Down Club Hurling & Football

[PAULD123]

I agree with WhiteGM except I think McParland should play. If Gordon plays FB then we only have King & Ambrose in Midfield. McParland has the height and mobility to add to this area. I personally think in posessesion he has a lot more skill than Turley. Against Cork in the league semi-final Turley wasted most of his possession. He did well to get it but then kicked a lot of bad passes.

It is only by playing McParland will he understand how to step up to the required level. One thing I would say is that I also would like to see Rooney play. For that matter I would like to see big Arthur in too. But realstically neither of these players will start.

personally I hope that whoever starts McKernan does not start in HB line. As MourneRover says if he focused he is good. The problem is that he has done nothing to show that focus and does nothing to imply he will be against Mayo. I now consider him a liability and a time on the bench may give him that focus.

As regards Danny Hughes. Does anyone know exactly how bad his injury is? Is he definitely out for the Quarter final? What is the prognosis for his recovery time?

[western exile]

There needs to be a 'horses for courses' selection at half back. Kevin McLaughlin will start for Mayo at right half forward and he is key to their 'A' game and therefore needs to stoped. He wins breaking ball, drops back to defend, and most importantly generates scoring opportunities by running from deep. Perhaps the best man to mind him would be Conor Garvey?

[Mourne Rover]

Whitegoodman is correct to point out concerns over Doyle's pace and McKernan's concentration, but the expectation is that they would be covered by Maginn and Carr on most occasions. Doyle as we all know has been incredibly unlucky with injuries but he is a qualify performer with a big match temperament as well as being on his day an exceptional free-taker. While McKernan has yet to develop in the way we hoped, he has shown in the past that he has the ability of a potential All Star. They are the most talented wing half backs available to us, but, depending on requirements, Garvey remains our best marker.

[5 Sams]

Whitegoodman is correct to point out concerns over Doyle's pace and McKernan's concentration, but the expectation is that they would be covered by Maginn and Carr on most occasions. Doyle as we all know has been incredibly unlucky with injuries but he is a qualify performer with a big match temperament as well as being on his day an exceptional free-taker. While McKernan has yet to develop in the way we hoped, he has shown in the past that he has the ability of a potential All Star. They are the most talented wing half backs available to us, but, depending on requirements, Garvey remains our best marker.

I like Garvey. The sort of player we dont have enough of. He's a dog...anyone from this neck of the woods knows thats a compliment. Someone who is up his man's hole all the time, afraid of nothing, blocking, harrying, tackling, giving the odd wee dig but always giving 100%. We need another 3 or 4 players like him.

[thewobbler]

To be honest a half back line with two or more of Doyle, Carr and McKernan would scare the sh1t out of me.

They're all great on the ball, and in an ideal world we'd find room for all of them in them in our team.

But their mentality is each more of a half-forward than a half-back. For example, any half-back would love someone of McKernan's energy and class playing in front of them as wing-forward. But if you're a half-forward and every time you look around he has overlapped you, it continually puts the onus on you to do the dirty work. The roles get confused. This was epitomised in the second half of the Ulster final.

The best performance any of us have seen by Down in recent memory was against Kerry two years ago. The foundations for that performance was in Garvey and Rooney marking their men to death, and McKernan holding back his natural attacking instinct (90%of the time) and protecting Big Dan at full-back. Kerry didn't get overlapping runs going, and the route one ball to Donaghy had to be amazingly accurate. I'd like to see something similar this weekend.

[whitegoodman]

To be honest a half back line with two or more of Doyle, Carr and McKernan would scare the sh1t out of me.

They're all great on the ball, and in an ideal world we'd find room for all of them in them in our team.

But their mentality is each more of a half-forward than a half-back. For example, any half-back would love someone of McKernan's energy and class playing in front of them as wing-forward. But if you're a half-forward and every time you look around he has overlapped you, it continually puts the onus on you to do the dirty work. The roles get confused. This was epitomised in the second half of the Ulster final.

The best performance any of us have seen by Down in recent memory was against Kerry two years ago. The foundations for that performance was in Garvey and Rooney marking their men to death, and McKernan holding back his natural attacking instinct (90%of the time) and protecting Big Dan at full-back. Kerry didn't get overlapping runs going, and the route one ball to Donaghy had to be amazingly accurate. I'd like to see something similar this weekend.

+1

I had mentioned earlier that i would like to see a half back line of Rooney, Turley and Garvey.  It would be more natural to Turley to do what McKernan did against Kerry than it would be for Kevin.  Ok he may not be a great ball player but we have enough of them elsewhere in the team.

All 3 are good athletes, do the dirty work, want to defend, can put in a hit when necessary and are all over 6ft and would create a presence which we currently lack when teams are coming through the middle of us.

However I would nearly put my house on it that neither Rooney or Turley will feature at the weekend and you will see Garvey. McKernan and Brannigan.

[Aristo 60]

To approach from the other perspective and at the risk of appearing negative the players that I would leave on the bench are:

Brannigan
E McCartan
Hughes

Players I would call from the bench as the game develops:

O'Hare
Doyle
Rooney
McKernan

[southdown]

Here's my stab at a team (for what its worth)

Mc Veigh

O'Hagan
Gordon
McArdle

Rooney
Garvey
McParland

Rogers
King

McKernan
Poland
Carr

Coulter
Laverty
Doyle

My half back line is solid, if unspectacular.  However McKernan, Poland and Carr will all be running between the 2 45s to add some fluidity/creativity.  Doyle to act as sweeper - those gaping holes that were exposed in the Ulster final need to be plugged.  I feel James will have no room for Rooney though, and we could well see Brannigan and O'Hare in his starting 15.

[urbangael]

What Down need at the back on Saturday is pace and agression and plenty of it!!  Carr and Doyle would be exposed on the wide open spaces of Croke Park.  The 6 defenders should be O'Hagan, Gordon, Brannigan, Garvey, McArdle and McKernan.  I dont care if none of the defenders dont score or they dont cross the half way line as long as they win their individual battles, are in the Mayo faces, limit the amount of scoreable frees and really make them work for their scores then it's all you can ask for!  King in round the middle annoying the shite out of big Aidan O'Shea and Ambrose with the licence to push and link the play as well as hit the odd score.  Early ball into Lavery and co and Mayo wont live with us!  Dont over complicate things... 2 fit and willing runners at wing forward ideally Hughes and Maginn working back helping out picking up dity ball.

[supersub]

Why is there so much talk of Rooney when he hasn't played all year?

[whitegoodman]

Because we have exhausted every other half back option on the panel and not many have excelled and Rooney is now fit and playing football again.

Mckernan, brannigan, Mcparland or Carr are not better half backs than Rooney IMO especially for what we need our half backs in this particular down team to be, solid and compact.

Don't worry though, can't see him being near first 15.

[Mourne Rover]

McParland did well in the league until injuring his hand and missing the whole USC. He looked uncertain making his championship debut in Mullingar, and, while his time will come again, it would taking a big chance to start him at Croke Park. We are fortunate that Carr, McKernan, Doyle and Duffin are well capable of playing in the half forwards or half backs, giving us plenty of options. Brannigan does not really have the quality of those four, but he does bring pace, aggression and a work ethic and James usually favours him. While Rooney is a decent player,  the indications are that he has moved down the pecking order. Hopefully a team will be named later tonight and perhaps it might even be the real one.

[Leo]

Rooney was our best defender by far in our road to Croke Park in 2010.
Carr & Mckernan are liabilities - shiny ball-players who do not do the
hard yards. Discuss.

[NP 76]

While i agree with you Leo on Carr and especially Mc Kernan how could anyone suggest Rooney , This lad hasnt played a game all year and is only recently back playing for Burren. He couldnt possibly be at the same standard of fitness or thinking to even be considered for a start on Saturday. He may of had a good 2010 but that was 2 years ago

[Gabriel]

If Rooney is fully fit then I would have him on the team, along with Garvey I feel he's one of our best natural defenders - does the unspectacular hard work and I would have a lot more confidence in him than the likes of Brannigan. One of the things I would fear for on Saturday is the fact that Mayo seem to have developed an effective defensive system (exemplified by the Cork game last year) whereas there's been little evidence this year of the defensive solidity we had in 2010 for example. We have the forwards to trouble any team - Hughes, Poland, Laverty, Coulter et al - but our defence has been a serious weak point this year. On another point, I can't help but wish Paul McComiskey was available for this game, a serious player who should have blossomed after 2010 but for various reasons, hasn't.