I’ve gone for a fair bit of versatility in this team. With quite a bit of that versatility relying on Ken McGrath’s multi-positional career. The back six could be completely rejigged if things weren’t going well with Kavanagh the only one staying in position. So you could have eg R Maher into FB with Casey to the corner. Ken McGrath to CB with McInerney to the wing with Jackie Tyrell coming out to the other wing. Tyrell could also play CB as could Maher. So lots of options there.
Midfield has possibilities too with eg Brendan Maher & Ken McGrath switching. Furthermore Noel McGrath could then switch to midfield with Ken McGrath into wing forward.
The front six maybe aren’t just so versatile of course but Ken McGrath could also play CF with Bonner Maher going to the wing. I’d want the front 6 to be moving and switching a fair bit anyway initially round Bonner Maher. DJ roams anyway but he and Timmy McCarthy can switch back & forth with McCarthy’s hard graft paying off for DJ to pick up the pieces. We know how Prendergast can graft and break ball and I wouldn’t be averse to putting Bonner in at FF and take Prendergast out to CF and Hayes is no slouch so there’ll be goal opportunities here. Later in the game it could look at times like
J McGarry
M Kavanagh R Maher M Casey
G McInereny J Tyrell B Maher
N McGrath M Houlihan
Bonner Maher K McGrath DJ Carey
K Hayes S Prendergast T McCarthy
The back 6 are still a strong unit and with Noel McGrath, one of the cleverest hurlers in the country at midfield, a three quarter line that with DJ’s and McGrath’s brilliance and the pure workhorse Bonner Maher is worth a massive 26 point on the rankings the full forward line won’t be found wanting for work and could snipe a goal at any time. We have leaders all over the field too. Tyrell, B Maher, both McGraths, DJ, Bonner, Prendergast. This is a strong, hard-working versatile, classy team with some exceptionally clever and brilliant hurlers.
No shortage of free takers short or long. DJ for the penalties of course. After that himself, the Mahers (not Bonner) & the McGraths will sort anything else.
They’ll be hard bet. Batigol has a well balanced strong side. I just don’t think they have the versatility to take Cuchullain’s Crew.
Individual battles at throw in:
Kavanagh v Power
Casey v Cloonan
Tyrell v Gillane
K McGrath v Lehane
McInerney v Prendergast
R Maher v McCormack
B Maher\ Houlihan v Fenlon\Dunne
N McGrath v B Maher
Bonner v Hannon
McCarthy v Browne
Hayes v Connors
Prendergast v Fanning
DJ v Reale
My general plan here is that my full back line can hold any full forward line, freeing up my half backs to distribute good ball into my inside line, as well as take the odd score themselves.
My midfield can also chip in with a few scores (I predict at least 2 points from sidelines from Adrian Fenlon).
I’ve added two work-horses in the half forward line who can retreat out and do some midfield donkey work, creating space for Lehane to roam, and do damage.
The inside line, on foot of the excellent ball they’d be receiving, would do serious damage.
Declan fanning should hold his own against seamie, chunky, bonnar and timmy mccarthy will do a lot of donky work but won’t shoot lights out. Batis stellar half back line will close any space to mcgrath youd feel.
Its mike houlihan v fenlon in the ‘what the fuck are they doing here’ battle royale but tommy dunnes low laser ball into eugene can reap dividends while brendan maher looks for dj in a forest of backs. McCormack and Lehane are flaky but theres just a bit more class to batis outfit and the dawgs will have three centre backs under the one dropping ball.
Good post mate and good luck, you are leaving things there thin up front with the rejig and tyrells oversized ego will be as big as a baseball stadium with this new found trust in various positions but anything can happen.
Good team @Batigol, particularly astute putting cloonan in the full forward line, the younger lads might not have seen enough of him, the dimmer lads might not rate him but he was a man in his day and a serious hurler.
The winning of this is in @Batigol’s menacing full forward line, blissfully ignorant of 2 or 4 point players. They will take stopping, although I feel a red card or two could be niggled out of them, and have been instructing my own full back line to be wise of the same ahead of a potential next round clash.
I think Batty swings it too in his more conventional half back line, although they will have more work cut out for them then the Kú Khulainn Krew’s, as the KKK’s have a decent half forward line.
@Batigol has a very dangerous-looking full-forward line that I think will do damage against that full-back line. And he also has a very impressive half-back line to boot which should be able to get ball inside to them. His weakest line, like many others, is probably his half-forward line but has two good workers there aswell as Lehane who can take scores if he finds the space.
@TheBlackSpot is bigging up the versatility of his team, and that’s all well and good, but having to chase a game is never a great situation to be in and although I think he might have the edge in the midfield battle, I’m just not sure he has enough firepower to win this game, especially against what is a fairly strong backline.
