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Wicklow GAA thread

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Good win today for Boscos Boys. These lads should be on 4 pts now. I'm not clear on how last weeks defeat affects promotion but he seems to have the lads motoring well.

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 2067 - 01/02/2026 21:17:42    2654458

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Replying To JohnnyBlaze:  "I was at last nights game and the Leitrim game. Carlow were deserved winners last night and are a better football team than us, I expect them to win the league.

McConville has gone to the media today bemoaning referee decisions, thats worrying. Wicklow did not deserve to get anything from last nights game. To give him his due, his verdict after the Leitrim game was spot on. We were very lucky to get the win. I will also say his half time team talk was impressive last week, as we came out in the second half went 6 up, but coughed that lead up which is a running theme.

Strangely I still expect us to be promoted, I feel we have the players to do so. However the favourites tag we received in the run up to the league does not suit us. That will in my opinion be the highlight, as we will not go as far in the Tailteann Cup this year. Once we come up against Division 3 opposition we will be knocked out. So even if promotiom happens this year, we wont last in Division 3.

There are those who will call this outlook negative, but if you are going to the games its hard to see otherwise. McConville to his credit has stayed on in the hope of getting us promoted to put on his CV. This is his final year with us, he will not stay a second year promoted or not. Hopefully last nights defeat gives us the jolt we need and we get promotion. Then tear up the script go on a run in the Tailteann, but not going off performances so far."
I think this Div 4 will have a few twists and turns in it yet. Reading the Leitrim page, Waterford could have won that game yesterday. London are proving that their fair form last year was no fluke and could be around at the business end. Antrim will wake up and make life tough for a few teams. Not too sure what to make of Tipp. I suppose what I am saying, promotion is still possible, but we need to wake up and start playing football.

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 2067 - 02/02/2026 11:24:36    2654561

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Minors had their first challenge game yesterday. Beat Leitrim fairly convincingly. Hopefully they will have a good campaign this year.

liam500 (Wicklow) - Posts: 224 - 02/02/2026 13:04:17    2654583

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Replying To liam500:  "Minors had their first challenge game yesterday. Beat Leitrim fairly convincingly. Hopefully they will have a good campaign this year."
That team was held in high regard last year when u16. Let's hope we get a good run in Leinster. To make a final would be nice, for a change.

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 2067 - 02/02/2026 14:22:54    2654597

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Replying To wicklowsupport:  "Probably but ye still needed the referee to blow his whistle at the end to get your two points."
Ridiculous statement really, just trying to make yourself feel better. Carlow were 10 points better and don't forget that it was a breach at the end that you originally got your free off.

Collio (Carlow) - Posts: 58 - 02/02/2026 14:47:12    2654607

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Pretty deflating defeat in Carlow. I know you can say it's only January, Winter football etc, however if you look coldly at it, this is a Carlow set up that was in disarray last year under Shane Curran and they've gotten a good , local , respected manager in place and are seeing immediate results.

We , on the other hand, have had good continuity under the same management set up now for a few years , so you'd reasonably expect to be building towards something in terms of structure, patterns , end product. However , it doesn't seem to be there and by all accounts (I didn't see the game) Carlow done us over fairly handily in the end.

Relying on our goalkeeper for scores is a bad spot to be in given the new rules and how open the game has become with teams now routinely racking up 20+ points per game.

Like I said , it's January and Winter football and it can be literally a different ball game when the ground hardens up, but would expect to be seeing more evidence of progress at the moment.

Hawkeye2 (Wicklow) - Posts: 185 - 02/02/2026 15:57:37    2654620

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Replying To Hawkeye2:  "Pretty deflating defeat in Carlow. I know you can say it's only January, Winter football etc, however if you look coldly at it, this is a Carlow set up that was in disarray last year under Shane Curran and they've gotten a good , local , respected manager in place and are seeing immediate results.

We , on the other hand, have had good continuity under the same management set up now for a few years , so you'd reasonably expect to be building towards something in terms of structure, patterns , end product. However , it doesn't seem to be there and by all accounts (I didn't see the game) Carlow done us over fairly handily in the end.

Relying on our goalkeeper for scores is a bad spot to be in given the new rules and how open the game has become with teams now routinely racking up 20+ points per game.

Like I said , it's January and Winter football and it can be literally a different ball game when the ground hardens up, but would expect to be seeing more evidence of progress at the moment."
It seems the team has regressed since last season. Maybe a change is required. You're right, the new rules rewards scoring. When a team's top scorer game on game then a team will struggle to beat any team at this level. In our first two games our best scorer is Mark Jackson. Most of the starting forwards from our first two games need to be replaced by other players, other forwards in the squad should be given a chance. Normally I'd want continuity but not on current evidence. There's a long way to give in this league campaign so still time to improve but being realistic, on current form we'll struggle to get promoted. Even if we were to be promoted, we wouldn't fare too well in a higher division.

wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2163 - 02/02/2026 17:42:11    2654636

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Replying To wicklowsupport:  "It seems the team has regressed since last season. Maybe a change is required. You're right, the new rules rewards scoring. When a team's top scorer game on game then a team will struggle to beat any team at this level. In our first two games our best scorer is Mark Jackson. Most of the starting forwards from our first two games need to be replaced by other players, other forwards in the squad should be given a chance. Normally I'd want continuity but not on current evidence. There's a long way to give in this league campaign so still time to improve but being realistic, on current form we'll struggle to get promoted. Even if we were to be promoted, we wouldn't fare too well in a higher division."
I went to see the hurlers on súnday after the diappoíntment of sat night. Bosco has all the clubs and main players that he wants on the panel and they showed skill commitment and off the ball suppor tfor each player in possesion. What impressed me also was their physical presence. Anrew Kavanaghs and Padraig Doyles physical stature really stood out when contesting possesion . I was just wonderíng are there players out there that Oisin could consider with the samé stature skill and athletíčism that ŵould štrenghten óur ball winning ability. I have now watched the last 2 games where we hardly won a ball in the air or breaking ball.
Interesting íf pošters could suggest what they consider would be their best 6 choices from different clubs that would improve the team.

Optimisticobserver (Wicklow) - Posts: 144 - 02/02/2026 20:04:22    2654657

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Replying To wicklowsupport:  "It seems the team has regressed since last season. Maybe a change is required. You're right, the new rules rewards scoring. When a team's top scorer game on game then a team will struggle to beat any team at this level. In our first two games our best scorer is Mark Jackson. Most of the starting forwards from our first two games need to be replaced by other players, other forwards in the squad should be given a chance. Normally I'd want continuity but not on current evidence. There's a long way to give in this league campaign so still time to improve but being realistic, on current form we'll struggle to get promoted. Even if we were to be promoted, we wouldn't fare too well in a higher division."
There is no doubt that the best we can say at present about our footballers is that they are standing still. We have not embraced the new rules. Our goalkeeper is our top scorer. We have forwards who can, or could, score prolifically for their clubs. Now they appear in dread of making a mistake or losing possession. We are not improving year on year. We don't have a settled team. We have last years backs playing in the forwards. This is probably ok as we all play the same game - pass the parcel. We could still get promoted but it will be difficult, and like you, I can't see us being good enough to stay up. I too have been campaigning for consistency, but we are getting the opposite.

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 2067 - 02/02/2026 20:53:38    2654663

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Replying To Optimisticobserver:  "I went to see the hurlers on súnday after the diappoíntment of sat night. Bosco has all the clubs and main players that he wants on the panel and they showed skill commitment and off the ball suppor tfor each player in possesion. What impressed me also was their physical presence. Anrew Kavanaghs and Padraig Doyles physical stature really stood out when contesting possesion . I was just wonderíng are there players out there that Oisin could consider with the samé stature skill and athletíčism that ŵould štrenghten óur ball winning ability. I have now watched the last 2 games where we hardly won a ball in the air or breaking ball.
Interesting íf pošters could suggest what they consider would be their best 6 choices from different clubs that would improve the team."
I don't get to enough club games anymore to have an opinion on what players might be good enough. I hear good things about the younger Miley brother in Laragh. The Coffey lads in Rathnew are good fielders. I'm not too sure about their distribution rates.

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 2067 - 03/02/2026 15:23:53    2654803

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Carlow deservedly won on Saturday, they played better than us for large portions of the game. However, that was definitely a goal, it may just cost us later in the campaign , if of course we can find some form that is!

stringfellohawk (Wicklow) - Posts: 146 - 03/02/2026 20:05:12    2654864

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Replying To stringfellohawk:  "Carlow deservedly won on Saturday, they played better than us for large portions of the game. However, that was definitely a goal, it may just cost us later in the campaign , if of course we can find some form that is!"
Went to Carlow. How can u say it was a goal when whistle was blown before it went in to the net? if goal was scored and then whistle went it could be argued then but whistle blew for a correct square ball. Not sure i will go again. No forwars at all

heavyheart19 (Wicklow) - Posts: 172 - 03/02/2026 22:14:26    2654880

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Some players that spring to mind for mé are last years and this years senior award winning players Tommy Kelly and Tom Burke. Others would be Snell and one of the Coffeys from Rathnew. James Boland Kiltegan and Adam Byrne (Rathew) Tommy Keogh Baltinglass. Any other posters with views.
3 tough matches to come with Antrim Tipp and London and the other two could pose banana skins for us. We are still too slow to get the ball into the inside forwards to score or offload to inrushing players. I thought we had turned that corner in the first 15 minutes against Carlow where there was movement and scores but alas we reverted back to our old bad habit of slow lateral passing and then heading for the corners offering impossible angles to shoot from.
I agree that we have not adapted to the new rules. I think the coaching needs to be addressed or we neef a new coach. Another stint in division 4 would be disastrous.

Optimisticobserver (Wicklow) - Posts: 144 - 04/02/2026 17:41:55    2655016

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I think the days of elevating some obscure player that's been going well in the club scene and throwing them into the county team to make a difference mid season are well & truly over. The fitness and conditioning demands are too high. So unless it's a player that has only maybe stepped away from the panel recently and wants to return or a club player who looks after themselves unbelievably well, then there is no chance of them being able to adapt to just being thrown into the county mix.

We are already lamenting the fact that we have players who have been in S&C programs now through minor, U20 and into Senior and yet still we look miles off where we need to be from a physical conditioning perspective versus where the top teams are at.

Hawkeye2 (Wicklow) - Posts: 185 - 04/02/2026 18:44:30    2655022

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