, good grounds, real championship weather - you can’t beat it. I’m as excited about next Sunday’s game as I was when I first took charge of Kerry all those years ago. I’m told Wicklow have never won a Leinster senior championship game at Croke Park so there’s an incentive. I’m still as mad about football as I ever was."
"My job is to get Wicklow playing to their full potential and see where it takes us. League form doesn’t count in the championship."

[paul_oshea]

Thing is starting today, ao might as well get the ball rolling

W meath V Longford
Westmeath should win this game easy enough, even if its in Longford. They have a newish team and are at last trying to play in a more attacking style than the usual hand passing rubbish they have been doing for years. Which is funny since they are playing the master of the hand pass back to the goalie tactic - Luke Dempsey. Good manager but his teams are so easy to read and obvious styler of (boring) football

Leitrim V New York
Wouldnt it be great if NY could win. they came close the last time they played Leitrim, but doubtful

Maybe Derry could do it this year?
Wexford for Leinster?

Benno, you are a very strange lad, i can remember you going on giving out about gaelic for ages and yet you start this thread....

[paul_oshea]

One young player to watch as far as Donegal are concerned is Michael Murphy, he's only 18 but he's a sublime footballer and will be one of the top full forwards about.
Donal Shine is class for Roscommon but unless Seamie O'Neill can produce the goods in midfield and supply the lad then he will be wasted there.

Imo, the winner of Donegal - Derry will win Ulster. Donegal have meesed about a bit in the league and have blooded afew new players. Some players are only just coming into form and back from injury.
I, for once am confident going into the Ulster champoinship, if we win that then anyhting is possible.
Galway are dark horses imo along with Cork.
Looking forward to the championship, poor game at the weekend but in all honesty, it wasn't really going to be that good. Personally I think Galway - Roscommon will be a cracker, knowing a few folk in the Roscommon camp and they reckon the new manager has got the lads really buzzing.

Ya mixer is supposed to be a good lad, old looking for a young fella though. To be honest there is loads wrong with ros football and it all stems from club football ( and an arrogance ) that I dont think I will bore people with on this forum but i have a few good stories/examples. Usually I would come on here and lie ( beautifulrock you'll like that admission ) about roscommon and their expectations and what not, but this year I cant see anything really. Seamie O'Neill will come on and catch 3 or 4 crows and do nothing else for the rest of the game ( if he were from kerry, he would have been one of the greatest footballers of all time ), shine is a good player and a very good golfer also but is still too young, cregg is a good player, we have lots of decent forwards to be honest, who are just young, a little inexperienced and not tough enough, but a few more years and that will change. The main problem lies in midfield and the half-backs, id love to see francie grehan back ( although over-weight and what not ) and Shane Curran to shore up the defence and breed a bit of confidence, but thats not going to happen. Still though looking forward to my rare occassion of getting to wear my ros jersey and riling the galway gobsh1tes i know over here.

[Kingdom]

It's possible that Micko has been playing a cute preparation game with the Wicklow boys and they could all be looking world beaters in training and ready to ambush Kildare.
They can be tenacious and sometimes a good team will have to beat them repeatedly with a stick to shake them off.

Micko gets a whiff of Sam.
"I love this time of year. Long days, good grounds, real championship weather - you can’t beat it. I’m as excited about next Sunday’s game as I was when I first took charge of Kerry all those years ago. I’m told Wicklow have never won a Leinster senior championship game at Croke Park so there’s an incentive. I’m still as mad about football as I ever was."
"My job is to get Wicklow playing to their full potential and see where it takes us. League form doesn’t count in the championship."

I think theres a big chance of an upset in this game and in the Cavan game.
Kildare have been gash and if Johnny Doyle wasn't playing for them nobody would give them a hope. McGeeney hasn't shown that he's going to be anything of a saviour, while the 21's were absolutely crushed by Kerry, and according to the Kildare people I know played for themselves throughout the championship rather than each other.

[beautifulrock]

Usually I would come on here and lie ( beautifulrock you'll like that admission )

haha Paul too right, but I usually say spoofing rather than downright lying.

However, I think Roscommon may have a decent chance this weekend due mostly to the fact that the pressure is off them. I agree too that the winners of Derry/Donegal will win Ulster, personally I think that will be Derry who have done everything right so far this year. Perhaps a question mark on when they peak but never the less should take Ulster and push hard for Sam. I still think that Kerry will get their 3 in a row though. Leinster is a lottery but would say Galway will come out of Connaught.

[Sam_Heggy]

love to see francie grehan back

Ah the four roads man fantastic hurler and handy footballer too, maybe the new man might encourage him back.

Agree about Seamie, one of the best fielders of the ball in the country.
I don't think anyone can doubt the ability of footballers in Ros, Brigits being a fine example 2 years ago, discipline is the biggest factor imo. (I know Ironic coming from a Donegal man )

[paul_oshea]

Ah the four roads man fantastic hurler and handy footballer too, maybe the new man might encourage him back.

Agree about Seamie, one of the best fielders of the ball in the country.
I don't think anyone can doubt the ability of footballers in Ros, Brigits being a fine example 2 years ago, discipline is the biggest factor imo. (I know Ironic coming from a Donegal man )

discipline and arrogance sam heggy, ye had it a few years ago but it was beaten out of ye. For example a mate of mine at home is a delegate for one of the bigger clubs at home, he was helping raise money for a new stand one day for the club when one of the players passed him and said "that money would be better spent on a players holiday", this fella also played county football, and he has the arrogance to think that a club team in roscommon who have done fcuk all deserve to be getting the community to fund them to play willie pool and the likes abroad, what a fcuken joke. But he had the tenacity to expect a fella in his 20s to go out fundraising for the club to fund HIS bloody holiday, thats not a joke. Until that changes ros football will be in the same doldrums it is now.
At least in soccer the players themselves go out and get involved in the fundraising and have to sell a certain number of tickets, whereas these fellas think they are untouched on a pedastal.

to be honest sam heggy, brigids aside ( and they should have won a connaught championship this year bar) the standard in ros is poor bar a handful of 5/6 clubs.

[Sam_Heggy]

discipline and arrogance sam heggy, ye had it a few years ago but it was beaten out of ye. For example a mate of mine at home is a delegate for one of the bigger clubs at home, he was helping raise money for a new stand one day for the club when one of the players passed him and said "that money would be better spent on a players holiday", this fella also played county football, and he has the arrogance to think that a club team in roscommon who have done fcuk all deserve to be getting the community to fund them to play willie pool and the likes abroad, what a fcuken joke. But he had the tenacity to expect a fella in his 20s to go out fundraising for the club to fund HIS bloody holiday, thats not a joke. Until that changes ros football will be in the same doldrums it is now.
At least in soccer the players themselves go out and get involved in the fundraising and have to sell a certain number of tickets, whereas these fellas think they are untouched on a pedastal.

to be honest sam heggy, brigids aside ( and they should have won a connaught championship this year bar) the standard in ros is poor bar a handful of 5/6 clubs.

Heard all that kind of thing in Ros alright, I spend alot of time around Athleague, Kiltoom and Four roads, its amazing the amount of folk interested in GAA (much more folk than up here imo) and yet when it comes down to the county games people just don't seem to care.

Anyways, Wicklow for the All Ireland

[bennocelt]

No brownie points though for picking Galway 1/10 and Meath 1/20.
Kildare are a better bet at 2/9
Their new man would become their old man if they don't beat Wicklow.

yeah fair enough.
Well I would take Meath with the betfair handicap of - 8 points over carlow. i see a few goals in that game

Also think kildare will win the handicap over wicklow + 5points

I actually thought Antrim would be a better price to beat cavan what with their league run, and think this will be a close thing and for that reason it would be good to see them on TV. I mean when was the last time Antrim football was on the box
Im sick of seeing dull Connaught games, boring -
yeah ulster football isnt great as well but wise up its Ga - its not the beautiful game

[bennocelt]

Benno, you are a very strange lad, i can remember you going on giving out about gaelic for ages and yet you start this thread....

Well yeah I guess I do. I actually have a deep interest in all sports - Golf, Cricket, Womens Volleyball....everything that has a competitive edge i will watch
Fuuny that the sport that gave me the greatest enjoyment in the last year or so was Ireland and the Cricket team which might say more about the state of sport in this country than anything else!
.
I have also tried to play a good few games as well - soccer for my town/college, junior Ga, rugby (which was dull), running (got to an all -ireland final in 800 m!!), cycling (which i found the hardest sport). But mostly im rubbish at sport so can only watch them!

Still doesnt mean i have a deep love for the sport. I mean i realisie that ga really is a rubbish game but it can be exciting - re Dublin - Kerry last year, and it can be interesting to see all the counties on their travels

But Football (soccer) is the beautiful game (even though I have had doubts recently!) and thats the number one. All other sports follow the great game

[superfrank]

Brilliant result for us. Kildare didn't turn up and we could have put a bigger difference, Stafford missing a sitter and Hannon (?) missing a goal. Delighted, can't wait for the Laois match now.

[Poor Student]

we're surely due a Sam

I'd love to have Kieran back, on his day there is no finer player but his fitness would surely be a concern.

I'll settle for beating Galway and onto the final before getting annihilated by Kerry.

[bennocelt]

Brilliant result for us. Kildare didn't turn up and we could have put a bigger difference, Stafford missing a sitter and Hannon (?) missing a goal. Delighted, can't wait for the Laois match now.

Jeez got that one totally wrong! Well done Wicklow. Good entertaining game of football from Mickos team. Played it near perfect (apart from a few bad misses)
Midfield was ace
Kildare might have had all the fitness training in the world but if you dont have the passion and are not prepared to get stuck in then you are wasting your time. And why are there still so many old fellas still playing with Kildare, Should have given more of the under 21s a chance.
Anyway one ga game is enough for me today