1. Roscommon
THE FOOTBALL STORY of the 2015 campaign to date, having sealed promotion to the top flight before defeating Down in the Allianz Football League Division 2 decider.
Manager John Evans is targeting All-Ireland glory in the coming years and the Kerry native has done a remarkable job with the Rossies so far.
But a Connacht title would do quite nicely for starters and Roscommon are on the favourable side of the draw, separated from big guns Galway and Mayo until a potential final.
Roscommon begin their campaign in London May 24, before a semi-final clash with Sligo on June 20.
They lost by just a point to Mayo in last year’s provincial semi-final, after losing by 12 against the same opposition in 2013, which suggests that the gap has certainly closed.
And on the back of U21 provincial success this year, a first senior title since 2010 is surely not too far away.
2. Tipperary
Peter Creedon has worked wonders in his time in charge of the Tipperary seniors.
In two of the previous three seasons, the Premier County finished in the top 12, having reached round 4 of the qualifiers in 2012 and 2014.
Underage success has come thick and fast, with Tipp winning Munster U21 titles in 2010 and 2014, before going desperately close to victory in the recent All-Ireland U21 final against Tyrone.
Tipp are working off that rich conveyor belt, with a number of 2011 All-Ireland minor winners also involved.
But a big senior breakthrough is needed sooner rather than later to maintain momentum, and Tipp were within a whisker of shocking Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in last year’s Munster semi-final.
Failure to gain promotion from Division 3 this year was a setback but Tipp should beat Waterford in the Munster SFC quarter-final on May 31, setting up a June 14 showdown with provincial and All-Ireland kingpins Kerry.
3. Armagh
Fresh from sealing victory against Fermanagh in the Allianz FL Division 3 final, Armagh’s thoughts turned quickly towards the championship.
They have a proven winner at the helm in Kieran McGeeney, who famously lifted Sam Maguire for the Orchard County in 2002.
There was a time when Croke Park appearances for Armagh were taken as a given and they captured seven out of ten Ulster crowns on offer from 1999-2008.
But Armagh haven’t got their hands on the Angl0-Celt cup since then and the road to fresh provincial glory is fraught with danger.
Armagh will face the winners of the Donegal-Tyrone preliminary round clash in the quarter-finals and even if they win that, there are still two more fences to jump.
Ruling the roost north of the border will prove a tough ask for McGeeney, who is probably targeting a good run through the qualifiers.
4. Meath
Royal County boss Mick O’Dowd has been talking up his side’s chances ahead of the championship summer, telling Leinster Council chairman John Horan that he’d love a crack at the Dubs.
O’Dowd’s men are on the opposite side of the draw to the provincial champions but there are two hurdles to vault before that traditional final becomes a reality.
Meath, chasing a first Leinster title since their controversial 2010 victory over Louth, have been routed by the Sky Blues in the last three deciders.
And if they want another shot at Jim Gavin’s men, Meath will have to first beat Wicklow before facing off against Louth, Westmeath or Wicklow in the semi-finals.
Meath won four of their seven games in Division 2 of the Allianz Football League, finishing third in the table behind promoted pair Roscommon and Down.
But having contested a third successive Leinster final last year, O’Dowd’s men failed to build on that progress as they were dumped out of the qualifiers by Armagh.
5. Tyrone
Having lost their last three Ulster championship meetings with Donegal, Tyrone badly need to smash that hoodoo.
The two counties lock horns against next Sunday in Ballybofey and anything bar a Donegal win would come as a major surprise.
Tyrone managed just 0-6 against Donegal in their Allianz League clash and have scored just 0-29 in three championship clashes against them in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
But Tyrone could badly do with some good championship form to enhance the feel-good factor breezing through the county following the EirGrid All-Ireland U21 success.
The problem is that the Red Hands are coming into the summer on the back of a dreadful League campaign that saw them relegated to Division 2.
And Tyrone lost their big championship clashes in 2014 against Monaghan in Ulster and Armagh in the qualifiers.
It needs to be banned immediately. Nash has opened up a can of worms here the GAA don’t seem prepared to deal with. TJ has already joined the party and the rumour is that Tony Kelly has been getting the ball almost into the 6 yard box at trainings down in Clare.
It’s extremely dangerous and anybody arguing otherwise almost certainly hasn’t played in goal or across the full back line. It had better not take sterilised full back or a collapsed throat to get this fixed.
Are u from Clare or something ?? Helmets are already there !! Does this mean u can’t shoot inside the box ?? Other players have been doing it for years and its just because Nash can hit them perfectly people are complaining.
I’m from Dublin, word has it Clare are going to be doing this even worse this year, and Kilkenny and Cork. I’m Sure the Dubs and Tipp and Galway are all lining up someone for it as well. I explained in another post how it’s distinctly different to open field play as the backs and goalkeepers movement and positioning is restricted.
Why don’t we just let them hoist the ball into the box and smack it 2 inches from peoples faces. There has to be a limit, the helmet wont stop broken rib and ruptured testicles. Players need to be given reasonable capacity to protect themselves. That can either take the form of a restricted carry distance or allowing them to rush the striker
It’s one of the most unique and exciting aspects of hurling.. if there are safety issues re players necks, there is nothing stopping neck guards being kept behind the goal, like face-masks are kept for short corners in field hockey.. clip them onto helmets like with ice hockey helmets.
So neck guards and cups for crotch protection. Should they just strap on full body armour to stand in goal? We got by fine for decades but one breach of the honour code has opened up the floodgates on this.
Honour code?.. it’s been done for decades.. DJ Carey was particularly adept at it.. plus penalty takers know there’s a risk of over carrying.. like Nash’s botched drop-shot effort in the final last year.. next up will be a ban on any form of point blank shooting.
It was never to this extent. The issue is that it forces the goal keeper and defenders into the most dangerous possible position on the hurling field, middle distance. In open play point blank shooting is grand because goal keepers and defenders have the opportunity to get into one of several safe positions, behind the man to hook, in close to block, out of the way altogether or far enough away that you can read the flight of the ball and block or dodge. It’s also not possible to get the same kind of power on a shot from open play as from a penalty.
But with these shots you’re too close to dodge or reasonably attempt to protect yourself but you’re not allowed move up to block. The rules force you to be in a position no player would get themselves in in open play because it’s dangerous. If they’re not going to stop the carry then they need to let the keeper and backs rush the striker
What nonsense, I’m surprised at Ger. Bearing in mind you can strike the ball even harder from the hand, does this mean you won’t be allow to shoot inside the box during open play either?
Declan Ryan tipperary and clonoulty-rossmore and former tipp manager was the man who invented the style, it’s a great skill and a penalty is a penalty, Ciaran there would want to cop himself on there and keep his bullshit to himself. That is all