Sigerson Cup 2009

[The GAA]

Possibly but it doesn't mean that "they probably have the most inter-county players than any of the other teams in this years competition".

[Winnie Peg]

With my reckoning, UUJ had a very small number of county players this year. Going on this weekends national league, I believe that Hughes of Monaghan and cavanagh were the onlyt players who started for their counties. Have never been impressed wiuth young forker, not a stop scorer nor creates many chances either. Maybe Big Joe bringing him in too young might have something to do with his lack of development. I was surprised at UUJ's defeat but when you read the NUIG team and saw trhe number of real established county players on their team and indeed on the other southern university teams, i realised that 3rd level football up here isn't what we might think.

[BallyhaiseMan]

With my reckoning, UUJ had a very small number of county players this year. Going on this weekends national league, I believe that Hughes of Monaghan and cavanagh were the onlyt players who started for their counties. Have never been impressed wiuth young forker, not a stop scorer nor creates many chances either. Maybe Big Joe bringing him in too young might have something to do with his lack of development. I was surprised at UUJ's defeat but when you read the NUIG team and saw trhe number of real established county players on their team and indeed on the other southern university teams, i realised that 3rd level football up here isn't what we might think.

UUJ and Queens would be at a general disadvantage when it comes to recruiting young players though.
with the exception of some from Monaghan, and  a few Donegal lads,(and Barry Moran of Mayo i believe a few years ago) Neither attract nearly any young players from south of the border,
compare it to DCU who have players from every province in their Academy, NUIG would pick up Connachts best but also some of the best from the Midlands,  Northern parts of Munster and up as far as Cavan.
The Southern schools would have more counties within their catchment region.

[ulster-boy]

forker got man of the match in the ulster u21 final last year in which he scored 5 or 6 points i tink. i also remember watching him in a MacRory cup game for St.Pats academy,Dungannon a while back where he scored 7points from midfield..he was the only academy scorer that day. one of the best individual performances i ever witnessed.

[Zulu]

In fairness BM that isn't really true, in Munster you have UCC, UL, CIT, LIT, WIT and IIT so in a more hurling orientated province you have 6 colleges looking for any talent available. And CIT for example are almost exclusively made up of Cork players so they have got to the weekend based largely on the talent of one county. It is a similar story in Connacht and Leinster so I don't think the Ulster colleges are disadvantaged by their pick.

[Zulu]

i simply cannot understand zulu how u dont rate this UUJ team? they probably have the most inter-county players than any of the other teams in this years competition! here is just a few..Darren Hughes(Monaghan), Tomas McCann Niall McKeever Conor Murray(Antrim), James Colgan Packy Downey(Down), Stefan Forker Paul Kernan(Armagh) Colm Cavanagh Raymond Mulgrew(Tyrone). They are a very talented team in my eyes!!

I think it's just the standard that we're taking about here UB, obviously UUJ have good players but the standard is very high and I didn't think this years squad were at the same level as some of the other colleges. Lots of the teams have established IC players supported by county U21 players and I didn't see UUJ winning it. In saying that I thought UCD would lose to both UL and the Guards so it is hard to call and big names don't always mean much in Sigerson.

[RedandGreenSniper]

remember young forker is still a teenager, the fact that big Joe Kernan called him up to the Armagh senior panel while he was still at school underlines his huge potential.

I don't think that can be true UB. Forker played against Mayo minors in the 2005 All-Ireland quarter-final. Now presuming he was just in his first year minor that year, that would mean he is 21 this year. He could possibly be 23 but definitely not in his teens.

UUJ and Queens would be at a general disadvantage when it comes to recruiting young players though.
with the exception of some from Monaghan, and  a few Donegal lads,(and Barry Moran of Mayo i believe a few years ago) Neither attract nearly any young players from south of the border,
compare it to DCU who have players from every province in their Academy, NUIG would pick up Connachts best but also some of the best from the Midlands,  Northern parts of Munster and up as far as Cavan.
The Southern schools would have more counties within their catchment region.

Is the reverse not true? That no players from the six counties play down south. There's only two good Sigerson teams in the north in UUJ and Queens, with Mary's taking an odd decent footballer too. Given that players will be coming from the six counties they actually have a great pick. Whereas down south you have competitive Sigerson teams from GMIT, NUIG, UL, LIT, CIT, UCC, UCD, DCU, DIT, Athlone IT and Dundalk IT and Garda. Then you have plenty of Marys type teams like Sligo IT, Maynooth, Carlow, Letterkenny etc. That means players tend to be more thinly spread across colleges in the south than the north.

BTW - Andy Moran is the Mayo lad you're referring too, Barry Moran is with DIT.

[tyrone86]

Forker played in the Rannafast Final in September 04 as a 5th year so he'd have been 15 or 16 at that time - so he'd be U21 this year and possibly next year

[Rossfan]

[
BTW - Andy Moran is the Mayo lad you're referring too,(sic)

Andy Moran is NOT a "Mayo lad".

[BallyhaiseMan]

remember young forker is still a teenager, the fact that big Joe Kernan called him up to the Armagh senior panel while he was still at school underlines his huge potential.

I don't think that can be true UB. Forker played against Mayo minors in the 2005 All-Ireland quarter-final. Now presuming he was just in his first year minor that year, that would mean he is 21 this year. He could possibly be 23 but definitely not in his teens.

UUJ and Queens would be at a general disadvantage when it comes to recruiting young players though.
with the exception of some from Monaghan, and  a few Donegal lads,(and Barry Moran of Mayo i believe a few years ago) Neither attract nearly any young players from south of the border,
compare it to DCU who have players from every province in their Academy, NUIG would pick up Connachts best but also some of the best from the Midlands,  Northern parts of Munster and up as far as Cavan.
The Southern schools would have more counties within their catchment region.

Is the reverse not true? That no players from the six counties play down south. There's only two good Sigerson teams in the north in UUJ and Queens, with Mary's taking an odd decent footballer too. Given that players will be coming from the six counties they actually have a great pick. Whereas down south you have competitive Sigerson teams from GMIT, NUIG, UL, LIT, CIT, UCC, UCD, DCU, DIT, Athlone IT and Dundalk IT and Garda. Then you have plenty of Marys type teams like Sligo IT, Maynooth, Carlow, Letterkenny etc. That means players tend to be more thinly spread across colleges in the south than the north.

BTW - Andy Moran is the Mayo lad you're referring too, Barry Moran is with DIT.

i suppose you could say that, ive always wondered why the likes of DCU etc have never targeted the best of the young talent in the "six counties" the likes of James Kielt(the whole Tyrone minor team  ) and co,
My reasoning behind it was,
UUJ and Queens really have only to pick from Down,Antrim,Derry,Tyrone,Armagh and Fermanagh plus the few Monaghan lads,
i know there is more competition,but the likes of Athlone IT would have a catchment area, of say Westmeath,Offaly,Galway,Roscommon,Leitrim,Longford,Cavan,Maybe Kildare and Meath aswell,
it probably evens itself up.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Catchment areas don't really apply with regard to colleges down south in fairness. Like this year out of the Mayo lads playing Sigerson you have Tom Parsons and Alan Costello in Sligo IT; Donal Vaughan and Tom Cunniffe in GMIT; Ger Cafferkey and Kieran Conroy in NUIG; Barry Moran and Kevin McLoughlin in DIT; Conor Mort in DCU; Mark Ronaldson in UCD; Ger Brady with Garda and Enda Varley and Seamie O'Shea in UL, that's a fair spread around the country when you think of it.
Regarding DCU and Ulster lads, I hear Peter Harte, nephew of Mickey and centre-half back from the Tyrone minors last year, could be on the way there in Sept.

[BallyhaiseMan]

Is Niall Mc Kenna in college up north?

Kyle Coney would also be some pick up for whoever.

[mockba]

Lads a Sigerson winning team just doesn't happen in one year.  It's normally made up of players in their final year of study with fair number of post grads. This gives the team an edge physically.  It also means that the team has been playing as a unit for a  number of years. You also have to look at the previous year's performance and the number of players that have graduated.  Queens only beat NUIG last year by a point ,So NUIG  always had a good team and they have added a few players even from GMIT. UUJ have lost Mark Lynch,Peter Donnelly, Karl Lacey, Paddy Cunningham, Brendan Mc Kenna, Paul Mc Guigan, Andy Moran, Michael Mc Alister, Karl Lacy, and Charlie Harrison. Nearly thier entire team. With Damian Mc Caul and Colm Murney injured, the Crossmaglen lads missing and Niall Mc Keever suspended they were never going to win this year's Sigerson.  Anyone watching Sigerson carefully,would never have installed them as favourites and when Queens where  well beaten by DCU in the Ryan Cup the writing was on the wall never mind the Mc Kenna Cup. They and thier management had themselves talked in  agood team.  UUJ are a very young side and do not lose many players and will probably be a force to contend with next year. UUJ are now attracting most of the top gaelic footballers in Ulster because of the sports, physiotherapy, engineering, accounting,business and marketing courses, world class  facilities and a 1st class management and administration system in place especially with Adrian Mc Guckin and Barney Mc Aleenan.  Queens are losing most of their team and will be at the rebuilding stage.  Anyone of the four remaining teams are capable of winning it this year.

[RedandGreenSniper]

[
BTW - Andy Moran is the Mayo lad you're referring too,(sic)

Andy Moran is NOT a "Mayo lad".

Build a wall . . .

[BallyhaiseMan]

[
BTW - Andy Moran is the Mayo lad you're referring too,(sic)

Andy Moran is NOT a "Mayo lad".

Build a wall . . .

id be careful what you ask for RGS 
Rossfan  a great poster on this board,loses the head when it comes to Ballaghdereen.