Superglue, come to think of it I remember Kerry beating Tyrone before we beat Kerry. Paul Galvin's post match interview sticks out where he was crying, tears in his eyes at finally having beaten Tyrone.... When they were no longer the team they used to be
That will tell you the fear they had of them in the last decade...

Now, now, Aiders, Galvin was not crying over the victory against Tyrone. He had clearly just got some paco robanne accidentally splashed in his eyes!

JamesH (Mayo) - Posts: 465 - 02/07/2013 21:34:28    1422230

Championship is starting to get into it's stride & I'm really looking forward to Cork/Kerry Two really evenly matched teams who know each other well but home advantage might just swing it for Kerry. Good to see the spotlight on the Munster boys at last, been hiding quietly in the long grass for a long time!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5030 - 02/07/2013 21:50:52    1422259

Loooking forward to the game. All I can say about this game!

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9798 - 02/07/2013 21:54:05    1422269

Cork will win this game well because the Kerry defence is far weaker. Put all the Cork and Kerry defenders (goalkeepers' included) in a room and pick your defenders from them and I'd only pick two from Kerry and they would be the O'Sé boys, the rest would be from Cork! Ultimately, the Munster final will prove to just be another side event in 2013 as I don't expect the winners of Sam to come from outside the trio of Donegal, Dublin and Mayo.

JamesH (Mayo) - Posts: 465 - 02/07/2013 21:55:50    1422276

Aiders

You are right. Kerry (mostly) and Cork have dominated Munster for almost a century and very few teams have managed a victory against us in that time. You have given some historical facts that I cannot dispute. However, there is more than one way to skin a cat as they say. There is more than one way to measure competitivness. If we take the number of teams that are genuine contenders for the All-Ireland (Dublin, Kerry, Donegal, Tyrone, Mayo, Cork), add the teams from the same province (Munster & Ulster = 2, Leinster, Connacht= 1) and divide those figures by the totals you will see that Munster proves to be the most competitive (and obviously if all others are considered also-rans then Munster is the least competitive). This may be a meaningless statistic but then again the winners of the championship in 1926 is not relevant either. Cavan and Fermanagh might have been a close game and it is definitely superior to watching Cork win by 30 points or so but hardly relevant as neither Cavan and Fermanagh (with all due respect) will be coming anywhere close to winning Sam this year. Hence close games or no close games, we knew it to be either Donegal or Tyrone that would win this year. Ditto in Munster it was going to be either Cork or Kerry (two teams just like Ulster)

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 02/07/2013 21:56:17    1422279

I think we are one different pages bennybunny.
From your definition its definitely Munster who could claim to be most competitive but you are talking in the bigger picture of the All-Ireland Championship.

I am talking about the Ulster and Munster championships, so if you picture them in isolation you will I'm sure agree that most teams in Ulster fancy their chances in any given year.
Take Donegal vs Down this year. A very closely fought contest and we could very easily be seeing a Down v Monaghan final if it were not for a few small mistakes by Down.
When we won it in 2011 we were ranked 6th in Ulster. But you are right that Donegal and Tyrone were ranked the two favourites and it is I suppose likely that Donegal will win. Its just the games are tighter and closer margins of defeat and victory.

Here's looking forward to a great Munster final this weekend!

Aiders (Donegal) - Posts: 49 - 03/07/2013 08:55:19    1422325

bennybunny in every other thing I agree with you, but I was up at the match in Bealach Féich and I think you can remove Tír Eoghain from the list of genuine contenders. They're not quite ready in 2013 to go all the way to September; though they could take a big name out (which, if karma exists, will be us after my writing this!), na Conallaigh had the measure of them even before Lacey and McHugh were introduced.

an tseabhac (Kerry) - Posts: 441 - 03/07/2013 10:25:48    1422412

It is the start of the championship proper all right. we have not seen either cork or kerry hands yet, and it will be a good indication on how the teams have shaped up over the spring.

One point that is interesting,

The winners of this game are going to find themselves playing the runners up of leinster v back door team. So I am guessing that it is going to be all out to win this game, rather than have to go the other route.

Would I be right?

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3858 - 03/07/2013 10:45:51    1422445

Is this game even on ?????? The silence out of both camps is deafening........

bloodandbandage (Cork) - Posts: 576 - 03/07/2013 13:46:49    1422714

I can see Kerry winning by 3 to 4 points, Cork have gone back a bit this year. They needed a new Manager to kick on they have gone stale with Counihan.

Kerrylocal (Kerry) - Posts: 26 - 03/07/2013 17:48:02    1423080

It will be interesting to see who picks up who in this game especially with Donaghy on the bench. The Cork backs are probably one of the biggest, most physical in the country, but they are up against a very quick, agile Kerry forward line. I can see the Cork backs struggling, I think they need to win MF well (which they are capable of) if they want to win this game. I still think there is a kick in Cork though, and I'm still a bit bemused by some of Kerry's shocking league performances and don't know exactly what to expect from them, so I'll stick with my Cork prediction.

CaisleanCnucha (Dublin) - Posts: 1379 - 03/07/2013 17:55:50    1423091

Cork but only just 1-2 points

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 03/07/2013 18:21:03    1423118

The Killarney factor is key here.

I must applaud Eamon for his first 15. It's a clear indication of what way we will play.

A very quick fullforward line with Colm pulling the strings on the 40.

Paul & Donnacha helping win dirty ball.

Thomas and Marc marshalling the young backs I don't have concerns there.

Finally it's looking like 22-23 degrees on Sunday in the heat of the battle after 50 minutes
bring Kieran on to win some high balls and Bryan to kick some last minute frees.

Heart&Head say Kerry by 5.

westkerry (Kerry) - Posts: 1250 - 03/07/2013 19:37:41    1423194

Young remains at centerback!! That's the REAL surprise for me. Young may as well stand their with a sign pointing towards the Kerry goal for all the stopping his going to do. Lads Kerry are wide open down the middle of their defence and I expect Cork to do some serious damage. If it were Dublin they'd score about 10 goals against that Kerry defence. It's not hard to imagine the likes of Pearse O'Neill rampaging down the Kerry highway on Sunday and bagging a couple of goals for himself. As for the fallen STAR - so what!

JamesH (Mayo) - Posts: 465 - 03/07/2013 20:31:31    1423243

bloodandbandage
County: Cork
Is this game even on ?????? The silence out of both camps is deafening........

Quiet enough build up alright. Kilkenny v Tipperary is getting most coverage in the lead up to this weekend. London getting to the Connaught final is big news. Who can stop Donegal, Dublin or Mayo? Both hurling finals look intriguing. Looking forward to Sunday's game myself but all other provincial championships are in the news. It's fair enough as well.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9798 - 03/07/2013 21:36:01    1423313

Hi guys,

Tactical preview of the Munster final up now
http://action81.com/blog/?p=7404

Thanks,
Emmet

emmetryan (Dublin) - Posts: 154 - 04/07/2013 11:59:55    1423501

You call that analysis Emmet. Poor preview.

kerry74 (Kerry) - Posts: 1354 - 04/07/2013 12:23:51    1423523

kerry74
County: Kerry
Posts: 929

1423523
You call that analysis Emmet. Poor preview.


+1. "Fitzmaurice is deviating wildly from his established plan in an effort to beat Cork with something different". Deviating wildly from what established plan?

Cute_Kerry_Hoor (Kerry) - Posts: 2518 - 04/07/2013 12:29:49    1423530

Cute_Kerry_Hoor
County: Kerry
Posts: 1996

1423530
kerry74
County: Kerry
Posts: 929

1423523
You call that analysis Emmet. Poor preview.


+1. "Fitzmaurice is deviating wildly from his established plan in an effort to beat Cork with something different". Deviating wildly from what established plan?

We had a plan?

Superglue (Kerry) - Posts: 1283 - 04/07/2013 13:32:22    1423600

Superglue
County: Kerry
Posts: 711

1423600
Cute_Kerry_Hoor
County: Kerry
Posts: 1996

1423530
kerry74
County: Kerry
Posts: 929

1423523
You call that analysis Emmet. Poor preview.


+1. "Fitzmaurice is deviating wildly from his established plan in an effort to beat Cork with something different". Deviating wildly from what established plan?

We had a plan?

Yes. It was to lose and go in the backdoor. Now though, he is deviating wildly from that so you are going to win. You can all breath a sigh of relief.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 04/07/2013 15:51:29    1423752