# Who's for the Final?



## Ash 22 (16 Aug 2008)

Will it be Kerry v Dublin and Kilkenny v Tipperary or wll we see an upset? Imagine what it would be like for Wexford and Waterford to get into the finals.


----------



## z105 (16 Aug 2008)

The upset is here !


----------



## Ash 22 (16 Aug 2008)

Yes maybe this will be the year for the underdogs but certainly Tyrone will be no pushover for anybody.


----------



## DavyJones (16 Aug 2008)

is it just me or do Dublin think they have a devine right to an All Ireland? If you didn't live here you be excused for thinking we had only two counties playing the game,Dublin and Kerry.

I think we will have Kerry and Kilkenny champions........again


----------



## DeclanP (17 Aug 2008)

DavyJones said:


> is it just me or do Dublin think they have a devine right to an All Ireland? If you didn't live here you be excused for thinking we had only two counties playing the game,Dublin and Kerry.
> 
> I think we will have Kerry and Kilkenny champions........again



Think you are right. Dublin proved once again that they are an abysmal disappointment. They have a tremendous capacity to blow hot and cold and when the latter applies, they are no better than a poor club team. In the Leinster final they were rampant; against Tyrone they were painful to watch and it was not that Tyrone were particularly brilliant. Dublin just collapsed. And despite Colm O'Rourke's assertion that the loss of Alan Brogan was Dublin's downfall, it goes much deeper than that in that there were so many sectors which collapsed — long before Brogan went off injured. Dublin are all hype and little substance.


----------



## juke (17 Aug 2008)

Haven't a clue. And couldn't care less  In interests of inhibiting future hospital emergencieS, Tyrone MUST FAIL (SoRRY dAd)


----------



## ClubMan (17 Aug 2008)

> *Who's for the Final?*


[broken link removed]?


----------



## Teabag (17 Aug 2008)

Ash 22 said:


> Will it be Kerry v Dublin and Kilkenny v Tipperary or wll we see an upset? Imagine what it would be like for Wexford and Waterford to get into the finals.



I think Tipp are a better side than the Deise but rain will equalise it a bit. I still fancy Tipp to progress and score a few goals in the process. Tipp v KK will be a great final I hope. I reckon KK will win but this Tipp team are not too far off winning Liam McCarthy.

It is good for Dublin that 'Pillar' has resigned. I dont think he had the mentality for the big occasion, this was made clear in 2006 with the mess in front of Hill 16 when Mayo un-nerved the Dubs and went on to steal victory. Dublin have the players to win Sam but they need a damn good manager now to unlearn some of the mental frailties.


----------



## Ash 22 (17 Aug 2008)

The underdogs have done it again. What a game. Well done Waterford.


----------



## car (18 Aug 2008)

> *Who's for the Final?*
> [broken link removed]?


[broken link removed]


----------



## Staples (18 Aug 2008)

DavyJones said:


> is it just me or do Dublin think they have a devine right to an All Ireland?


 
Doubt it.  It would be seriously misguided if they had.  They have a reasonable expectation to do well if they give a good account of themselves but they haven't even done that lately.


----------



## MrMan (18 Aug 2008)

Ash 22 said:


> The underdogs have done it again. What a game. Well done Waterford.



I don't think they should have been classed as underdogs really given that this time last year they made it to the semis and tipp only the quarters. The only favourites left in hurling these days are kilkenny and I don't see any upsets coming on final day unfortunately. (Would have loved a tipp kilkenny clash).


----------



## Ash 22 (18 Aug 2008)

What I find hard to understand is why the weaker counties can't improve a bit.Take the likes of Carlow, Waterford, Leitrim footballers. Surely there are 20 or so good players in those counties that with proper training can be as good as their counterparts in other counties. Is it the trainers in those counties don't have what it takes?

Back to the hurling, it's very hard to see Kilkenny being beaten but maybe if all the Waterford players could up their game more and give it one huge go maybe they're in with a shout.


----------



## DavyJones (18 Aug 2008)

MrMan said:


> I don't think they should have been classed as underdogs really given that this time last year they made it to the semis and tipp only the quarters. The only favourites left in hurling these days are kilkenny and I don't see any upsets coming on final day unfortunately. (Would have loved a tipp kilkenny clash).



I agree completely, even the bit about a Tipp Kilkenny final. If Kilkenny had an A and B team you can besure they would meet in the final if they were on the right side of the draw.

I think if any team wins 3 in a row they should be banned for at least 2 seasons


----------



## Ash 22 (18 Aug 2008)

I know we get tired of the same team winning but at the end of the day if they're good enough they deserve it. They obviously put in massive training.


----------



## Teabag (18 Aug 2008)

DavyJones said:


> I agree completely, even the bit about a Tipp Kilkenny final. If Kilkenny had an A and B team you can besure they would meet in the final if they were on the right side of the draw.
> 
> I think if any team wins 3 in a row they should be banned for at least 2 seasons



No, this Waterford fully deserve a crack at KK and an All Ireland Final appearance. This Waterford team have won 3 Munster titles in recent years and lost 5 All Ireland semi-finals.
In the last 5 years, KK have been the best team followed by Cork and then Waterford. Tipp are starting to improve again but they are not the force they were in days gone by having only won 4 All Irelands in the last 40 years. Tipp were beaten by Wexford last year. They are still in the same league as Clare, Galway, Wexford etc...


----------



## Staples (18 Aug 2008)

Ash 22 said:


> I know we get tired of the same team winning but at the end of the day if they're good enough they deserve it.


 
Agreed.  But if there's an absence of real competition, the sport itself ultimately suffers and loses its appeal.

I suppose what we need is for someone other than KK to be good enough to win it on merit alone.


----------



## DavyJones (18 Aug 2008)

Teabag said:


> No, this Waterford fully deserve a crack at KK and an All Ireland Final appearance. This Waterford team have won 3 Munster titles in recent years and lost 5 All Ireland semi-finals.
> In the last 5 years, KK have been the best team followed by Cork and then Waterford. Tipp are starting to improve again but they are not the force they were in days gone by having only won 4 All Irelands in the last 40 years. Tipp were beaten by Wexford last year. They are still in the same league as Clare, Galway, Wexford etc...



I wasn't thinking of who deserved it, I just prefer Tipp. Anyhow what does it matter when the price for winning a semi is to get the crap beaten out of you by a team that could field 12 players and still win.


----------



## Green (18 Aug 2008)

DeclanP said:


> and when the latter applies, they are no better than a poor club team. Dublin are all hype and little substance.


 
Are you seriously suggesting that Dublin, on Sunday's performance would be beaten by a poor club side? Naturally, following the defeat, I was expecting the usual anti Dublin comments but a bit of perspective would be good.. Its always interesting to note that nobody on AAm ever makes any comments on the defeat by any other countty expect Dublin. 

Well done to Tyrone and Wexford, some interesting matches left in the football championship where we see 3 of the 4 provincial champions are gone. On the hurling side, Waterford will be the underdogs and will be under no pressure, could be the platform to spring a surprise..


----------



## DavyJones (18 Aug 2008)

YOBR said:


> Are you seriously suggesting that Dublin, on Sunday's performance would be beaten by a poor club side? Naturally, following the defeat, I was expecting the usual anti Dublin comments but a bit of perspective would be good.. Its always interesting to note that nobody on AAm ever makes any comments on the defeat by any other countty expect Dublin.
> 
> Well done to Tyrone and Wexford, some interesting matches left in the football championship where we see 3 of the 4 provincial champions are gone. On the hurling side, Waterford will be the underdogs and will be under no pressure, could be the platform to spring a surprise..



Blame the media, from the 1st round Dublin and final are mentioned. I dislike the guy with the fake blond hair ever since he goaded that guy from Roscommon I think, after scoring a goal. I hope he never has the honour of lifting Sam.


----------



## MrMan (18 Aug 2008)

Teabag said:


> No, this Waterford fully deserve a crack at KK and an All Ireland Final appearance. This Waterford team have won 3 Munster titles in recent years and lost 5 All Ireland semi-finals.
> In the last 5 years, KK have been the best team followed by Cork and then Waterford. Tipp are starting to improve again but they are not the force they were in days gone by having only won 4 All Irelands in the last 40 years. Tipp were beaten by Wexford last year. They are still in the same league as Clare, Galway, Wexford etc...




Which is why they shouldn't have been classed as underdogs. Tipps hurling has been very good to watch but noone can say that waterford didn't deserve a final after so many years of nearly getting there, I just hope that getting there isn't regarded as a great achievement or they will be well and truly walloped by kilkenny.


----------



## MrMan (18 Aug 2008)

YOBR said:


> Are you seriously suggesting that Dublin, on Sunday's performance would be beaten by a poor club side? Naturally, following the defeat, I was expecting the usual anti Dublin comments but a bit of perspective would be good.. Its always interesting to note that nobody on AAm ever makes any comments on the defeat by any other countty expect Dublin.
> 
> Well done to Tyrone and Wexford, some interesting matches left in the football championship where we see 3 of the 4 provincial champions are gone. On the hurling side, Waterford will be the underdogs and will be under no pressure, could be the platform to spring a surprise..



Sports analysis by fans always gets exaggerated so I wouldn't take great offence to the 'bad club' jibe. I think its the perceived arrogance of the Dub footballers and the level of ceoverage they get considering how little they achieve that colours so many views.


----------



## Ash 22 (18 Aug 2008)

What really annoys me is when a certain amount of the Dublin supporters can't get themselves to the venue on time and the match has to be held up. Its on their doorstep and this does'nt happen with any other county.


----------



## TarfHead (18 Aug 2008)

MrMan said:


> but noone can say that waterford didn't deserve a final after so many years of nearly getting there


 
You don't *deserve* a final for having a history of under-achievement. You *earn* a final by winning a semi-final.


----------



## ubiquitous (18 Aug 2008)

Whether Waterford *deserve* to reach a final is a matter of opinion. I think it is clear that they are good enough a team to play in a final. The fact that they have come so close to doing so on several occasions in the past will mean that most people will be rooting for them against Kilkenny. They will be underdogs but they have a chance - their position now is not a whole lot different to the "underachieving" Donegal team prior to the 1992 football final.


----------



## Ash 22 (18 Aug 2008)

Against Kilkenny they will want to be outstanding as there are no weak links anywhere on the Kilkenny team and they have as good on the bench. We see how they beat a strong Cork team. You never know on the day what happens and with Davy in charge no doubt they'll be right up for it.


----------



## Green (18 Aug 2008)

MrMan said:


> I think its the perceived arrogance of the Dub footballers and the level of ceoverage they get considering how little they achieve that colours so many views.


 
Who perceives them as arrogance? The reality is that the majority of Ireland's tv stations and other media are based in Dublin. These media, especially tv,  are interested in audience numbers and Dublin bring them those numbers.


----------



## Green (18 Aug 2008)

Ash 22 said:


> What really annoys me is when a certain amount of the Dublin supporters can't get themselves to the venue on time and the match has to be held up. Its on their doorstep and this does'nt happen with any other county.


 
Agreed. In Ireland unlike other places the Gardai cannot put a match on at a certain time of public order grounds. They do that for Old Firm matches in Scotland. If they put a Dublin match on at 12 noon and  closed pubs until the match was over, then the message would get through.


----------



## MrMan (19 Aug 2008)

YOBR said:


> Who perceives them as arrogance? The reality is that the majority of Ireland's tv stations and other media are based in Dublin. These media, especially tv,  are interested in audience numbers and Dublin bring them those numbers.



everyone outside Dublin I would think. The TV stations are based in Dublin to serve the country, there are far more people living outside of Dublin than in it.


----------



## Simeon (19 Aug 2008)

As a modest Kerryman ........ I just hope that the ensuing matches are entertaining. But I do think that the media have a malevolent role in Dublin's demise. Like the British tabloids that hype the English soccer team out of all proportion ....... here, the Herald especially, pump up the hopes of the Hill and in doing so, put tremendous pressure on the players. At the mo, I'm working in Kerry and the players are just like ordinary people (apart from one or two) who get on with their lives. Here in Dublin they are celebs. The hunger is there but there are just too many distractions.


----------



## Green (19 Aug 2008)

Simeon said:


> Like the British tabloids that hype the English soccer team out of all proportion ....... here, the Herald especially, pump up the hopes of the Hill and in doing so, put tremendous pressure on the players. At the mo, I'm working in Kerry and the players are just like ordinary people (apart from one or two) who get on with their lives. *Here in Dublin they are celebs*. The hunger is there but there are just too many distractions.


 
I agree that the media does hype up Dublin and it's not a positive thing. I would disagree that Dublin players are celebs, indeed such a comment is just plain untrue. I would imagine that all the Dublin players, and management went back to their day jobs on Monday, doesn't sound like a celebrity lifestyle to me? They may pick up more endorsements than other county players, so what should they do, turn them down?


----------



## Ash 22 (19 Aug 2008)

I must say Kerry is a team I really admire. I like they're style of football, they're attitude. They come on a mission to win and usually do!  At the end of the game I don't see any wags or babies being handed around for photographs!!


----------



## ClubMan (20 Aug 2008)

> *Who's for the Final?*


_Bohs _and _Rovers _would be [broken link removed].


----------

