Leinster Football Championship 2017

Louth V Wicklow
Winners V Meath

Laois V Longford
Winners V Kildare

Carlow V Wexford
Winners V Dublin

Offaly V Westmeath

Absolutely no excuses not to make a Leinster Final.

Big Full Back wrote:

Absolutely no excuses not to make a Leinster Final.

I recall the same was said this time last year

I know. But if we want to see progress it's a must. Meath have new management and our manager is in year two so no excuses if he wants to show this county is going somewhere.

Decent draw but we'll have to show a marked improvement on this years displays to beat Laois and Meath.

jimmers wrote:

Big Full Back wrote:

Absolutely no excuses not to make a Leinster Final.

I recall the same was said this time last year

I recall the same thing being said for five of the last seven years.

It's a decent draw because the professional team are on the other side. Kildare, Laois and Meath are all on a par with each other at the moment, the days of us brushing aside those two are over, for the time being. Our recent record in Croke Park is dreadful so hopefully the first game, at least, is in a provincial ground.

Massive year for Cian O'Neill, the honeymoon period is over now.

Happy with that draw. Think we'll be playing Longfird rather than Laois myself but either way I think we'll be able for them. Optimism reigns. Semi final draw spices up our League opener in Navan a small bit.

After last year's abomination against Westmeath who we got was irrelevant. The only thing that matters to me is we stay out of Croke Park for as long as possible.

The chances of the Leinster Council doing that, probably 0%

Just a few points. The draw is always tough, we have never (even when things were on a high) were we ever in a position that we couls say "ah we'll get to a leinster final". The last time we won Leinster we struggled over Louth, Offaly took us to a replay before eventually beating Dublin. Its a big year for Cian O Neill as someone else stated but it's a bigger year for the players. It's time to stand up and be counted and start showing a bit of will to win. So yes we avoid Dublin until a Leinster final but we have a few serious tests before we need to start taking about a Leinster final.

PS I don't get this talk about Croke Park and it doesn't suit us rubbish. It doesn't suit supporters because of a lack of atmosphere that I understand but it suits all the other teams that beat us. From a playing point of view it's the one place I would imagine that every player loves playing. If you look at most players pen pictures when asked their favourite grounds 90% will say Croke Park.

I think the Croke Park comments are coming from a supporters perspective. But from a player's perspective I suspect our numerous bad experiences in recent years allied to the lack of atmosphere at pretty much all of our games in that period would push them also to prefer playing at a provincial ground with a bit of atmosphere. We've had some great wins on the road in qualifiers at such venues and indeed in Leinster when we go to Tullamore in particular.

Other provinces manage without Croke Park just fine - Leinster should avoid the place until the final for me.

It is what it is and most would agree everyone is playing for the chance to be mauled on Leinster final day but Cian O'Neill would have to look at that and say there is a realistic target there of a final and guaranteed last 12. Despite our problems nobody else in our half is any better than us as things stand.

Consolidate in division 2 and Leinster final appearance and then aim for a quarter final spot.

I'd take that now considering how far behind we are the likes of Dublin,Mayo, Kerry & Tyrone.

Would love the idea of playing all games up to the final in Portlaoise, Tullamore, Kilkenny.....much better experience for supporters and better atmosphere for sure. Will never happen though.

By way last 5 years in Croke Park we played 18 times and lost 13 of them. (arguement can be made for strong opposition e.g. Dubs,Kerry,Tyrone, Cork but we lost against the likes of Westmeath,Monaghan,Clare and Meath too)

For all other away or neutral games in that period we played 28 times and only lost 7 of those.

*league & championship only

Not making a point either way but just putting up some facts.

Big Full Back wrote:

Absolutely no excuses not to make a Leinster Final.

I'd say Longford, Laois and Meath are equally as happy with the draw.

We will do well to reach a Leinster final. If we think we are ahead of some of these teams we are only fooling themselves. Getting to a Leinster final would be a good campaign.

We were lucky to beat laois two years ago having said that coming from five down in tullamore was a great finish won replay but laois near on a par, maybe division two will harden us up a bit u live in hope

Statistic speaks for itself Sam! Didn't realise our loss record was as great as that in Croker!

I would love to see us being able to enter a home and away arrangement for the championship especially in round 1 or quarter final stage. A kildare home tie in Newbridge would bring the crowd out and create a good atmosphere as opposed to an empty croke park with nothing more than a few coughs to be heard!! In the Munster Hurling championship it is a home and away arrangement for the big three ie limerick tipp and cork. Waterford and Clare use thurles and the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick respectively (given their restrictions in terms of capacity in ennis and waterford. Point being at least for the early rounds we should be able to enter a home and away arrangement with any team in Leinster not including dublin of course. Would be great to be playing the likes of laois or meath at home and then the following year playing them away - adding a bit of spice to the ties! Anyway just a side note!! I just hope leinster council dont put us through another wexford from this year - we were at fault for the dour football but they were at fault for the venue!

I thought the winners of leinster went in the top half of draw and runners up in bottom then first semi finalist out in top half and other team on bottom half seems different this year any comments on this by the way the worst atmosphere ever at a kildare match ever was in crime park v westmeath last year

Think its just four semifinalists who are straight into wuarters plus one of the other seven. Long time ago but we played Dubs in final in 93 and first round following year..id say theres probably a more recent example! Maybe Meath, Louth 2011

Yeah you're right lilysavage, the four semi-finalists from one year can't go into the preliminary round the next and are kept apart from each other in the quarter-finals.
It's changed since the 93-94 example that moatesports gives.

Kildare v Longford/Laois confirmed for Sat 3rd June in Tullamore

With Regards to the 2017 panel Ben McCormack, Con Kavanagh, Shea Ryan and Conor Hartley have all been called up from Sarsfields

Lily8 wrote:

Kildare v Longford/Laois confirmed for Sat 3rd June in Tullamore

None of the Leinster quarter finals in Croke Park. Dublin will be playing in either Portlaoise (if playing Carlow) or Wexford (if Wexford).

from the LeinsterGAA website regarding the semi-finals

25th June - Leinster SFC Semi Finals (investigating the feasibility of moving

the Louth/Wicklow/Meath v Longford/Laois/Kildare S-Final to previous weekend)


No mention of venue

jimmers wrote:

Lily8 wrote:

Kildare v Longford/Laois confirmed for Sat 3rd June in Tullamore

None of the Leinster quarter finals in Croke Park. Dublin will be playing in either Portlaoise (if playing Carlow) or Wexford (if Wexford).

from the LeinsterGAA website regarding the semi-finals

25th June - Leinster SFC Semi Finals (investigating the feasibility of moving

the Louth/Wicklow/Meath v Longford/Laois/Kildare S-Final to previous weekend)


No mention of venue

Just seen that on the website, why give a date and then a suggestion of changing the date given at the same time ??????

Gaa1928 wrote:

jimmers wrote:

Lily8 wrote:

Kildare v Longford/Laois confirmed for Sat 3rd June in Tullamore

None of the Leinster quarter finals in Croke Park. Dublin will be playing in either Portlaoise (if playing Carlow) or Wexford (if Wexford).

from the LeinsterGAA website regarding the semi-finals

25th June - Leinster SFC Semi Finals (investigating the feasibility of moving

the Louth/Wicklow/Meath v Longford/Laois/Kildare S-Final to previous weekend)


No mention of venue

Just seen that on the website, why give a date and then a suggestion of changing the date given at the same time ??????

Doesn't make any sense - if they move that game it would leave Dublin playing Offaly or Westmeath as a standalone game on the 25th. Hardly going to fill Croke Park for that one.