All to play for: NFL Division 2 in focus
National League preview
With the National League about to throw in, KEVIN EGAN runs the rule over the seven teams Cavan will face in their Division 2 campaign, starting with Kildare this weekend.
Kildare
Manager: Glen Ryan (3rd Season)
County profile: Ryan’s status as a totemic figure on the field of play for the Lilywhites, allied to a handful of equally revered and decorated men in the backroom team, shields this group from criticism to a certain extent – but be under no illusion, patience is running thin as the Short Grass County continue to underachieve, relative to their spectacular levels of underage success in recent years. The absence of a home venue for the upcoming league won’t help either, as Kildare have won just one league game out of seven outside of Newbridge in the last two seasons – and that was a very fortunate one-point win in Ennis.
Key man: Historically he divided opinion, but Ben McCormack is the beating heart of this team now, weighing in heavily on the scoreboard while clocking up the miles up and down the pitch, always influencing play.
Potential threat: Out of last year’s All-Ireland winning U20 panel, only Ryan Burke has got to the level where he’s expected to start on Saturday, and is a corner-back really that much of a threat? We’ll keep an eye out for Shane O’Sullivan, however, who could be poised for a break-out season, even as a change-of-pace forward late in games.
League prediction: There are probably enough teams in this division sufficiently weak to ensure Kildare stay up, but right now, it’s hard to be optimistic about their prospects – and if Cavan can kick the season off with a win on Saturday, the trapdoor will open that little bit wider. We’ll predict a relegation battle, that they just about scrape through.
When they play Cavan: Saturday January 27, 2.30pm., at Netwatch Cullen Park.
How that game might go: Alex Beirne, Niall Kelly and Daniel Flynn all took knocks in a challenge game last weekend, so Cavan might be a bit more settled, and a bit more primed for this fixture. Away win.
Donegal
Manager: Jim McGuinness (1st season since returning. As if you didn’t know that!)
County profile: The saviour has returned, and the hype is back! 2023 was a dismal year for Donegal, with poor results on the field and any number of controversies off it, but there is no shortage of positivity to be found now. Who knows what miracles are happening behind that securely-fenced off training facility?
Key man: Paddy McBrearty is now the captain, and the mature figure who needs to lead this newer vintage – and after a world of injury problems, a truly daft sending off last weekend in the McKenna Cup final doesn’t bode well. That the Kilcar man can play ball is not in doubt – but he needs to do more than kick points if Donegal are to come close to fulfilling their ambitions.
Potential threat: Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde was an interesting addition to the starting team last Saturday evening, and while Brendan McCole is the nailed on starter at full-back barring injury, McGuinness clearly rates the Gaoth Dobhair youngster if he gave him the task of monitoring Shane McGuigan.
League prediction:
Ultimately, Donegal have Division 1-standard talent and for that reason alone, it would be a huge shock if they weren’t in the promotion mix. Fixtures have been kind too, as while they have only three home games, their only trip outside Ulster will be to Carlow to play Kildare. All that said, they have a lot that they need to iron out, so they might lose too much ground early on and miss out on the top two places.
When they play Cavan: Sunday February 4, 2 pm, at Kingspan Breffni
How that game might go: Barring a complete collapse in Carlow this Saturday, expect a massive crowd to rock up for this game, and it has the potential to be one of the best atmospheres of the year. Getting a result is a big ask, and while a narrow win or a draw is plausible, a more likely outcome is a near miss by a couple of points.
Cork
Manager: John Cleary (2nd season)
County profile: There’s a bit of bite coming back into Cork football, and since strength in depth has never been an issue for a county that has roughly 150 clubs that play the big ball game, the fact that structural and cultural problems are being addressed bodes well for them. Confidence is certainly never going to be an issue.
Key man: It’s all about the half-back line, where there are several outstanding ball players, full of energy and well able to play a key role with and without possession. Take your pick between Seán Powter and Matty Taylor, either of which are potential match-winners every day they go out.
Potential threat: David Buckley got a few starts in 2022 but didn’t make the impression that he nor the Cork management – then led by Keith Ricken – would have wished. He left the panel, regained his form while playing for his club Newcestown, and last Saturday kicked five points and led the attack, all while being marked by a proven stalwart, Paul Murphy.
League prediction: The widely held view is that if either Armagh or Donegal slip up, Cork are the most obvious contenders to step into the breach and take advantage. We’ll go one step further and nominate the Rebels as the value bet for the Division, and the team that takes the silverware in Croke Park.
When they play Cavan: Saturday February 27, 4 pm at SuperValu Páirc (potentially!).
How that game might go: Even when Cork were struggling for form, they were incredibly athletic. On a big field, with a few home forwards coming into form, this could be a very tough assignment for Ray Galligan’s side. If there is any game that Cavan lose heavily, this could be the one.
Louth
Manager: Ger Brennan (1st Season)
County profile: Speaking on the Irish Examiner’s football show in 2022, Oisín McConville made the bold claim that Dundalk is a football town now. Colour us unconvinced, and 2024 will show how deep the roots really go in Louth football, as a step back into the pack in Leinster is likely. Niall Sharkey, Liam Jackson and Bevan Duffy have all stepped away, and while none of those losses are insurmountable, would that happen if more big days were on the horizon?
Key man: Sam Mulroy is the obvious answer, even if Mickey Harte comparing him to Leo Messi after last year’s Leinster semi-final win over Offaly was more than a little overblown. Ciarán Downey can also rack up the scores but Mulroy is the consistent threat, even though he invariably draws the best man-marker on the opposition side.
Potential threat: Paul Matthews has been wearing Louth jerseys for a long time, but 2023 was his first season to do so playing football as opposed to hurling, and he carved out a niche for himself as a defensively shrewd and industrious wing-forward. The extra experience playing high level football looks to be standing to him, as he was very influential in their most recent O’Byrne Shield game against Westmeath.
League prediction: Nothing about Ger Brennan’s CV inspires confidence that he’ll be able to step up to this level, so while Louth have a lot of pieces of a good team in place, particularly from midfield up, Division Two is strong company. Relegation looks likely.
When they play Cavan: Sunday February 25, 2pm, at Páirc Mhuire Ardee.
How that game might go: If Cavan don’t win this game, the month of March could be very nerve-wracking. We’d hazard a guess that given the likely importance of it, Ray Galligan would have traded home advantage in any other game to bring Louth to Breffni. Even so, we’d prefer to have Cavan’s unproven defence to a Louth one that has been clearly proven to be inadequate.
Meath
Manager: Colm O’Rourke (2nd season)
County profile: Readers of a sensitive disposition, or indeed those living anywhere along the frontier from Mountnugent up to Kingscourt would do well to look away now - Meath actually look like a side that is moving in the right direction, with real scope for improvement. Colm O’Rourke’s criticism of the Sigerson Cup is very self-serving, but it stems from how his panel is packed full of young players who are making waves with their colleges. They’re still a world away from their heyday of tormenting Dubs, but they were two or three worlds away from that not long ago.
Key man: O’Rourke travelled a steep learning curve himself last year, and one of his big mistakes was taking Ronan Jones out of midfield for their ill-fated (depending on your perspective) Leinster quarter-final against Offaly. From that game onwards, Jones was the permanent owner of the number 9 jersey, and he rewarded that faith.
Potential threat: Watch out for Eoghan Frayne, a two-footed scorer, capable of winning his own ball, that has been catching the eye for Maynooth University this Spring.
League prediction: For all the glowing positivity we’ve lavished upon the Royals so far, the ceiling is still low enough until a few players push on to the next level. If we were to pick a matchday 26 from the eight teams that will fight it out in Division Two of the Allianz League over the next ten weeks, realistically only Donal Keogan and Ronan Jones would likely make the cut from their panel right now. Mid table beckons.
When they play Cavan: Saturday March 2, 7 pm, at Kingspan Breffni Park
How that game might go: Like the Donegal game, this will be a great game to attend and it would be a surprise if the crowd aren’t treated to a fiercely enjoyable ding-dong battle.
If we’re correct with our previous predictions, Cavan will have gone 45 league games without a draw going into this tie.
That run ends here.
Armagh
Manager: Kieran McGeeney (10th season)
County profile: Armagh are probably the only team in the division that could have a really bad league, and still couldn’t really fall below seven or eight points. They’re too solid, too balanced and too consistent to drop points to several of the teams in this grouping, which gives them a huge head start.
Key man: There aren’t too many players quite like Rian O’Neill. Who else could claim to be one of the leading players in the country, even though he could yet make his home at midfield, centre-forward or full-forward this year?
Potential threat: This isn’t the easiest group to break into, and Armagh are going through something of a lull at underage level, which has also manifested itself in the form of the county’s lack of presence in Sigerson Cup starting lineups. Callum O’Neill is only 18 so realistically, the county’s 2022 minor captain should be unlikely to play a big role in this coming league, yet his performances in the McKenna Cup suggest that it can’t be ruled out.
League prediction: A lot needs to happen for Armagh to lose three games. 10 or 11 points would represent par for this group, so promotion should be on the cards.
When they play Cavan: Saturday March 16th, 5 p.m., at the Athletic Grounds.
How that game might go: Ideally this game will be something of a “free hit” for Cavan, in that relegation will be off the table and there might be a chance to wash away some of the stain from last year’s Ulster championship defeat. Even so, anything close to an eight out of ten performance from Armagh should be enough to secure a home win.
Fermanagh
Manager: Kieran Donnelly
(3rd season)
County profile: They won six games in last year’s league so were full value for their promotion, but four of those victories were secured by a combined margin of five points, while one was the final round dead-rubber against Cavan. At the risk of providing material for the dressing room wall in Lissan, Icarus might be flying a bit too close to the sun here.
Key man: Ultan Kelm is the game-breaking force for the Erne County, and the type of player who will cause problems for elite defenders and defences. Cavan supporters know him all too well, but knowing and respecting the threat posed by the Erne Gaels man is one thing, curtailing it is another matter.
Potential threat: He’s not exactly a new face, but the return of James McMahon to the county panel for 2024 will go a long way towards mitigating the loss of Conall Jones, Ryan Jones and Seán Quigley. McMahon is expected to miss the start of the league but should be back in harness as either a sweeper or a defensive half-back by the latter half of the campaign.
League prediction: Give them a clear run in terms of injuries, and Fermanagh will cause problems for a lot of teams. However the squad is threadbare, and there aren’t too many springers in the panel that look like they will come out of nowhere to nail down a starting jersey. Getting to six points to avoid relegation looks like a huge ask.
When they play Cavan: Saturday March 27, 7pm, at Kingspan Breffni Park.
How that game might go: A lot depends on what’s at stake, in that if one team needs to win and the other doesn’t, then that will go a long way towards determining the result. However all things being equal, last year’s league final looks like a reasonable reflection of where these two teams stand, relative to each other.