All non Kerry league games

[kerrygold]

Football is now in the grip of Philistines

Dublin 0-8 Derry 0-4

Dermot Crowe

This was worse than I expected and I might as well be frank here — I wasn’t expecting much.


So deplorably poor was the football, so monstrously bereft of any creative spark and adventure or even moderate risk-taking, that 23 minutes in the crowd had enough of the sterility and caution and started booing the play.

The score at the time was one all, a point apiece, which is all that these two Division 1 sides could manage between them.

The crowd’s disapproval became noticeable while Derry were on the ball and following a tedious pattern of breathtakingly dull ball-retention, more like rugby than Gaelic football.

A player would take possession, gain a yard or two at most and then wheel back and either go lateral or, more commonly, seek a colleague farther back the field. If this is where football is at, or headed, then it stinks. You would need to be out of your mind to pay to view it.

Dublin weren’t a whole lot better even if they were at least trying to press forward and play football. Aside from the driving runs of Michael Darragh Macauley, recalled for his first league start, they had little imagination and kicked woefully when the shot was on, clocking up nine first-half wides and dropping three more efforts short.

Their sole score from Macauley was a fisted effort after a typically thundering run.

By half-time Derry had probably convinced themselves that their evil plan was working, having amassed three scores, two of those placed balls, to lead 0-3 to 0-2.

Dublin gave the crowd of 19,224 something to cheer about when Diarmuid Connolly, fed up and frustrated, took a punt from distance and landed a sweet score.

Now you can bring in laws like restricting the handpass, and maybe the back-pass which is the latest scourge, but this is no more effective than hammering some deviant who keeps breaking the law.

The problem is culturally embedded, with some noble exceptions, and the root of the problem is systems coaching which is ruining football with mindlessly defensive game plans. Football is in the grip of the Philistines. It is literally going backwards.

To the business at hand. Derry needed a win to save them from relegation and even that would not be enough if today’s match between Donegal and Tyrone didn’t end in a draw.

Dublin are looking to make the play-offs and they came out for the second half charged with making a better fist of breaking down a packed Derry defence. Cormac Costello came in for Kevin McManamon and his impact was swift, as he kicked a fine score the level the sides in the 39th minute.

As the rain poured down Dean Rock kicked a superb free from 45 metres ten minutes into the half to edge Dublin in front but the match didn’t find a new direction or energy.

In the 58th minute a rare Derry break ended with the equaliser from Enda Lynn, 0-4 a piece. Eight minutes from the end Costello won a free and Rock converted. In the final minutes Dublin finally found their range and scores from Connolly, Paddy Andrews and Rock sealed their win.

[Annascaultilidie]

The fact of the matter is that teams that are "too defensive", by definition do NOT win.

Even Donegal in 2012 were not too defensive...but that game was never going to be sustainable.

The blanket defense it a losing strategy/tactic at the end of the day.

[MrRasherstoyou]

Big win for Galway in Hyde Park. Rossies flattering to deceive again? Galway still an outside chance of promotion, but very unlikely. Huge game for Cavan against Meath, when was the last time they were in Div 1?

Some game that in London, the home team snatched a draw against Waterford and scored 5 goals. But Waterford got 19 scores to London's 11.
Looking good for Kk in the hurling, wind behind 2nd half. Is this Davy Quits time?
Mayo going very well down in Cork, this could turn into a hell of a battle for the semi-final places next week.

[Ard Mhacha]

Mar 29, 2015 8:45:02 GMT Deise Exile said:

Tyrone Armagh and Donegal have ruined Gaelic football

Or had these teams not been around to challenge Kerry, Kerry would have won 11 AIs in 14 years. Gaelic Football would have been dead years ago.

New teams and methods forced you to change and come up with something different. Maybe it's not pretty, but the game evolves. Always has and always will. It can't always be played on your terms.

[falveyb2k]

It didn't die when Kerry won 8 in 11 years so it wouldn't have died if Kerry won a few more All Irelands. The problem now is that it's even more defensive than ever, when you have 13 inside the 45 it's near impossible to score so it becomes an exaggerated game of basketball where it moves from one half to another with the majority of the opposition in front of you(bar quick breakaways). I can't think of any rule(well you could have a rule where x numbers of players have to be in a half but try implementing something like that!!!!!!) that would rectify the problem bar making it 13 a side. It would create more space and probably help rural teams struggling to get numbers

[Ard Mhacha]

Mar 29, 2015 20:15:48 GMT falveyb2k said:

It didn't die when Kerry won 8 in 11 years so it wouldn't have died if Kerry won a few more All Irelands. The problem now is that it's even more defensive than ever, when you have 13 inside the 45 it's near impossible to score so it becomes an exaggerated game of basketball where it moves from one half to another with the majority of the opposition in front of you(bar quick breakaways). I can't think of any rule(well you could have a rule where x numbers of players have to be in a half but try implementing something like that!!!!!!) that would rectify the problem bar making it 13 a side. It would create more space and probably help rural teams struggling to get numbers

Aye but it wasn't very interesting for 30 counties seeing Kerry win, interspersed with a few Dublin wins. Football and hurling had a breath of fresh air in the 90s with so many different winners, and it was great to see.

But I think no matter what rules are implemented or new tactic used, someone will always find a way around it eventually. So the game will constantly change and evolve.

[Mickmack]

30 March 2015 03:00 AM

FIRST, the logic.


When we were here a year ago, we were well opened up," recalled Derry manager, Brian McIver of his team's 15-point defeat to Dublin in last year's League final by way of explaining of his team's apparent reluctance to engage in the basic format of the sport of Gaelic football on Saturday night.

The outcome?

Against the same opposition at the same venue, they lost by four - 0-8 to 0-4.

For context, that's two less scores than the Dublin/Donegal All-Ireland semi-final of 2011, a match which gained instant infamy and was, so far as anyone could recall, the last time a team was booed on Jones' Road for employing such an ultra conservative modus operandi.

When they get around to conducting an autopsy on the game of Gaelic football as a spectacle sometime later this year, such methods will be the identified cause of death.

McIver felt the boos "harsh," though his reasoning was the source of a conflict of opinion.

"Because Dublin set up exactly the same as we did," he offered, "so I couldn't see why we were getting booed."

He added, later in his post match press obligations, that "both sides set up by and large…they nearly mirrored each other."

Jim Gavin, speaking before McIver and thus not in a position to comment directly on the Derry manager's description of his style, asserted: "I don't think we could leave here tonight saying we played defensively.

"I just think we had good structure. I think there's a big difference there."

The weirdest thing about Derry's play was their tendency to work the ball just past the half-way line, then cycle possession through three or four pairs of hands, all of whom would then double-back in what took on the appearance of a team trying to kill the clock, despite the fact that there was anywhere from an hour left to play.

PURCHASE

Occasionally, Enda Lynn would take the ball and a notion and weave into the sitting Dublin half-back line and more often than not, he found some purchase.


It looked as though Derry expected Dublin to press the ball, at which time they would, presumably, pop it into the space in front of one of the players inside the opposition '21.

When the rush never came, they were inclined to sit and wait. Almost literally.

"You can have a full court press, which we've used in the past to great effect, particularly last year against Derry," said Gavin, sort of confirming this theory, albeit obliviously.

"We tried something different tonight. The first thing to say is that teams are playing within the rules that we have," said the Dublin manager, for whom this sort of front will be met all year long.

"And obviously from a Dublin perspective, we can't control that," he outlined.

"We just go out and play our game. But I suppose it's not what supporters are used to seeing.

"A scoreline like that - even at half-time - is not what you would usually associate with Gaelic football.

"But it is what it is. And teams are playing within the rules."

Best way to unstitch the blanket?

Turn the opposition over.

At 0-5 to 0-4 with three minutes to go, Dublin were in no way dominating the match aside from the creation of a much larger number of scoring chances, the vast, vast majority of which were spurned.

Mark Lynch took a free from 50 metres to level it which dropped short and Dublin, through the always effective Jack McCaffrey, worked the ball as far as Paddy Andrews, who steered over from inside the Derry '45.

A minute later, substitute Brian Fenton intercepted a Derry move, fed Dean Rock, who moved it on to Diarmuid Connolly, who scored with his left.

And a minute into injury-time - ditto. Connolly repaid the favour to Rock after pressurising a Derry player into spilling possession.

Yet but for some fine one-on-one defending from Rory O'Carroll, Dublin might have been in a worse position at that stage.

RELEVANT

Final thought - and one loosely relevant to Dublin ahead of their trip to Monaghan next week.

What price a 0-0 to 0-0 draw in this year's Ulster SFC?

"Look, until the GAA authorities do something to change the rules or whatever unfortunately that's the way a lot of games are going," McIver shrugged, in a sort of 'don't hate the player, hate the game' sort of way.

"Believe me, it's not the way we want to play football…"

Nor is it the way anyone wants to watch it.

[Mickmack]

Dublin and Derry was simply a standoff.

Dublin have done well since 2010 in counter attacking when naïve teams come forward and get dispossessed.

Derry decided they weren't going to fall for that.

Dublin were no different to Derry in that gameplan.

If both teams decide that they will avoid being caught in the counterattack then they you a game like we saw on Saturday.

[donegalman]

To say that Donegal, Armagh and Tyrone have ruined gaelic football is a bit much. Tyrone were one of the best football teams to play football imo. They had an intensity that was very hard to take when you were at the receiving end of it. Armagh didnt offer as much, but they were involved in some great games too. We havent been around as long as either Armagh or Tyrone, but the year we won in 2012, we were putting up big scores. I would also say that our game is evolving this year again, away from a blanket defense, so I wouldnt say that we have ruined the game. If we can change so can other teams.

Congress will change the rules this year, and the game will survive. Teams with less resources will adopt a system that gives them a chance. Thats why you see the likes of Derry going out and doing what they did on Saturday night. It is an awful spectacle, but they are trying to stay competitive. But if the rules change, then they will have to reinvent themselves, as all other counties will, to form a strategy around more offensive tactics.

What is the situation if Kerry lose next week in Omagh? lets pretend that donegal or mayo lose, and kerry and tyrone are both on 6 points with them. Does it go down to straight points scored, or is head to head factored in?

[playitfair]

if there are only 2 teams on the same # of points then its head 2 head, if its 3 or more then its on score difference.

[playitfair]

Donegalman, I think you will find most people would agree with you that the 2005 Tyrone/Armagh teams would be acknowledged along as two very good footballing sides. What would Mickey Harte give to have the same 6 forwards today as he had in 2005. Great players, great team.

[jackiel]

I had the misfortune to be at Saturday evening's "event" in Croke Park ( cant bring myself to call it a match). While to boos of the crowd added nothing,it was soul destroying to watch as a neutral. I'm glad I didn't pay in because I'd feel seriously short changed.
I was surprised by Dublin's indecisiveness on the ball and reluctance to make changes from the sideline.Cormac Costello made an impact on his introduction but I thought they should have changed things up a bit earlier in the first half when they were making no headway.
Hopefully championship football will have a bit more of a bite.

[Jo90]

Mar 30, 2015 11:22:01 GMT donegalman said:

To say that Donegal, Armagh and Tyrone have ruined gaelic football is a bit much. Tyrone were one of the best football teams to play football imo. They had an intensity that was very hard to take when you were at the receiving end of it. Armagh didnt offer as much, but they were involved in some great games too. We havent been around as long as either Armagh or Tyrone, but the year we won in 2012, we were putting up big scores. I would also say that our game is evolving this year again, away from a blanket defense, so I wouldnt say that we have ruined the game. If we can change so can other teams.

Congress will change the rules this year, and the game will survive. Teams with less resources will adopt a system that gives them a chance. Thats why you see the likes of Derry going out and doing what they did on Saturday night. It is an awful spectacle, but they are trying to stay competitive. But if the rules change, then they will have to reinvent themselves, as all other counties will, to form a strategy around more offensive tactics.

What is the situation if Kerry lose next week in Omagh? lets pretend that donegal or mayo lose, and kerry and tyrone are both on 6 points with them. Does it go down to straight points scored, or is head to head factored in?

Head to head only factored in when 2 teams level on points. 3 or more teams level on points and its points difference.

[MrRasherstoyou]

Dublin didn't play with enough conviction or intensity against Derry. That was as much to do with the way the game went as Derry's tactics. Dublin players also still getting used to the idea of not going all-out attack like most of the last 2 years. Certainly the effect of last year on us is that we are trying to be more careful but I feel that when you're not playing the best at this type of game, ie Donegal, then you're better off going full-on.

[kerrygold]

GAA Beo13:30 Live coverage of Cork v Donegal in the Allianz Football League Round 1 Semi-Final and Dublin v Monaghan in the Allianz Football League Round 2 Semi-Final from Croke Park. Presented by Micheál Ó Domhnaill with commentary by Cuán Ó Flatharta and Brian Tyers.

GAA - Allianz Football League
Sun, 12th Apr
Cork v Donegal 2pm
Dublin v Monaghan 4pm

[kerrygold]

Hard enough to call the first game, Dublin should win the second one pulling up.

[Mickmack]

Two very entertaining games today. Donegal has 54% of possession, played great football, scored massive points but conceded four goals. Cork got 11 points only. I think Donegal will go further than Cork in the championship.

Monaghan gave it a great shot and McAuleys introduction was key to getting Dublin over the line. Dublin are not playing great but they know how to win tight games.

Dublin desperately need someone to partner McAuley at midfield for the summer. There is only 50 mins in Bastick.

The final will be interesting. Cork are living on goals. Dublin will be stopping those at all costs.

[kerryexile]

Watched both games on TG4.

Donegal showed they can attack and put up a good score - in points. But there was a hint of naivety in their play when attacking and it appeared to me that they could only reproduce systems they had rehearsed. If intuition was required it wasn't there. Also Cork are not the most mesmerizing team when it comes to keeping possession, but Donegal didn't know where to start.

Their keeper was very limited and in one on one situations, didn't read the possibilities at all and threw himself aimlessly. They got 2 clear goal chances themselves today and the effort by both kickers, especially McFadden would have beaten their keeper and from training situations they thought that was enough. Against a better keeper the chances were lost. Durcan (who played in goals against Kerry last September) is not much better.

They are playing Tyrone in a matter of weeks in the Ulster championship. The big lesson they will bring home from Croke Park is that they conceded 4 goals. Expect more blanket defence.

Monaghan are improving all the time. I expect to see them still in action in August.

[MrRasherstoyou]

Not much sign of all those awful philistines who have a grip on the game in Croker yesterday, phew! Hard to say if those two games were full-on with all the talk of teams preparing for early provincial championship games being the only thing that really matters.
Monaghan were certainly much improved yesterday but the suspicion is that Dublin didn't play as well as the previous day, which is no surprise. Donegal played well I thought but are they going to abandon the sort of defense that brought them an All-I and so close last year? Hardly. They had that game won but for the goals. Cork did to them what they have done to others.
Then again if they stopped the goals would they have scored enough themselves? Normally you would have fancied Donegal in a tight finish anyway.
If they can get another summer at the top level out of McFadden and Lacey at least and if Gallagher can do what JMG did in terms of prep, they will be a really major force still but those are fairly massive 'IFs'. I think they will have to play more cagey like most or all teams, when push comes to shove.

Thought Cork played very smartly, similar to what they were doing last year really at least up to when they hit the wall, and with pretty much their best pick now available they can apply it with a year of experience behind Cuthbert and the newer players.
They have a couple of top class forwards at least, so if they can stop other teams getting goals and win/control enough possession they could be formidable. They will aim to be even tighter than yesterday and yet can they do that and still set up enough in attack?

Final could well be shadow-boxing even though Cork have a point to prove after last year's semi-final collapse. Interesting that these two teams have dominated the league to such an extent the past 7 years.

[Jigz84]

Cork Donegal game was more like a challenge game than anything else and couldn't read anything into it. Dubs Monaghan was a far more intense game.

[kerrygold]

Apr 13, 2015 8:19:06 GMT MrRasherstoyou said:

Not much sign of all those awful philistines who have a grip on the game in Croker yesterday, phew! Hard to say if those two games were full-on with all the talk of teams preparing for early provincial championship games being the only thing that really matters.
Monaghan were certainly much improved yesterday but the suspicion is that Dublin didn't play as well as the previous day, which is no surprise. Donegal played well I thought but are they going to abandon the sort of defense that brought them an All-I and so close last year? Hardly. They had that game won but for the goals. Cork did to them what they have done to others.
Then again if they stopped the goals would they have scored enough themselves? Normally you would have fancied Donegal in a tight finish anyway.
If they can get another summer at the top level out of McFadden and Lacey at least and if Gallagher can do what JMG did in terms of prep, they will be a really major force still but those are fairly massive 'IFs'. I think they will have to play more cagey like most or all teams, when push comes to shove.

Thought Cork played very smartly, similar to what they were doing last year really at least up to when they hit the wall, and with pretty much their best pick now available they can apply it with a year of experience behind Cuthbert and the newer players.
They have a couple of top class forwards at least, so if they can stop other teams getting goals and win/control enough possession they could be formidable. They will aim to be even tighter than yesterday and yet can they do that and still set up enough in attack?

Final could well be shadow-boxing even though Cork have a point to prove after last year's semi-final collapse. Interesting that these two teams have dominated the league to such an extent the past 7 years.

Dubs all the way in the final.

[seamo]

Apr 13, 2015 8:19:12 GMT Jigz84 said:

Cork Donegal game was more like a challenge game than anything else and couldn't read anything into it. Dubs Monaghan was a far more intense game.

Just have to look at final ~2 minutes. Donegal only down by a few points, little effort to grab a goal....not do or die stuff. Plus Michael Murphy was blowing hard every time he had possession so clearly not 100% yet. Donegal will improve.

On Cork, was very unimpressed with midfield and defence. Defenders were beat easily when both run at and also under high ball. But Cork inside forwards were very impressive and will cause us alot of trouble. O Neill and Hurley are lethal, as good as any partnership in football.

[sullyschoice]

Cork will be hard bate this year

[Seoirse Ui Duic]

Apr 13, 2015 23:29:26 GMT sullyschoice said:

Cork will be hard bate this year

I hope they peak the 26th and are content with at least some silverware
I'm actually on the road that day with a bus of 50 elderly Austrians so I suppose I will have to explain why there are so many people around their hotel in red jerseys and other with blue ones.
Cork look sure to win this one. Dublin didn't really impress in their semi and during the league, but they can't ever be ruled out.
Cork are just miles ahead of the rest at the moment though, so hopefully this is as far as their development goes.

[MrRasherstoyou]

Apr 14, 2015 0:10:01 GMT Seoirse Ui Duic said:

Apr 13, 2015 23:29:26 GMT sullyschoice said:

Cork will be hard bate this year

I hope they peak the 26th and are content with at least some silverware
I'm actually on the road that day with a bus of 50 elderly Austrians so I suppose I will have to explain why there are so many people around their hotel in red jerseys and other with blue ones.
Cork look sure to win this one. Dublin didn't really impress in their semi and during the league, but they can't ever be ruled out.
Cork are just miles ahead of the rest at the moment though, so hopefully this is as far as their development goes.

Have you been on the road with elderly Austrians already? It's affecting your judgement - Cork are never miles ahead. They had a really good league. They had a very good league last year too until the semi collapse, and then their summer never got going.
With a year of building and experience behind them, and some quality players back in their panel, I would expect them to be better this year. How much better is hard to say. I think their league form has peaked since a few weeks ago and they are managing to cruise whilst obviously preparing to do much better in summer.

Having said about their panel, the dual player thing is an ongoing issue and there's no doubt that the hurlers are the priority at the moment. If Aidan Walsh cant turn out for and give of his best to the football that's a huge loss, even if his form was off the last year or two (due to hurling?).

I expect neither team in the league final to produce above 60%-75% of their best. It reminds me a bit of Kerry & Derry in their 2nd league final in row a few years back. It was like a training game

[Seoirse Ui Duic]

Apr 14, 2015 8:22:37 GMT MrRasherstoyou said:

Apr 14, 2015 0:10:01 GMT Seoirse Ui Duic said:

I hope they peak the 26th and are content with at least some silverware
I'm actually on the road that day with a bus of 50 elderly Austrians so I suppose I will have to explain why there are so many people around their hotel in red jerseys and other with blue ones.
Cork look sure to win this one. Dublin didn't really impress in their semi and during the league, but they can't ever be ruled out.
Cork are just miles ahead of the rest at the moment though, so hopefully this is as far as their development goes.

Have you been on the road with elderly Austrians already? It's affecting your judgement - Cork are never miles ahead. They had a really good league. They had a very good league last year too until the semi collapse, and then their summer never got going.
With a year of building and experience behind them, and some quality players back in their panel, I would expect them to be better this year. How much better is hard to say. I think their league form has peaked since a few weeks ago and they are managing to cruise whilst obviously preparing to do much better in summer.

Having said about their panel, the dual player thing is an ongoing issue and there's no doubt that the hurlers are the priority at the moment. If Aidan Walsh cant turn out for and give of his best to the football that's a huge loss, even if his form was off the last year or two (due to hurling?).

I expect neither team in the league final to produce above 60%-75% of their best. It reminds me a bit of Kerry & Derry in their 2nd league final in row a few years back. It was like a training game

I have not. I do believe though Cork were ahead of the rest during the league. At the moment, as of last weekend maybe, they were ahead of the other counties in Ireland in their development. They seem to be better than last year as well which is all Colm O'Neill in my opinion.
But...we have seen Cork fly in the league before and then get stuck at that level for the rest of the year while all the others improve.
Despite being very impressive Cork also looked weak at times during the league and they need to improve by the time the championship starts.
Personally I hope this is as far as their development goes, for Kerry's sake, but I would be surprised if they don't raise it to another level.
It would be remarkable if they don't.
Most of the other counties, bar Mayo, seem to treat the league as training for the championship, blooding players and trying new things, indeed operating at 60%of their normal level.
Gavin will want the Dubs to win it, but one eye is fully fixed on the championship. Dublin will have an easy cruise to Leinster again so the league final might be a lot more important than the challenge game v Galway. Dublin will have the full panel back in training (bar injuries) by the time the league final is thrown in, but Cork have had valuable league matches to try things in practice and in theory.
Cork should prevail and I think they will, but Dublin will make them work very hard for it.

Hurley is doing a lot better this year with Colm O'Neill next to him and he has raised his game from last year. Hurley impressed during the league last year, but not so much during the championship in my opinion. O'Neill is joy to watch, even for me, and has made Cork a lot better. It's hard to come back from a ligament injury like that and he had two. Like our own Colm it takes a bit of time to get back into full swing again, though if anyone can do it it's the Gooch.
Colm O'Neill has been outstanding for Cork this year and the whole team is lifted because of him. I still think though that they will not improve as much as the other counties for the championship. Kerry need to improve a lot, but with a lot of players missing, a lot of experimenting being done and starting training a lot later than the other teams we still managed to hold on to division 1, albeit barely.

Dublin are also gelling at the right time. A tough start to the league and then making it to the semis, players coming back, it is all going wel for the Dubs.
It looks like they still find it hard to break down the blanket defence, but they are getting better at it, or should I say wiser.
The fact that they have a basketball coach in the set up makes it very interesting. Basketball is a sport where all players will go back into defence and crowd the pitch in a similar way the Ulster teams are doing. So it makes sense to use basketball style technique to beat the blanket defence.
I find the blanket defence often resembles a rugby league set up, even in the way that they go on the counter, but unlike rugby league it would be unwise to carry the ball into contact the way it's done in that sport. Unlike rugby league points and goals are scored in a small area of the pitch rather than the full width so in a way a basketball style approach seems more applicable. In Basketball one is not supposed to kick the ball though, as in football, which is why I draw the comparison with rugby league.

So, can Dublin win it or will Cork get their hands on some silverware? I think it will be Cork just because they are ahead, in my opinion, of the rest. Dublin have 2 weeks to train though and will raise their level significantly from last Sunday. I think though that Cork just want it a lot more.

[Jo90]

Colm O'Neill's cruciate has gone 3 times

[MrRasherstoyou]

I don't think Cork want it alot more at all. It's not long since they won the league 4 times in a row and though that was a brilliant achievement the truth is that they and most other people were left with the impression that they put more focus on that than other teams given that apart from one All-I they never really got close to winning another in that era.

Sadly it's a fact that for the time being the All-I is considered as virtually the only thing that really matters for the top teams. It would be great if there could be more than the knock-out competitions to really take seriously but there isn't. Hence I would imagine Cork will be wary enough of putting too much into this final.

[seamo]

Apr 14, 2015 18:48:59 GMT MrRasherstoyou said:

I don't think Cork want it alot more at all. It's not long since they won the league 4 times in a row and though that was a brilliant achievement the truth is that they and most other people were left with the impression that they put more focus on that than other teams given that apart from one All-I they never really got close to winning another in that era.

Sadly it's a fact that for the time being the All-I is considered as virtually the only thing that really matters for the top teams. It would be great if there could be more than the knock-out competitions to really take seriously but there isn't. Hence I would imagine Cork will be wary enough of putting too much into this final.

I'm not so sure. This is a younger Cork team, most of these players don't have senior medals so it would be seen as a good stepping stone. Plus given the stick Cuthbert took last year, some silverware would be just the tonic for him. Might be enough to give him a "pass" mark for this year.

[Mickmack]

Dublin look set fair for the TEAM OF THE DECADE accolade Rashers.

Two all Irelands and 3 leagues (if they beat Cork) in the first half puts them in pole position.