ROSCOMMON v GALWAY, CONNACHT SFC

[Shrewdness]

Just over a week to go to this, and as i can't see any other thread here for it, we might as well get the ball rolling.
Needless to say, Galway will be favourites, but i have a feeling that the Rossies could have a big
performance in them for this game.

Galway operated in Div 2 of the league with Ros in Div 3, both of them failing to get promoted.
In recent weeks, Ros have played 3 challenge games. They drew 2-11 apiece with Louth, they beat Tipperary, scoring 4 goals in the process, but conceding 3.
Last weekend they beat Derry somewhere outside Derry City by 2-12 to 0-14.

Of course, challenge games soon pale into insignificance once the white heat of championship battle commences.
The Ros team that played against Derry is expected to be very close to that which will play Galway. It was G.Claffey, S.Mc Dermott, N.Carty, S.Purcell, D.Keenan, P.Domican, I.Kilbride, K.Mannion, M.Finneran, D.O'Gara,C.Cregg, J.Rogers, D.Mc Dermott, S.Kilbride, D.Shine.

It will be very interesting to see if Niall Daly will be accomodated in the half back line having played most of the league games.

Would be interested to know how the Galway people view this game.

[Rossfan]

I'd expect Daly to be HB with Keenan wearing a HF jersey to the exclusion of Rogy.
Cathal Shine and Kevin Higgins to be the first subs to shore up midfield.
I believe the chokers have been running up huge totals in challenge games.
Time we got a Championship win over these bucks and hopefully 20th May will be the day we start reclaiming our rightful place .

[ross4life]

Long overdue a home win v Galway have to go back to 1990 when Des Newton lined our for Roscommon & Alan Mulholland lined out for Galway. I remember it well sitting on the same stone steps as Val Daly popped over points & Eamonn McManus Junior probably had his greatest ever game for Roscommon, It was a great day we won our first Connacht title for 10 years but TBH that Roscommon team never reached it's potential.

22 years on & potential is a key word for both sides. We pushed Mayo all the way in Connacht final last July with a bit more experience we might have won it. Will be disappointing if we don't continue our progression but with new management you can never quite tell how players will react.

[From the Bunker]

Galway were unlucky to miss out on promotion from Division 2 this year. Should have held out v Kildare in the last game. Confidence outside of Connacht has not been good for the tribesmen with the last win being against Louth in 2004.

[Syferus]

I'd expect Daly to be HB with Keenan wearing a HF jersey to the exclusion of Rogy.
Cathal Shine and Kevin Higgins to be the first subs to shore up midfield.
I believe the chokers have been running up huge totals in challenge games.
Time we got a Championship win over these bucks and hopefully 20th May will be the day we start reclaiming our rightful place .

If Newton even thinks of subbing Higgins into the middle I'll eat my hand-woven Aran jumper. Shine can field a ball, control a ball coming down, break a ball, Higgins cannot. Play Higgins as a HF sub, he has the capacity to really impact games with some hard running when the opposition's legs tire.

[joemamas]

Just watched highlights of Tyrone V Roscommon in qualifer last year. Ros were not too far away. How many of that team will be starting next week. Are they considered to be better or worse than last year. ?

[ross4life]

Just watched highlights of Tyrone V Roscommon in qualifer last year. Ros were not too far away. How many of that team will be starting next week. Are they considered to be better or worse than last year. ?

We weren't but the scoreline was more flattering that last weeks U21 final. Hard to know if we are better or worse as we didn't get the chance to field our strongest team during the league i suppose we'll know after this year's championship.

I expect 11 or 12  that started v Tyrone will start next Sunday.

[seafoid]

I'd expect Daly to be HB with Keenan wearing a HF jersey to the exclusion of Rogy.
Cathal Shine and Kevin Higgins to be the first subs to shore up midfield.
I believe the chokers have been running up huge totals in challenge games.
Time we got a Championship win over these bucks and hopefully 20th May will be the day we start reclaiming our rightful place .

The most important thing for connacht fuball is 3/4 strong teams . Ni neart go cur le cheile
That way whoever comes out of the province has a better chance of going the distance.   
the 98 all-Ireland was partly due to  95-97 and the very high level of competition with Mayo, IMO. 

[neilthemac]

I'd expect Daly to be HB with Keenan wearing a HF jersey to the exclusion of Rogy.
Cathal Shine and Kevin Higgins to be the first subs to shore up midfield.
I believe the chokers have been running up huge totals in challenge games.
Time we got a Championship win over these bucks and hopefully 20th May will be the day we start reclaiming our rightful place .

the 98 all-Ireland was partly due to  95-97 and the very high level of competition with Mayo, IMO.

and a great set of forwards

[seafoid]

I'd expect Daly to be HB with Keenan wearing a HF jersey to the exclusion of Rogy.
Cathal Shine and Kevin Higgins to be the first subs to shore up midfield.
I believe the chokers have been running up huge totals in challenge games.
Time we got a Championship win over these bucks and hopefully 20th May will be the day we start reclaiming our rightful place .

the 98 all-Ireland was partly due to  95-97 and the very high level of competition with Mayo, IMO.

and a great set of forwards

and Mannion and Walsh
and Kildare in the final ..

[ross matt]

This should be a good game of football. Some decent forwards on both sides. Midfield will be key.

Mulholland will have Galway organised and motivated. It will be interesting to see of Newton had made Roscommon more defensive than they have been in the last 2-3 seasons.

I was at the Tyrone match mentioned above and Ross did play very well upfront but once they went ahead by 4 points Sean Cavanagh waltzed throught their defence to score a goal at the other end. I think the home side should shade this one.

[seafoid]

This should be a good game of football. Some decent forwards on both sides. Midfield will be key.

Mulholland will have Galway organised and motivated. It will be interesting to see of Newton had made Roscommon more defensive than they have been in the last 2-3 seasons.

I was at the Tyrone match mentioned above and Ross did play very well upfront but once they went ahead by 4 points Sean Cavanagh waltzed throught their defence to score a goal at the other end. I think the home side should shade this one.

Ros should be favourites really. If Galway get going again Ros probably won't win anything for another few years.

[Rossfan]

This one could go either way .
On NFL form Galway have to be fancied big time but this isn't the NFL.
This will as the Championship cliche puts it "be all on the day" - who's up for it most , who's best prepared etc.
A game in mid May at the start of the Championship is an outsiders best chance of an upset .
Apart from the first half in 2006 and the FBD game in 2009 we havent been competitive with these bucks for 10 years.
On the other hand we have a lot of lads in the squad now who aren't petrified by the sight of Galway jerseys.
I'd be hopeful but not that confident.

[Syferus]

This should be a good game of football. Some decent forwards on both sides. Midfield will be key.

Mulholland will have Galway organised and motivated. It will be interesting to see of Newton had made Roscommon more defensive than they have been in the last 2-3 seasons.

I was at the Tyrone match mentioned above and Ross did play very well upfront but once they went ahead by 4 points Sean Cavanagh waltzed throught their defence to score a goal at the other end. I think the home side should shade this one.

Ros should be favourites really. If Galway get going again Ros probably won't win anything for another few years.

We're only going to get better, whatever the teething pains. Sure it'll be like the 70's all over again for ye. 

[GalwayBayBoy]

This should be a good game of football. Some decent forwards on both sides. Midfield will be key.

Mulholland will have Galway organised and motivated. It will be interesting to see of Newton had made Roscommon more defensive than they have been in the last 2-3 seasons.

I was at the Tyrone match mentioned above and Ross did play very well upfront but once they went ahead by 4 points Sean Cavanagh waltzed throught their defence to score a goal at the other end. I think the home side should shade this one.

Ros should be favourites really. If Galway get going again Ros probably won't win anything for another few years.

We're only going to get better, whatever the teething pains. Sure it'll be like the 70's all over again for ye. 

That wouldn't be so bad. Sure we played in 3 All-Ireland finals during the 70's. I'd take that over the past few years any day.