Exactly … and a few new members to the panel got an eye opener yesterday…
And we have a good idea of our best team and our patterns of play, we don’t need to be playing our best just yet.
You need lads blooded in case a few of the main 15 aren’t fit. It’s what teams have done in the league for eons
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I’d prefer if we identify like for like replacements rather than changing three lines of the team. Eg Reidy or Dempsey to step in as a half forward rather than moving Kyle, Lynch and Nash up and down to plug gaps.
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The depth of our panel is really strong, but it’s a bit light in midfield and at half forward, arguably the two lines most likely to need fresh legs.
We have five really good options that you wouldn’t be afraid of starting for the full back line and half back line. That’s serious depth. Full forward line we have four guys going for three starting places, and we’ve a couple of subs who will do grand at the end of a game.
At midfield and half forward we don’t have that depth at all, and after the five players likely to start in those two lines there is not the same quality available as we have in other lines of the field.
We might regret turning so many of our forwards into backs yet.
Reidy is first man in the half forward line - started both days and started championship games last year. Depending on the opposition and where he wants to deploy Lynch obviously. Some days Lynch will be at 11 with Donovan and other days you’ll need him at 9. Donovan can easily play 11 and I think it’s his best position. Kiely seems to fancy Reidy. He’s after being given some amount of chances
If we get an injury there we are genuinely light for cover in those two lines unless we move Hayes back up.
If you move Hayes and Nash into the forwards who would you play wing back?
Dan is full back until Mike Casey is ready. Paddy Loughlin is gone off the squad
He’s tried a good few lads wing forward, Dempsey and Boylan, Reidy, they aren’t at the level of the starters but that’s no slight
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You wouldn’t move both but you might have to move one.
Sure theres no cover for wing back if you move one of them, who would you put in there? They were moved out of necessity
Sure this is my point, we don’t have endless depth. If you move Hayes forward then Nash starts wing back. It’s not the worst solution but I’d keep Hayes wing back if at all possible.
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But if Hannon went down then. Fellas are grand where they are
Lads, lads lads … The boys have very little training done and some of our starters have only a few minutes under their belt or none at all. Casey- Gillane- Sham is a serious line and looks to be our starting one - they’ve had a few minutes together second half yesterday. Kyler bombing up and down the wing will torment opposition, it’s been missed so far… Hannon’s influence and passing open’s the thing up completely… English is finding fitness after a long lay off also. We’re in a fantastic position here… We played two of our main opponents who have both put in a lot more hours than us so far and we were there or there abouts with them… lack of fitness leading to some silly decision making and stupid fouling… once we’re up to speed we’ll be laughing, literally… You can see a few lads are still carrying a little bit of timber - Cian Lynch being a prime example. It looks like most of the others are looking to peak for early championship - Kiely is clearly looking beyond that.
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Big body of work to do in 5 or 6 weeks. I’d say they’ll devour it
It is a big body yeah - that’s why Tipp/Cork/Galway have gone hard it a couple of months now… Cork have been motoring a while now from reports I had in March. Losing first day means nothing really - JK knows this… we’ll just get a run of games to build us nicely.
Getting Hannon back and getting Darragh O’Donovan and Lynch going again will make a huge difference.
Just the quality of delivery to the forwards really. These 3 lads really have that.
Could Will O’Donoghue play at 11?
Bring back Malachy
Last Christmas all the pundits were talking about how the other counties would need to up the physical efforts to narrow the gap. Obviously that is happening to some extent.
All the diving to the floor will take its toll on harder mid-summer ground.
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Is Kieran Bermingham gone from Na Piarsaigh?