Sorry, i though Laois were playing Wexford, my mistake.
Weâre playing Cork Kev, jaysusâŚ
I didnt think much of Meath last weekend, but then the conditions played into their hands against our small forwards. Are ye boys home or way?
Meath will have the U21âs back too, that will be a boost to them.
Thursday, 12 March 2009 15:41
Note to all fans that want to hang flags in the Stadium tomorrow night. There are limited places to hang flags in the Stadium as the east, south and north sides of the ground has been cordoned off to allow for construction of the second, east stand. To facilitate fans with flags, a club official will be at the main reception door at 5pm to allow fans enter the ground, place their flags in position and then leave the Stadium. This facility will end at 5.30pm
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Greg Cameron is fit and will be in the squad. Stephen Bradley has recovered from a slight injury, while Darragh Maguire is near to full fitness and may be included in the panel.
Both Pat Flynn and Sean OConnor are serving suspensions and are unavailable for the Sligo Rovers game. Otherwise, Shamrock Rovers are at full-strength.
Says Hoops boss, Michael ONeill: All the focus in the media this week has been on the opening of Tallaght Stadium, but for the players and the management team its been about the game.
Were pretty much at full strength and are looking forward to taking on Sligo Rovers. As last weeks opening games suggest, theres not much between the ten teams and this will be a competitive season.
Weve had a look at Sligo Rovers, and I feel we can look forward to a good, open and entertaining first game in Tallaght. And our target is to start off with a win.
Dempsey beefs up Laoisâs challenge
GAVIN CUMMISKEYTEAM NEWS: LAOIS MANAGER Sen Dempsey has added experience and some much needed physicality to his team as Brendan Quigley, Noel Garvan and Brian McCormack return ahead of their NFL meeting with Cork in Portlaoise on Saturday night.
Donie Brennan and Chris Bergin have been dropped from the attack while Kevin Meaney loses out to the experienced Garvan at midfield.
Quigley will line out at centre forward, with Billy Sheehan moving to the wing and Michael Tierney going into the corner.McCormack is selected at right half-forward with that positionâs previous incumbent Peter McNulty also moving to the corner.
Meanwhile, Galwayâs perfect start to the NFL will come under threat this weekend as Liam Sammon will have to plan without a host of under-21 players when they face Donegal in Pearse Stadium on Sunday.
Sammon is also manager of the Galway under-21 side which will meet Mayo in the Connacht championship at Charlestown on Saturday.
Senior players such as Paul Conroy, Adrian Faherty, Jonathan Ryan, David Reilly, David Finnegan and Stephen Kavanagh are all due to feature in that contest, leaving Sammonâs options for Sundayâs clash with Donegal limited.
âWe have a large and talented squad, but obviously the under-21 game will stretch resources a bit,â said Sammon. âBut it would be great to get another two points on Sunday and set ourselves up for the closing games of the league.â
Donegal manager John Joe Doherty has named an unchanged team for the trip to Pearse Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Donegal were pipped at the death by Dublin last week, but there was much to admire about their second-half comeback in woeful conditions in Ballyshannon.
Pat Gilroy has been so impressed with the form of Dublin hurler Ross OâCarroll as Kimacud Crokesâ full back leading up to Tuesdayâs All-Ireland club final, that the football manager is considering sharing the player with Anthony Daly this season.
âYes, if the fella feels that he can do it I would be (interested). We would have to work out the logistics of it and how it would work. One big problem would be that we are due to play the same day in the first round of the championship.
âSo that is not going to be the easiest thing to figure out. I donât have a problem with it, but the logistics of it make it very difficult for anybody to do it. There are such demands.â
In the same breath â well at the same press conference in DCU yesterday â Gilroy paid tribute to his current number three Denis Bastick who is the latest player to be tested in a position that has caused Dublin many problems in recent seasons.
âI think he has been acquitting himself very well. He has marked some of the best forwards in the country over the last four or five weeks. He hasnât conceded too much directly to those guys.â
Gilroy named the same side that won up in Donegal ahead of Saturdayâs match against Derry at Parnell Park. Paul Flynn (ankle), Eamonn Fennell (appendix), Colin Moran (hip), Tomas Quinn, Alan Brogan and Paul Brogan are injured, while several of the Crokes contingent are expected back in the panel next week.
Portumna defender Martin Dolphin has been freed to bid for an unique double next week after the Connacht Colleges hurling final was put back by six days.
Portumna Community School are bidding for their first provincial senior hurling crown, but would be without their star player if the final against Gort Community School went ahead as scheduled next Sunday.
Dolphin has emerged as a top-class defender and is due to play in his first All-Ireland club final when Portumna defend their crown against Waterfordâs De La Salle at Croke Park on St Patrickâs Day.
The Leaving Cert student did not feature in the colleges semi-final win over Presentation College Athenry and would have had to sit out the final had it gone ahead next Sunday.
However, the colleges final has now been put back to Saturday week, a decision which has been welcome by Portumna and Galway star Damian Hayes, who coaches Portumna CS along with Tom Brehony.
âIt is great that Martin will be able to play in both finals and fair play to all involved. Hopefully, it will be a great week for Portumna,â said the former All-Star who himself will be bidding for his third All-Ireland club medal next Tuesday.
LAOIS (SF v Cork): M Nolan; P Begley, C Ryan, R Stapleton; P OâLeary, D Rooney, P McMahon; P Clancy, N Garvan; B McCormack, B Quigley, B Sheehan; P McNulty, R Munnelly, MJ Tierney.
DUBLIN (SF v Derry): S Cluxton; P Andrews, D Bastick, A Hubbard; J Brogan, G Brennan, B Cahill; C Whelan, R McConnell; D Connolly, C Keaney, D Henry; B Kelly, K Bonner, B Brogan.
DONEGAL (SF V Galway): M Boyle; E McGee, N McGee, P McDaid; E Wade, R Sweeney, K Cassidy; C Bonner, C Toye; B Boyle, C Dunne, R Kavanagh; M Murphy, S Griffin, D Walsh.
CORK (Under-21 F v Kerry): D Farry; S McLoughlan, J OâSullivan, N Galvin; C OâDriscoll, A Walsh, B Daly; C OâDonovan, K OâDriscoll; C Sheehan, S McCarthy, C OâDriscoll; C OâNeill, D Goold, P Honahan.
CONNACHT (Interpro v Leinster): (Players from Galway unless stated): C Callanan; S Kavanagh, D McClearn, G Mahon; A Coen, B Costello, M Ryan; K Raymond (Sligo), A Cullinane; M Kerins, P Killilea, K Hooban; N Healy, F Healy, A Callanan.
[quote=âmyboyblueâ]I didnt think much of Meath last weekend, but then the conditions played into their hands against our small forwards. Are ye boys home or way?
Meath will have the U21âs back too, that will be a boost to them.[/quote]
Playing them at home (Always seem to get them at home).
Forde is back for this one and weâve a savage record against them so hopefully our season kick starts from here.
Big game for ye then, youâd imagine there will be no coming back from 4 defeats.
Absolutely. Maybe the chopping and changing is all part of Ryanâs plan to try get backup in a few positions. Still shouldnât be getting into a relegation position though.
If it falls right come championship then we wonât mind I suppose.
Sure Kev would hardly be expected to know that MBB would he? 
It was a bit of a shock to me that he didntâŚ
Heâs not a Cork man at all sure
Is Kev not from Arklow?
Perhaps he goes along to Cork football matches to support the hurlers? 
A true Cork GAA would follow both codes. Maybe Kev is a fraud after all. Fookin Cork cunt.
I plan on wearing this t-shirt to the Cork Laois game Saturday night
Deserve that in fairness, as it happens i would be more football than hurling. Honestly hadnât looked at who we were playing(concentrating on U-21 clash V the cunts over the border!), had seen the team and was delighted to see a few new faces and Sigerson boys get a run. Look out for Ray Carey MBB, i think he is full of potential, but maybe a bit slight as yet. Will be interesting to see how Paul Oâ Flynn gets on against a big and experienced midfield. I think heâs a wing forward, just not big enough for Midfield, but weâll see.
On the U21, we have a very young U21âs this year, and i think they are going the way they went a few years ago, building up a team that will be there for 2-3 years. Donât know enough about the Kerry team to make a prediction, but they do have Moran and Walsh, and i would fear for a couple of our younger kids against them. Talented Cork team, but maybe a bit light. Canât believe Paul Honohan is on before Barry Oâ Driscoll as well, i wonder what Bob Honohan had to do with that.
Meath are absolute shite by the way. There warm up made me laugh when they came to Cork, 1996 kinda warm up. Totally disorganised on the line as well.
I expect Laois to beat us handy really, without those masterful athletes Ger Spillane and Derek Kavanagh starting we donât have a chance. Its nothing to what Kerry are going to do to our under-21âs though.
What matches are on TV over the weekend?
[quote=âTurenneâ]I expect Laois to beat us handy really, without those masterful athletes Ger Spillane and Derek Kavanagh starting we donât have a chance. Its nothing to what Kerry are going to do to our under-21âs though.
What matches are on TV over the weekend?[/quote]
Derry match on tomorrow night, highlights of Laois Cork after it.