GAA Weekend 23rd & 24th July

[InishGael]

Odds from Paddy Power:

Saturday 23rd July (All Football)

4.00pm Kildare (1/4) v Derry (7/2) Draw (10/1)
6.00pm Cork (4/9) v Down (9/4) Draw (15/2)
7.00pm Limerick (2/1) v Wexford (1/2) Draw (15/2)

Sunday 24th July (All Hurling)

2.00pm Dublin (8/15) v Limerick (7/4) Draw (10/1)
4.00pm Galway (4/11) v Waterford (5/2) Draw (10/1)

[InishGael]

First glances, Kildare look nailed on to beat a poor Derry side while Cork should also see off Down. Wexford should also beat Limerick. I'll leave Hurling to Suir and be back later in week to look at football in bit more depth.

[Suir Thing]

Good man Inish, I did'nt want it to seem like I was taking over the GAA on here. What a weekend just gone! hope you got on. Went into Boyles and then Paddy on the way home from work, there was a face on Bridget the manager in Boyles like a slapped arse as she was handing over the greeen ones, she knows me well at this stage and said, why don't I feck off up the road to that English shower Ladbrokes I went into Paddys then, they are worse, everytime you go in there to collect, you'd swear it was their wages I was taking out of the place!
I will be back with some write ups on the games, have to do a bit of study. I like to write up which is my own views from what I have seen, before the previews come out. Once I read the previews in the media, I find that some rubbish article may change my mind.
Just at first glance for me, the stand out bet is Wexford.

[Suir Thing]

Don't forget the Football Round 3 tie also, which is on Saturday night, (this was delayed as Armagh were in involved in a replay)

Saturday 23^rd July
19:00 Tyrone (17/35) v (15/2) Armagh (5/2)

[Suir Thing]

Kildare V Derry.

After Kildare’s tight game with Meath last week, I may have had some small concerns. Was the Kildare train running out of steam? but then Meath are always difficult to beat at home, Kildare had beaten them twice already this year and Meath were determined that it would not happen again. What pleased me was that again Kildare finished strongly, but any doubts I had about backing Kildare again,were away when I saw they had drawn Derry next. Derry were just awful against Donegal, and a very poor scoring threat. To add to this they have a hard luck story acording to themselves about the penalty Donegal were awarded, etc, and also going with the old rule that its difficult for a beaten provencial finalist to pick themselves up just 6 days later, the fact that this game is in Croke Park also suits Kildare as they are more familar with Croke Park. Kildare win


Cork v Down.
Cork are difficult to gauge on their displays so far. They hammered Waterford in Pairc Ui Chaoimh and then Kerry were next, Kerry had Cork chasing the game from the very start, with Kerry leading all the way. Down after a few shaky displays against Clare and Leitrim, are starting to gather momentum, beating Antrim easy last weekend. Of course beating Antrim is no great feat. Down will be up for this and will be seeking retribution for last years All Ireland. Its a choice between the fresher team who we think is better, Cork, and the team that has momentum.
Unless a Cork man on here knows something? maybe they have been playing some challenge matches??
For me, this is a game not to have a bet on and I will leave it out of my main bets.


Limerick v Wexford.
Both these teams played in Waterford’s div last season so I have seen both in action and Wexford were by far the better looking team.
If we first look at their paths to get to where they are now in this years championship, Wexford’s track record stands out and from what I have seen of both teams, Wexford will be winning this one.

Offaly 0-08 - 2-16 Wexford
Wexford 1-24 - 0-15 Westmeath
Carlow 0-10 - 4-12 Wexford
Dublin 2-12 - 1-12 Wexford

Kerry 1-26 - 3-09 Limerick
Limerick 3-13 - 0-15 Offaly
Limerick 0-14 - 0-09 Waterford

Tyrone v Armagh.
Two teams that have slipped a bit in recent years, but Tyrone have not slipped as much as people make out, they will have improved especially in terms of fitness since the Donegal game, Still a very strong outfit and a team that others would want to avoid. Armagh would have wished for a better draw than this, the difficulty they had in overcoming Wicklow, a Div 4 side, shows just where they are. Apart from Armagh making a battle out of this because of the rivalry between the 2 counties, but with the Omagh factor to add, I can only see one winner and thats Tyrone.



To the hurling, no draws in this year’s Championship yet! but I cannot bet on stats or the law of averages :-) I will have to look at the facts...

Dublin v Limerick.
Dublin have been operating at a higher level with the past 2 years, fighting it out with the big guns in Div 1 and went on to win the league this year. Limerick on the other hand are rebuilding and have made big strides under the management of Donal O’Grady but have only been playing in Div 2 against the likes of Kerry, Carlow, Westmeath. etc. In the first round of the championship Limerick played Waterford, Waterford were awful that day, but if Limerick were still there they would not beat us. They were flat out and it was not enough to beat a poor Waterford with alot of problems, (these problems Tipp took advantage of later) Limerick went on the scenic route then, beating Wexford and Antrim (two div 2 teams next year) Dublin on the other hand, in the Leinster Championship, have beaten Offaly and Galway but came up short against Kilkenny in the final, but being second to Killkenny is not a bad thing. I am also impressed with how Dublin can rack up the scores against any team.
Dublin are further down the road, Limerick are getting there....but will need another year or 2.
Come Sunday afternoon, I feel Limerick’s championship involvement in both codes will have come to an end for this year. This game may be close, but Dublin will win.


Galway v Waterford.
I said on here in a post before the Tipp v Waterford game that I feared it would be a riot and that the Tipp forwards would cut loose.....and that is exactly what happened. After seeing the 2 games against Limerick and Tipp we have serious problems in the fullback line and I do not know how that is going to be fixed quickly, our scoring threat also is not the same as when we had, Dan, Paul Flynn, Eoin Kelly and Mullane, etc. Mullane seems very isolated and to be the only option now. The supply to him is poor and he seems to be better marked by teams than before also. I think Davy Fitz has just tried about everyone in the county now that plays hurling, trying to get a backline, I actually think Davy’s time is coming to an end, he apparently turned the players out the following morning for training at 0800 after the Tipp farce. That old shouting and roaring he is doing too is not working, just google ‘Davy Fitz You Tube’ and you will see an example of a half time team talk, with UL :-) :-)
Going on what I have seen Waterford do this year, any betting man would and could not back them.
It will take time to get over that hammering in the Munster final.
Galway with the only blot on their copy book is been beaten by Dublin, but as I have mentioned above Dublin are now one of the big hurling teams. I can see no other result here but a Galway win.

All said I have done the following with Boyles.
Kildare, Tyrone & Galway 13/8 (nailed on)
Wexford, Tyrone, Dublin, Kildare & Galway
Kildare, Tyrone, Down+3, Limerick+2, Waterford+5 (small stakes) 12/1

[Suir Thing]

Its bad news for the Dubs....
Conal Keaney broke his ankle in a traffic accident yesterday morning. The Ballyboden St Enda’s man was involved in a collision with a van while travelling to work on his motorbike. His absence from Sunday’s All-Ireland quarter-final against Limerick in Thurles is a massive loss for Dublin. Anthony Daly must certainly be concerned as he has now delayed naming the team until tomorrow, as he will have to juggle his selection somewhat. He has Ryan O’Dwyer is back from suspension and Joey Boland and David Treacy are fit again, to choose from this time around.

I had tipped up the Dubs to win this one earlier, Keaney is a big loss to their attacking strength.
But I am still sticking with Dublin to prevail on Sunday.

[Suir Thing]

The weekend was a bit of a blow out as first Wexford who looked like winners playing against 14 men, at the end of 70 minutes managed somehow to throw it away, then Galway(Joe Canning & his one man show) who looked nailed on to win, were totally outclassed by Waterford. Its true what Davy Fitz said Waterford have only been beaten by 2 teams Kilkenny & Tipperary with the past few years and are therefore the 3rd best team in the country by far. What a manager Davy is, I said it before and I will say it again, he is the best in the business! It may have been a poor weekends punting but the Deise are back!
and sure there is always next week, something can be taken from these games for the next time, its only a loan I gave Boyles and Paddy, as I always say, its a war not a battle, No Step Back, No Surrender!