When we play those big awkward mullockers from Galway we need to have big men to combat them
Thatās what Iād expect too, Reck corner back. Would much rather him half back though.
Iād say we can be flexible and use a horses for courses approach. Just taking Dublin as our first championship game, for example. It would probably suit us to have OāHanlon stand up against Keaney and let them knock lumps out of each other. Or maybe take someone like M Schutte if heās playing. So either of those could be in the full or half line and it could end up with Reck playing half back as default.
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To carry on the team layout discussion, it is starting to take shape now.
Goalkeeper - Fanning. Has fuck all competition really, albeit Lawlor is there as back up but it was a sloppy goal conceded yesterday, whether the fault of Ryan at fullback or the keeper is a debate, but nonetheless, high balls into the square cant bounce around.
Full back line - Joe O Connor, Liam Ryan, Simon Donohoe - options with Conor Firman, Shane Reck and Damien Reck. Iām still not overly convinced with Donohoe as a defender, but he has been consistently in the side and doing ok. JOC has done very well this year since getting starts
Sweeper - Kevin Foley. Alternatives to him with starters would be McGovern and Murphy, but Foley is easily the best of them in this specific role.
Half back line - Shaun Murphy, Matt O Hanlon, Pauidi Foley - options with Damien Reck, Connal Flood, Gary Molloy. This is not what I would pick but as noted above, would probably what Davy would pick. I think Flood will start making inroads into the team soon. Showed real class yesterday in his debut.
Midfield - Dee OāKeefe, Liam Og McGovern - Options with Aidan Rochford, a St Annes trio. Other options then would be the likes of Chin or Rory coming back, or Aidan Nolan off the bench.
Half forward line - Jack O Connor, Lee Chin, Rory O Connor - options rotate really with all forwards on the bench, so look at them after the full forward positions.
Full Forward line - Conor McDonald, Paul Morris. I think the front 5 are guarantees and will only rotate between positions. But we really do now have options. Aidan Nolan, Cathal Dunbar, Mikey Dwyer, Harry Kehoe, Seamus Casey. All similar types of players, all with pace and stamina. All can play inside line or half forward line, although Nolan is better half forward midfield area than inside.
Spoke last year about the lack of depth, but there are 27 named there who have all played reasonably significant game time in the league so far (bar Casey and Molloy who only got a few minutes yesterday) and whilst there is a slight drop off in quality in some positions, its not as big as what it has been previously. There is decent competition for places and even within the squad 26 itself. Also, many of the options there are still quite young and coming in strong. The likes of Damien and Shane Reck, Gary Molloy, Conor Firman, Connal Flood, Mikey Dwyer, Seamus Casey, James Lawlor all under 22 and then Dunbar, Nolan, Rochford not exactly old in the scheme of things either. So we have a good balance at the moment with experienced players and good young players pushing for places.
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Lads am I right in saying we play Waterford in a quarter final as long as there is a winner between Galway and Tipp? I think Iām right taking into account Waterford score difference.
While this kinda stuff is just filler with nothing on, surely some of this is very dubious. Liam Ryan is a great lad but putting him as the best Wexford full back since 1970 is surely a reach. Displacing Darragh Ryan to fit him in seems very silly.
Only 4/5 members (George didnāt play in 97) from a team that won 2 provincial titles and an All Ireland also seems a bit odd. Adrian Fenlon and Rory McCarthy should also be included in my opinion.
Iām a big fan of Liam Ryan but Darragh Ryan was a colossus. Only one winner
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Daragh Ryan was a great full back
surely Fenlon should be in the selection ahead of OāKeefe??
Agree completely. Liam could well go on to eclipse him but as of right now Darragh would be the choice. One of the few Wexford hurlers who played with a small hurl from my memory. He was rarely ever hooked or blocked. Never seemed in a rush and made everything seem so easy. Not bad for a lad who made his intercounty debut as a centre forward
In fairness to OāKeeffe, heās been our best and most consistent player for 3-4 seasons and only got the recognition last season. However he played wing back for 2 of those. Fairly sure he was the only half back to score in every league and championship game 2 seasons back.
Fenlon should be in there though. Iād probably move Mick Jacob to half back and remove Larry O controversially to fit him in. Larry had 1.5 good years.
Darragh Ryan is a better full back by a fat margin
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Iād also say Liam is a better corner back than Darragh was
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Edited accordingly
What in the name of absolute fuck?
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Ok, 2.5 years max
I can only reply in these terms
Darragh Ryan was a savage full back. Kept Wex competitive in a number of games putting out fire after fire
Liam is a good hurler but a stop gap full back who possibly is better is other defensive slots. He is a liability at full back going forward.
Declan Ruth wasnāt far off a spot on that team.
Agree re Skippy Ruth
cant understand the omission of Fenlon