Colm O’Rourke says the 2016 football championship has begun with a “whimper” but believes National League status has been evident in the early results.
Last week, Roscommon scraped past New York and in Ulster,Fermanagh have set-up a quarter-final date with Donegal after they overcame Antrim, while there were wins in Leinster for Laois, Louth and Offaly.
The Sunday Game analyst suggests that putting All-Ireland champion Dublin out first would be ideal way to start the season while also observing that the stronger teams, according to their National League position, all emerged victorious in the first two weeks of the championship.
“It started off with a bit of a whimper,” he told RTÉ Sport.
“We had no team from Division 1 in action. Probably the championship should start off with the All-Ireland champions to give it a bit of buzz from day one.
“What yesterday confirmed is, status in the League is very important.”
Niall Smith hit the crucial goal while decorated forward Niall McNamee helped himself to four points from play as Offaly overcame Longford and O’Rourke wasn’t surprised that the Faithful County finally broke their provincial hoodoo.
“It was hard to credit that it is the first time they have won a championship match in Leinster in nine years, a county with such a proud tradition of winning.
“That was a big win for them and they are a county on the move. They only missed out on promotion to the second division of the League by score difference
The two-time All-Ireland winner with Meath was critical of the fact that Laois’ quarter-final with Dublin, after they had seven points to spare over Wicklow, will take place in Nowlan Park and was impressed by Fermanagh’s win over Antrim.
Next up for the Ernesiders is a daunting trip to Ballybofey but O’Rourke believes their defensive set-up will ensure that they will be a tough nut to crack.
“They now have a system under Pete McGrath that they are comfortable with. They are a team that aren’t going to score too much but no-one scores much against them,” he said.
“If the game was in Enniskillen I think everybody would be backing them because I don’t think they have beaten there for several years.
“If Fermanagh were in any other province they would have a great chance of winning, but Ulster is so, so difficult.”
Fermanagh take on Rory Gallagher’s side on 12 June for a place in the Ulster semi-finals.
