Club Football 2026

[Anonymous1]

The first thing to say is the overall quality for two games between the top four teams was very very poor. Solan wouldn't have picked out too many new players and the ones he might have are on the hurling panel.

On the games themselves, Ferbane looked the best of the four. They blew Shamrocks away in the first half, a dropoff in the second half was to be expected given the lead they had. Their panel is deeper this year as shown by their intermediates having a 100% record. The fact they've managed to motor ahead without last year's player of the year would suggest the overall quality of the championship has declined. It would be in Ferbane's best interest for Belmont to be beaten against Ballinamere and then be knocked in the QF, as a SF would be played the week before the football final.

Shamrocks were incredibly poor in the first half. They made a few switches at half time and upped their intensity in the second half but it was as much Ferbane taking the foot off the gas as anything that allowed them back into the game. They'll argue an extra game plus getting a few back from injury will set them up nicely for an attempted scalp in the semis but I'm not convinced. They'll do well to get through the QF and that'll be as far as they'll go. They've replaced Edenderry as the 4th best team in Offaly but that's as far as they're likely to go. I don't know how the player-manager arrangement is supposed to work. You start a player and then at halftime, you tell him he's not been good enough so he's coming off and being replaced by you? It wouldn't be long before you foster contempt among a cohort of players.

Rhode are the only unbeaten team this year. I don't think anybody would've predicted that at the start of the year. When Rhode lost the final back in 2019, many people predicted their demise at that point. To their credit, the older generation have stuck at it and waited long enough until some of the younger players have been blooded and they now have a decent mix capable of challenging again. I still wonder if they'll have the legs coming down the stretch in an intense knockout game? That has been their downfall in the last 3 years, but they have as much of a chance as any of the rest at this point.

Tullamore have been off the pace all year. There are probably multiple factors at play such as injuries, increased dual commitments, lack of hunger following 3 in a row, the new rules and the loss of Stack. Like Shamrocks, they'll think if they can get a few back from injury as well as potentially a return from Australia and build some momentum with an extra game that they'll still be there or thereabouts but that's easier said than done. Some of those returning have played little to no football this year and it's not as simple as throwing them straight into knockout action and being able to pick up where they left off. Neither Ferbane nor Rhode will want to face them in the semi although they may well be more vulnerable in a semi and it may be better try to knock them out before they can get a few players back and momentum behind them.

On the whole, I would lean towards Ferbane as favourites as there's less doubts around them followed by Tullamore provided they get some players back and then Rhode because of age/legs concerns. I don't give Shamrocks any chance of winning it out.

I do think whoever comes through the tougher semi will win it out. You don't want to be heading into a county final having been sat on your hands for 4 weeks and then playing a soft semi.

[VicarOfDibley]

Another horrendous take “behind the goal” , for once you didn’t mention yourself, stick to the TikTok’s kid.