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National League

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It's that time of year when we start looking forward to the national league season!! With the newly implemented rules, there is a renewed sense of excitement for not only Meath but also football in general!!

What starting 15 do we think will take the field for the first competitive game under Brennan? Do we expect to see some old faces back or some fresh blood in ? What impact will 3 men up make to team selection?

Faithfulmeath (Meath) - Posts: 14 - 16/01/2025 14:30:20    2586091

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My guess with pretty much no intel.

1). Billy H,
2). Seamus L,
3). Adam O'Neill,
4). Ronan Ryan,
5). Ciaran Caulfield,
6). Donal Keoghan,
7). Brian O'Halloran,
8). Brian Menton,
9). Jack Flynn,
10). Matt Costello,
11). Shane Walsh,
12). Daragh Campion,
13). Jordy Morris,
14). Eoghan Frayne
15). Diarmuid Moriarty

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 1533 - 16/01/2025 14:39:02    2586092

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It will be interesting to see Brennan's selection given he may be without 7 or 8 lads from Sigerson.

UsernameInvalid (Meath) - Posts: 411 - 16/01/2025 16:52:18    2586110

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i think we will be doiing well to get 6 points on board, wins against Cavan at home and westmeath and down away are our most likely , its hard to make a case for winning any other games. hopefully likes of west meath tank with losing so many players and get only 2 points or 0 and someone like Down just get 2 or 3 points so 4 or 5 points might save us.

dickie10 (UK) - Posts: 796 - 16/01/2025 20:23:19    2586139

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Replying To UsernameInvalid:  "It will be interesting to see Brennan's selection given he may be without 7 or 8 lads from Sigerson."
Anybody who is playing Sigerson will also be playing for Meath unless it's managements decision not to play them

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 1533 - 16/01/2025 21:08:38    2586142

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Replying To Faithfulmeath:  "It's that time of year when we start looking forward to the national league season!! With the newly implemented rules, there is a renewed sense of excitement for not only Meath but also football in general!!

What starting 15 do we think will take the field for the first competitive game under Brennan? Do we expect to see some old faces back or some fresh blood in ? What impact will 3 men up make to team selection?"
Hard to imagine that the returning players such as Menton, Flynn and Harnan won't play a lot. Also I think Eoin Harkin has to play, it's crazy to me that he wasn't on last year's team. As for fresh new faces I think Conor Duke and Conor Frayne will play some part.

Sheridan2010louth (Meath) - Posts: 194 - 16/01/2025 23:09:26    2586150

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Replying To dickie10:  "i think we will be doiing well to get 6 points on board, wins against Cavan at home and westmeath and down away are our most likely , its hard to make a case for winning any other games. hopefully likes of west meath tank with losing so many players and get only 2 points or 0 and someone like Down just get 2 or 3 points so 4 or 5 points might save us."
I expect a win up in iniskeen. If nothing else other then a massive backlash after last years debacle...... i havnt heard anyone tip us to beat louth, but to think louth are now some sort of unbeatable machine is laughable imo. They are a good team but very beatable. Very well drilled last year but that was based on absolutely everyone dropping back when the opposition had the ball, they can't play last years system anymore. These smaller teams that are competitive depend on the safety of numbers an awful lot. Teams will beat louth this year imo.

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 942 - 17/01/2025 07:14:50    2586155

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Complete shot-in-the-dark selection given there's been so little reliable information on panel or challenges. And even though RB can play Sigerson players, he may rest a few lads who qualify for the following Wednesday's quarters. Think the new rules will include some left-field calls, eg throwing a midfielder into the forward line and lots of position rotation throughout the match with players getting a 'breather' as one of three at the back.

1) Billy Hogan
2) Donal Keogan
3) Adam O'Neill
4) Brian O'Halloran
5) Ciaran Caulfield
6) Brian Menton
7) Sean Coffey
8) Jack Flynn
9) Cian McBride
10) Darragh Campion
11) Shane Walsh
12) Eoghan Frayne
13) Jordan Morris
14) Mathew Costello
15) Conor Duke

MeathAbroad (Meath) - Posts: 112 - 17/01/2025 10:00:29    2586173

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Best of luck to the new management and players. Not sure what to expect really with the new rules coming in. I can see loads of teething problems in the league with the new rules, God help the referees , I think they will be the villains for most of it.

Imagine been fouled on the 14m line, through it to a teammate and he can kick and go, travel 4 metres before been tackled ?

Will be pure carnage.

Anyways , back to the games, I hope I'm wrong but cant see us finishing in top 4 BUT we have the two favourites to top the group at home so who knows.

Vital we start well and have something to show after Cork and Cavan games.

All very tough games and to be honest cannot actually say we are better team than any of the other 6, certainly 50/50 in a lot of the games but I'm hopeful certainly not confident. It will be a very tight group, 8/9 points could get you promoted.

Be like my house, nothing in it.

thelutch (Meath) - Posts: 1075 - 17/01/2025 19:23:31    2586238

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You just don't know with the rules how this will go. Would imagine we'll leave Shane Walsh high up the pitch and Costello will be coming back out. Hoping for a bit more youth injected into the team as well.

I'm hoping we'll be within touching distance of promotion with 2 games to go but based last year that's really optimistic.

LoyalRoyal (None) - Posts: 465 - 17/01/2025 19:36:05    2586240

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Congrats to Eoghan Frayne on being named captain for 2025, impressive achievement for a 21 year old and congrats to Caulfield another 21 year old named vice captain.

Heard meath hammered Antrim in a challenge match in Navan today. I'm not aware of any injuries to the team. No reason why they can't go down to Cork next Saturday and put in a big performance for Robbie's first game.

Sheridan2010louth (Meath) - Posts: 194 - 18/01/2025 18:31:23    2586300

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Replying To thelutch:  "Best of luck to the new management and players. Not sure what to expect really with the new rules coming in. I can see loads of teething problems in the league with the new rules, God help the referees , I think they will be the villains for most of it.

Imagine been fouled on the 14m line, through it to a teammate and he can kick and go, travel 4 metres before been tackled ?

Will be pure carnage.

Anyways , back to the games, I hope I'm wrong but cant see us finishing in top 4 BUT we have the two favourites to top the group at home so who knows.

Vital we start well and have something to show after Cork and Cavan games.

All very tough games and to be honest cannot actually say we are better team than any of the other 6, certainly 50/50 in a lot of the games but I'm hopeful certainly not confident. It will be a very tight group, 8/9 points could get you promoted.

Be like my house, nothing in it."
Can't use Solo and go inside the 20 metre line

Analyst (Meath) - Posts: 1499 - 18/01/2025 23:26:19    2586323

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Replying To southmeathgael:  "I expect a win up in iniskeen. If nothing else other then a massive backlash after last years debacle...... i havnt heard anyone tip us to beat louth, but to think louth are now some sort of unbeatable machine is laughable imo. They are a good team but very beatable. Very well drilled last year but that was based on absolutely everyone dropping back when the opposition had the ball, they can't play last years system anymore. These smaller teams that are competitive depend on the safety of numbers an awful lot. Teams will beat louth this year imo."
I expect Louth to win Leinster this year and win Division 2. What you expect is totally different from what's gonna happen.I don't see anyone on here mention that Louth are unbeatable except for your goodself. I think Louth will be OK this year in the league. They won't go up or go down. I think Meath will struggle and get relegated. I hope that I am wrong as I have great Meath friends that ironically have a soft spot for the Wee County.

Ollie2 (Louth) - Posts: 955 - 19/01/2025 11:54:24    2586346

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Replying To Analyst:  "Can't use Solo and go inside the 20 metre line"
Thanks for clarification

thelutch (Meath) - Posts: 1075 - 19/01/2025 17:00:57    2586380

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Was just listening to the We are Meath podcast and they have confirmed that Darragh Campion and Cathal Hickey have stood aside from the panel this year for a break.
They also said that the Antrim challenge match that was played behind closed doors had the following team starting for Meath.

Billy Hogan
Seamus Lavin
Adam O'Neill
Donal Keoghan
Eoin Harkin
Sean Coffey
Ciaran Caulfield
Brian Menton
Jack Flynn
Conor Duke
Jack Kinlough
Keith Curtis
Jordan Morris
Matthew Costello
Eoghan Frayne

Apparently the game was played in three thirds. The above team played in the 1st third and blew Antrim away.
Players introduced were Shane Walsh, Shane McEntee, Ronan Jones and Cillian O'Sullivan(an a whole host of others apparently).
Other information arising was that Ronan Ryan is nursing an injury and is not likely to return until the middle of the league.
Accprding to Davy Rispin, Menton and Jack Flynn have started midfield in all the challenge matches

Kingroyal (Meath) - Posts: 41 - 20/01/2025 10:52:37    2586528

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Replying To Faithfulmeath:  "It's that time of year when we start looking forward to the national league season!! With the newly implemented rules, there is a renewed sense of excitement for not only Meath but also football in general!!

What starting 15 do we think will take the field for the first competitive game under Brennan? Do we expect to see some old faces back or some fresh blood in ? What impact will 3 men up make to team selection?"
Interesting to see the players been used at the back.keoghan oneill defo one of the 3 back in own half.
From the names been fired about as regards older lads been brought back in.
Have we not seen enufvto know there come to there end .time will tell potential is there, hopefully no politics come into it.

Borderroyal (Meath) - Posts: 498 - 20/01/2025 13:19:36    2586576

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Replying To Borderroyal:  "Interesting to see the players been used at the back.keoghan oneill defo one of the 3 back in own half.
From the names been fired about as regards older lads been brought back in.
Have we not seen enufvto know there come to there end .time will tell potential is there, hopefully no politics come into it."
Politics never comes into it.

That's just one of those myths people throw out there when certain players from their own clubs or area don't get picked by management. Do you honestly think any meath manager would pick players based Politics or anything else non football related when it is their reputation and job on the line if results don't go the way they are expected to.

Blackspot09 (Meath) - Posts: 1035 - 20/01/2025 13:35:13    2586582

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Replying To Blackspot09:  "Politics never comes into it.

That's just one of those myths people throw out there when certain players from their own clubs or area don't get picked by management. Do you honestly think any meath manager would pick players based Politics or anything else non football related when it is their reputation and job on the line if results don't go the way they are expected to."
It's in all walks of life.naive to think differently but let's hope your right

Borderroyal (Meath) - Posts: 498 - 21/01/2025 09:35:29    2586730

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Replying To Borderroyal:  "It's in all walks of life.naive to think differently but let's hope your right"
To be honest it's naive to think this current Manager or any previous ones would pick players based off "politics" instead of the what they believe are the best players available to them.

I was very critical of our last Manager on a regular basis but at no time did I believe he was picking players based on politics or because they were from a certain club or a certain area. I may have disagreed with some of players he chose to have in there and also some of the players like Eoin Harkin he chose to cut loose but He was making decisions based on what he thought was best for the team and county and not based on politics.

As I said yesterday Colm O'Rourke or any Meath Manager would not jeopardise their job by picking lads who they know are only being picked based on politics.

Phrases like "there is politics involved" is one of those vague statements that people throw out but there is absolutely no way of actually proving that it's the case.

Perhaps it happens at underage level to some degree but it doesn't happen at senior inter County level.

Blackspot09 (Meath) - Posts: 1035 - 21/01/2025 09:57:24    2586733

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Replying To Blackspot09:  "To be honest it's naive to think this current Manager or any previous ones would pick players based off "politics" instead of the what they believe are the best players available to them.

I was very critical of our last Manager on a regular basis but at no time did I believe he was picking players based on politics or because they were from a certain club or a certain area. I may have disagreed with some of players he chose to have in there and also some of the players like Eoin Harkin he chose to cut loose but He was making decisions based on what he thought was best for the team and county and not based on politics.

As I said yesterday Colm O'Rourke or any Meath Manager would not jeopardise their job by picking lads who they know are only being picked based on politics.

Phrases like "there is politics involved" is one of those vague statements that people throw out but there is absolutely no way of actually proving that it's the case.

Perhaps it happens at underage level to some degree but it doesn't happen at senior inter County level."
Spot on

MeathAbroad (Meath) - Posts: 112 - 21/01/2025 10:32:08    2586746

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