Defending the Gaelic Football Power Rankings

Having been bestowed the honour/curse of minding one of Off The Ball's most controversial segments, I thought it only fair that I explain my decisions on paper.

The GAA Power Rankings on OTB AM have been one of our most important pieces of content since Eoin Sheahan and Ger Gilroy got it going a few years back - when we first started out, I had the easy job of being the producer who could roar expletives in Sheahan’s ear as he pushed Meath further and further down his rankings (for the craic) - and while we aren’t too sure about the exact amount of dressing room walls we’ve been hung in, we’re keen to get the conversation going on who the best teams in the country are.

With Eoin pitching his tent in South America these days, I’ve been granted the opportunity to decide this year’s Power Rankings, and put my own stamp on things - I won’t claim to be infallible, but a lot of work has gone on here, so I’ll vehemently defend my decisions both on-air (with Ger Gilroy and Shane Hannon) and right here on the GAA newsletter.

We’ll have an update every few weeks on OTB AM, there’ll be plenty of room for movement up and down the rankings, and debate too - you can watch or listen back to the first edition now. I’ve expanded on my decisions below - which were all made before a ball was kicked in the National Football League. Let’s begin.

32nd - Waterford

Waterford sit rock bottom, without a win in Division 4 in 2022, without a win in Munster, or in the Tailteann Cup either - there’s no where else to start. Typically hard to beat at home, they began last year’s league with a draw v Tipperary but didn't improve enough after that. Rooted to the bottom unfortunately, hopefully we'll see them move up the power rankings with a few wins this year.

31st - Wicklow

This one might seem harsh - and it probably is. Wicklow have made a very exciting appointment in Oisin McConville as manager, and they’ve got some cracking young footballers - especially up top, where in Kevin Quinn they have an explosive full-forward, with an eye for goal that most counties would cry out for. Quinn scored a hat-trick vs. Laois last year in one of the performances of the summer before Meath sent them to the Tailteann Cup where they beat Waterford and lost to Offaly - plenty of room for progress, they need a few wins on the bounce to build momentum.

30th - Wexford

Football in Wexford has slid fairly dramitically in the last decade or so - back in 2011 they pushed Dublin all the way in the Leinster final and lost by a goal, before the Dubs went on to win eight of the next 12 All-Irelands - in that time, Wexford have won just seven (7!) SFC games. Yes, I did actually go and count them all. Remarkable stuff. Shane Roche brought a bit of respectability back after he stepped in, and now John Hegarty has taken the helm. Hopefully Football can catch fire again down there, last year they beat Offaly in Leinster, kicked just four points against the Dubs before Offaly sent them crashing out of the Tailteann Cup.

Wexford’s wins in Championship Football since July 2011: 2011 - 0, 2012 - 0, 2013 - 2, 2014 - 1, 2015 - 1, 2016 - 0, 2017 - 1, 2018 - 0, 2019 - 0, 2020 - 0, 2021 - 1, 2022 - 1.

29th - Carlow

That summer of 2017, where Carlow rose - and caused a bit of havoc, feels like a long time ago. Niall Carew is in charge now - and last year they won just one game in Division 4, before giving it a right go in the Tailteann Cup. In Jordan Morrisey, Carlow have a player they can build their team around, but others will need to lift their game around him to get a bit of a tune going this season.

28th - London

One of the stories of last spring, Michael Maher’s still in charge, and has proved himself to be a very good manager. They’ll look to make a big impact again this year, and while I’m not sure how they’re fixed personel wise this season, they always turn up a few gems. Would love a crack at the Connacht Final.

27th - Laois

It’s a sad sight to see Laois so low, and hopefully Division 4 is the bottom of the barrel for a county that had such a good run of it from the mid-90s to the mid-00s. Billy Sheahan is in charge, and it looks like he’ll get a few of the Portarlinton players to commit this year. With the calibre of forwards they possess - they should get promoted, rise up the rankings and give the Tailteann Cup a right crack.

26th - Longford

Granted, these rankings were decided before Longford won the O’Byrne Cup, but truth be told, pre-season competitions don’t have much bearing on who goes where. Paddy Christie has taken charge (alongside his role as DCU’s Sigerson boss) and he’s one of these fascinating young managers who you’d expect to have a big impact on the game. While they’re position may seem harsh - Longford were blessed not to go down last year, and have flatlined in recent years. They were a superb qualifier team over the years, a good crack at the Tailteann Cup this year would do them the world of good. Expect them to rise up the charts.

25th - Leitrim

There’s a buzz about Leitrim Football, and that can’t be denied. Andy Moran has been a breath of fresh air and you can see it in their performances last year. Some will say my Football Pod bias has granted Leitrim a kind ranking, but that’s rubbish. They were very unlucky not to get promoted, and were beaten by Sligo on penalties in a rocking Carrick-On-Shannon after a good win against a fancied Antrim side in the Tailteann Cup. Having retained Mike Solan and added Luke Bree to the management team - promotion is key to their progress this year. Connacht has opened up for one of the lower tier teams to make it through to the All-Ireland series but I can’t help but picture the good it would do for the county to see the likes of Keith Beirne shoot the lights out on a Tailteann Cup run deep into the summer.

24th - Sligo

Sligo had a very respectable 2022. Played well in Croke Park after a penalty shootout win against their neighbours. Again, they were unlucky not to get out of a competitive Division 4 - and this year i think they will. For whatever reason, they have very few players from the county champions Tourlestrane in the panel announced by Tony McEntee - but in Niall Murphy they've got one of the best footballers of the counties around them. Scoring forwards is the most precious commodity in Gaelic Football, and Sligo have a few.

23rd - Antrim

Antrim have been hard to read in recent years - they had an impressive first year under Enda McGinley and Stephen O’Neill, but they were poor last year, especially in their Ulster game vs. Cavan, and were second-best to Leitrim in the Tailteann Cup. Very interested to see how Andy McEntee gets on in charge of another county, their season will be defined by the Tailteann Cup.

22nd - Fermanagh

In Kieran Donnelly, Fermanagh possess another one of these supremely impressive (and young) intercounty managers. There’s plenty of talent in the county, so if Donnelly can get them all on a pitch together, they will do damage. They had a decent 2022, for a team in transition - stayed up in Division 3, played well against Tyrone before a win and a loss in the Tailteann Cup.

21st - Offaly

I had high hopes for Offaly last year, and having watched them live a few times, was left disappointed. This season could go one of two ways under Liam Kearns, I reckon that u20 talent still needs another year and they do have some serious quality across the pitch, just not enough. Not every team will get a sustained manager bounce and I expect them to be in the lower half of Division 3 for 2023.

20th - Down

The way I’ve spoken about them you’d swear I had them higher, but I reckon Down are onto a good thing with Conor Laverty. He’s the right man, at the right time - even if some do think it’s too early for him to take charge - Laverty has been getting ready for this for a long time. His ferocity, nous and ability to build a quality management team will help Down bounce back from a strange few years. Like many teams around them, can they get all the best players in the county on the pitch? For a few reasons, I reckon Down have the highest ceiling of the teams around them. Keep an eye out for fireworks in that Ulster clash against Donegal in late April.

19th - Tipperary

Tipp are probably blessed to be so high. After an exceptional rise over the last decade - which culminated in that historic Munster title - I fear the current slide may continue. Promoted last year, the wheels fell off in the summer - Limerick sent them packing in Munster, before Carlow battered them in the Tailteann Cup. Colin O’Riordan trained with the county in January, but is back in Australia and it doesn’t look like their 2016 All-Star Michael Quinlivan will be around either. You can’t lose footballers of that ilk when you’re already playing second fiddle in the county to the hurlers.

18th - Louth

Louth fans won’t be happy at where they’re at - and hopefully they’ll be one of the teams to rise up the rankings this year. Make no mistake, Mickey Harte is cooking something powerful in the county - but they need to add another dimension to their game this year. Parking the bus won’t cut the mustard where it matters most - but with players of the class of Sam Mulroy and Ciaran Byrne, hopefully they can bring it on another level. Staying in Division 2 is key. They want to compete for Leinster, but maybe a bounce like Westmeath got in the Tailteann Cup wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

17th - Limerick

Limerick edge Louth due to their run to the Munster final, but they could be swapping places very quickly. Billy Lee is a loss - and while Ray Dempsey is a very interesting appointment, there’s a feeling that they’ve hit their peak. They have improved massively since the pre-pandemic drubbings they were shipping, but if they unearth a few new talents and stay in Division 2, they’ll rise up the rankings!

16th - Cavan

Cavan fans won’t be happy, but you just couldn’t have them any higher, for now. Followed up their Ulster win in 2020 with a disastrous 2021 - in fairness they did nearly all they could last year. Promoted to Division 3, ran Donegal all the way in Ulster, before losing control of the Tailteann Cup late on against Westmeath. So much talent in the county, I expect them to push their way up the rankings with another promotion in their sights.

15th - Meath

After all my crying and cribbing about Meath’s place in Eoin’s heart/rankings over the past few years, I couldn’t place them any higher. I do believe in the young talent in the county, and reckon Colm O’Rourke will get a response - but they’re starting from a low base after the McEntee reign ran out of steam. O’Rourke has retained a quality spine of Footballers, and has a real vision of how he wants to play the game - would take great satisfaction in seeing them rise up the rankings (and have a quality Division 2) as well as a crack at Leinster.

14th - Cork

Cork are just edging the ‘Grand Nostalgia’ battle - you might be able to tell that I have a yearning for the battles of the late 80s and early 90s to return. John Cleary did a lot of good stuff after stepping in for Keith Ricken last year after he was ill - they were cursed with injuries but performed admirably against both Kerry and Dublin in Croke Park. If they get their best players on the field and combine a good league with a competitive Championship, it might light that spark again.

13th - Kildare

I know for a fact Kildare won’t be happy, and that’s fair enough - but my argument is, what have they really done? Sure they beat the Dubs in Newbridge, and have lost multiple Leinster finals, but for me, they constantly flatter to deceive. There is so much football talent in the county, but something went awry under Jack and they haven’t sorted it out yet. I’d back Glenn Ryan to do so - and they could easily crack the top 10 here with a strong year, I hope they prove me wrong.

12th - Westmeath

The innaugral Tailteann Cup winners have gotten a fair few brownie points for that alone. 12th may seem high, but there is an abundance of talent in the county, they appear to be on course for a ‘management bounce’ and the buzz after last year’s success was exceptional to see. This year could go two ways for them - I’m expecting them to back up their 2022 with a run at promotion and potentially a shot at a Leinster Final.

11th - Clare

There’s serious character in this Clare side, whether it be dramatic late comebacks or the ability to always compete - it’s been embedded into their veins after a decade under the stewardship of Colm Collins. They’ve been hit hard by retirements this winter, in losing David Tubridy, Kevin Harnett and Sean Collins a hell of a lot of qualities and experience has walked out the door - but there’s young talent on the verge of exploding this year, and with a backroom team that’s been freshened up - I think Clare are on to a good thing again this year.

10th - Monaghan

It was a bad sign when it took so long for Monaghan to get their new management team in place - but that’s probably more a reflection on the commitments and resources required rather than the playing talent at Vinny Corey’s disposal. I do think they need to freshen up the ranks, and that might take time - they’ll be competitive but I don’t expect them to hit the heights they have done in recent years.

9th - Roscommon

Don’t tell my mammy that I have the Rossies this low! In fairness, the lines are fine when you’re this deep into the rankings and I’ve a feeling they could be in the Top 8 by the years end. There’s trophies in the cabinet and an abundance of talent in this side - Davy Burke is an interesting choice and I’m intrigued to see what reaction he derives from a squad that needs it’s young talent to stand up and deliver. It’s a huge year ahead - and while I’d be positive, like Monaghan they’re in danger of a wee slide.

8th - Donegal

Donegal, on paper - are the best team in the country. On Paper. Well paper doesn't wash on the power rankings. Whatever manager bounce that could have arrived, was eroded by the drawn out process to appoint Paddy Carr - and it utterly reversed by the retirement of their everything, Michael Murphy. I’m a massive fan of some of the Footballers in this team, but they’ve been consistent let-downs in the latter years of Declan Bonner’s reign. They are 8th, because they possess some of the best footballers in the county Paddy McBrearty, Ryan McHugh, Thompson, Langan, Patton, Ban-Gallagher - I can’t get my head around what’s been missing, but as I said, great on paper.

7th - Tyrone

This one got a bit of a reaction: 2021 All-Ireland Champions Tyrone in 7th place. I think it’s a fair reflection on where they slid back to last year. It couldn’t have gone worse - but I do think it was a blip. They possess some extra-ordinary talents across the pitch, and where there’s a bit of hunger and a chip on the shoulder, Tyrone are better than anyone. If the likes of McShane bounce back, and the Canavan’s deliver - anything is possible, but they’ll have to shake the hangover of 2022 first.

6th - Derry

Again, this may feel low - the reigning Ulster Champions are in 6th place. Division 1 is a major target of the county this year, as well as another crack at the All-Ireland. Truthfully, I feel like they were quite a bit away from winning one last year. Gallagher delivered the Ulster title - which was huge - but to go that step further, the team needs to evolve - a-la Donegal from 2011-2012, don’t forget that Donegal had McFadden and Murphy to evolve their attacking game-plan around. Shane McGuigan, Heron and Toner need some of the younger stars in the county to burst onto the scene this year - it’s fine lines, and they can do it but I think 6th, as a Division 2 side, is where they’re at.

5th - Mayo

Mayo will be contenders once more - it’s ingrained into the DNA of this side, and while they’ve lost the majority of the 2017 side that pushed the greatest Dublin team all the way, they still possess many of their best traits - and some. Kevin McStay may have lost Oisin Mullin and Lee Keegan, but he is regaining a fit and rejuvenated Ryan O’Donoghue, Tommy Conroy and Cillian O’Connor. He’ll bring a freshness to proceedings this year, he’ll add depth and a new attacking strategy - they’ll be in the mixer once more.

4th - Armagh

As I’m writing this, placing Armagh 4th does feel high - but I believe my selection will be vindicated. Don’t forget they rocked our world in 2022. Scintilating early in the spring, they bounced back from their Donegal defeat in Ulster to avenge that result, send Tyrone packing and lose one of the most remarkable All-Ireland quarter-finals to Galway on penalties. For that reason, I’ve placed them over Derry - I think the depth of the squad, style of play, and ceiling of some of their attacking talents gives them an edge, just. This will annoy plenty, but I’m sticking with it - Armagh to cause havoc once more this year.

3rd - Galway

All-Ireland runners-up should be second, right? As you’ll have read above, much more than sheer statistics goes into the make-up of these Power Rankings. Galway had an exceptional year under Padraic Joyce - but apart from PJ, and maybe the players themselves, I’m not sure many expected them to be contenders. Like Derry, their game needs to add a few more dimensions to consistenly become one of the best. I think they can though - the return of Peter Cooke and Ian Burke illustrates the riches at their disposal, and in Shane Walsh - they have a talent like no other in the country. I think Galway will have another year to remember.

2nd - Dublin

Sean O’Shea kicked one of the greatest frees we’ve ever seen to drag his Kerry side over the line against Dublin, that’s how fine the margins were - a Dublin side who were a beaten docket, who had been relegated to Division 2, who were missing their marquee man Con O’Callaghan and were up against it on every level. They’ll be back with a vengeance in 2023. The flames will have been lit in the capital, the bat-call has gone out to Paul Mannion and Jack McCaffrey and they’ve returned. I expect to see a new version of Dublin this year, and it might get scary.

1st - Kerry

With a clean sweep in 2022 - Kerry won it all. With the Clifford’s, Sean O’Shea, and a new suite of All-Ireland medals lining the pockets of a new generation, this Kerry side, under Jack O’Connor are here to stay. I do believe they’ll have a poor league, and will have their work cut out to keep Sam in the Kingdom. Only the greatest teams go on to win back-to-back All-Ireland, Kerry have plenty of great footballers, possibly even the greatest of all time in their ranks - but are they a great team? Only time will tell.

So - there you have it, the rhyme and the reasons behind the first official Gaelic Football Power Rankings on Off The Ball. There’s been plenty of debate on twitter, YouTube and TikTok already - feel free to make your case for any changes in the comments, we should have another update on OTB AM after round 2 of the league in early February.

Thank you for reading and getting involved in the conversation - just a reminder that The Football Pod returns Monday night with our third episode of the year, and the first after a brilliant opening weekend of the National Football League.