THE FAULTS IN OUR STARS

WHEN Dublin won their six-in-a-row in front of an empty Croke Park in 2020, Gaelic football had reached a dead end.

- GARRY DOYLE

No one was good enough to challenge them - no-one was allowed in to see them.

Perhaps the punters were lucky because football was turning into an increasingly drab game, ruined by negative tacticians whose fear of defeat conquered all.

Fast forward five years.

We have a new set of rules, a new set of players, and a new set of teams.

Dublin are still there, of course, serious contenders to win another All-Ireland.

But for the first time in 15 years, there is no stand-out team in Gaelic football. In fact, as many as 10 counties believe they can bring Sam home this summer and every single one of them has evident flaws.

ARMAGH

More than most, the defending All-Ireland champions are struggling to adjust to the new rules, Rian O'Neill's absence depriving them of their best long-range point-taker, thereby denying them the chance to score more two-pointers.

Worse again, they wasted five weeks developing a gameplan around Ethan Rafferty's forages forward, the keeper dropped last weekend after the FRC tweaked their own rules to essentially stop the 12-versus-11 overlap that Armagh and Rafferty were perfecting.

Throw in the usual trouble that newly-crowned champions have in defending their crown, on top of the fact they appear rooted in their past tactic of dropping players back to form a blanket defence, and you can see why they have issues.

"Rian probably won't be back this year," said Kieran McGeeney of his star forward. A huge problem for them, a massive opportunity for everyone else.

DUBLIN

The trouble is no-one seems fit to avail of that opportunity.

Dublin, on the face of it, are in the hunt, seeing as they are second in the League table, poised to make another national final. Yet, they have lost twice already this spring. Indeed, there isn't one Division 1 side who has won more than four matches in 2025.