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National Football League 2026

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "I think what's motivating Derry in 2026 is their soft draw in the Ulster championship. They've remarkably avoided all the 'top seeds', and should make the final, which gives them a better opportunity than usual of getting an extended championship run. Nothing like a soft championship draw to boost morale for sides playing in the toughest of the four championships."
Derry have a very talented squad and a lot of underage talent coming through, if they keep key players like Conor Glass, Lachlain Murray, Shane McGuigan, Brendan Rogers, Gareth McKinless all fit, they will be a handful for anyone they meet, especially if the get some traction and a winning streak under their belt.

The Management setups since Rory Gallagher stepped down has really impacted them, Rory had been the first manager in decades that seemed to overcome bitter club divisions and unite them, and made a formidable outfit. Ciaran Meenagh seems to have them pulling in the right direction again, they could surprise a few people this summer.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1638 - 03/03/2026 22:02:32    2659831

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Replying To Curlew66:  "Need to distinguish between standard of competition and excellence. Ulster is a most competitive province with four different winners in the 2020s alone and that doesn't include Armagh (winners of the '24 All Ireland title).
Kerry have almost total domination in Munster with Cork being a distant second. Kerry have won 20 Munster titles since 2000 and haven't lost to another county bar Cork since 1992. Huge credit to the Kingdom for consistently maintaining an excellent standard despite not being frequently tested in Munster. Some argue they emerge fresh from their province and can train to peak in the AI series against battle hardened but more weary opposition.
In some ways Kerry (39) and Dublin's (31) dominance leaves many of the rest feeding on crumbs and keeps the provincial championship relevant. Recall the celebrations associated with provincial football titles being won by Clare, Tipperary, Sligo, Leitrim, Kildare, Laois, Westmeath and Louth …none of them went on to win the AI , Kildare being the only county of the eight to reach the final. Who wouldn't begrudge Antrim/Fermanagh or Carlow/ Longford winning a provincial title."
The rise of Meath and decline of Dublin, will make Leinster more competitive again, with the like of Louth, Westmeath, Kildare etc all capable of taking scalps and doing well. Carlow have been playing well in Division 1 this year, its not beyond a them to take a scalp later and who knows where that could lead.

Ulster is generally always competitive, but the standard fluctuates depending on the top teams and where they are at on the national stage. Definitely always a few teams up around the top 3-4 bracket in the last 5-6 years.

Connacht is very competitive, but its the small number of teams that restrict it as a competition, obviously its dominated by the powerhouses of Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, but you also have Sligo and Leitrim, who are a lower level, but still footballing Counties.

Munster is often dismissed, but I think its more that Kerry are often on a much higher level to the rest of Munster, like as in the top 2 or 3 teams in the Country every year, while you might get Cork in the top 10 or 12 some years, but Cork haven't consistently been breaking into that top 4 or top 6 since maybe 2012 or so. Tipperary looked really good for a few years, but dropped off, Clare can be a formidable team at times, but not really Top 10 or Top 12 material.

The National League isn't really treated as a competition by most Division 1 teams if we are honest, its merely a pre-Championship chance to try match ups and break-in new players against top level opposition and see how they perform and maybe test out tactical setups/systems etc, to see how they work. Obviously if some teams are in a good place with limited injuries and big squads and enough points on the board without risking key players, they give it a rattle. But even if they win, there is no big homecoming or big celebrations following leaving Croke Park.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1638 - 03/03/2026 22:32:25    2659834

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Waterford county board are a disgrace. Their lack of support for a football community that have produced good county champions is disgraceful.
Antrim and Leitrim are finding life tough in D4 after relegation last year. Antrim's recent results suggest they have turned a corner at least. London will be happy enough at the moment but will finish with two tough games against Carlow and Antrim.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9504 - 04/03/2026 00:01:48    2659846

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