National Football League 2023

manofwisdom

Looking forward to what is the best format competition the GAA have.

Opening round fixtures

Div 1

Monaghan v Armagh

Mayo V Galway

Roscommon v Tyrone

Donegal v Kerry

Div 2

Derry v Limerick

Dublin v Kildare

Cork v Meath

Clare v Louth

Div 3

Fermanagh v Longford

Tipperary v Down

Westmeath v Cavan

Antrim v Offaly

Div 4

Carlow v Wicklow

Wexford v London

Leitrim v Waterford

Sligo v Laois

What are we expecting from this years league campaign? straight into the championship after it and league placings will be important for the new summer group format.

Div 1 seems to have 4 or 5 team playing off to reach the final while relegation between Monaghan,Donegal,Roscommon?

Div 2 it's simply the case of who gains promotion with Dublin. Derry look to be the strong favourites for 2nd spot. The two teams that came up (Louth,Limerick) will do well to avoid the drop

Div 3 if pre-season is anything to go on Down seem to have got their house in order again and should return to Div 2. Westmeath,Cavan the next best? The two Ulster teams Antrim,Fermanagh look most likely to fall to Div 4

Div 4 Sligo,Laois look to be the two best but maybe Andy Moran,Oisin McConville might get a tune out of Leitrim and Wicklow

Always_Running

A lot of new managers in place will be interesting to see which counties will get a biggest or any bounce at all. For a lot of Div 3 and 4 teams this is the most important competition for teams. All in the relegation battle in Div 2 will be looking to avoid the drop knowing they are out of tier one championship if they don't reach a provincial final.

Final day of the league always provides huge drama, last year with Monaghan beating Dublin and sending them off to Div 2 shows anything can happen.

StupidLikeAFox

Division 2 will be very tight - Dublin are almost certain to go back up. Derry, cork, meath and kildare will all fancy their chances for the second spot. Limerick and clare will want to avoid the drop as well and both had OK seasons last year that they will want to build on. Hard to know if Louth are up to much, they have mickey harte which might count for something

MacDanger

I think Cork will be closer to the drop than Clare - they only stayed up by the skin of their teeth last year. Dublin & Derry definite favourites to go up, Kildare most likely to upset those two imo esp if Derry are missing the Glen players for a couple of rounds

blowitupref

No pools/predictions competition this year?

dxhound2005

Will Colm O'Rourke manage as well as he speaks. Meath have a pretty dismal record in the League, being away from the top table for about 20 years. Until they got back up in 2020, only to lose 6 and draw 1. The deluded folk in Meath will probably expect him to get back to the Promised Land.

namloc1980

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120150049#Comment_120150049

With league position implications for qualifying for the Sam Maguire, Division 2 will be very interesting.

StupidLikeAFox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120153359#Comment_120153359

Of course - completely forgot about that aspect too, will really have to hit the ground running

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120153359#Comment_120153359

Added to it that the team finishing 6th in Div 2 will not be guaranteed to play in the Sam McGuire because one of Sligo or Leitrim will have a place in the Sam McGuire group stages because one of them is guaranteed a Connacht final place.

So whomever finishes 6th in Div 2 will have to get to their provincial final to guarantee an Sam McGuire place.

MacDanger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120154554#Comment_120154554

Is that how the order works? Or is it the team who gets promoted in 2nd place in D3 that is bottom ranked?

And if it's the D3 side, is the ranking based on final league positions or the result of the D3 final?

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120154824#Comment_120154824

Well I'm not sure to be honest.

Maybe there is clarity somewhere.

dxhound2005

Monaghan v Armagh at 6.30 pm on Saturday is sold out. There is a reduced capacity of 6,000 in Castleblayney. They are holding their other homes games v Roscommon, Donegal and Tyrone in Clones. Other years they divided the games out between Clones, Castleblayney and Inniskeen, no Inniskeen this year. It would have made sense to hold the Armagh game in Clones, as a high demand for tickets could have been anticipated.

MacDanger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120154824#Comment_120154824

From the RTE website today:

"The finalists in the third tier of the league are considered to be ranked higher than the sides who finished seventh and eighth in Division 2 at the end of the competition. But, with only 16 counties allowed into the Sam Maguire race, it means that qualification for the elite competition this summer cannot be secured by any of the other seven Division 3 counties this spring."

So from that, it seems like neither of the sides promoted from D3 will be playing for Sam (although Westmeath will be there regardless). The top 6 in D2 are guaranteed a spot in the Sam Maguire unless a second D3/4 side reaches a provincial final.

MacDanger

Was just on there buying tickets for the Mayo game - €18 is a bit saucy. Was looking back at old emails and in 2017, it was €12 for a league game, 50% increase in 6 years is a lot.

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120165286#Comment_120165286

It's a lot for a supposedly amateur game.

flasher0030

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120165814#Comment_120165814

I'd pay €50 to go to a game at this stage. Can't wait for the season to kick of proper tomorrow evening.

namloc1980

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120165286#Comment_120165286

U16s being free still is excellent but yeah a 50% increase in a few years is a lot. €15 for students/OAPs is a lot as well.

ShamoBuc

Most enjoyable game between Mayo and Galway.

Could have went either way in extra time but Comer struck over what looked to be the winning point in the 75th minute but the last kick of the game levelled it up.

Great to see GAA back !!

rolling boh

Fair result only saw second half think the Galway free was soft enough so justice was done with a great point to level it up at the death .

PressRun

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120171044#Comment_120171044

It was very enjoyable as a contest for this early in the year.

castletownman

Was in Wexford Park discotheque tonight. Terrible quality but London deserved the share of the spoils in the end as they actually showed a bit of acumen in their attacking patterns compared to Wexford.

I genuinely think that promotion may already be out of the question, which sounds pessimistic, but I just can't figure out what tactics Hegarty is trying to implement. He had our best available full-back playing on the wing, our best attacking wing-back playing full-back and a debutant more noted as a wing-back in the corner (London converted seven frees, all conceded by a panicky full-back line). Only for a fortunate O.G. and the London goalkeeper gifting two points directly from restarts, they'd have been comfortable winners.

There was no long kick-passing of note, and not exactly stellar work-rate on the wings either considering London's number 5 got on the ball more than anyone after the break. Had this nonsense of the management cheering whenever we won a sideline ball, but they were as quiet as ghosts when under the kosh. Conceded five frees for technical fouls in the first half alone (referee was a bit whistle happy), but kept making the same mistakes after the break too- miscommunication somewhere.

Don't see myself travellling too far to watch any of that dirge away from home.

ShamoBuc

Fine win for Donegal. Another game in the melting point going into injury time and a very good score in the 73rd minute seals a 1 point win.

John Doe1

Wow great result for us, some of those young lads McColgan, O Donnell, McGroddy, Curran really stood up. Less back passing and more exciting football.

It was a 2nd string Kerry but we were missing players too, Donegal needs to get behind Paddy Carr now

ShamoBuc

Jack O'Connor looked fairly annoyed at the end of the game. Complaining to anyone that would listen to him.

YabaDabaDooley

Some cracking games up and down the country over the weekend. Thank god the GAA is back. And back with a bang!

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120173874#Comment_120173874

When is that fella not complaining?

gormdubhgorm

To me there is a definite gap between div1 and div2. Watching Dublin at CP yesterday and the other matches on telly. It is probably widening.

I think Dublin would really struggle v most of div1. Kerry - Mayo - Galway - Donegal- Tyrone - Monaghan- maybe even Armagh. Even a full strength Dublin.

Fair play to Donegal by the way nice to see them with the handbrake off.

YabaDabaDooley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120173927#Comment_120173927

I think all of those teams would struggle against Dublin, also. I wouldn't read too much into one league game. Dublin will be there or thereabouts when it matters most.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120173969#Comment_120173969

I am not so sure most of those div1 sides seem solid settled. And know what they are at. They have well practiced systems of play etc.

And good quality players. I wouldn’t be surprised if every team in div1 looses a game each. It will be very competitive.

But div2 looks extremely weak it is basically Leinster standard. With Dublin - Kildare best of a bad bunch. Maybe Derry pushing for promotion. The rest making up the numbers.

YabaDabaDooley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120174008#Comment_120174008

Div 1 looks very strong for sure but do you not think Dublin would be competetive if we were in Div 1?

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120174018#Comment_120174018

Well they weren't last year.

How much has changed?

YabaDabaDooley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120174065#Comment_120174065

If i recall Dublin were competetive in most league games last year got relegated last kick of final game. It happens.

And then went so close to beating Kerry in All Ire semi final. With Con probably would have won. So can you read that much into the league this year with Dublin? I expect Dublin to win the All Ireland this year regardless of being in Div 2.

Hammer Archer

Good start to Colm O'Rourke's reign in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Very impressive going forward but conceding 19 points is obviously a big worry (though it was a second string full back line). For the first time in years it seemed like we had a definite plan going forward and when we did break up Cork's attacks, we broke at pace unlike the last few years.

We're not going to be good enough to get top 2 but if we can snatch 3rd or 4th, I'd be relatively happy.

TipsyMcStagge

Dublin would bate the bejaysis out of most of the division 1 teams in the championship they lost the AI semi final by a point to the best team in the country that's the standard not the blip in the mickey mouse league.

As for the match itself Dublin were still comfortably the better team kicked a few horrible wides which kept the game close. To be fair to kildare we had a defensive plan this time and competed well most importantly not surrendering after the early goal.

breezy1985

Good weekend in D1 when the biggest win is +5 and that was only thanks to a last minute goal.

theoneeyedman

Very encouraging performance from Roscommon, tip of the table 😁.

Held out well, Tyrone lost their way when in a good position early in the second half, their downfall precipitated by a black card for their fullback, but Roscommon pushed on well aided by excellent performances from debutants Carroll in goal, O'Carroll and Cregg up front, along with excellent cameos from Enda and Ciaran.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120174399#Comment_120174399

Roscommon's possession play at the end was very nice. Some great moves to work the ball up the pitch into scoring positions.

JRant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120174088#Comment_120174088

Not at all, we were beaten out the gate in three of our games and two of those were absolute hidings. Dublin were so poor in the league last year it's still a complete mystery as to how Dessie is still in a job.

rolling boh

The only reason he is still in the job is that no obvious candidate emerged .I sincerely hope I am wrong but I don't expect us to win it again with Dessie there .

Strumms

Meath were the better team for the majority but they in addition were certainly aided by a fearful and abjectly useless referee Cawley who was extremely amiable to their tactics of pulling, dragging, high hitting and rugby tackling that they employed systematically in the last 20 minutes to close it out… In addition he awarded them a few handy frees. He missed a Meath player touch then attempt to pick the football off the ground… he’s about 7 feet away, unobstructed, watching it… The GAA would want to sort themselves out… it’s getting worse.

YabaDabaDooley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120174556#Comment_120174556

Ok so i just refreshed my memory and checked the results.

We lost opening game at home to Armagh by 2-15 to 1-13.

Kerry away we lost by 7 points. A hiding.

Lost to Mayo at home 2-11 to 0-12.

Lost to Kildare away by 1-12 to 0-12

Beat Tyrone away 0-13 to 0-8

Lost final game away to Monaghan by last gasp point.

Bar the Kerry loss hardly beaten out the gate or hidings.

It was a bad campaign but it's not the end of the world dropoing down to Div 2 provided we get back up straight away.

YabaDabaDooley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120174639#Comment_120174639

Why would Pat Gilroy agree to come on board if he thinks we have no chance under Dessie?

JRant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120174645#Comment_120174645

I remember those games last year. That scoreline flattered us against Armagh. We were never within a country mile of them in that game.

The Kerry game was an embarrassment. Not going to say anything other than that.

Myo game, another one where the score flattered us and we were awful for large spells. Mayo could have won by more but played a lot of possession ball towards the end of the game and got handy scores when they wanted.

So, yes, it was an embarrassing league campaign last year. The worst part was Dessie trying to play long direct football in the middle of two storms and general awful management from the line.

rolling boh

I doubt Pat thinks we have no chance and I have huge respect for Pat .He got the ba ll rolling for us .Dessie got a fairly handy All Ire and I was delighted of course for all concerned .Overall I don't think he is good enough for a variety of reasons previously discussed on our own thread .Pat will not get any stick if we fall short in any case ,Dessie will get that rightly or wrongly .We don't of course have the quality we had so it is harder as well with a manager who I feel is tactically inept .

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120174018#Comment_120174018

Hard to know. But put it this way. I wouldn’t be confident of Dublin showing consistency and controlling a game. With the quality in div 1 Dublin could be really shown up.

If any team sticks with Dublin in a match. I believe the opposition will be given chances to win it against Dublin. No matter what the quality of the opposition is.

At the higher level of div1 would really show IMO.

MattressRick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120174430#Comment_120174430

They've always been very slick in the forwards. They've great hands and movement. When they're in full flow they're great to watch going.

YabaDabaDooley

Thought the highlights show on RTE was decent last night. Only got to see the Dublin v Kildare game on tv over the weekend so was good to catch up on all the action.

All Div 1 games were covered. Dublin game and Cork v Meath in Div 2.

Cavan and Westmeath in Div 3 and also Carlow v Wicklow in Div 4.

Plenty of analysis Sean Cavanagh and Paul Flynn who i thought was very good.

MacDanger

Some of those results at the weekend really throw the cat amongst the pigeons in D1 - a lot of people would have had Donegal & Roscommon in the bottom 4 of the division and Tyrone & Kerry at the top. Now it might still end up that way but it means things are likely to be very tight coming into the last few games

dxhound2005

It's always very tight, usually in all the divisions, due to each team playing only 7 games. Last year Tyrone beat Kerry by a point in their last game, and Monaghan beat Dublin by a point in their last game. That put Dublin and Kildare down, but wins for Kerry and Dublin would have put Tyrone and Monaghan down (I think). 7 games is unfair to demote two teams from an 8 team division.

It is not a proper league. It should be home and away, giving every county 14 meaningful games, if they are up to it. And that should be what determines which team is the best in the country. Not the convoluted knockout competition based on skewed provinces, tarted up in the last couple of decades with teams still being in even when they lose.

Quitelife

What would have been the biggest shocks in the league this weekend ??

Rossies beating Tyrone

Donegal beating Kerry

Fermanagh beating Longford

No major shocks at the same time

dxhound2005

In Laoisman11's predictions based on his rankings table, he had Kerry by 8 over Donegal and Wexford by 9 over London (it was a draw). He did get the draw between Mayo and Galway correct, but also predicted a draw between Roscommon and Tyrone.

If someone is a betting person, backing the draw can be the value bet.