Down Club Hurling & Football

[Eartotheground]

Think some fellas need to get a grip on here......Colm Murney??? fella cant even get on for his club!
Most over-rated player Ive ever seen
Suprised Gubber Kearney hasnt made it.....surely one of the best forwards in Down?

Excelant player but wrong attitude......

Although not a Kilcoo man still think Anthony Devlin is capable of doin a job in some capactiy

[Banna Man]

Think some fellas need to get a grip on here......Colm Murney??? fella cant even get on for his club!
Most over-rated player Ive ever seen
Suprised Gubber Kearney hasnt made it.....surely one of the best forwards in Down?

Excelant player but wrong attitude......

I take it you are talking about Gubber

[Eartotheground]

Yeah.....

[Mid Down Gael]

Think some fellas need to get a grip on here......Colm Murney??? fella cant even get on for his club!
Most over-rated player Ive ever seen
Suprised Gubber Kearney hasnt made it.....surely one of the best forwards in Down?

Excelant player but wrong attitude......

Although not a Kilcoo man still think Anthony Devlin is capable of doin a job in some capactiy

The mans a legend in Kilcoo but is happy playing club football for the magpies. Surely is one off the top forwards and has great strength in at full forward.

[Eartotheground]

Think some fellas need to get a grip on here......Colm Murney??? fella cant even get on for his club!
Most over-rated player Ive ever seen
Suprised Gubber Kearney hasnt made it.....surely one of the best forwards in Down?

Excelant player but wrong attitude......

Although not a Kilcoo man still think Anthony Devlin is capable of doin a job in some capactiy

The mans a legend in Kilcoo but is happy playing club football for the magpies. Surely is one off the top forwards and has great strength in at full forward.

[Eartotheground]

Think some fellas need to get a grip on here......Colm Murney??? fella cant even get on for his club!
Most over-rated player Ive ever seen
Suprised Gubber Kearney hasnt made it.....surely one of the best forwards in Down?

Excelant player but wrong attitude......

Although not a Kilcoo man still think Anthony Devlin is capable of doin a job in some capactiy

The mans a legend in Kilcoo but is happy playing club football for the magpies. Surely is one off the top forwards and has great strength in at full forward.

i think he'd link up well with coulter you know knock it in2 Anthony then lay off for coulter

[dundrumite]

This panel kind of reinforces the view that Ross & DJ, and before them Paddy, weren't far away with their squad selections. Almost to a man they've already got the tracksuit at home.

There's no shocking inclusions and even fewer surprise omissions.

And I'd say even at this stage  it wouldn't take long for the average bystander to whittle the squad down to more or less James's 36 either.


Regarding comments above:

- Please don't ever suggest John Clarke as a defender again. He was an accidental tourist in defence in the first place, and if he had have stayed there, then those cries for his return to county colours wouldn't have been audible. He's a fine forward, anywhere across the six, so let him fight for his place there.
- Watch club football for a few weeks and you will always pick Sexton and Murtagh in a squad. Yes neither has set the county game alight, but given a choice between either of those and any of the "surprise omissions" being bandied about at present, and there is only one winner. Even touching 30 years of age they've more potential to become county players than those that didn't make it.
- Full-back looks like Garvey, backed up by Howard, Dan McCartan and Rooney. Centre-back looks like Doyle or Martin Clarke, backed up by Dan McCartan. The rest of the defenders are either too small, or lean to heavily on athleticism over discipline, game-reading and presence.

For once I disagree with you. Think a reason Martin Clarke didnt fufill his potential/enjoy his stint in the AFL was he didn't get to express himself as freely as he would like in a withdrawn defensive role. Let him have the reins at CFH and fufill his creative talents. A fit Laim Doyle would be IMO the ideal CHB.

[thewobbler]

As needs be Dundrumite, that's all. Centre half-back requires a player who plays with his head up at all times. Doyler would also be my first choice here, but building a team around Liam with his injury problems is a castle made of sand.

[Eartotheground]

Talk about a man unlucky with injury

[DownFanatic]

i can see the logic in having a big panel before the national league so that players that have impressed in trials can test themselves against other counties to see if their inclusion is worthy.

i may be looking through my blue tinted glasses guys but having watched a lot of div. 1 football last year John Boyle must be in the top 44 players in the county. the point def didnt set the world on fire last year but he led the line well for the point at half back or at half forward ( half back being his best position imo) he would be on a par if not better than the players highlighted

defence
Martin Cole, Stevie Toner, Dan McCartan, Liam Lennon, Kevin Duffin, Declan Rooney, Kieran McGovern, Damien Rafferty, Aidan Brannigan, Mark Doran, Paul Murphy, Gerard McCartan, Conor Garvey, Sean Parr, Kevin McKernan,

attack
Conor Maginn, Brendan McArdle, Martin Clarke, Mark Poland, Ronan Sexton, Danny Hughes, Stephen Kearney, Aidan Carr, James McGovern, Paul McComiskey, Benny Coulter, Conor Laverty, John Clarke, Ronan Murtagh & Michael Magee.

as i have said i feel he is a defender hence more defenders highlighted i dont think he could muscle into the forward line

food for thought.
maybe he didnt stand out in trials but he did play in the last 1

John Boyle stood out for the county last year - as a player who has none of the attributes required of a county player. He looks and plays like a busy little sideways soccer player, all back passes and ineffective dinks to left and right, and the worst tackler I have ever seen on a gaelic field. Would not be near any other serious county squad in Ulster.
I can see Sexton and Murtagh being given the chance to play themselves out of the panel - too little delivered over too many seasons.

yeah, time to move on from the sexton murtagh era.

It will be time to move on when there are better players in the county.. Ronan Sexton was the Bridges best player in the division one final and Ronan Murtagh is one of the most dangerous forwards in Down!!!!!

they are both serial underachievers with Down, as I say time to move forward, same old faces every year has achieved sfa.

Charlie, I don't know about you but its an absolute disgrace that Stephen Parsons wasnt selected for the Down panel. What does this man have to do to get the recognition he deserves 

[charlieTully]

i can see the logic in having a big panel before the national league so that players that have impressed in trials can test themselves against other counties to see if their inclusion is worthy.

i may be looking through my blue tinted glasses guys but having watched a lot of div. 1 football last year John Boyle must be in the top 44 players in the county. the point def didnt set the world on fire last year but he led the line well for the point at half back or at half forward ( half back being his best position imo) he would be on a par if not better than the players highlighted

defence
Martin Cole, Stevie Toner, Dan McCartan, Liam Lennon, Kevin Duffin, Declan Rooney, Kieran McGovern, Damien Rafferty, Aidan Brannigan, Mark Doran, Paul Murphy, Gerard McCartan, Conor Garvey, Sean Parr, Kevin McKernan,

attack
Conor Maginn, Brendan McArdle, Martin Clarke, Mark Poland, Ronan Sexton, Danny Hughes, Stephen Kearney, Aidan Carr, James McGovern, Paul McComiskey, Benny Coulter, Conor Laverty, John Clarke, Ronan Murtagh & Michael Magee.

as i have said i feel he is a defender hence more defenders highlighted i dont think he could muscle into the forward line

food for thought.
maybe he didnt stand out in trials but he did play in the last 1

John Boyle stood out for the county last year - as a player who has none of the attributes required of a county player. He looks and plays like a busy little sideways soccer player, all back passes and ineffective dinks to left and right, and the worst tackler I have ever seen on a gaelic field. Would not be near any other serious county squad in Ulster.
I can see Sexton and Murtagh being given the chance to play themselves out of the panel - too little delivered over too many seasons.

yeah, time to move on from the sexton murtagh era.

It will be time to move on when there are better players in the county.. Ronan Sexton was the Bridges best player in the division one final and Ronan Murtagh is one of the most dangerous forwards in Down!!!!!

they are both serial underachievers with Down, as I say time to move forward, same old faces every year has achieved sfa.

Charlie, I don't know about you but its an absolute disgrace that Stephen Parsons wasnt selected for the Down panel. What does this man have to do to get the recognition he deserves 

I know, total disgrace.

[Leo]

Leo, you seem to have personal issue with John Boyle, dunno what it is but it makles your assessment of his worth as a county player a little bias i think.

No personal issue at all, Brick Tamlin, don't knoe the guy, just saw him for both the Point and Down in a number of games. Can do a useful job to a certain extent at club level, nowhere near a county player, that's all. There are dime a dozen like him throughout the county.

[guevara]

Leo, you seem to have personal issue with John Boyle, dunno what it is but it makles your assessment of his worth as a county player a little bias i think.

No personal issue at all, Brick Tamlin, don't knoe the guy, just saw him for both the Point and Down in a number of games. Can do a useful job to a certain extent at club level, nowhere near a county player, that's all. There are dime a dozen like him throughout the county.

Leo you obviously do have issues with John.........
You musn't have watched the games too closely as if you had you wouldve realised he is good enough to be on the county. He leads the way for his club for such a young fella & I for one would argue he is a lot better than some of the guys on it!
Even in the games he was selected for Down last year I thought he did well unlike other guys picked again this year.

So why dont you just come out & tell us all the real reason you wouldnt have him on it?? 

[Leo]

Leo you obviously do have issues with John.........
You musn't have watched the games too closely as if you had you wouldve realised he is good enough to be on the county. He leads the way for his club for such a young fella & I for one would argue he is a lot better than some of the guys on it!
Even in the games he was selected for Down last year I thought he did well unlike other guys picked again this year.

So why dont you just come out & tell us all the real reason you wouldnt have him on it?? 

I never said I have no issues with Boyle - I said I have no PERSONAL issue and why should I as I don't know him from Adam.

If however you feel I haven't told you the real reason then let me spell it out a bit more clearly...

No vision, easily dispossessed, fouls every time he tries to tackle (that is if he gets near enough his man) - in effect no tackle, incapable of a foot pass, totally negative, plays across the field or behind, lots of energy spent getting nowhere, as brainless as Murtagh, unable to field a ball at any height, dependent on a colleague's pass for possession .... in short NOT a gaelic footballer.

If watching games and forming an opinion based on these games means I am not allowed to give that opinion - well, I guess you have me there.

[mournerambler]

Have to say i'm with Leo on the John Boyle issue, bottom line is he is no asset whatsoever to the Down Senior Football panel & thank god Wee James & co have seen that at an early stage.