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Offaly Football Championship Final: Rhode vs Tullamore Preview

If the semi-finals of the Offaly football Championship are any indication of what is to come in the final, this will be a game to remember. Both Rhode and Tullamore had to dig incredibly deep to win their respective semi-finals. The fact that the final occurs two weeks after the semis is something both sides will be grateful for.

Firstly, Rhode looked to be heading out until Ruauri McNamee kicked a 65th-minute equaliser to send the game to extra-time. Opponents Edenderry started slower but found their feet as the game went on. An upset seemed to be on the cards until McNamee’s heroics. Heading into extra-time at 0-11 each, both sides knew a goal would hugely swing the game in their favour. Then, just before half time in overtime, Niall McNamee found the net. Rhode kicked on to win 1-14 to 0-13.

Incredibly, this will be Rhode’s ninth final appearance in a row. Last year, they finished runners-up to Ferbane. But, that loss was preceded by a treble and wins in ’14 and ’12. Their experience of knockout football hugely aided them in the semi-final and could again be called upon in the showdown.

Next, Tullamore qualified for the Offaly football Championship final by means of the competition’s first penalty shootout. At the halfway point, Tullamore were a point to the good. However, holders Ferbane came out in the second half to lay down a marker. On 32 minutes, Cathal Flynn scored the game’s only goal and Ferbane were three points up. This only spurred on the underdogs. Five unanswered points left them 1-7 to 0-12 up. Joe Maher stepped up for Ferbane and scored twice in injury-time to send the second semi-final to extra-time.

The drama continued for the next twenty minutes. Aaron Leavy seemed to have won it with an amazing point for Tullamore. Still, Ferbane equalised through Cian Johnson and the game headed to penalties. That’s when Ferbane’s luck ran out though. It took ten penalties each to end it. But, in the end Tullamore made it to their first final since 2013.

Rhode carry the title of favourites into the final. Paddy Power priced them at 1/4. Whereas, Tullamore are 7/2 and a draw is 10/1. Tullamore have already proved themselves capable of causing an upset and could do so again. But Rhode know how to win finals and will be backing themselves to regain the trophy.

Paths to the Final

Rhode: 1-19 vs 1-10 Clara; 1-14 vs 0-8 Tullamore; 3-13 vs 0-10 Cappincur; 1-14 vs 0-13 Edenderry (Semi-Final AET).

Tullamore: 1-8 vs 0-12 Cappincur; 0-8 vs 1-14 Rhode; 1-17 vs 0-9 Clara; 0-17 vs 1-14 Ferbane (9-8 penalties, semi-final).

Offaly Football Championship Final: Rhode vs Tullamore, Sunday 4th October, 4pm (O’Connor Park).

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https://twitter.com/Offaly_GAA/status/1307985148244357121

https://twitter.com/Offaly_GAA/status/1307652156518957056

Leitrim Hurling Final: Clauinin Iomaint vs Carrick Hurling Preview

For the fifth year in a row, the Leitrim hurling final will be won by either Carrick Hurling or Cluainin Iomaint. Only Ballinamore Sean O’Heslin’s interrupted the trend by winning in 2015.

Recently, it’s always been Carrick Hurling who have come out on top. In fact, a win this weekend will make it four championships in a row. Firstly, they defeated Cluainin Iomaint last year by 1-20 to 0-20. Secondly, it was 2-07 to 0-7 in 2018. Thirdly, it was 3-11 vs 0-08 in 2017. 2016 was the last time Cluainin Iomaint were crowned the champions. On that occasion, it was 0-14 to 0-06.

As a result of the trend that has developed in recent years, this final always promises to bring a battle. Despite winning three-in-a-row, Carrick Hurling always have to dig deep to defeat Cluainin Iomaint. But the latter will consider it more than about time they retained the title.

Since this is such a small competition, in terms of the teams competing for it, the runners-up are always so tantalisingly close. Therefore, Cluainin Iomaint will be more driven than ever. But, don’t expect Carrick Hurling to just hand over their title.

Leitrim SHC Final: Cluainin Iomaint vs Carrick Hurling, Saturday 3rd October, 3.30pm (Avantcard Pairc Sean MacDiarmada).

https://www.leitrimgaa.ie/competitions-clubs/?g=76373&y=2020#2020

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Galway football Final: Moycullen vs Mountbellew/Moylough Preview

After two thrilling semi-finals, the Galway football final features Moycullen and Mountbellew/Moylough. Moycullen are out to win their first Championship and their form this year gives them every chance. But, Mountbellew/Moylough are the favourites following their win over club football giants Corofin last weekend.

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE SCORE COMMENTARY FROM MOYCULLEN V MOUNTBELLEW

In the second of last weekend’s semi-finals, Mountbellew/Moylough put in a performance they won’t soon forget. Corofin entered the game on the back of a 49 game unbeaten run in the Championship. Having lost to Corofin in the 2015, ’17, and ’18 finals, Mountbellew/Moylough had added incentive for this game.

Corofin were up by the minimum at half-time. Then, Mountbellew/Moylough were spurred into action with a goal from Patrick Kelly in the 34th minute. The teams entered the final quarter of the game deadlocked at 1-08 to 0-11. This is when Val Daly’s team really kicked on. A goal from Paul Donnellan was the major input as they scored 1-05 to Corofin’s single point.

Michael Daly and Eoin Finnerty were particularly brilliant for Mountbellew/Moylough, the latter racking up 6 points from play. In spite of missing John Daly through injury, Mountbellew/Moylough were hugely impressive in all areas of the pitch. As a result, they inflicted Corofin’s first defeat in the Galway SFC since 2012. A win this weekend would be the club’s first championship since 1986.

Previously, Maigh Cuilinn earned their place in the final by overcoming Tuam Stars in the first semi-final. Former Roscommon footballer, Don Connellan, has successfully steered Maigh Cuilinn to their first final since 1977.

Maigh Cuilinn came out of the gates firing. In the first five minutes, they had raised two green flags thanks to Owen Gallagher and Dessie Conneely. They continued this form to half-time and were up by seven at the interval.

Last year’s runners-up showed their drive by reeling back this deficit. It began with a Gavan Connell goal 2 minutes after the restart. In fact, by the time the game entered its final ten minutes, the sides were level.

Then, Paul Kelly found the net for Maigh Cuilinn’s third goal. It proved to be a decisive moment as they went on to score 4 points in a row in the final minutes. In the end, it was 3-14 to 1-15.

Both teams carry a great run of form into this final. Mountbellew/Moylough will be particularly buoyed by their semi-final win. But, Maigh Cuilinn have an opportunity to win their first Galway SFC final. They will take refuge in the fact that they have already beaten their final opponents this year. In their final group game, Maigh Cuilinn were victorious by a score of 4-14 to 1-09.

Paddy Power have Mountbellew/Moylough at 8/11 favourites. On the other hand, Maigh Cuillin are 6/4 and a draw is 13/2. Galwaygaa.ie are live streaming the game.

Paths to the Final.

Group Stage

Round 1: Maigh Cuilinn 3-12 vs 1-06 Mícheal Breathnach.

Mountbellew/Moylough 1-07 vs 0-08 Annaghdown.

Round 2: Maigh Cuilinn 4-09 vs 2-14 Annaghdown.

Mountbellew/Moylough 0-22 vs 2-07 Mícheal Breathnach.

Round 3: Maigh Cuilinn 4-14 vs 1-09 Mountbellew/Moylough. 

Quarter-finals: Maigh Cuilinn 1-17 vs 2-09 St. James’.

Mountbellew/Moylough 2-13 vs 1-05 Kilannin.

Semi-finals: Maigh Cuilinn 3-14 vs 1-15 Tuam Stars.

Mountbellew/Moylough 2-13 vs 0-12 Corofin.

Galway SFC Final: Maigh Cuilinn vs Mountbellew/Moylough, Sunday 4th October, 4pm (Pearse Stadium).

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/club-championships-county-by-county/

https://twitter.com/oconnc62/status/1310260730571239424

https://twitter.com/maighcuilinn/status/1310317160082944002

Republic of Ireland prepares for a month of international football

Stephen Kenny will be bracing his team for a pivotal round of football matches over the next few weeks. This is because the Republic of Ireland face the tricky task of a UEFA Euros qualifier, along with no less than four Nations League matches in just over one month.

 

The games will give Kenny a decent chance to stamp his authority on the Republic of Ireland squad. Football fans were shocked when the Irish team failed to get automatic qualification to the Euro 2020 tournament. 

 

This means that the Republic of Ireland will have to face Slovakia in a semi-final playoff. The match takes place in Slovakia on Thursday 8 October. The 25-man squad for the Slovakia game has already been named. 

 

It’s evident that Kenny is still learning about the best ways to get his players to integrate. Questions remain about whether Matt Doherty has what it takes to make the starting line-up. Plus the Republic of Ireland’s fairly barren goalscoring run means that we may yet see the return of veteran strikers such as David McGoldrick to get the job done.

 

What’s fascinating is that the winner of this match would either play Bosnia and Herzegovina or Northern Ireland in the final. The thought of the Republic of Ireland travelling to Belfast to play Northern Ireland on 12 November should definitely give Kenny’s team the motivation to pull off a winning result against Slovakia. 

 

If Republic of Ireland manage to get through the play-offs, they would end up in Group E of the main Euro 2020 tournament. This would see Kenny’s squad facing an impressive line-up of Spain, Sweden and Poland. While many Irish fans will be optimistic about the national teams’ chances here, many of the more realistic bookmakers featured at betting resources will have fairly long odds for the Republic of Ireland to make it past the group stage. 

 

This is because the Republic of Ireland have been less than exceptional in their recent run of Nations League matches. September saw the Irish team being lucky to get a draw against a tough Bulgaria side. This was thanks to a late Shane Duffy effort three minutes into injury time. 

 

To be fair, Kenny fielded a very young squad with rising stars like Adam Idah and Aaron Connolly all being under 21. But more was expected from the Irish head coach as he had been pivotal in leading Dundalk to the Europa League group rounds in 2016. With plenty of  room for improvement in both attack and defence, it seems as though the Irish team have got their work cut out ahead of the next round of Nations League matches.

 

Sunday 11 October sees the Republic of Ireland hosting Wales in the Nations League. This promises to be a cracking contest as Wales are on a fine run of form. The Welsh team are unbeaten in eight matches, and this included a very respectable 1-1 draw against Croatia last October. Wales have already won their first two Nations League matches against Finland and Bulgaria. Plus with Gareth Bale expected to have recovered from his knee injury, it promises to be a tough test for Kenny’s team.

 

Following the Wales match, the Republic of Ireland travel to Finland on 14 October. Finland beat Ireland in Dublin earlier this September thanks to a single goal from Fredrik Jensen. Plus with top strikers like Teemu Pukki in fine form, Kenny will face difficult questions about whether to stick with the recent back four of Matt Doherty, Shane Duffy, John Egan and Enda Stevens. 

 

The Republic of Ireland’s final Nations League matches come against Wales and Bulgaria on 15 and 18 November respectively. By then, Kenny will have had time to get used to his squad and the team should have gelled. But whether the Republic of Ireland side have what it takes to make a success of their upcoming Euro qualifiers and Nations League matches remains to be seen.

Ulster v Benetton – Preview and Team News – Kick off Friday 8.15pm

Its Pro14 Rugby match Ulster v Benetton – Preview and Team News – Kick off Friday 8.15pm.

600 supporters will be allowed into Kingspan Stadium on Friday as Ulster begin their 2020-2021 Pro14 campaign at home against Benetton.

This follows a consultation process between the club, the IRFU, Belfast City Council and local government that has decided to begin trialing the safe return of supporters.

Ulster Rugby CEO, Jonny Petrie, said: “Following a number of very challenging months for us all, I’m encouraged that this weekend will mark the measured return of a limited number of spectators to Kingspan Stadium.

Addison Agony Continues

On the field the province will have to continue to plan without Irish international Will Addison, after he suffered a setback in his recovery from a back injury that has plagued him for some time.

The 28 year old has undergone surgery and Ulster say he will be out for “several months.”

More injury issues for Ulster

Elsewhere, Tom O’ Toole who suffered an ankle injury against Leinster will miss the game and will be out for several weeks.

Stuart McCloskey and Billy Burns who sustained injuries in the Champions Cup quarter-final defeat to Toulouse will also miss Friday’s game.

They join Kyle McCall (head), Ethan McIlroy (ankle), Tom Stewart (hamstring), Andrew Warwick (hip), Luke Marshall (hip), Angus Curtis (knee), and Robert Baloucoune (hamstring) in missing Friday’s return to league action.

In the back three, Jacob Stockdale has been selected to start at full-back and will be joined by Rob Lyttle and Craig Gilroy on the wings. Stewart Moore will make his first senior start for Ulster, pairing with James Hume in midfield. Michael Lowry has been named to start at fly-half, alongside John Cooney at scrum-half.

Jack McGrath and Marty Moore will pack down either side of Rob Herring in the front row, and Sam Carter will partner captain Iain Henderson at lock. Matthew Rea, Sean Reidy and Marcell Coetzee have been selected as the starting loose forwards.

Back-row and Academy Player of the Year, David McCann, could make his senior Ulster debut if called upon from the bench, while prop Gareth Milasinovich is also set to earn his first cap following his return from a knee injury sustained shortly after joining the club last summer. They will be joined on the bench by fellow forwards Adam McBurney, Eric O’Sullivan and David O’Connor. Alby Mathewson, Bill Johnston and Louis Ludik will provide the backline cover.

Ulster team to play Benetton Rugby, Guinness PRO14 Round 1, Friday 2 October 2020, at Kingspan Stadium (kick-off 8.15pm, live on Premier Sports):

(15-9): Jacob Stockdale, Craig Gilroy, James Hume, Stewart Moore, Rob Lyttle, Michael Lowry, John Cooney.

(1-8): Jack McGrath, Rob Herring, Marty Moore, Sam Carter, Iain Henderson (Capt.), Matthew Rea, Sean Reidy, Marcell Coetzee.

Replacements (16-23): Adam McBurney, Eric O’Sullivan, Gareth Milasinovich, David O’Connor, David McCann, Alby Mathewson, Bill Johnston, Louis Ludik.

The game kicks off on Friday at 8.15pm and is live on Eir Sport.

 

NFL Denver Broncos @ New York Jets – Preview, Predictions, and Fantasy Advice

Thursday night’s NFL game live on Sky Sports is Denver Broncos @ New York Jets – Preview, Predictions, and Fantasy Advice from @CuColin.

Week 4 in the NFL begins with a battle of two 0-3 teams as Denver travel to the Metlife to face the New York Jets. The Broncos will be bitterly disappointed with how the season has gone so far as they have put a promising squad together. However, that squad has already been decimated by injuries. Despite that, they will still surely look at this game as one that is very winnable.

The New York Jets are seen by many as the worst team in the NFL right now and not without good reason. A squad that was already devoid of much talent were hit by the Covid opt-out of star linebacker C.J. Mosely and the Adam Gase related departure of Jamal Adams. This team needs a big performance and soon.

Betpat Betting


Money line: Broncos 10/11 Jets 10/11
Points Spread: Broncos -1.5
Over/Under: 39.5

I like the Broncos to cover the 1.5 spread. The injury issues they’re going through will have narrowed their odds considerably but the Melvin Gordon led ground game is still more than enough to see off the Jets in my opinion.


Fantasy Football Denver Broncos @ New York Jets:


QB’s
Make no mistake, Sam Darnold is a talented QB. But some very questionable decision making, a less than stellar offensive line and a very limited receiving corps hold him back from being a reliable fantasy quarterback. You will get a couple of big weeks out of him each season but nothing consistent.#


With Drew Lock out, the Broncos QB situation is a mess. Jeff Driskell was given the task of taking over but he was hauled off for Brett Rypien in week 3’s collapse to the Buccaneers. The word is Rypien is in line to start, naturally, but my expectations aren’t high. 


RB’s


It’s 2020 and the Jet’s starting RB is Frank Gore. No matter how many times I say, see or hear that, it doesn’t get any less strange. Unfortunately for the Jets, and those who spent some of their waiver wire budget on him, Gore hasn’t exactly been racking up big numbers.

Don’t be surprised if Gase turns to rookie Lamical Perine more as the game goes on.
For the Broncos, Melvin Gordon is in a good position to improve on his early season production. Philip Lindsey is in contention to return but the word is his snap count will be limited. If the Broncos can establish a lead, Gordon will surely see a lot of carries to kill the game and put up a monster day.

WR’s


Jet’s will be without deep threat Breshad Perriman again this week but haven’t ruled out slot receiver Jamison Crowder from returning. Crowder can rack up a lot of catches on a good day and is a favoured target of Sam Darnold. Ex Patriot Chris Hogan had some excellent fantasy days in his time as a Patriot, but tough to see him having close to the same impact with NY. What could be worth keeping an eye on, especially for dynasty league players, is the development of Braxton Berrios.


In the absence of Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy carries the main receiving threat for the Broncos, but Tim Patrick has looked like he can be a capable sidekick too. Either can get respectable numbers but are relying on a back-up QB and competing with Noah Fant for targets in what should be a run heavy game plan.

TE’s
The Jets’ Chris Herndon hasn’t shown the type of production they would have been hoping to get from him, but it’s hard to call just how much of that is his fault. They could certainly do with him establishing as a safety blanket for Darnold, but until that happens, don’t expect much out of him.


Noah Fant on the other hand has been showing flashes of why he is so highly rated. He will be looking to add consistency to that but it’s clear the talent is there. The uncertainty at Quarterback might make him more of a gamble than he would have been, but don’t be in a hurry to write him off just yet.



My Prediction  Denver Broncos @ New York Jets:


This is probably the Broncos’ game to lose and if they can get any kind of stability and rhythm on offense, I would expect them to come away with the W. I can see the Jets making it tough for them though. Greg Williams won’t be happy with the lack of intensity his defence has shown so far and will be demanding a lot more fight from them this week.

I don’t know if Darnold has the fire power around him to find a way to pull out their first win of the season though in what could be Adam Gase’s last stand if some rumours are to be believed.  22-13 Broncos

 

Wexford vs Wicklow: Preview, TV Channel, Prediction, Betting

Wexford vs Wicklow has the makings of the most competitive game in the Leinster Football Championship this weekend. The two sides were among the best in Division 4. However, Wicklow were the ones who earned promotion while Wexford came up just short.

CLICK FOR LIVE SCORE GAA COMMENTARY

Last weekend, these sides met in the final round of the League. The game was a promotion shoot-out with Wicklow claiming the spoils by three-points. Wicklow goalkeeper Mark Jackson was hugely influential on the result. He kicked three long-range frees that proved to be the difference. It was a twenty-minute spell in the second half that set Wicklow apart. Wexford failed to get on the scoreboard in that time and had too much to do in the closing moments.

Wexford returned to action the week before with a win over Limerick. It was an encouraging start to Shane Roche’s spell as manager after Paul Galvin stepped down. However, Wicklow halted their progress and Wexford face another year in Division 4.

There will be no second chances in the Championship this year with the qualifiers gone. So, Roche will be almost relieved his side have gotten a loss out of their system. Now, they can learn from what went wrong and apply it to Sunday’s game.

Paddy Power are unable to choose a favourite for this one. Both teams are Evens to advance. A draw is worth a look at 15/2.

The game is live on GAA GO.

Prediction: Draw.

Leinster Senior Football Championship Round 1: Wexford vs Wicklow, Sunday, November 1st, 13:30 (Chadwick’s Wexford Park).

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/list-of-51-gaa-live-matches-scheduled-to-be-shown-on-tv-by-rte-sky-sports/

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/list-of-51-gaa-live-matches-scheduled-to-be-shown-on-tv-by-rte-sky-sports/

https://twitter.com/officialgaa/status/1321187413620908034

The Handball Rule: Time for Change

“It’s a mess.”

Jamie Carragher didn’t hold back in the Sky Sports studio on Monday night as the panel discussed the new alterations to the handball rule in the Premier League. Roy Keane was in agreeance, labelling the rule as ‘confusing’. Keane and Carragher aren’t alone in their outrage this season as many players and managers have followed suit.

VAR

Last season marked the beginning of a new era in the Premier League with the introduction of VAR (Video Assistant Referee). The main aim of VAR is to be used for “clear and obvious errors” or “serious missed incidents”. Many will argue that the tedious lines drawn up for several offside decisions last season were far from “clear and obvious”. Yet teams got on with it and to an extent, VAR has provided a degree of credibility as well as a level of entertainment for spectators. At the end of the day, it is an entertainment business.

However, some may disagree with this. Roy Hodgson for example. The veteran manager was the first to voice his opinion over the weekend. In his post-match interview, Hodgson could not hide his frustration with the handball rule. “It’s certainly destroying my enjoyment of the game of football”.

Penalty Statistics

It is hard not to agree with Roy Hodgson when you take a glance at the statistics so far this season. In the 2017/18 season, six penalties were awarded for handball. Six penalties have been awarded this season for handball after three weeks. A frightening statistic.

Based on these statistics, a mind-boggling figure of 88 handball-related penalties is forecasted for this campaign. Clearly something has to change and Jamie Carragher believes it will. But who has the power to change the controversial rule?

IFAB

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) felt the need to alter the handball rule after a review of last season’s campaign. Similar to the aforementioned tediousness of the love/hate relationship between VAR and offside, IFAB went about redefining the handball rule. Anything below the armpit is handball. Accidental or not, a foul will be given.

From first impressions of the new season, it appears that any contact with the arm will result in a penalty. Especially if the arm is in an ‘unnatural position’. Players like Eric Dier, Victor Lindelof and Joel Ward will believe they were harshly adjudged and many will agree. To keep your arms glued to your side is not a ‘natural’ way of conducting yourself on the pitch.

The rule needs to change. And by change, Jamie Carragher explains simply that “we just need to get to where we were last season”.

There is a fine line between perfectionism and monotony.

Why Patrick Bamford is unlikely to ever answer Ireland’s call

There were more than a few in the football world who were left scratching their heads after Patrick Bamford shunned Mick McCarthy’s advances last season.

The 61-year-old, who was the Ireland manager at the time, had asked Bamford to consider his Irish ancestry and turn out for the men from the boys in green. As civil as ever, Bamford politely refused and said he needed time to think, which, naturally, did very little for McCarthy’s usual charitable disposition. 

 

All of this happened at a time when the striker was battling away for promotion to the Premier League with Leeds United. It has to be said that any Championship forward that is offered the chance to play on the international stage is normally quick to take it with both hands. Indeed, there is a lot to gain from playing internationally. Apart from the obvious financial incentive, players are also able to enjoy the honour that comes with being an international player. 

 

Patrick Bamford, however, seems at peace with letting that opportunity slip by, at least for Ireland. The feeling is that Bamford, who is a proud Englishman, would rather give up on the chance of many international appearances for Ireland, in the hope that he can eventually get a cap for England. Now, there will be many who scoff at that but since his club side Leeds returned to the Premier League after getting promoted last season, Bamford has done himself no harm in throwing his name into Gareth Southgate’s England hat.

The 27-year-old is enjoying a 100% strike rate having netted in both of Leeds’ games. The first came in a sensational 4-3 thriller at Anfield after he capitalised on some poor defending from Virgil Van Dijk, by cooly chipping the onrushing Alisson.

 

The second was a clever finish against Fulham in a game that would see Leeds run out 4-3 winners this time around. Of course, many may point to Fulham’s defensive frailties and if you were to look at the Lottoland Sportsbook, you’d see the Cottagers are indeed the favourites to be relegated from the Premier League. This may lead you to think that Bamford’s achievement of scoring against them wasn’t all that impressive, but for the first time in his career, the striker is getting into the right place at the right time.

What’s more, both of his goals have come from his right foot, which was always considered to be his weaker one. All of this suggests that Bamford has addressed some of the problems that were hindering his progress in front of goal. Whether the floodgates open for good and Southgate does actually begin to see Bamford as part of his plans remains to be seen. 

 

But this all points to the fact that there is no almost zero chance that the 27-year-old will ever play for Ireland as his outside odds of being picked for England have increased ever so slightly. That’s probably all the justification that Bamford needs to keep sticking to his decision by giving the Irish national team the cold shoulder. 

 

 

Top 5 Forwards in Gaelic Football

Top 5 Forwards in Gaelic Football

Below are the 5 players we believe  to be the best forwards in Gaelic football today

Do you Agree?

Ciaran Kilkenny ( Dublin )  

When talking about the best forwards in the country the Castleknock man has to be right near the top of any discussion. 

An automatic pick on the dominant Dubs of the last decade, Kilkenny is the pivot on which Dublin base most of their forward play.

Whether he plays in the half forward line, full forward line or out around the middle the 27 year old is always available for a pass and is always a huge contributor to the scores that Dublin put on the scoreboard, either scoring himself or assisting his teammates.

 

Con O’ Callaghan ( Dublin ) 

A gifted hurler also, Con O Callaghan is well on his way to becoming one of the truly great forwards in gaelic football if he continues to turn in performances for Dublin like he has in his career to date.

Since his switch to the inside forward line, O Callaghan has taken his game to new heights, and is already regarded as possibly the most feared forward in the country. 

A powerhouse inside now, he has taken the art of running directly at his man to new levels, and has proven himself to be the man for the big occasion, with that x factor in front of goals that very few players possess.

 

Conor McManus ( Monaghan ) 

No player has contributed more to Monaghan’s development over the course of the past decade than their superstar forward Conor McManus. The Clontibret star has positioned himself as one of the best forwards in the game and fully justifies his place on this list. 

What makes the Monaghan man great is the fact that he is regularly double marked by some of the best defenders in the game but yet he always delivers for his county and never shies away from the challenge.  

He consistently performs on the big stage against the top teams who have game plans tailored around stopping him, while he always seems to provide at least a couple of magical moments that beggar belief every season.

 

 

David Clifford ( Kerry ) 

Already a superstar in gaelic games and still only 21, Clifford is the most talked about gaelic footballer in many years. From his minor days with the all conquering Kerry side to now, he has established himself as a generational talent in a county that prides itself on creating top quality footballers and champions.

His ability to conjure a score is matched already by only a select few, while his physical attributes have allowed him to make the jump from underage to senior without any problems.  

His inability to shirk the responsibility of playing for the Kerry senior team and being the main man in attack already is another admirable quality of the young star, a trait backed up by the fact that he is the captain of the team this year. 

 

Shane Walsh ( Galway )  

Underachievers for too long, Galway set about rebuilding themselves with the appointment of county legend Padraig Joyce as senior manager for 2020, and as the National Football League was suggesting before it was stopped earlier in the year the new manager was well on his way to bringing a swagger and attacking style back to the Tribesmen.  

Key to this is star forward and captain for this year, Shane Walsh. Long accepted as one of the most gifted footballers in the country a switch into the full forward line by the new manager seems to have brought further improvement in the 26 year old.

Galway’s attacking plan now seems to be built around getting the ball into Walsh in the inside line quickly where he can do the most damage to opponents. If this plan continues working as well as it was before football was halted, the manager’s ambition to win everything in 2020 may not seem as far fetched as first thought. 

 

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