Down Club Hurling & Football

[PAULD123]

Now we are well through the league, are  there any players that could add something to the panel for next season. The obvious ones are in America but are their any others that Conor can add in?

What's the story with Charlie Smyth? He signed a three year contract in March last year so he's a year into it. Would I be correct that he has two more years to make it an NFL and if he doesn't get on to the regular roster then he can't continue. Would that mean we could be getting him coming home in two years time?

[downtothecore]

It would be a help to mayobridge if he was to return. As for Down Ronan Burns will be number1 for a few years if he stays about.

[PAULD123]

It would be a help to mayobridge if he was to return. As for Down Ronan Burns will be number1 for a few years if he stays about.

If Charlie came back I would imagine he would be moved to defence instead of goals. His physical conditioning from being in the NFL would be at a professional level. Also with spending three years place-kicking in America, and the new GAA rules, you would like to think we could have a player with the potential of Rory Beggan to bang over those two point frees.

It's not like when we lost Shay McCartan to Burnley. He was able to drop down the leagues but still get paid a good income, so there was basically no chance of us getting him to come back to an amateur sport. But with NFL it's only the NFL or nothing. The IPP definitely has a 3 year limit. But just wondering if that means Charlie would then effectively have to come home.

[Ed Hardy]

Has Meenagh left his job with Down?

[Splash]

Seems to be a bit of negativity surrounding Down's performance this year.

Yes Down were relegated to Division 3, but anyone who looks at Down now and where they were 2 or 3 years ago and says there hasn't been a massive improvement is having themselves on.

2022-

- Were beat out the gate by Monaghan, failing to progress in Ulster for the second year in a row, only scoring 2-4 from play.
- Didn't win a single game in the league, including heavy beatings in Newry to the likes of Clare.
- Were given a hiding by Cavan in the first round of the Taltieann Cup.

2025-

- Biggest championship beating was to a very strong Donegal side in Ulster, by a goal and 3 points.
- Whilst relegated in the league on head to head, they were competitive in each game, beating the likes of Cork (first time since 2010 as far I can recall) and eventual champions, Monaghan.
- Put in a very good display in the championship, beating Munster finalists, Clare, by a huge score, beating the Leinster Champions, Louth, were unlucky to lose to Monaghan, and lost to All Ireland Finalists Galway by a score, scoring 3-21 in the process, and save for a few wides you would expect to go over 9 times out of 10, could have found themselves in an All Ireland Quarter Final against Meath, and well at that point, who knows...

It's a pity the year ended as early as it did, but things are without doubt in a better place for Down football.

If Down can find 2 or 3 more great footballers, who knows where they could go. One of the main things Down need is a real man-marking corner back. That would go a long way. A couple high scoring forwards would be great. Down rely too much on a handful of players for scores. We've been saying it for years, but a couple bigger, taller ball winners would go a long way, too.

The players are there in Down. Hopefully we see some rotation next year.

Down aren't far away. This was the first year in a long time it seemed Down could realistically go deep into the All Ireland series. There's a long way to go yet, but it's been a good time to be a Down supporter compared to the past couple years.