LET THE HURLING BEGIN!
THIS weekend sees the beginning of the Wicklow Senior hurling championship when Carnew take on the men of Avondale in the opening clash of 2017 on Sunday at noon in Joule Park, Aughrim.
There are two games penciled in for next Tuesday night with Kiltegan facing Glenealy in Joule Park, Aughrim at 7.30pm while Éire g Greystones welcome Bray Emmets for a 7.30pm start.
With the promotion of Kiltegan from Intermediate after their wonderful win over Bray Emmets last year in Joule Park Aughrim there will be seven teams competing for two automatic semi-final spots and four play-off places.
Bray will be looking to make it four titles on the trot after their historic treble last year in John Henderson’s final year at the club and new manager Tommy Carroll will be hot favourites to retain the crown.
Last year’s beaten finalists Carnew will be hoping that their young guns can go one step further while Glenealy will be desperate to return to the final and prove they are not a spent force.
There is no doubt the indications are that the strength in depth in Wicklow hurling is improving slightly and it will be interesting to see if the likes of Éire Óg and St Pat’s can put it up to the perceived big guns this year.
We got the thoughts of each of the seven managers on their respective team’s prospects for the coming championship season.
TOMMY CARROLL
Bray Emmets
“Coming in new to the set up this year has been a really enjoyable experience but we have encountered challenges along the way. A lot of guys are out injured or not available so we’ll be hoping to have as strong a panel as possible come the knock out stages.
“There is a lot of expectation obviously after winning three in a row but we won’t be looking past Éire Óg in the first match next Tuesday and there are a lot of good teams in Wicklow that will be looking to knock us off our perch so every game will represent a new challenge.
“I am coming in new this year and have inherited a really good set of lads with a really solid set up from the previous regime.
“I will try and add my own tweaks as a manager but I think the trick will be to keep the lads driven for each match because like I said there are a lot of strong teams.
“The lad’s attitude and application this year has been top class and we had some very good performances in the Dublin league so we have to try and build on those and improve from match to match and hopefully that will leave us in a good position come the knock out phase.
“I think all of us, myself, management and the players, are just really excited to be getting started and to know exactly when we are playing and build towards those games.
“It will be my first taste of club hurling championship in Wicklow and is one that I’m really looking forward to and I think the players are relishing the challenge knowing that they will be the team most targeted, as county champions.
“The only thing that matters now is the match against Éire Óg so we’ll try and get a good performance there which will hopefully be enough to get us the two points and get us off to a solid start.
“It’s a long campaign and there will no doubt be ups and downs ahead as anything can happen but the important thing is that we keep focused and concentrate on each game as it comes”.
TOM D’ARCY
Carnew Emmets
“The last two years have been disappointing, falling to Bray both times, so we’re set on closing that gap and giving them a better crack this year.
“People probably think that it is a three horse race, with ourselves and Glenealy chasing Bray, but there are a few very good up and coming teams in Wicklow that will be a tough nut to crack.
“We know that before we have any aspirations of being in the business end of the championship that we’ll have to overcome the like of Pat’s and Greystones who have come on massively in recent years. To get to an automatic semi-final by finishing in the top two is our initial aim but there is a lot of quality opposition to beat first in order to get in that position.
“We have a few injuries at the moment and lads missing so that is a worry and we won’t be looking past Avondale in the first game.
“If we could get a win there that would set us up well for the Bray match but we’re under no illusions that they will be a massive challenge and that they gave us a good beating last time out in championship.
“We’ve brought a lot of young lads in over the last two year’s so hopefully they’ll learn from that experience and others and kick on for us this year.
“It’s a long championship so if we can put in good performances week on week and build towards September that’s all we can ask. Anything can happen at that stage of the championship.
GARY LAFFAN
Glenealy
“I have to say me and the lads are really looking forward to it. We had good run outs in both the Leinster League and the Spring League but the championship is what you play for and until the lads cross the white line I won’t really have an indication where we’re at so it will be great to have my first taste of Wicklow hurling.
“There was talk of starting championship a while back but that’s the cards we were dealt and it’s the same for the other teams so everyone will be chomping at the bit to get started and get into the match day 15 so the intensity in training has really risen a notch or two in the last few weeks.
“We have a young team and I think the lads really want to find their own identity has a team and put Glenealy back up near the top because this is a really proud hurling club and everyone will be hell bent on trying to get us back up competing with the top teams.
“It’s going to be a ferociously competitive championship though, and there are some real up and coming teams that are improving so we won’t be taking anyone lightly and each match will be a tough one.
“Our aim will be to make it to the knock out stages, be that in the quarter-finals or straight into the semi-finals, and if we can get there anything can happen. The six games will be a great chance for lads to stake a claim because like I said it’s hard to gauge where lads are at in some ways unless they’re in the red heat of battle in championship.
“At the moment we have one or two lads with niggly injuries but for the most part we have a full squad to pick from so please God that can continue but we feel there are lads capable of coming in and doing a job and the competition for places is high so that’s definitely a positive.
“We won’t worry about end goals till September but if we can still be there come the knock out stages anything can happen but there’s a lot of work to do to put us in that position first”.
MICHEAL NEARY
St Patrick’s
We got a bye in the first round so I suppose that has its pros and cons but we’ll all be rearing to go come to 25th against Éire Óg.
It’s very difficult at this stage to know where we are. Our aim would be to get through the group and into the quarter finals in as high a position as possible.
There are key matches which we’ll target that will be crucial to achieving this but each game will represent a different challenge and especially with so many teams having new coaches in place it’s harder to predict how teams will set up. The first match against Éire Óg is certainly a crunch match.
There are a few teams that bit ahead of the pack so we’ll be looking to close that gap but if we’re still in play come September anything can happen.
We’ve had a good league and it’s great having three teams at adult level currently so it will be a matter of getting more championship experience under the lads belts so we can improve and close that gap on the more fancied teams.
Having an intermediate team this year is an added bonus and if players are going well in that they will certainly be in the shake up for a call up. There’s a lot to do but we feel we’re starting from a solid base.
EAMMON SCALLON
Éire Óg Greystones
We’re coming in off a decent run in the Leinster league where we got to the quarter-finals but until we get out and have that first match under our belt we won’t really know where we are as a team and what we need to do.
“Certainly, from a personal point of view, I’m looking forward to it and it will be my first taste of championship hurling in Wicklow so it’s a learning curve for me too.
“Our preparations have been good and although we do have some players with dual commitments we have a strong panel of players available to us.
“Obviously starting off against
Bray will be tough as they’re county champions and a very good team on paper but all the games will be equally hard so we’re just relishing getting started.
“We’ll take it one game at a time but I suppose like other teams we’ll aim for the quarter-finals and go from there.
“I just hope that we improve from game to game and learn to manage and see games through as best we can.
“To make a semi-final would be great but there’s a lot of hurling to do to get there”.
EMMET O’SULLIVAN
Avondale
“To be straight our preparations coming in have not been ideal.
“It will be a tough task the first day against Carnew but we just have to get on with the job at hand and try to give as good an account of ourselves as possible come Sunday. We had mixed results in the league and hopefully will have as many of the lads as fit and available against Carnew as possible.
“It’s a difficult time with some of the younger lads doing the Leaving Cert and other commitments but we just have to get on with it.
“It’s a long road ahead so we’ll be hoping to start off with a solid performance on Sunday which will prep us well going into the other group matches.
JEFFREY BERMINGHAM
Kiltegan
“It’s going to be a big step up and challenge after coming up from Intermediate.
“We have a baptism of fire of sorts in that were playing Glenealy and then Bray Emmets in the first two games.
“They’re going to be two hugely challenging matches but that’s the standard we’re at now so it will set us up well and prepare us for what’s to come in the rest of the games.
“We have a small pool of players to pick from and most of them have dual commitments so that’s something we have to try and work around and get on with. We’ve got guys on the Senior football panel and then those doing the leaving cert so we have to try and manage that as well but to be fair most teams have similar challenges in their preparations.
“We should know exactly where we stand after those first two games which will be a good platform to kick on in the rest of the group matches.
“Although we’re just up from intermediate we’re not here to make up the numbers and to get to a quarter final is definitely a goal of ours. The main thing is that we build game on game so we give as good an account of ourselves both this year and into the future”.