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Looking Forward To 2026

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Replying To kerryforsam26:  "Kerry had a holiday early this year. By all accounts they trained everyday and very little alcohol was taken on trip. Kerry will win the next 3/4 All Irelands with lack of quality opposition."
Jaysus lol

S1234 (Mayo) - Posts: 965 - 26/01/2026 23:03:34    2653462

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Replying To kerryforsam26:  "Kerry had a holiday early this year. By all accounts they trained everyday and very little alcohol was taken on trip. Kerry will win the next 3/4 All Irelands with lack of quality opposition."
Well in fairness Kerry do have a big advantage with other Counties especially Ulster where Kerry only really have to up their training approaching the knock out stages.

Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 877 - 28/01/2026 22:38:47    2653836

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Replying To Scenicparish:  "Well in fairness Kerry do have a big advantage with other Counties especially Ulster where Kerry only really have to up their training approaching the knock out stages."
You can nearly trace current form to the provincial championship draw.

Part of the reason Kerry love a Cork/Kerry Munster final - is that they can aim to be hitting their straps for the 10th May (used to be June).

Feb& March is getting lads fit - April is getting tuned up and the serious stuff is 8 weeks and done.

Donegal are out at full pelt in February - going for the league - knowing they don't have a to play a Div1 or 2 team until May bank holiday. They could be taking it easy altogether (like Kerry) but the need to win a national title in Croke Park is high as Jimmy has stopped winning matches there.

Time will tell if the league efforts are worth it.

Armagh & Tyrone are out against each other on 12th April - so are not anywhere near full pelt in February - but they will be building for the last 2 rounds of the league in March to tune themselves in.

One of Cavan/Monaghan/Derry will be in the Ulster final - so all their efforts are focused on Ulster championship hence not showing well in February.

Galway are taking it easy with a handy route to a Connacht final on 10th May. Mayo and Roscommon are showing earlier as they face off in April.

In Leinster - Dublin don't have a real game until 2/3 May - hence not too bothered at the minute.
Carlow and Wicklow are aiming to be at full throttle for facing each other on 12th April and then Dublin on 19th April - so have 7 weeks to be at their peak - hence they are ahead of all other div 4 teams as they aren't looking past that date - having a right cut off a weak Dublin team isn't an opportunity that comes around often.

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1713 - 26/02/2026 16:08:59    2658765

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I don't know how we'll go in the rest of 2026 but February has been pretty enjoyable (and surprising to most of us if we're honest).

Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 418 - 26/02/2026 17:23:03    2658777

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "You can nearly trace current form to the provincial championship draw.

Part of the reason Kerry love a Cork/Kerry Munster final - is that they can aim to be hitting their straps for the 10th May (used to be June).

Feb& March is getting lads fit - April is getting tuned up and the serious stuff is 8 weeks and done.

Donegal are out at full pelt in February - going for the league - knowing they don't have a to play a Div1 or 2 team until May bank holiday. They could be taking it easy altogether (like Kerry) but the need to win a national title in Croke Park is high as Jimmy has stopped winning matches there.

Time will tell if the league efforts are worth it.

Armagh & Tyrone are out against each other on 12th April - so are not anywhere near full pelt in February - but they will be building for the last 2 rounds of the league in March to tune themselves in.

One of Cavan/Monaghan/Derry will be in the Ulster final - so all their efforts are focused on Ulster championship hence not showing well in February.

Galway are taking it easy with a handy route to a Connacht final on 10th May. Mayo and Roscommon are showing earlier as they face off in April.

In Leinster - Dublin don't have a real game until 2/3 May - hence not too bothered at the minute.
Carlow and Wicklow are aiming to be at full throttle for facing each other on 12th April and then Dublin on 19th April - so have 7 weeks to be at their peak - hence they are ahead of all other div 4 teams as they aren't looking past that date - having a right cut off a weak Dublin team isn't an opportunity that comes around often."
You are sadly mistaken if you think the majority of counties are aiming to be peaking for Championship at all. The League is the most important gig in town for most of us these days in Football.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18777 - 26/02/2026 17:57:25    2658784

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Replying To Viking66:  "You are sadly mistaken if you think the majority of counties are aiming to be peaking for Championship at all. The League is the most important gig in town for most of us these days in Football."
Football isnt important to Wexford no matter what the competition

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1713 - 27/02/2026 16:44:49    2658925

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "Football isnt important to Wexford no matter what the competition"
Plenty of Football first lads here in the county. Some would be anti hurling. Most of us like both codes though. Proper gaels not half gaels.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18777 - 27/02/2026 23:18:01    2658961

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The 1st round of this years All Ireland play offs have the 8 teams that reach the 4 provincial finals as seeded teams meaning that they all will be drawn at home against the 8 unseeded teams. In this scenario there is no actual distinction in seeding between winning a provincial title and being a runner up.

Seeing that the Provincials and the League provide the 16 teams that qualify for the All Ireland playoffs then a more equitable seeding criteria would be to have the 8 seeded teams as the 4 Provincial winners + the 4 highest league placed qualifiers[ of course some of these will more than likely be provincial runners up but just reaching a provincial final does not guarantee being a seed]

At present there is no reward in the All Ireland for winning Division 1. One way of rewarding the winners would be of guaranteeing home draws in the play offs. That would be a guarantee of 2 home games and possibly 3 if they were to end up in Round 3[ the preliminary Q.F s] This reward would definitely incentivise teams to actually push on for a league title rather than the main incentive being just avoiding relegation and staying in D1 which in turn would add something extra to what already is a very competitive competition.

edu (Mayo) - Posts: 121 - 28/02/2026 10:52:19    2658995

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Replying To edu:  "The 1st round of this years All Ireland play offs have the 8 teams that reach the 4 provincial finals as seeded teams meaning that they all will be drawn at home against the 8 unseeded teams. In this scenario there is no actual distinction in seeding between winning a provincial title and being a runner up.

Seeing that the Provincials and the League provide the 16 teams that qualify for the All Ireland playoffs then a more equitable seeding criteria would be to have the 8 seeded teams as the 4 Provincial winners + the 4 highest league placed qualifiers[ of course some of these will more than likely be provincial runners up but just reaching a provincial final does not guarantee being a seed


At present there is no reward in the All Ireland for winning Division 1. One way of rewarding the winners would be of guaranteeing home draws in the play offs. That would be a guarantee of 2 home games and possibly 3 if they were to end up in Round 3[ the preliminary Q.F s] This reward would definitely incentivise teams to actually push on for a league title rather than the main incentive being just avoiding relegation and staying in D1 which in turn would add something extra to what already is a very competitive competition."]Agree.

Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 418 - 28/02/2026 13:53:11    2659035

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Replying To edu:  "The 1st round of this years All Ireland play offs have the 8 teams that reach the 4 provincial finals as seeded teams meaning that they all will be drawn at home against the 8 unseeded teams. In this scenario there is no actual distinction in seeding between winning a provincial title and being a runner up.

Seeing that the Provincials and the League provide the 16 teams that qualify for the All Ireland playoffs then a more equitable seeding criteria would be to have the 8 seeded teams as the 4 Provincial winners + the 4 highest league placed qualifiers[ of course some of these will more than likely be provincial runners up but just reaching a provincial final does not guarantee being a seed


At present there is no reward in the All Ireland for winning Division 1. One way of rewarding the winners would be of guaranteeing home draws in the play offs. That would be a guarantee of 2 home games and possibly 3 if they were to end up in Round 3[ the preliminary Q.F s] This reward would definitely incentivise teams to actually push on for a league title rather than the main incentive being just avoiding relegation and staying in D1 which in turn would add something extra to what already is a very competitive competition."]An obvious improvement

Provincial winners seeded 1-4
Div 1 League champions - seeded 5
Div 1 League finalist - seeded 6
Div 2 League champions - seeded 7
Defending champions (if not a provincial winner) seeded 8 or Tailteann winner if Defending champions seeded by another route

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1713 - 03/03/2026 11:00:32    2659693

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