They Said It ....

January 2005

ÒWhen a player puts on a county jersey, he takes on a major responsibility which should see him give no less than 100 per cent effort. But that wasnÕt the way it turned out for our lads today. "We probably had only two players who put in the necessary level of effort, and we only played with sufficient fire and passion for perhaps the first 10 minutes of the second half.Ó
Cavan manager Eamon Coleman is less than complimentary when describing his teamÕs efforts after they lost to Tyrone by 16-points in the McKenna Cup

“A lot of stuff before Christmas was blown out of all proportion and I can assure you that Galway hurling is not in crisis or anything like it."
Galway hurling captain Ollie canning attempt to settle stormy waters in the west. It had been alleged that players were not happy with the current setup in the county.

“At the moment my appetite for inter-county football is nowhere near what it should be. I will take a few of the National football league games as a spectator and see if my appetite returns.”
Meath double All-Ireland winner Evan Kelly is not sure if he still has the hunger to wear the Royal jersey

“There is at least one more good year in Diarmuid. I know that there is a lot of the other boys that will maybe be thinking of quitting when this year is over. It would be fitting that maybe Diarmuid would quit with them.”

Joe Kernan tries to twist Diarmuid Marsden’s arm into committing to the intercounty game for another year, while at the same time hinting that the current Armagh team might just have one more year left in them

“In everything there is a teething process. Players will be a little bit more careful in future. Late tackles will have to be avoided. It’s going to be better for the game because there will be more fluidity in the play.
"It was only the start and we’ll all have to learn to adjust, managers, players and referees. It’s going to take a bit of time."
Mick O’Dwyer urges GAA people to give the new experimental rule changes a chance after they came in for heavy criticism at the start of the year.

"It would probably be unrealistic to expect to be available for selection for the league, but hopefully I will have regained sufficient fitness and match sharpness to be considered for the championship."
34-year-old half back Sean Og de Paor can’t wait to be back in the Galway colours after suffering a cruciate ligament injury

“Personally, I believe that dual inter-county players take the risk of both of their sports suffering, but if Mattie, or any other player wants to try it, that is absolutely their own decision to make.”
Wexford football manager Pat Roe will not stand in the way of All Star Mattie Forde playing hurling with the county

“We have stressed to our officials that they must implement the rules exactly as they have been given them, there should be no softening of attitudes or half-implementing them.”
Referees PRO FR. SEAMUS GARDINER says that the new experimental rules will be implemented exactly as they are written in the rule book. 10 a side football here we come!

“I know Paul loves his hurling, but right now it seems as if he cannot give the necessary commitment. I spoke to him in December when he more or less indicated that he would be unable to give the commitment. He seemed to have made up his mind that he would not be joining the squad for the 2005 season.”
Paul Codd won’t be part of the Wexford hurling panel for 2005 as new manager Seamus Murphy explains