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League Final

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League final Sunday. What will the team be? feel it's all pretty much locked down bar wing forward and corner forward. Does Mcbride, O neill (if fit) , Conlon or lynch start. Personally, I would love to see the exact same 15 as the last day with McBride and Lynch starting? Faithfulmeath (Meath) - Posts: 44 - 23/03/2026 22:07:43 2662701 Link
Replying To Faithfulmeath: "League final Sunday. What will the team be? feel it's all pretty much locked down bar wing forward and corner forward. Does Mcbride, O neill (if fit) , Conlon or lynch start. Personally, I would love to see the exact same 15 as the last day with McBride and Lynch starting?" Both teams will be stronger than the previous league fixture with a couple of lads back since for both teams. Think it will be the same starting 15 as against Offaly. Although our midfield did have a tough time of it the last day vs Cork so wouldn't be surprised to see some tweak. If we can get close to parity at midfield I think we might have the edge up front, particularly in Croke Park. gwanyagudthing (Meath) - Posts: 123 - 24/03/2026 12:00:01 2662812 Link
Replying To Faithfulmeath: "League final Sunday. What will the team be? feel it's all pretty much locked down bar wing forward and corner forward. Does Mcbride, O neill (if fit) , Conlon or lynch start. Personally, I would love to see the exact same 15 as the last day with McBride and Lynch starting?" Expect same team to start as v Offaly if no new injuries. Banty is a great impact off bench and possibly needs a few weeks injury free training to be starting. McBride played well on Sunday and he really needs a big game against Cork along with Flynn and Menton to get a foothold there that wasn't in Pairc Ui Rinn. Lynch and O'Connor deserve to start and expect bench to be used from 45 mins onwards. winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 956 - 24/03/2026 12:03:02 2662814 Link
First of all, what a campaign! Division One here we come. Excellent skill, determination, physicality and steel all were needed to get there and in different games the team delivered as was required. The two games vs. Derry and Tyrone in particular were great results and the lads showed the plums to see off Louth and Cavan in tough games with shifting scripts. Dominant displays vs. Kildare and Offaly. I believe, perhaps erroneously, that Meath are a better team than Cork. There is an edge up front for certain in my view. However we only lost to one team in this campaign and that was Cork... that day Meath played relatively poorly, Cork built a score early and Cork won midfield. In spite of that, Meath could have snatched a draw at the death by staying in the fight. Croke Park suits this Meath team. We know that for a fact. I think this game (and the lure of a bit of silverware) probably means a bit more to the Meath boys at the moment, but it is anyone's guess how either team will treat the final. If it were my league I'd do away with the final, but it is what it is. Should be an excellent couple of games this weekend. If Meath find their fifth gear and things go to plan, Id predict a narrow win. But honestly, we're in division one and thats all that matters... To finish, well done again to the team and the staff. A credit to the county. Young_gael (Meath) - Posts: 624 - 24/03/2026 18:48:48 2662943 Link
If there are any lads carrying knocks or just in need of a rest they shouldn't play the weekend. It's an opportunity to give lads minutes who are coming back from injury or who have been mainly on the bench. I still think we'll be competitive but there's no benefit in pushing players for this match if it leaves us short in Leinster MeathAbroad (Meath) - Posts: 180 - 24/03/2026 20:30:52 2662964 Link
McBride will start, id be very surprised if he doesn't. Midfield is the key battle when playing this cork team. Unlikely to happen but I'd like to see someone like a cathal hickey, eoin harkin type player pick up cris og Jones. He's a torment and I think itd be a real addition to this team to be able to go after someone. Keoghan, Coffey, caufield are attacking players first now, they won't man mark a streaky silky player like jones. We've played louth too many times now to allow mulroy to keep running the show he needs a man marker and sean bugler of the dubs does too. royalcounty1 (Meath) - Posts: 61 - 24/03/2026 20:50:38 2662965 Link
Replying To MeathAbroad: "If there are any lads carrying knocks or just in need of a rest they shouldn't play the weekend. It's an opportunity to give lads minutes who are coming back from injury or who have been mainly on the bench. I still think we'll be competitive but there's no benefit in pushing players for this match if it leaves us short in Leinster" That's nonsense. We are hardly in a position to turn our nose up at a national title. Winning this is massively important, it adds belief, gives more confidence and an overall sense of achievement to a group who have done incredibly well so far. There is plenty of time for thinking about Leinster, this Sunday is all about getting up those steps and lifting a cup. If lads are carrying knocks I'm sure they'll put that to the back of their mind and plough through. GoalsWinGames (Meath) - Posts: 319 - 25/03/2026 10:46:19 2663042 Link
Replying To GoalsWinGames: "That's nonsense. We are hardly in a position to turn our nose up at a national title. Winning this is massively important, it adds belief, gives more confidence and an overall sense of achievement to a group who have done incredibly well so far. There is plenty of time for thinking about Leinster, this Sunday is all about getting up those steps and lifting a cup. If lads are carrying knocks I'm sure they'll put that to the back of their mind and plough through." Resting a few lads who are carrying knocks rather than making them play their 6th game in 7 weeks is hardly throwing away the game. Especially when the panel depth is so strong now. This will be the 8th most important game of the year so far, every league game was more important, would be nice to win but isn't season defining at all. Sheridan2010louth (Meath) - Posts: 310 - 25/03/2026 11:23:41 2663048 Link
Replying To Sheridan2010louth: "Resting a few lads who are carrying knocks rather than making them play their 6th game in 7 weeks is hardly throwing away the game. Especially when the panel depth is so strong now. This will be the 8th most important game of the year so far, every league game was more important, would be nice to win but isn't season defining at all." Don't see it as a major issue starting same team as last week. 4 of our best middle 8 players were taken off last week with plenty of time to go and last 20 mins was not very exerting. We then have 3 weeks until leinster championship 1st match so lots of time to come down and build again. Every other county not competing on Sunday would like to be there putting their best foot forward. winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 956 - 25/03/2026 13:36:15 2663083 Link
Just thinking about the midfield battle - it has been the platform for Cork's success this year and we came off second best in Pairc Ui Rinn. Do we just go with the same again and hope for a better outcome or do something different? Could move McBride to midfield and Flynn to half-forward line or start O'Neill and really go after breaking ball? gwanyagudthing (Meath) - Posts: 123 - 25/03/2026 17:59:06 2663171 Link
We've a month til Leinster first round after taking a few lads off early the last day. Why wouldn't we be going all out for it with full strength? You'd nearly be worried a month is too long of a break, but guess it'll help Costello and a few of the injured lads get back. NYRoyal (USA) - Posts: 86 - 25/03/2026 18:26:41 2663176 Link
There's definitely some merit to the concerns around trying to keep lads right for the championship. If I'm being honest, the Leinster Championship means far far more to me than a league title. Promotion is the real objective - more so than winning a Division 2 final. That said, the league structure is what it is. Finals probably aren't necessary, but the Division 3 decider does carry a bit of jeopardy this year with the Tailteann Cup implications. I do hope we go out and deliver our best performance of the year. Cork have developed into a very good side, and they're a genuine threat. If they were at this level last season, our championship meeting might have gone very differently. For that reason alone, I'd be in favour of putting down a marker - a win here matters. My only concern is the reliance on a relatively tight group of 17 players, with most of the bench options being in attack. It just feels like we're a little exposed if anything goes wrong. Hopefully it all comes together on the day - but more than anything, you'd just be hoping there are no fresh injuries. royalcounty1 (Meath) - Posts: 61 - 25/03/2026 23:35:37 2663245 Link
They would have had tougher training sessions then last weeks game. It will be full strength starting team and bench and rightly so. Anyone that thinks otherwise has obviously had their head in the sand the last year, thats not the way the way this group operate. southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 1061 - 26/03/2026 07:19:21 2663254 Link
Replying To MeathAbroad: "If there are any lads carrying knocks or just in need of a rest they shouldn't play the weekend. It's an opportunity to give lads minutes who are coming back from injury or who have been mainly on the bench. I still think we'll be competitive but there's no benefit in pushing players for this match if it leaves us short in Leinster" One thing, if a lad is carrying a knock and is injured, but resting lads for a league final is a joke, I hope. Winning Division 2 in Croke Park would be huge for this group. Dont remeber the last time meath won Division 2 , this is a massive game Faithfulmeath (Meath) - Posts: 44 - 26/03/2026 12:43:52 2663310 Link
You can be guaranteed Cork, Kerry or Donegal won't be resting lads next Sunday so why should we. If a lad is carrying a knock or niggle then don't risk him but otherwise go hell for leather and lay down a marker on them. If we lose to Cork that's twice they have beaten us this year, I wouldn't like to have to face them in Championship knowing they have our number. UsernameInvalid (Meath) - Posts: 467 - 26/03/2026 15:17:58 2663351 Link