Looking forward to Saturday. Two interesting games that will decide to large extent both our county team's fate in league.

Footballers win v Derry ensures safety and a shout at making final with even one more win after.

Hurlers need to beat Offaly in rehearsal of first championship match.

Offaly even without Screeney are good. Expect to see a few Fianna lads with at least one Currie and AJ and maybe Dónal. Need greater efficency from frees. I expect a comfortable enough win.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3427 - 19/02/2025 22:15:39    2592000

Interesting pre-match interviews by both Niall and Dessie ahead of the Double Header in Croker tomorrow.

Players from both Cuala and Na Fianna being brought into the Dublin setup on a phased basis during the league.

Both managers trying new players and tactics, and as Dessie put it - "We're not chasing results in the League. It's about trying to develop depth in the squad and get as much experience into the younger players as we can...."

Looking forward to heading in for both games tomorrow. Hopefully good performances from both of our teams.

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 4116 - 21/02/2025 19:40:27    2592332

Hurlers need to win. Good to see Burke and Curries back. Was half expecting McHugh to in panel.

Strong bench and plenty there to bring in should they need. Was worried that Crummey might have been out after knock in Mullingar but all good it seems.

A few lads possibly on last chance to make cut but good to see him sticking with those who have ahown well.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3427 - 21/02/2025 21:10:02    2592348

Word on the street about Brian Fenton playing for Wolfe Tones in Chicago this summer true?

Fighting-Cocks69 (Westmeath) - Posts: 54 - 21/02/2025 21:59:04    2592356

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3427 - 21/02/2025 22:36:27    2592359

Very disappointing performance from the Dublin hurlers last night, but great credit to Offaly and what a score to win it for them - 90metres out in the 77th minute with a free for an alleged thrown pass by Dublin in attack.

Dublin conceded far too many scoreable frees and left a lot behind themselves also.
Leading for most of the game but ultimately got punished for never putting clear daylight behind themselves and the Offaly men.
Next up for the Dubs an away game v Deise - a tough one indeed.
The Dublin Hurlers still have a hell of a lot of work to do.....


As for the 2nd game in Croker last night....
This new look Dublin football team did very well. Big score put up against Derry (3-20) and 9 different scorers.
(It was 3-17 to 1-10 after 65 minutes)
And to do so without calling on Ciaran Kilkenny or the other missing players.

Luke B. is a fine player and continues to take his chance to impress, well.
The likes of Theo, Conor Tyrell and Alex Gavin are doing well in defence.
Kevin Lahiff; Niall O'Callaghan, Eoghan O'Donnell, Luke Breathnach, Sean Lowry & Davy Keogh are getting great experience.

Great to see King Con back - what a player. His first foray playing under the new rules.
These new rules will suit him perfectly.

Next up is Armagh away - but with 3 wins from 4 now secured, safety in Division 1 is secured and Dessie can experiment even more, in advance of the Championship, and blood even more newbies....

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 4116 - 23/02/2025 14:10:02    2592595

Mixed weekend alright.. Dub hurlers certainly have a lot to do, just need to be honest, that was a bad result, end of.
I think they are certainly capable of better, move on and hope that a competitive summer lies ahead.

Footballers, what can you say, a fine performance and result, great to see the young lads settling in well, and for me, they look to have old heads on young bodies, they look to be clever footballers to me, already shows game intelligence, early signs are promising and still several to return.

Keep at it.. no one is excepting miracles this year, but have to admit, I'm enjoying watching the transition unfold. Still an awful lot of ground to cover but Dessie and Co doing a fine job, full confidence in them.

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 24/02/2025 09:17:52    2592827

I was worried that our footballers might regress after the M cCarthy and Fenton retirements but all credit to Dessie he seems to be integrating new talent all the time as Bugler is becoming one of the best ballers in the country. Disappointing results for the hurlers last week but Offaly on way back up too. Question for contributors.Do you think Conor McHugh will be an success for the hurlers and where is that young corner back Andrew Dunphy gone to.He was promising and from my old neck of the woods.

brayballer (Wicklow) - Posts: 14 - 27/02/2025 18:44:13    2593557

Anyone know what the crack is with James Madden?

Onion_Sack (Dublin) - Posts: 286 - 01/03/2025 19:33:48    2593980

brayballer (Wicklow) - Posts: 14 - 01/03/2025 22:34:32    2594037

Onion_Sack (Dublin) - Posts: 286 - 02/03/2025 09:25:09    2594064

Tough away game and it proved to be, fair play to Armagh, deserved winners after winning the game in the first 15 minutes. They'd have enjoyed that, and rightly so.
Some of the soundest GAA people you'll ever meet in my book

Dubs looked to be making up the numbers in the first half, showed a bit of fight and got back into the game, but Armagh did the damage in the first half and could just keep the comeback at arms reach.

Onto the next one, still sitting in 3rd, safe in Div 1 already, so keep at it.

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 03/03/2025 10:57:53    2594372

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 851 - 03/03/2025 11:34:22    2594383

Congrats to Armagh on the win, no complaints (well a few), but best team won on the night. Dublin were second to everything first half yesterday and rightly went in with a spanking via a melt down on the kick outs and looked a very inexperienced team.

We seemed to loose the head and composure a bit with the application of the new rules - to be fair i felt it was a bit of a weird application. We also looked like wed put in a heavy training block in the week and looked very very leggy. But no excuses Armagh were well worthy winners. We were though better second half, but by a distance second best on the night.

Not overly concerned, with a team that young i expect boom and bust performances and im delighted some got that experience last night, up North, with an away crowd baying right on the pitch and blood and thunder in the tackle with no quarter given will bring some of these young lads on no end. Much different game then dropping the shoulder in Croker with 20k Dubs at your back.

A short note on the new rules - they were absolutely chaotically applied last night, no one on the box or in the ground - including the players and management teams seemed to know wtf was going on - im not sure im clearer this morning, the rules can be very poorly applied and they can also have a very poor influence of the game, the last 10 were set up to be a ding dong of a finish instead the ref turned it into a skitter - not good..

We go again next up Galway, congrats to Armagh! ;)

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4494 - 03/03/2025 13:37:59    2594428

No complaints on the football as better team won.Bugler a big loss and his absence shows how important he is to Dublin.The hurlers unlucky but better days ahead.

brayballer (Wicklow) - Posts: 14 - 03/03/2025 17:18:34    2594513

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8705 - 03/03/2025 18:45:23    2594539

Not good news folks - but is as expected....

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2025/0306/1500649-small-unlikely-to-make-dublin-return/

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 4116 - 06/03/2025 17:49:18    2595107