Down Club Hurling & Football

[spiritof91and94]

First Home: Thomas O'Hare 

Classic

[western exile]

What time is the game on Saturday and will we need tickets for the stand?

Throw in is at 7pm and I doubt you will need tickets for the stand. Should be a decent enough crowd for the game, especially after the last few performances.
Any news yet on a panel for the league or is it not going to be announced?

Irish News has this today:

PROVISIONAL NFL SQUAD
D Alder, A Carr, M Cole, J Colgan, B Connell,
B Coulter, P Downey, L Doyle, J Fegan, D Gordon, C Gribben, D Hughes, S Kearney, J Lynch, C Magee, G McArdle, J McAreavy, D McCartan, J McCarthy, P McComiskey, C McGovern, K McGuigan, C Murney, P Murphy, R Murtagh, D O'Hanlon, D Rafferty, M Rafferty, A Rodgers, B Rooney, D Rooney, R Sexton, R Stranney, D Turley, P Turley (Downpatrick), P Turley (Saval)

- Panel subject to change

That is 36, so it may be cut to 30?

[downredblack]

I think Ross said in a recent interview that he wouldn't be cutting the panel .

[RedBlack]

No John Clarke? Did he have a row after being subbed Sat night?

[No1]

That panel is what was listed on McKenna Cup programmes.  It bears no relation to any NFL panel.  The manager has already stated that the panel will be fluid.  It won't be set in stone at any stage.

[holylandsbomber]

That panel is what was listed on McKenna Cup programmes.  It bears no relation to any NFL panel.  The manager has already stated that the panel will be fluid.  It won't be set in stone at any stage.

Does anyone know exactly who is on the panel

[spiritof91and94]

I would have thought Luke Howard & Conor Maginn would have made the panel as both played well for Queens in the McKenna Cup.

[T O Hare]

I would have thought Luke Howard & Conor Maginn would have made the panel as both played well for Queens in the McKenna Cup.

Spirit,you probably are hoping Benny Corrigan  and Eamon Burns will be getting a call up too 

[BRIDGE LAD]

Good one Gutsy! 

[BRIDGE LAD]

No Brendan McVeigh ? Looks like Bernie Connell will be the No1 choice for the league. Good to see D Rafferty back as well.

Think McVeigh and clarke came into panel late, thats why not on list. McVeigh will start on sat evening for sure, maybe Clarke too!!!

[passedit]

Anyone care to have a stab at saturday's team?

Ideally i'd like to see the Mc Kenna cup winners* start again with the obvious candidates joining as the game/league progresses. Any of the Bridge lads care to enlighten us on Benny's current level of fitness? If he's not 100%, i'd prefer if he sits it out completely, indeed, there's a strong arguement for using him sparingly in the early part of the League campaign. That way when he returns, he'd be fitting into a developed style of play with confident players around him rather than the play and the players fitting around him as in the recent past. This is not a criticism of Benny, rather on the overreliance on him which has stifled both him and the team imo. He should be the icing on the cake not the cake itself so to speak.

I can see why everyone is thrilled that Doyle is playing at CHB but i'd still be a bit concerned about how he deals with people running at him in this position especially when flanked by attacking wing backs. Hopefully an extended run there in League will assuage my doubts and enhance his fitness, which seemed (understandably) a way behind the others last saturday. 

* mainly because i'd like to see more of the obvious candidates for the chop (Magee, Mc Kernan and Fegan).

[downredblack]

Would be hard not to pick J.Fegan the amount of covering back himself and D. Hughes did the last day was unreal .

[amallon]

Benny expected to play some part against Derry but wasn't used maybe because Down were so much in control.  Think O'Hanlon will be the only man to loose out for Sligo, with Murtagh to come in for him.   I'll expect Benny and McComiskey to come from the bench.

[the milkman]

Benny expected to play some part against Derry but wasn't used maybe because Down were so much in control.  Think O'Hanlon will be the only man to loose out for Sligo, with Murtagh to come in for him.   I'll expect Benny and McComiskey to come from the bench.

Yeah I think O'Hanlon will be the only stater from Saturday nights team to miss out but I reckon it could be Murney not Murtagh that gets the nod! Hope J. Clarke gets a run at no.13, he has been excellent since being moved there, easily got the better of a great marker in McGuckin

[Pangurban]

Isnt it great to have selection problems and options in different position. Would still like a less fluid situation and more settled first fifteen, but early days yet, at least we have started to progress in right direction. Anyone worried about peaking to soon