The Official Cavan GAA Discussion thread.

tanko wrote: »

When and where is this Cavan v Monaghan game??

Clones, throw in at 2 tomorrow

rrs wrote: »

Rehill had a good year in his first year so maybe a few will develop like him. Not sure if Adam O Connell and Mark McGee are involved, they are 2 good athletic players.

Conor Smith is a very good player, He just lacks size which is a problem with Cavan players.
James Smith had a year on the panel so maybe that year of being involved will bring him on next year same with Oisin Pierson and Stephen Smith.

James Smith struggling with injury at the minute unfortunately, as is Patrick Lynch from Crosserlough. A pity as I wanted to see those two lads involved.

Look, it’s unfortunate to lose the three lads but with some of the craic that went on last year (sessions after the Mayo & Monaghan league games, the Ulster final party bus debacle), it may be no harm to allow some fresh blood in.

Mickey will work with what he has and make the most of it.

They lost to Monaghan by 3. Monaghan had a few regulars playing and on panel, Cavan hadn't many. Ryan Connolly seemed to perform well, 6 or 7 pts, most from play.

Yes, I couldn't get the patreon link to work either. I was planning to listen to it while watching the Ulster Club final.

The pace of that Kilcoo team is serious

Yevon wrote: »

Connolly has been on the frees with Cavan before and was woeful. Maybe needs time to settle onto them but could be another Ray Galligan, can do it at club but not county.

I'd question if Galligan can do it at club level even. I've seen him in some club games and he has been poor. For me, he's a 60% man, not the 80% we need. Your county free taker should be nailing every free he takes at club level.

Connolly I heard was superb for his club last year. Worth a try. He really looks to have added a bit of conditioning too. A couple of years back I remember him coming on in games and looking like a strong breeze would blow him over.

I don't see why we'd change from Niall Murray as free taker anyway to be honest. He was very good last year.

baconsarnie wrote: »

I’ll stand corrected but from memory Connolly got a limited run in 2017 and always seemed to be on as a late sub rather than a starter. Not ideal for a young free taker, but he definitely missed a few easy ones in the league that year. I still think he’s a class free taker and won’t giving a decent run.

As noted, Murray was excellent when he finally got on frees. The lack of a free taker killed us in several games. And both Murrays need to play as forwards. Was great to see Niall in particular backing himself for scores from the Monaghan game onwards whereas before that he always seemed to look to offload. He’s a class player and is more than capable of kicking from distance.

Had Murray been taking the frees for the League last year I honestly think we may have stayed up. Kerry at home was a vital game. We were 4 or 5 points ahead at half time, Kerry started coming back in the second half and Galligan missed the frees when we needed them over. A week or two later I was watching Meath play Armagh in Division 2 and the difference was, when Meath needed the scores, Newman knocked them over. A reliable free taker is invaluable.

The one thing I noticed about Cavan today was the physical aspect. Fergal McKenna, Donal Monahan, Kian Monahan, Brian Magee, Evan Fortune, Luke Molloy, Paul Gilcreest, Ronan Patterson - all big men. For me, it looked a more physical Cavan team in stature than I've seen in a few years. Even Connolly looked, as a mentioned previously, to have added some much needed conditioning to his frame.

I think Mickey has looked at Tyrone and Donegal last year and realized we're at a physical disadvantage and is looking to try and weigh that out (pun intended!).

Even with the departures, I'd remain optimistic. We still have McLoughlin, Faulkner, Rehill, G. Smith and Brady to pin down the backline. Magee and Evan Fortune looked like they will give options at midfield today, alongside Paul Graham, Conor Brady and Thomas Galligan. Then in the forwards you've Murray, Martin Reilly, Conor Madden and can add in what I think could be three huge additions in Connolly, Conor Smith and Caomihin if we can see the best of him.

So it’s Tyrone and Armagh in the McKenna cup.

quidel wrote: »

Doubtful there will be too many first team regulars seeing game time. A competition for players on the fringes. Not sure the McKenna Cup holds the interest it might have done for counties in years past.

Fringe players is right.

baconsarnie wrote: »

Im not so sure. With the league happening so soon afterwards I would guess that at least 10 of the starters in Mc Kenna cup will be the same ones come the league. Certainly was the case for the first game last year against Down.

Last year first McKenna Cup game:

CAVAN: R Galligan 0-3, 1f, 2x '45'; S O'Connor, P Faulkner, C Moynagh; S Murray, C Brady 0-2, M Stuart; M Argue, T Galligan; M Reilly, N Murray 0-1, S Cadden 0-1; P Smith 0-1f, S Smith 0-2, 1f, C Madden 0-2

Last year first League game:

Cavan: Raymond Galligan (0-1, 0-1f); Jason McLoughlin, Killian Clarke, Padraig Faulkner; Martin Reilly (0-02, 0-01f), Barry Fortune, Conor Rehill; Thomas Galligan, Michael Argue; Pierce Smith (0-02, 0-02f), Jack Brady (0-02, 0-1sl), Niall Murray; Ciaran Brady, Dara McVeety, Conor Madden (0-02, 0-01f).

7 matching players between the two teams. I’d expect less emphasis to be placed on the McKenna Cup this year though. Last year there were a number of new rules implemented so the McKenna Cup had more importance.

Apparently Mickey and the panel are gearing up for a good run at the League. The first game vs Armagh is tough but win it and you’ve a run of four games we should be winning before we finish away to Kildare and home to Roscommon.

It’s interesting to look back at the first League game and see that players like Pierce Smith, Mick Argue & Barry Fortune started as they rarely featured going forward.

Cavan_King wrote: »

From what I'm hearing, they are putting in a huge effort training 5-6 times a week and any lad who is doing that deserves, if nothing else, respect.

No wonder lads have had enough its serious commitment.

quidel wrote: »

Counties like Monaghan and Kerry have released to the media their panels for the coming year. Pity CN wouldn’t do the same. Surely it would be less likely players would be dropping out of panels in Nov/Dec if they were named for the upcoming season? Don’t know why the current situation persists and it becomes a guessing game which fuels the rumour mill.

You're listening to too much of the lads on We Are Cavan! They've been championing the naming of a county panel. I think last year Mickey operated an open panel so that is perhaps why one hasn't been named.

Last year there was a panel of players named in one of the match programmes at some stage though, not sure if it was McKenna Cup or League but I think League.

I did notice Martin Cahill comment in an interview that each player costs about 10k to keep on board so that is perhaps why they don't want to run 40-45 of a panel.

rrs wrote: »

I see Conor Redhill isn't playing County next year either.

Where u see that?

baconsarnie wrote: »

Paul Fitzpatrick tweeted it yesterday. I hear there’s more as well. So at least 5 maybe 6 from last years panel.

Just announce it and be over and done with it. We have who we have and we should have enough, if we’ll managed, to challenge Kildare and the Rossies.

Was the tweet deleted? I'm just checking his tweets here and can't see it. I checked and just found one reference to him stepping away on Twitter and no source to it.

I'd agree re your second paragraph. Whoever is there is there and we can and should concentrate on those.

We still have the bulk of a strong squad with players like Faulkner, McLoughlin, Gerry Smith, Ciaran Brady, Niall Murray, Martin Reilly and Gearoid McKiernan.

I was at a lot of Division 2 games last year with my in-laws from Meath and the year in Division 1, some of those lads above now have two years, should have really strengthened our lads because Division 2 level is quite a drop in quality based on what I saw last year.

Kildare and the Rossies are the teams to watch though. Kildare were unfortunate last year in that it came down to a game that was pretty much a play off between them and Meath and it was in Navan. Meath won with an injury time penalty but going on what I saw of both teams later in the championship I'd argue Kildare are the better team.

Armagh will be thereabouts. McGeeney going into his 6th year will want promotion. They have Oisin 0 Neill back after injury, he missed all of 2019. A great talent. They really should have beaten Cavan in the drawn game. Cavan played good stuff in the reply.
Cavan will be without McKiernan for half of the League because of operation No Caoimhin Reilly either.

Roscommon are down 5 or 6 for 2020. Diarmuid and Ciaran Murtagh in particular big losses.
Laois will struggle and Clare are without the 2 All Star nominated players from 2019. Brennan and Jamie Malone.