green.and.gold (Leitrim) - Posts: 427 - 19/10/2017 17:55:53    2056305

Danielsgaa (Leitrim) - Posts: 8 - 19/10/2017 18:07:21    2056309

Rumour has it that Enda Lyons has been given full control of strength and conditioning for the coming year. Thoughts?

journeyman11 (Leitrim) - Posts: 47 - 19/10/2017 18:28:34    2056317

Danielsgaa (Leitrim) - Posts: 8 - 19/10/2017 20:04:28    2056334

Players have already been called up by management since start of October, started s&c since last week. Management have seemingly laid it on the line for players this year and are taking a serious approach to preparations. It just seems different to different years to me, starting so early and a serious approach so early in the year. It's about time we took an approach like this and give it our all.

leitrim4sam (Leitrim) - Posts: 645 - 19/10/2017 20:48:59    2056345

any word on what new players are called up ? or past players committing? i think its positive that we got the jump on s/c lets hope the lads carry through and stay committed.

hurricane567 (Leitrim) - Posts: 34 - 19/10/2017 23:15:25    2056420

Gary Plunkett Oisin Madden and James Rooney are gone! But they are some of the better players. S&C coach is the former tipp coach. That's the only positive. Not sure what's Lyons but looks like he is being groomed for something bigger. Lads meeting up this time of the year and a photo of a big squadron of people doesn't show anything. The Dubs didn't go back training properly til March. The league will tell us if anything has really changed. Not great draw for us in Connacht.

bananapublican (Leitrim) - Posts: 878 - 20/10/2017 01:23:57    2056432

green.and.gold (Leitrim) - Posts: 427 - 20/10/2017 09:49:41    2056466

theham (Cavan) - Posts: 91 - 24/10/2017 12:00:35    2057500

From what I've heard about next year's panel only one Aughawillan player will play. And it is being said that Benny Flynn, Oisin Madden and James Rooney are out who were all starters last year. Nicholas McWeeney, Phiilip Dolan, Cillian McGloin and Colm Moreton have all been called up. With away trips to both New York and London it is this year that historically we have had less issues with players committing to the county. To me, this clearly shows that the players have very little faith and it is hard not to agree. Guckian and Quinn may have been on the team in 93 but neither has had any success at either inter county or club management at any level and are being trusted with our most talented group of players in a generation. Compare this to even the other Division four teams. Wicklow have got John Evans who needs no introduction, Laois have got John Sugre who has trained Kerry u21s and south Kerry to a championship, Carlow have Turlough O'Brien and Steven Poacher who is seen as the best coach in Down, London have Ciaran Deely who works with professional soccer teams and is clearly qualified, Limerick have Billy Lee who is seen as one of the finest coaches in Munster and Paudi Kissane who is a top S&C coach who trained Clare hurlers to the All-Ireland and finally Antrim have Lenny Harbinson who managed St Galls to win the All Ireland. Yet we are left with two legends of Leitrim football who wouldn't be in the running for the top three club jobs in the county and people still wonder why the top players such as Conlan, Brennan etc. won't commit let alone some of the Aughawillan or Mohill players who probably have better club managers. Yet the county board won't act as once again it will prove they haven't got an appointment even near right since Mickey Moran. I even see today Sligo have appointed a Tyrone man who was McGuinness assistant and has won championships in Donegal. Atleast they show ambition yet we will be here in 6 months saying "We just don't have the players" which is completely untrue at the moment. We could very well be the first team beaten by New York.

OnTheBank (Australia) - Posts: 170 - 24/10/2017 14:40:05    2057548

green.and.gold (Leitrim) - Posts: 427 - 24/10/2017 14:54:11    2057554

So from what I can see here, it looks like we are going into a championship without our goalkeeper from last year, our two wings backs that played all through 2017. Paul Brennan and Kevin Conlan two LEITRIM Men who are good enough to play for Division One teams, Mark Plunkett a player who has taken part in Aussie rules trials if I'm right, starts for one of the top Sigerson teams and was our U21 captain last year. Wayne McKeown our vice-captain from last year. Gary Plunkett our starting corner forward in our last championship game and one of our top club forwards, Sean McWeeny our captain from 2016. Pearce Dolan - who was selected as the best player in Leitrim in 2016 and is still only 21. Shane Quinn who has consistently been one of the best club players in Leitrim for the past 4 years, Conor Beirne who if fit and sometimes unfit is still the best forward in Leitrim. That's 11 players off the top off my head and not even including some of the Willies if these rumours are true. From memory bar Donal Wrynn I don't think there is one player going to be representing Leitrim in 2018 that beat Galway in the U21 semi-final in 2014 yet 8 or 9 of that Galway team now have a Connacht medal and are their main players. Leitrim doesn't have a problem producing players it has a crisis in retaining them and developing them. I know each individual I mentioned has different reasons for not playing I am just making an overall point that I feel the processes and structures are not in place to help these boys to decide to commit. The county board who continually appoint individuals who are not of a required standard have a lot to answer for.

Leitrim1234 (Leitrim) - Posts: 297 - 24/10/2017 15:39:50    2057568

green.and.gold (Leitrim) - Posts: 427 - 24/10/2017 16:53:09    2057595

Benny Flynn is not gone

bananapublican (Leitrim) - Posts: 878 - 26/10/2017 10:57:19    2058092

totalrecall (Leitrim) - Posts: 920 - 27/10/2017 10:54:21    2058506

Carrick and Ballinamore areas have won all Ireland titles, we have players who make Sigersoj teams, we had a team that defeated Galway in the Under 21s and we have a Connacht League Minot team winning the competition. As talent coming through this is as good as it gets. We never had it so good. Disingenuous to suggest that the players are to blame. In the right hands and with club teams looking on at a great management team getting the best from this crop would have such a positive effect on the entire county. We lack ambition, end of!

bananapublican (Leitrim) - Posts: 878 - 28/10/2017 17:37:11    2058805

moesyzlack (USA) - Posts: 161 - 28/10/2017 20:19:11    2058833

Question regarding the Leitrim master fixture list for 2018.

Does the fact that the inter-count season ends on the First weekend of September mean that the Leitrim SFC/IFC/JFC can run to a conclusion in say Mid September as opposed to mid October?

Frawnci3 (Leitrim) - Posts: 64 - 02/11/2017 13:13:35    2059757

These are the 8 players who are not committing from last year's panel. There may well be more and maybe some of these will come in at a later stage but at the moment these players are gone.

Paddy McGuire, James Rooney, Shane Moran, Oisin Madden, Mark Plunkett, Pearce Dolan, Gary Plunkett, Conor Cullen

it is looking like Paddy McGuire who is by far the best defender in the county is out. Shane Moran our most experienced midfielder is out. Our two starting wing half backs from last year are gone. The word is that Cullen is out injured for between 4 and 6 months but will be treated by the county's medical team but will miss the whole league. Two of the Plunkett's and Pearce Dolan are gone with no other Aughawillan man called up apart from Noel Plunkett who is staying involved. So from what I can see we are left with the majority of last year's u21 panel. Donal Wrynn and Benny Flynn are our two most experienced players at 25 which highlights how we cannot retain players over the last 10 years. There is it seems no players from Manor and only one from Aughawillan. Which means Fenagh has more players on the panel than Aughawillan and Manor combined for example? Emlyn Mulligan and Nevin O'Donnell are only rehabbing from cruciate injuries which they have each done numerous times before which means their return is not entirely certain in the long run.
However, it will be said that these are all personal decisions from the players which is obviously true. But let's get real, if the management team were inspiring confidence all these players would be committing especially as everyone can see the talent coming through. It must be soul destroying for the players that are giving their time to represent Leitrim that none of these players will play. I would be sure that someone could name a team of players that are not committing that would beat our panel for next year, which to me should be seen as a crisis but to the county board it seems acceptable. It's not nice to say as I respect Guckian and Quinn but if there were people with the required experience and abilities in charge all these players would be committing.

LeitrimWay (Leitrim) - Posts: 66 - 02/11/2017 14:17:23    2059779

I'll have a go at picking a team that WON'T be playing for Leitrim next year who are still good enough to play or be looked at in the FBD.
Cathal McCrann
Matthew Murphy Paddy McGuire Oisin Madden
James Rooney Paul Brennan Shane Quinn
Shane Moran
Sean Flanagan
Pearce Dolan Mark Plunkett Kevin Conlan
Gary Plunkett Conor Beirne Conor Dolan

Eanna Madden, Wayne McKeown, Sean McWeeney, Paul Earley, Shaun Chandler, James O'Brien, Evan Sweeney, Ciaran Gilheany , Thomas Mulvey , Nicholas Moore , Fergal McTague, Robbie Cunningham Fergal Wynne, Sean McNabola, Seamie McMorrow, Ray Mulvey, Daire Farrell, Cathal McCauley, Killian McGriskin, Keith Keegan, Eoin Ward

I'd put my mortgage on this team beating whatever Leitrim team lines out in New York yet people will still spout the same rubbish that "we just don't have the players". I'm sure I am forgetting a few names and that some of these might not make the panel if we had everyone and I have included a few older and younger players just to create debate but it highlights how Leitrim inter-county football is close to breaking point if all of these players cannot be motivated to commit to the cause. It also shows how strong a panel we would have if everyone was fighting for a place.
If I was to take a guess the Leitrim team in NYC will look something close to this.
Benny Flynn
James Mitchell Alan Armstrong Michael McWeeney
Noel Plunkett Donal Wrynn Nicholas McWeeny
Damien Moran
Dean McGovern
Niall McGovern Conor Gaffney Ryan O'Rourke
Darragh Rooney Keith Beirne Ronan Kennedy

OnTheBank (Australia) - Posts: 170 - 03/11/2017 12:51:43    2060061