Meath Forum

Meath 2024

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Replying To Blackspot09:  "Nonsense.

Let the management do their job. They don't need clubs recommending players to them. This isn't u12 stiff.

They can go and watch games and speak to people in the clubs who's judgement they trust about players.

Last thing they need is to be wasting time with players who have been recommended because they are someone's son or nephew or because who's family are high up in their club which we all know happens with that type of system."
Going by the results in Leinster Club, Robie Brennan has a tough task ahead.

FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2837 - 03/11/2024 14:53:04    2578110

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Be no harm to go back to the old days and ask every club to recommend their best player/players.

I believe every club from Junior up has a stand out player at club level, wont always make it at county I understand however let them have a go.

No certain our development teams are working TBH. Not certain there working at most counties , Kildare are the real prime example, pumped lots of money into it and have seen nothing in return.

My beloved Bracks had a very disappointing championship however the few players that stood out for me were in our games were

Diarmuid Moriarty Curraha
Jamie Browne Ashbourne
Darragh McGovern Asbourne
Keith Curtis Rathkenny

Our own Sean Coffey and possibly his brother Mark could be giving a chance too.

Obviously the lads currently on the panel from Summerhill and Dunshaughlin were good but one was a very tight low scoring affair while the other was a dead rubber.

Just my input

thelutch (Meath) - Posts: 1073 - 03/11/2024 17:18:51    2578162

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Replying To brian:  "God you'd have to laugh at some one here. Talk bull about Colm and the team all through 2023, belittle them and their efforts, suggest they don't play for a manager, down play their achievements in embracing a competition they clearly didn't want to be in but embraced it and won it and to then say they only beat poor opposition including Down twice (who beat Donegal in the championship) … you can't win with some here regardless of what you do.. imagine what they'd have said if we hadn't won it….

Talks all off season about older players who aren't on the panel as saviours… I think and I am open to correction those players were asked to be involved this year and they said no, so it's time to move on… that the coaches who departed (who they also didn't want in the first place) were responsible for all last year, thrashing the new appointees as unproven and not up to it

It's laughable

Then turning round and saying our aim is promotion… and looking to game 7 rather than game 1… and also to suggest we needn't bother about Leinster

Talk of speaking out of both sides of their mouths

This and previous Meath teams are where they are and at the standard they have been for approaching 20 years. An also ran with some brief interludes. Setting targets of promotion and all Ireland quarter finals in 2024 (somewhere we haven't been since 2009) and saying we need to be playing better teams to improve (How did that work out for the great Andy McEntee, I don't remember any victories of note) is not close to our current ability.

We as a county need to accept where we are and work on gains each year. Last year wasn't what many of us hoped but finished on a high. Year 2 needs to be about doing better in the league and championship than we did last year. To me that would be success. Being in the top 4 given the teams in Division 2 this year would be a great achievement. Donegal, Cork, Louth, Kildare and Armagh all played Sam maguire last year, those teams are all ahead of us right now.

Our new players from 2023 and new players coming in this year or returning from injury will need to hit the ground running and all up their game 10-15% more to be competitive in Division two. If they can do that and I think they can then I believe that's success.

Call me crazy or say I'm setting a low bar but I'm not setting up the team to fail already. Incremental gains are where it's all at for me. The league is a huge chance to grow and develop and bring the team on further. Those lads all got into the habit of winning in green last summer. When's the last time we won 6 championship games in a row. Regardless of quality of opposition as the great Andy McEntee said winning is a habit as much as losing is. Let's hope they can keep that winning habit up.

There'll be some bad days coming up but let's hope there's more good ones than bad ones this year.

Best of luck to Colm, his back room team, Ronan, Matthew and the players. One game at a time lads."
Kildare were not in Sam Maguire last year, they were knocked out in quater finals of Tailteann Cup wernt they ? by Laois?

dickie10 (UK) - Posts: 790 - 03/11/2024 18:52:57    2578186

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Replying To winatallcost:  "Surprised about Menton. He is gone a few years and aging. Flynn will be crucial, Harnan had a great year in Tailteann Cup success but is also getting on."
Menton is still only about 33 and Harnan is only about 30. Look at Paul Conroy getting POTY at 35. Menton was probably our best player after Keoghan during Andy McEntees tenure. He might still have someting to offer.

kingofclubs (Meath) - Posts: 330 - 04/11/2024 11:35:24    2578297

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Replying To dickie10:  "Kildare were not in Sam Maguire last year, they were knocked out in quater finals of Tailteann Cup wernt they ? by Laois?"
Dickie.. if you reread the quoted post from me, I made that in January, before the season started

No One foresaw the downfall Kildare would have in 2024 .. they were in Sam in 2023 and made a preliminary quarter final (top 12 teams) losing by a point to Monaghan who pushed Dublin close in the All Ireland semi final.

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1973 - 04/11/2024 12:12:56    2578305

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Replying To dickie10:  "Kildare were not in Sam Maguire last year, they were knocked out in quater finals of Tailteann Cup wernt they ? by Laois?"
Dickie.. if you reread the quoted post from me, I made that in January, before the season started

No One foresaw the downfall Kildare would have in 2024 .. they were in Sam in 2023 and made a preliminary quarter final (top 12 teams) losing by a point to Monaghan who pushed Dublin close in the All Ireland semi final.

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1973 - 04/11/2024 12:13:06    2578306

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Replying To kingofclubs:  "Menton is still only about 33 and Harnan is only about 30. Look at Paul Conroy getting POTY at 35. Menton was probably our best player after Keoghan during Andy McEntees tenure. He might still have someting to offer."
I disagree with the comparison with Paul Conroy. Conroy has been really consistent with Galway over a number of years and didn't step away for a few years at county level. Has Menton been exceptional for club this year? Hernan also stepped away but agree he might have something more to give.

winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 594 - 04/11/2024 12:14:18    2578307

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Replying To winatallcost:  "I disagree with the comparison with Paul Conroy. Conroy has been really consistent with Galway over a number of years and didn't step away for a few years at county level. Has Menton been exceptional for club this year? Hernan also stepped away but agree he might have something more to give."
That's a great point re players. Some guys are dropped and some step away, in Padraic and Bryan's cases they've stepped away twice i think. But as you said have either player stood out in the championship, I'd argue not really and same for Conor McGill and Jack Flynn. No doubt they have talent but if you're not showing out at senior championship then you're not really going to show out at inter county level. I'd argue yesterday cOstello and Gray who'd both start for Meath weren't very visible bar spurts here and there. And that's the issue with Meath, not one player bar Donal Keoghan has been consistently great over the years, lads do great in games here and there but never multiple games at a time. And that's what is needed moving on under Robbie, lads who are great in every game.. a cohort of players who are consistently 7&8 out of 10 in every game.

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1973 - 04/11/2024 12:31:38    2578309

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Replying To brian:  "That's a great point re players. Some guys are dropped and some step away, in Padraic and Bryan's cases they've stepped away twice i think. But as you said have either player stood out in the championship, I'd argue not really and same for Conor McGill and Jack Flynn. No doubt they have talent but if you're not showing out at senior championship then you're not really going to show out at inter county level. I'd argue yesterday cOstello and Gray who'd both start for Meath weren't very visible bar spurts here and there. And that's the issue with Meath, not one player bar Donal Keoghan has been consistently great over the years, lads do great in games here and there but never multiple games at a time. And that's what is needed moving on under Robbie, lads who are great in every game.. a cohort of players who are consistently 7&8 out of 10 in every game."
That has been one of the biggest issues under the last 3 management's. Players have a good season and then there is a drop off. Look at a lot of the players in 2019, they didn't go on to build on what they done and most of them dropped completely off the following year.

Menton was a great servant and has had some excellent shifts in a Meath Jersey but he is nowhere near the level of Conroy.

Last year Adam O Neill was excellent and he needs to build on that. Frayne is the same, he needs to build on what he brought to the table. Costello needs to get back to the level he has shown he can play at.

UsernameInvalid (Meath) - Posts: 409 - 04/11/2024 13:36:58    2578327

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Intersting Menton and Harnan are back around the squad.Is it to add a bit of experience?Is it maybe because of the new rules and kickouts have to go long or would he be thinking about firing Menton in to the full forward line?Strong rumours that Michael murphy back in with Donegal (dont know how true that is)but if you have to have three up top big man with two nippy lads feeding off him?

Proudroyal (Meath) - Posts: 296 - 04/11/2024 21:24:52    2578409

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Bryan Menton, Padraic Harnan and Eoin Harkin all confirmed as back in the squad by Robbie Brennan. Others who were given next to no game time under the last set up are back as well.

BigJoe14 (Meath) - Posts: 998 - 10/11/2024 14:39:03    2579097

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Replying To BigJoe14:  "Bryan Menton, Padraic Harnan and Eoin Harkin all confirmed as back in the squad by Robbie Brennan. Others who were given next to no game time under the last set up are back as well."
I'm sure there are many many players involved, possibly up to 40 and also maybe the Dunshaughlin lads to come back. Any new faces or many from last years panel not asked back in?

winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 594 - 10/11/2024 17:46:29    2579121

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Replying To winatallcost:  "I'm sure there are many many players involved, possibly up to 40 and also maybe the Dunshaughlin lads to come back. Any new faces or many from last years panel not asked back in?"
Gary Breslin is in from MeathHill, Sean Emmanuel from St Pats, Thomas O'Reilly I believe is back in also? I'd imagine then Dunshaughlin probably have about 5 to come into it also, Costello, Kinsella, Gray, Charlie O'Connor and Ciaran McCarrick would be my 5 to come in.

SillySimonsOpinion (Meath) - Posts: 64 - 10/11/2024 21:10:04    2579149

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Replying To SillySimonsOpinion:  "Gary Breslin is in from MeathHill, Sean Emmanuel from St Pats, Thomas O'Reilly I believe is back in also? I'd imagine then Dunshaughlin probably have about 5 to come into it also, Costello, Kinsella, Gray, Charlie O'Connor and Ciaran McCarrick would be my 5 to come in."
Jack Kinlough, Cathal Lacey and Seamus Lavin in too.

Sheridan2010louth (Meath) - Posts: 184 - 11/11/2024 16:00:43    2579244

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Replying To Sheridan2010louth:  "Jack Kinlough, Cathal Lacey and Seamus Lavin in too."
Very interesting additions. Great to see Menton, Harnan, Harkin and Cathal Lacey back.

For those additions there must be some players leaving - any word on that?

stillaroyal (Meath) - Posts: 225 - 11/11/2024 16:15:07    2579246

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Replying To stillaroyal:  "Very interesting additions. Great to see Menton, Harnan, Harkin and Cathal Lacey back.

For those additions there must be some players leaving - any word on that?"
Apart from Jack O'Connor who is going travelling I haven't heard of any. The squad will get trimmed over time. Its not unusual for the initial panel to have up to 50 players.

Sheridan2010louth (Meath) - Posts: 184 - 11/11/2024 18:15:56    2579264

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How about Jack Fylnn any word on him been back in.

Royal.Legend (Meath) - Posts: 685 - 11/11/2024 22:42:21    2579305

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I didn't get to see any Donaghmore-Ashbourne games this year, so can anyone tell me if Menton was really standing out that much?

A reliable player during the 2010s for us, but he's 34 next year. He'd need to be performing at a very high level to merit a call up at that age.

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1668 - 12/11/2024 09:31:58    2579323

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Replying To Royal.Legend:  "How about Jack Fylnn any word on him been back in."
Yes he's back in I believe

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 1527 - 12/11/2024 09:57:30    2579327

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Replying To CastleBravo:  "I didn't get to see any Donaghmore-Ashbourne games this year, so can anyone tell me if Menton was really standing out that much?

A reliable player during the 2010s for us, but he's 34 next year. He'd need to be performing at a very high level to merit a call up at that age."
I don't know how he's been playing for club, but the three players left back rule almost certainly coming in next year does leave the door open for older players to make an impact in the full back/forward line.

MeathAbroad (Meath) - Posts: 101 - 12/11/2024 10:05:58    2579328

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