www.uibhfhaili.com

Fairly generous to Offaly!

1 Kerry
2 Tyrone
3 Armagh
4 Mayo
5 Dublin
6 Cork
7 Galway
8 Laois
9 Donegal
10 Derry
11 Offaly
12 Wexford
13 Fermanagh
14 Meath
15 Westmeath
16 Kildare
17 Down
18 Monaghan
19 Louth
20 Limerick
21 Roscommon
22 Cavan
23 Longford
24 Sligo
25 Leitrim
26 Clare
27 Tipperary
28 Antrim
29 Carlow
30 Wicklow
31 Waterford
32 London

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/ ... e_id=14990

I don't know if it's necessarily generous - there's only really Fermanagh below us that you wouldn't necessarily have Offaly favourites in a once off match against, and we did beat teams 12, 15 and 16 in the championship last year.

However the difference is that while we are better than the teams below, it's by feck all. We are worse than the teams above us, and by a good bit. The next five would all be stronger favourites against us than we would be against the five below.

In other words, we'll be doing well to maintain this ranking, and very well to improve it.

I dont Know about that. On our day id fancy us to take any of the teams from 6 to 10. teams 1 to 5 i accept would be a cut above us, but 6 to 10, i feel we would could take them! am i being overly optimistic?!

a bit skippy. We are not great. Meath should also be ahead of us along with fermanagh. Galways position is also false imo. Donegal should be moved up the list.

Top 5 should read

Kerry
Tyrone
Dublin
Mayo
Armagh

Obviously we could beat any of the five ahead of us on a given day - I'm just saying that we'd be at least 6/4 (and probably bigger) to do so. As opposed to below us, where there are at least five teams that would be 6/4 or shorter against Offaly.

In terms of positions, I'd be in complete agreement with Edenderry's top five, however not at all with Meath. Meath are the most over-rated team in Gaelic football by a margin. One of my biggest wins last year was Wexford @ 11/4 - the reason for the different price was nothing other than the jersey. If you took those fifteen players on either side, the Wexford line up was at least as good as the Meath team, it was based purely on reputation. Ditto now I'd take four or five of those sides rated 15-20 to beat Meath, even allowing for some improvement under Coyle.

And as final proof on reputation, surely Longford deserve to be higher? Deservedly in the last 12 this year, lost away from home to the All Ireland champions when Kieran Donaghy was not only unstoppable, but also unknown and thus unflagged, up against a last minute replacement full back. If Longford were playing Louth, Limerick or Cavan tomorrow and you gave me even money I'd bite your hand off. Very harsh on them.

My rankings:

1 Kerry
2 Tyrone
3 Armagh
4 Dublin
5 Mayo
6 Cork
7 Derry
8 Laois
9 Galway
10 Derry
11 Fermanagh
12 Offaly
13 Wexford
14 Meath
15 Westmeath

LS your spot on with the prices too, infairness our team are pretty dangerous to back and im talking from experience.

Outside the top five is there anyone who can challenge Kerry? I dont think so...

Well the fella who does the odds for Ladbrokes has Meath at 50/1 and Offaly at 66/1 for sam. D Corner Flag - you are missing The Dark Horse for this year Donegal.

I am the guy who does the odds for Ladbrokes.

Meath should be 100/1, but people will back them irrespective on reputation. I want them as a loser in my book, but there's no point being crazy about it, I'm best price and laying them - themselves, the Dubs and Kerry are the only ones there's early money for.

I agree completely about Donegal. I'd like to see how fitting Sweeney, Devenney and McFadden back in works for them, but if I see a few encouraging displays in the league I might give them a look. Alternatively wait till Armagh beat them in Ulster and get on then.

While I believe we are about 12th in the ratings, I don't think the last few years' results would earn us a ranking of 11th.
Depends what the person's criteria is I suppose.

The lower the better at this stage.

We have a decent team, but plenty of challenges.

Progress will be easy enough to gauge.

Lone Shark wrote:I am the guy who does the odds for Ladbrokes.

LOL Brilliant, I could just imagine you standing up in a bar, slamming your pint on the table and saying that!!!

(or maybe not )

LS, would you be pricing us at 6/4 and greater to beat the likes of Derry, Cork, Laois and Donegal?

I'd have thought that would be generous enough.

In a championship setting, certainly. Most bookies had Offaly at 2/1 to beat Laois last year, albeit there was a back door effect.

I would say if there was a championship qualifier tomorrow where both teams had won a game coming into it, no injuries, 6/4 against Laois, Derry and Donegal, 7/4 against Cork.

Perhaps shorter against Derry on reflection, however their ranking is a measure of their greater potential as well.