BREEN LEAVES THE SCENE
Teak-tough defender opts out of Senior hurling squad
WEXFORD HURLING defender James Breen has opted out of the inter-county scene.
The Adamstown clubman, who had made the left full-back berth his own, will not be part of Davy Fitzgerald’s 2018 hurling set-up, having decided to step away owing to work commitments.
While Breen’s defection will leave a vacancy for the number 4 jersey, there is also considerable doubt regarding the future of midfielder/attacker David Redmond. The Oulart-The Ballagh player has yet to indicate his future but it’s highly unlikely that he will be seen in the purple and gold for 2018.
Redmond has given magnificent service to his county down through the years, but was seen to struggle at stages during 2017, leaving many to believe that they have seen the last of this great servant of Wexford hurling.
In another move, Barry Carton is no longer part of the 2018 squad, with the Cloughbawn player unable to make the breakthrough at this level of hurling.
While deciding on his squad, Fitzgerald has opted to recall Conor O’Leary, who will join fellow netminders Mark Fanning and Oliver O’Leary, while Michael O’Regan has attained the fitness levels required, with the result that he will likely figure through the Walsh Cup games.
Cloughbawn defender Colm Kehoe is still undergoing rehab on a hamstring problem but Fitzgerald expects him to be fit and ready for the Walsh Cup and National League campaigns.
Other players introduced to the squad are Jamie Reck (Oylegate-Glenbrien), Jake Firman (St. Martin’s), Eoin Molloy (Naomh Eanna), the returned Pádraig Foley (Crossabeg-Ballymurn), Connal Flood (Cloughbawn) and Darren Byrne (Blackwater), all of whom will be seen during the Walsh Cup games against Carlow and Wicklow respectively in preparation for the league.
With Andrew Shore a long-term injury casualty, having to undergo surgery on a recurring shoulder problem, there are also considerable doubts as to the availability of St. Martin’s promising young star, Rory O’Connor, for the opening games of the league.
O’Connor, who is carrying a knee injury that forced him to miss his club’s Leinster championship game with Dublin kingpins, Cuala, will have the injury further assessed by Ray Moran in Santry Sports Clinic over the coming days, when a decision will be made as to whether an operation is needed.
Still on the injury list is Liam Og McGovern. The St. Anne’s forward underwent a second cruciate knee ligament operation during the summer.
While his recuperation is very much on course, he will not return to competitive hurling until the summer, with May a possible guideline for his return to full training.
‘Rory (O’Connor) needs eight to ten weeks rest. He may need an operation but that’s still to be decided. He may not be available for early league games,’ Fitzgerald said.
Many of the squad have returned to training, with some players who had late club commitments given a further rest period.
‘We were back training last week, while the players had earlier been in the gym. Some are still resting, following late club involvement,’ the manager explained.
‘As a result we may be a little behind where we were at last year, but the fitness levels are still quite high, so it should not be a problem.
‘With the Walsh Cup starting earlier to allow for the league being brought forward, the year is going to be a severe test of the strength in depth of the squad, particularly given the round-robin championship format.
‘It’s going to be a tough year, so let’s not build up expectations, get behind the team and hopefully we’ll get the required results. Our initial priority is to maintain our league status, then we’ll look to the championship.’
The Walsh Cup games will be against Carlow and Wicklow.