Can anybody stop Corofin this year?

This appeared in the Galway Independent on Wednesday 04/06/2014

Can anybody stop Corofin this year?

Corofin were sensational last year proving to be four or five points better than every side in Galway last year. Defeat to Mayo’s Castlebar Mitchells put an end to any All Ireland ambitions though so will they come back hungry again?  This season again they’re raging favourites at 11/10. So far in the league, they have been battering teams by large margins. Captain Gary Sice is no longer in the Galway panel so his big motivation will be to lead his team to back to back Frank Fox cups and go further in the All Ireland Club Championship. They should win easily this weekend against Mountbellew/Moylough who are missing Joss Moore.  Where will the dangers come from? Milltown, Salthill, Cortoon and even St James have the panel and match ups to beat Corofin on their day so don’t go investing your life saving on Dave’s Morris’ men just yet. St James versus Cortoon is the marquee game this opening weekend with so much talent on display. I’d shade Cortoon marginally as St James are unlikely to get 60 minutes out of Paul Conroy. The news that Gavin Duffy was lining out for Salthill Knocknacarra fairly pricked local GAA ears but he’s been dragged into a club v county dispute before he’s even lined out for either side. An Cheathru Rua should be an easy enough starting point however Salthill did lose in the opener last season to Carna Cashel. The Joyces look to be giving it another lash with Nicky back from New York and Padraig going another year for Killererin and they’re short odds to beat Barna. The biggest betting move over the winter has been Caherlistrane from 33/1 into 16/1 to lift the cup so watch their performances carefully over the next few weeks.

Nowhere to Hyde
A 12 point win for Mayo against Roscommon reflected fairly the difference in quality in these sides last season but a lot has changed since most notably the upswing in the Rossies fortunes. A Division three title and a great showing in the U21 championship will mean even Luke Ming Flanagan will probably skip Brussels for the Hyde this weekend. The Mayo camp are giving this match maximum respect and for good reason. I’m a sucker for value and at 4/1 to win and a handicap of four points I’m all over Ming’s men.

Weekend Acca
Caherlistrane 8/11, St Michaels 8/11, Annaghadown 1/3, Cortoon 4/5 and Roscommon +4 Evs pays nearly 14/1 with John Mulholland

Strike 4

How to Play
• Pick any 4 players to score in each round of competition
• You get points based on them scoring first or anytime.
• Entrant with highest points entrant in this shop after each round matches will win a free €25 bet.
• There will be a new round every week of the World Cup and the entrant with highest accumulated total from all Mulhollands shops wins overall prize of €1000.


Some rules:
• Your 4 players for each round must be selected at the same time; entry forms for each round will be available in all shops as the tournament progresses.
• You can choose the same players for each round but you must register your choices for each round individually.
• You can start at any time in the competition even if you miss a round.
• You can even join during a round, but obviously you cannot pick a player from a match already played.
• In the final round you must select your 4 players before the start of the quarter finals; these will be your players for the quarter finals, semi final, final and third fourth place playoff.
• Please note: You can enter in one shop only. If you enter in more than one shop all entries will be void. You must place a bet on any betting market to qualify for free entry into competition


Scoring:
• The points are based on the first goalscorer odds and anytime goalscorer odds.
e.g. Messi 4/1 to score first = 4 points
e.g. Messi EVENS to score anytime = 1 point.
• If your player scores first, you get the first point bonus and the anytime points.
• The winner at the end of the round is the entrant with the highest points tally.
• All markets are based on 90 minutes only, extra times and penalty shootouts doesn’t count
• Racing Post will be used to determine official goalscorers

Rounds
• Round One-Matches between Thursday 12^th and Thursday 19^th
• Round Two-Matches between Friday 20th and Thursday 26^th
• Round Three-The last sixteen knockout stages
• Round Four-Quarter finals, semi finals and final

Prize fund:
• Highest points tally from all Mulholland entrants:
1st €1000
2nd €200
• Each shop will also give away a €25 free bet to the highest points earner for each round in their shop.

In the event of ties, the person with the most correct First goalscorers will be deemed the winner. If still tied it will go to the person with the most anytime goalscorers. If still tied, prizes will be split.

All Ireland Football Championship 2014 Preview

This column first appeared in Galway Independent on 14/05/2014

3 predictions for Gaelic football this season

The rise of Cork

One All Ireland under Conor Counihan always felt like underachievement. The dismantling of Tyrone in 2009 was the greatest single performance I have ever witnessed at Croke Park. Nerves against their greatest rivals Kerry and a lack of a second gear seemed to be their undoing but this season under Cuthbert the rebels have been revived. A young vibrant squad, this team now looks the biggest danger to supposed certainties Dublin. They will learn from that semi final defeat and I’ve seen enough this season to consider them potential winners. Everybody raves about Dublins amazing comeback in that semi final but Cork blitzed the champions in the first half and Colm O Neill’s goal threat looks the key ingredient to a big summer. Cork fell apart in the middle of the field that day allowing Dublin to win every kick out in the second half. This will not be repeated and right now I find it hard to see Cork not making an All Ireland final. In Munster they’re odds on to beat a Colm Cooper-less Kerry and considering victory there means they avoid Dublin and the Ulster Champions until the final, they are the bet of the season each way at 6/1 or 2/1 to reach the final.

The fall of Mayo

Now let me be clear before any Mayo head reading this hands it to James Horan. This is my views and nobody else’s. It doesn’t reflect the views of the Mulholland organisation especially the man who is currently Galway manager. Mayo will win nothing this year. Having boldly tipped them at the outset last year at 12/1, I was firmly in the camp that believed 2013 was their year. Even as Cillian O’Connor stood in front of the goal, with the game on the line, I thought they'd win it. Twice beaten finalists, I could forgive them losing to Donegal’s early sucker punches in 2012 but last year they choked. End of. Dublin were on the rack and Mayo could not finish them off instead conceding a soft goal and going in only a point in front after a first half of dominance. Even if they get back to the level of play they reached last season, Dublin are now superior to their 2013 side, Cork are on the rise and will pose a mammoth task in the semi finals and half of Ulster is now on a more than capable of reaching their level and can knock them out in the quarter finals.  At 6/1 they are horrendous value to lift Sam. From a betting point of view I'd be inclined to take the 5/2 they don't even win the Nestor Cup this year. Roscommon are capable of an upset in a year I expect Horan’s men to go backwards after years competing at the highest level.

The most open Ulster ever

Nostradamus couldn't predict who'll win Ulster this year. There are 6-7 genuine contenders. Right now at the odds I'd say Cavan (11/1) are the value whilst Donegal (7/2) are hard to get excited about but I'd hang my hat on nobody right now. At 25/1 I’d venture Cavan, Derry, Monaghan and Tyrone to join Dublin, Cork, Kerry and (maybe) Mayo in August Bank Holiday weekend. By the way John Mulholland are betting on which side will produce the most black cards this season and no surprise that Tyrone are 7/2 favourites. Look below for many more markets.

Opening weekend Acca
Roscommon, Laois, Longford and Tyrone is hard to see past at 5/2

Galway club championship

Galway club championship

The local hurling championship swings into action this weekend straight after Galway’s defeat to Kilkenny. It’s hard to form too strong opinion on who will lift this year’s trophy so I won’t be tipping up my likely winner until the groups are formed. The standout ties this weekend are obviously Gort v Athenry and Mullagh taking on Clarinbridge. Gort are currently 12/1 outright but with Gerry Fahy leaving the job and Andy Coen away to travel the world, that price may be on the drift Sunday evening. Loughrea rarely bloom at this time of year but I’d take them at 4/7 to avoid any potential dangerous opponents in the knockout round.

There has been a little bit of support on 2010 champions Clarinbridge at 16/1 but I’ll withhold judgment for now. Barry Daly has had to retire through injury and I haven’t heard any stories of emigrants returning home so unless Michael Browne is seeing something new on the training field; it’s hard to see them in the title contenders bracket just yet. Perhaps last year’s group of death will have raised their standards again and they feel they can get to the top table again. Mullagh is a tough starting point though and Clarinbridge are marginal favourites at 8/13 to oblige.

Turloughmore (4/11) should have too much for Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry even if Fergal Moore is out whilst Craughwell (6/4) will struggle without Niall Healy against last year’s surprise package Beagh.

Liam Mellows v Athenry looks too close to call as does Kiltomer v Killmordaly with John Mulholland betting them as coin tosses. The surest winner of the weekend will be St Thomas at 1/20 against Tommy Larkins.

I always like to throw a little bit of value to my readers and if there could be one surprise this weekend, it could be the defending champions Portumna. Canning is struggling and hopefully Portumna are still celebrating their All Ireland.  Castlegar this weekend represents a real banana skin. John McIntyre’s men lost marginally last season to St Thomas and my mole says they’re training well and at 4/1 represent the sporting bet of the weekend.

Outright Betting: Portumna  9/4 St Thomas  9/4 Loughrea  7/1 Turloughmore  10/1 Gort  12/1 Ardrahan  16/1 Clarinbridge  16/1 Castlegar  20/1 Mullagh  25/1 Beagh  25/1 Tynagh Abbey  25/1 Padraig Pearses  33/1 Craughwell  33/1 Sarsfields  33/1 Athenry  50/1 Kiltormer  50/1 Kinvara  50/1 Liam Mellows  50/1 Tommie Larkins  66/1 Killimordaly  66/1 Carnmore  100/1 Kilnadeema/Leitrim 100/1