JOE talks to Ciaran Whelan and Donie Shine on Championship 2013 and get some predictions

At the official launch of eircom’s ‘Win, lose or draw’ game today, JOE spoke to some of the biggest names in GAA to talk Championship, free-taking and we get a prediction or two.

Those lads at eircom really know how to pull in the big names. At today’s official launch of the brilliant ‘Win, lose or draw’ game at Croke Park, some of the biggest names in GAA were on hand to explain how it works.

We already have a JOE League up and running so get in there, join up and be in with a shot at winning some sweet All-Ireland football final tickets.

So who did we speak to and what did they say? Here's Part I, with Donie Shine and Ciaran Whelan;

Roscommon star Shine was surprised at the London upset of Sligo and he was really impressed with how good Mayo looked when they beat Galway. The Rossies face Mayo in Castlebar in a few weeks and Shine was under no illusions how tough a task it was, describing Castlebar as ‘one of the toughest grounds in the country to visit’ after causing the likes of Dublin and Tyrone problems there in the League.

Shine also told us that Roscommon’s preparations were going well, they had integrated the Under 21s and St Brigid’s players back into the panel and they were ready for the challenge of Mayo.

As for predictions, I asked him for his provincial winners and he plumped for Kerry, Donegal and Dublin after I gave him a pass on Connacht.

Next up was former Dublin midfielder Ciaran Whelan. The Dublin team that was named last night came up and Whelan described the team Jim Gavin picked as ‘formidable’ and ‘attacking’. He predicted a tough day for Westmeath in Croke Park and called the options Dublin had on the bench ‘frightening’. Safe to say he likes Dublin’s chances of a win tomorrow.

I pressed him on the continued absence of Alan Brogan and Whelan said that while he felt Dublin had the players to cover him in the short term ‘they could do with Alan’s experience near the end of the season’. Wise words I suspect.

Whelan reckoned Kildare were the biggest challenge to Dublin in Leinster and he went for Dublin, Kerry, Mayo and Donegal to scoop provincial honours, though he warned to keep an eye on Tyrone from the back door.

I also asked him about Paul Galvin’s comment this week that one of the hardest hits he ever got was from Whelan. Ciaran doesn’t remember the incident, though he said he would take it as some sort of compliment. He went on to say that "I’m retired three years now, so if he hit him now, he has no doubts who would come off worse."

Whelan still looked in pretty good shape to us. Let's just say I wouldn't fancy trying to shoulder him off the ball.