Who'll win Sam?

liammur

With the 2 big guns gone, the path is now clear for Cork if they're ever going to win it, although with Down's great record you couldnt write them off. Will be an interesting finish to a poor season.

popebenny16

would not be surprised. they are national league winners and AI finalists last year - they have to be favourites and rightly so. for the last three years it has been expected that they will win an AI this could well be their year.

(and beating my old drum again - if you take the league seriously you end up at the business end of the championship...)

oneillMan999

Just because tyrone and kerry are out dont make it a bad season, the fact that we have 3 teams in the semis that werent tipped for much pre season and a number of smaller teams coming good makes it one of the best championships in recent years IMO.

Also, i wouldnt put anyone favourites to lift sam at the minute, any one of these teams could do it.

flahavaj

liammur wrote: »

With the 2 big guns gone, the path is now clear for Cork if they're ever going to win it, although with Down's great record you couldnt write them off. Will be an interesting finish to a poor season.

I'd have said the oposite - this has been far amd away the most entertaining and enjoyable football championship in recent memory, full of close matches, entertaining games. great individual performances and unexpected results. What more do you want?

Ian_K

Whats frightening is that Cork havnt played well once in championship '10 and are in the semis and being tipped to win it

FREETV

flahavaj wrote: »

I'd have said the oposite - this has been far amd away the most entertaining and enjoyable football championship in recent memory, full of close matches, entertaining games. great individual performances and unexpected results. What more do you want?

True and Kerry can't keep on winning the All Ireland every year or it wouldn't be an open Championship would it? The amount of effort , dedication and sacrifice put in in by County players nationwide has to reward them with something, rather than seeing Kerry win year after year. It is good for the spirit of the game that weaker counties have more of a chance to go all the way.

popebenny16

how can anyone say this has been a poor season?? Sligo and Ros in Connaught, Louth and Meath in Leinster, Monaghan and Limerick??

Wexford scaring Dublin, Mayo and Galway failing so early, it has been an excellent football season.

The Hurling has been the same as always, just shuffling around waiting for killkenny to win again

ShamoBuc

It is hard to see beyond Cork for this years AI. While it is true that any of the remaining 4 teams could win it, Cork have the experience of recent years which none of the other teams have and that could prove vital. They ended today with their first choice midfield Alan and Nickie -and that is something to remember. They have played little football to date and looked eager, fit and fresh. O'neill at CF looked back to his marauding best at times today. Cork put the pressure on midway through the second half today - closing Rosc down and putting them under fierce pressure and in turn, turned over alot of posession.
Cork have yet to get out of second or third gear this year - in any game. Their defence is fairly mean - only 10 points today - and our forwards have yet to put a sustained effort. While Cork should show the upmost respect for the dubs, we really should turn them over and I reckon we will play Kildare in the final.
It is Corks to lose I believe. If they play with the intensity and skill that they clearly have - it won't matter which of the 3 teams they play. But this cork team have given me nightmares in the past and I hope there won't be anymore this year - Sam for Cork!

liammur

well cork are in the semis and who have they beaten?

cavan
wex
limk
roscommom

not exactly a difficult route by any stanards

The connaught chamionship was laughable it was so poor, munster not much better. The standard is falling, but just cos there were some tight games doesn't mean it was a great championship!

castie

liammur wrote: »

well cork are in the semis and who have they beaten?

cavan
wex
limk
roscommom

not exactly a difficult route by any stanards

The connaught chamionship was laughable it was so poor, munster not much better. The standard is falling, but just cos there were some tight games doesn't mean it was a great championship!

Should of beaten Kerry the first time only for the soft free to tie the game.

Magill

castie wrote: »

Should of beaten Kerry the first time only for the soft free to tie the game.

Should of, could have... but didnt.

ShamoBuc

Insightful !

pajoguy

No evidence this year that cork can win sam.

Oh and thank heavens Meath are gone. No more talk of what if's!

Kildare playing nice brand of football but Dub have two home matches to win sam.

Down have never lost in Croke Park in champo....I think.....

In fact the more you think about it I would put cork 4th in the last four.

Based on performances so far this year.

Mushy

I see a trend emerging. Tadhg Kennelly returns from Australia, wins an AI. And now Down have as good a chance as they have had in many years, in the first season Matty Clarke is back. So I say Down to win it.

Pocaide

I have to say on the Football I have seen in this years Championship I think Kildare will win The All Ireland lol especially as they o not have to meet Galway

ShamoBuc

Mushy wrote: »

I see a trend emerging. Tadhg Kennelly returns from Australia, wins an AI. And now Down have as good a chance as they have had in many years, in the first season Matty Clarke is back. So I say Down to win it.

Didn't Michael Shields come back from Oz - Cork for Sam so.:)

Bomany

Down have no fear in them and will be hard to stop.

namloc1980

Cork have a lot of work to do if they hope to lift Sam in September. There are some problem areas to sort out such as fullback where Shields was exposed by Shine today, although Cadogan may come back into the fold. Cork also need to reduce their over reliance on the short passing game.

Positives for Cork is they still have room for improvement and also it was great to Pearse O'Neill have a super game today and finally get going this season.

popebenny16

pajoguy wrote: »

No evidence this year that cork can win sam.

Oh and thank heavens Meath are gone. No more talk of what if's!

Kildare playing nice brand of football but Dub have two home matches to win sam.

Down have never lost in Croke Park in champo....I think.....

In fact the more you think about it I would put cork 4th in the last four.

Based on performances so far this year.

this is cropping up a lot the last few days.... do you honestly think playing in croke park gives dublin an advantage??? Really?? 17 points last year, 12 the year before, 5 goals against meath this year??

its rubbish, and in fact, such rubbish that the programme at the match yesterday even said so.

the last time the hill had an impact on a match was against wexford a few years ago, and only because the wexford media needed someone to blame apart from their team.

dublin lose far far more matches in Croke Park than you seem to think, if "home advantage" was such an advantage I daresay we would have a lot more than two all irelands in the last 27 years....

Stinicker

Dublin will beat Cork in Croke Park and Kildare will beat Down, Kildare will lift Sam Maguire, they had a spirit in them in 2009 which saw them robbed against Tyrone by a poor referee and they rekindled that today against Meath.

As a Kerry man I am tipping Kildare to succeed our position to the throne of football.

ShamoBuc

popebenny16 wrote: »

its rubbish, and in fact, such rubbish that the programme at the match yesterday even said so.

Oh - if the match programme said so - it must be true!!

the last time the hill had an impact on a match was against wexford a few years ago, and only because the wexford media needed someone to blame apart from their team.

Do you not think the langer with the whistle had an impact in the first half yesterday?

dublin lose far far more matches in Croke Park than you seem to think, if "home advantage" was such an advantage I daresay we would have a lot more than two all irelands in the last 27 years....
2 AI's in 27 years is because they have not been good enough!!!

Playing at the same ground every year is of course an advantage.

I wonder will HILL 16 tickets only be sold to the Dubs for the semi?
Will the Hill be half Red and half Blue - Doubt it!!
The players AND their fans ( they don't exactly have to travel far do they) have an advantage - but Cork should still beat them if they get as far as third or fourth gear.

popebenny16

ShamoBuc wrote: »

Playing at the same ground every year is of course an advantage.

I wonder will HILL 16 tickets only be sold to the Dubs for the semi?
Will the Hill be half Red and half Blue - Doubt it!!
The players AND their fans ( they don't exactly have to travel far do they) have an advantage - but Cork should still beat them if they get as far as third or fourth gear.

it isnt an advantage - in fact there have been many many words printed about how it is sometimes a disadvantage - and like i said, it has not stopped even - please note the irony - Mayo - from beating Dublin in a full house.

Hill 16 tickets are available to anyone. There were Down and Tyrone Fans on the Hill yesterday. The fact, as has been posted about here every year, is that other counties do not take up their allocation of hill tickets and send them back. If any Cork fan wants a Hill ticket he or she has as much chance as I will have.

You will be surprised how far some dublin fans go watch their team, given the bad side of the tiger and how displaced many are out of the county.

popebenny16

as for the idiot with the whistle, the only impact he had was on the crowd, once i thought the play was going to be stopped but realised it was the moron.

are you saying that he caused a tyrone player to stop playing in possession of the ball?

anyway, its a pretty sad day when you are posting about one moron...

Magill

popebenny16 wrote: »

as for the idiot with the whistle, the only impact he had was on the crowd, once i thought the play was going to be stopped but realised it was the moron.

are you saying that he caused a tyrone player to stop playing in possession of the ball?

anyway, its a pretty sad day when you are posting about one moron...

I seen that.... the tyrone player did actually stop (Im not a tyrone supporter), but yeah what a moron.

The hill is diffo an advantage, even if its only a small one.

ShamoBuc

popebenny16 wrote: »

as for the idiot with the whistle, the only impact he had was on the crowd, once i thought the play was going to be stopped but realised it was the moron.

are you saying that he caused a tyrone player to stop playing in possession of the ball?

anyway, its a pretty sad day when you are posting about one moron...

He stopped a Tyrone player going for a ball, you don't have to be in posession !

It's a sad day when a MORON has any effect on a player like that - should we not post about it?

popebenny16

one player, once?

he was there last week too.

sure we can post and discuss it, but its just some idiot, its not an advantage that dublin have.

the amount of paranioa about dublin on todays threads is hillarious

bohsboy

ShamoBuc wrote: »

Playing at the same ground every year is of course an advantage.

I wonder will HILL 16 tickets only be sold to the Dubs for the semi?
Will the Hill be half Red and half Blue - Doubt it!!
The players AND their fans ( they don't exactly have to travel far do they) have an advantage - but Cork should still beat them if they get as far as third or fourth gear.

This really is a serious problem for you as you continaully bring it up in many threads. How many times must it be pointed out, Dublin will travel to ANY ground in this country and pack it out with a far superior number of fans. It's actually no problem to us and we have done it before as I pointed out to you in another thread.

I hope the Cork players have the same attitude as yourself and stay in those gears. The Dubs are improving every game and I expect another victory.
Quietly confident.

aDeener

bohsboy wrote: »

This really is a serious problem for you as you continaully bring it up in many threads. How many times must it be pointed out, Dublin will travel to ANY ground in this country and pack it out with a far superior number of fans. It's actually no problem to us and we have done it before as I pointed out to you in another thread.

I hope the Cork players have the same attitude as yourself and stay in those gears. The Dubs are improving every game and I expect another victory.
Quietly confident.

lol

ShamoBuc

bohsboy wrote: »

This really is a serious problem for you as you continaully bring it up in many threads. How many times must it be pointed out, Dublin will travel to ANY ground in this country and pack it out with a far superior number of fans. It's actually no problem to us and we have done it before as I pointed out to you in another thread.

I hope the Cork players have the same attitude as yourself and stay in those gears. The Dubs are improving every game and I expect another victory.
Quietly confident.

I always have a good laugh at the " we will travel to ANY ground..." crap - in the championship ye have one ar two AWAY matches every 5 or 6 YEARS!! Easy to travel for them - isn't it!
You pointed out the Longford match - if I recall - what year was that?

If Cork play in fourth gear against the dubs - they will win.

bohsboy

ShamoBuc wrote: »

I always have a good laugh at the " we will travel to ANY ground..." crap - in the championship ye have one ar two AWAY matches every 5 or 6 YEARS!! Easy to travel for them - isn't it!
You pointed out the Longford match - if I recall - what year was that?

If Cork play in fourth gear against the dubs - they will win.

We always travel to any away games anywhere in massive numbers. Name me a game outside of Dublin that was poorly attended by the Dubs? I bet you'll struggle.

Might be a few years before your time, but ask your fellow countymen about the day Hill 17 was born in your very own Pairc Ui Chaoimh in '83 where we outnumbered you.

Lets just hope you play in fourth, I really do.

ShamoBuc

bohsboy wrote: »

We always travel to any away games anywhere in massive numbers. Name me a game outside of Dublin that was poorly attended by the Dubs? I bet you'll struggle.

Might be a few years before your time, but ask your fellow countymen about the day Hill 17 was born in your very own Pairc Ui Chaoimh in '83 where we outnumbered you.

Lets just hope you play in fourth, I really do.

How many CHAMPIONSHIP games have Dublin played outside of Dublin in the last ... say 5 years?

By the way down the Páirc in 83 - are you serious- that was 27 years ago.

bohsboy

ShamoBuc wrote: »

How many CHAMPIONSHIP games have Dublin played outside of Dublin in the last ... say 5 years?

By the way down the Páirc in 83 - are you serious- that was 27 years ago.

Deadly serious, 27 years ago? You never hear about it? I thought so.

Dublin don't choose to play their games in Croke Park. We can play our home games in Parnell Park if it would make you happier? Any game that Dublin had to play outside of Dublin in the last 30 years they have outnumbered opposition fans on every single occasion.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article671542.ece?token=null&print=yes&randnum=1151003209000 Nice article on the day the Dubs took Cork.

I should know, I've been at every one of them.

flahavaj

To be honest I think playing in front of a full house at Croker has been as much a disadvantage to the Dubs as it has been an advantage over the last few years.

ShamoBuc

bohsboy wrote: »

Deadly serious, 27 years ago? You never hear about it? I thought so.

Dublin don't choose to play their games in Croke Park. We can play our home games in Parnell Park if it would make you happier? Any game that Dublin had to play outside of Dublin in the last 30 years they have outnumbered opposition fans on every single occasion.

I should know, I've been at every one of them.

So long ago it is probably buried in some history book!

Don't think you answered my question though... in the last say 5 years how many championship games have Dublin had to travel outside Dublin?
You went to all of them so you should know.... you can give me the total for the last 30 years if you prefer... I am not fussy:)

dartbhoy

Going back to the topic are Cork going to be All Ireland final winners. Personally I think they are capable of winning an All Ireland but based on today's performance they won't beat Dublin. If Cork were to play Dublin next Sunday they'd be well beat. However I feel that the 3 week break has come at the right time for Cork and if they get their act together at training the next 3 weeks they can beat the Dubs. However they have to take it 1 game at a time,Down and Kildare are no mugs and will be tough opposition to beat in an All Ireland final.

bohsboy

ShamoBuc wrote: »

So long ago it is probably buried in some history book!

Don't think you answered my question though... in the last say 5 years how many championship games have Dublin had to travel outside Dublin?
You went to all of them so you should know.... you can give me the total for the last 30 years if you prefer... I am not fussy:)

History book? LOLtastic.

It is late at night, but up to this season, Dublin have been asked to travel 31 times from HQ to play.

flahavaj

In response to the OP, there are serious doubts about Cork. At the moment they are the only team left of the four semi finalists that

-doesn't have any clue of their best starting 15

-doesn't have a reliable free taker, especially from 45's

-lacks a star forward that they can turn to and rely on for a big score when the chips are down.

Having said that they have serious depth in their panel and have good experience of winning at Croker and have been on the road knocking at the door. I can understand why people havebthem down as favourites, but its far from a foregone conclusion IMO.

ShamoBuc

I feel cork have played in second gear for most of the qualifiers. They got going with their 'pressure on opponent' type game only for about 15 mins in the second half today and pulled away on the scoreboard. There is alot of room for improvement, certainly but if and when this improvement comes they should beat any of the 3 teams left. Obviously they have to get to that stage for longer periods but that improvement will come ( I hope) whereas how much more can the others improve?
Dublin played as well as they can I think and who knows if the ball went under the bar instead of against it in the 37 min they could have been going in 4 pts down. Also I think Tyrone had something like 17 wides - most un-tyrone like.
Down peaked against Kerry - and they needed to. I am not sure if they will play better.
Kildare were fantastic today - again I really do not think they can improve further.
Both down and kildare have 4 weeks till their next match - and the same again to the final. Have the Dubs/Down/Kildare peaked too early? I thing they have but who knows what will happen, it will certainly be 2 very interesting semis and final for sure. My money is on a Cork V Kildare final ( I said this b4 todays games) with cork winning by 4 - god loves an optimist - doesn't he?

ShamoBuc

bohsboy wrote: »

History book? LOLtastic.

It is late at night, but up to this season, Dublin have been asked to travel 31 times from HQ to play.

Asked - I like that. It's good to talk;)

bohsboy

ShamoBuc wrote: »

Asked - I like that. It's good to talk;)

Yeah, you cork boys are slow on the sarcasm radar. Night night.

popebenny16

bohsboy wrote: »

We always travel to any away games anywhere in massive numbers. Name me a game outside of Dublin that was poorly attended by the Dubs? I bet you'll struggle.

Might be a few years before your time, but ask your fellow countymen about the day Hill 17 was born in your very own Pairc Ui Chaoimh in '83 where we outnumbered you.

Lets just hope you play in fourth, I really do.

you dont have to go that far back, try the 1999 league final

popebenny16

ShamoBuc wrote: »

So long ago it is probably buried in some history book!

Don't think you answered my question though... in the last say 5 years how many championship games have Dublin had to travel outside Dublin?
You went to all of them so you should know.... you can give me the total for the last 30 years if you prefer... I am not fussy:)

many dublin fans would have wanted the tipp match this year to be in thurles or somewhere else. corporate boxes and premium seats dictate otherwise.

afair the last away matches were thurles, portlaoise, carrick on shannon, clones, all of which had massive attendances from the dublin support.

since the new croke park was finished the GAA have ensured we play as many of the matches as possible there, and if there is one thing you cannot say it is that the upper levels of the GAA are pro dublin.

anyway, when was the last time you filled out PUC?????

Syferus

Just a quick digression directed at pope - I was at Croke Park today and noticed how much the Meath fans enjoyed annexing Hill 16 for the afternoon, even having signs saying as much. What it got me thinking about was if Meath fans are a little more brash than most other counties in taking their Hill 16 allocations?

Everyone knows there's an edge in that tie, but untill I saw how delighted the Meath fans were with themselves and you pointing out that other counties can get on the Hill if they want to, I never even thought of that facet of things.

popebenny16

Syferus wrote: »

Just a quick digression directed at pope - I was at Croke Park today and noticed how much the Meath fans enjoyed annexing Hill 16 for the afternoon, even having signs saying as much. What it got me thinking about was if Meath fans are a little more brash than most other counties in taking their Hill 16 allocations?

Everyone knows there's an edge in that tie, but untill I saw how delighted the Meath fans were with themselves and you pointing out that other counties can get on the Hill if they want to, I never even thought of that facet of things.

they can if they want - there have been plenty of meath fans on the hill in the dublin -v- meath games and hill 16 is actually designed for a form of segregation is needs be - there are three sections to the hill and there is a separate nally terrace. i would imagine if say 5000 meath (or in the present situation Cork) fans wanted hill tickets they would get one section and the dubs another. Even this year there were several hundred meath fans there and no bother at all. The modern hill is not the place it was 20 or 30 years ago.

I have never heard of any non dubs fans getting trouble apart from a few years ago when some idiots decided to make fools of themselves and as they were escorted off along the end line started to give the finger ect to the hill. 99% of the time its good humoured but people can take the humour up wrong and retaliate in a provocative method.

K-9

Personally, I'd predict a Cork V. Kildare final and tbh, I wouldn't have a clue who would win that.

If Down beat Kildare, Down will win the AI!

Le King

Typical Cork as usual. Who have they beaten this year? No one. Roscommon were absolutely terrible 2nd half today. Made u/12 mistakes. Cork have beaten no one of mention so far.

Jamiekelly

They haven't really been playing the best though. And to be fair Dublin did look really good yesterday so it's gonna be hard to call. But if anything I can see Kildare winning it. With Johnny Doyle and Kavannagh playing so well I don't see them being beat anytime soon.

Le King

Well for all Cork's great support there was about a hundred of them there today. I'm sure more will travel next week but the Rossie's drowned them out completely today.

Such dismal support for an All-Ireland Quarter Final for such a big county. I hope Kildare or Down win it.

namloc1980

Le King wrote: »

Well for all Cork's great support there was about a hundred of them there today. I'm sure more will travel next week but the Rossie's drowned them out completely today.

Such dismal support for an All-Ireland Quarter Final for such a big county. I hope Kildare or Down win it.

A large portion of Cork fans support both hurling and football and there is a rather big hurling game coming up next week. In these difficult economic times with the cost of travel and tickets people have to choose which games they go to - most people on balance would have felt Cork would beat Roscommon so decided to hold for the Kilkenny and Dunlin games. Cork have had 7 away days between hurling and football so far this season with at least 2 more to come - not cheap.

dartbhoy

With the current recession and the prices of tickets for Croke Park and the fact there's a hurling semi final next Sunday it's understandable why Cork fans didn't travel up in their droves yesterday. As for Roscommon they hadn't played a championship game in Croke Park for years and they were always going to have a big support. Kildare and Meath had the cheapest and shortest route to Croker yesterday so that explains their big support.

Pappy o' daniel

Cork as favourites must be based on last years form, if you were going on this years championship they'd be 4th in line for Sam.
I can see an all leinster final.