Kierans keeps door open for departed duo
O’BYRNE CUP
LOUTH MANAGER Wayne Kierans insists the door is still open for Jim McEneaney and Derek Maguire to return to the county set-up at some point in the future.
Both players decided to step away in recent weeks for varying reasons and Kierans stressed that they are more than welcome to return and has laid down the gauntlet to the raft of new faces in his panel.
‘We were disappointed to lose two lads of that quality,’ Kierans lamented.
‘But you know, whether it impacts, only time will tell. We definitely will miss them, two really good lads on and off the pitch, experience wise and quality wise.
‘I had good conversations with the two of them, the door would definitely still be open no question about that. I’m due to speak to Derek again pretty soon. There was no acrimonious departures or anything like that, but very honest conversations about where the boys are, in terms of physically, and where they are in their life etc. We’ll see what happens.
‘That is why we freshened up the panel, bed in new guys and the new season and the trip to take on Meath in the opening round of the O’Byrne Cup this Sunday in Pairc Tailteann (2.00). In his second season at the helm, is it getting any easier for the O’Connells clubman?
‘Well I wouldn’t say easier!’ he quipped.
‘It is pretty much the same, we tried to freshen up things in the panel. So that brings something new. we are carrying a number of injuries unfortunately which will stress the panel a little bit but no it’s just another campaign. I’ve a good few campaigns now so it’s just a question of getting going.’
Kierans indicated that James Califf, James Craven and returning Ger McSorley are injured and also missing will be the three-in-a-row Newtown Blues contingent, who are still not back in the fold as yet.
The Louth manager is pragmatic in his approach to the pre season competition and is looking to use the valuable time on the pitch to get ready for the all important Division 3 opener versus Longford.
‘Best part, most enjoyable part is getting the boys out, getting training preparing for the games. There is an awful lot of hard fitness work to be done, but there is an awful lot of coaching work to be done as well. Your ultimate focus is getting ready for the Longford National League game. So it is all a big preparation phase for that game.
‘Start of league, end of January. Same team as we played last year, Longford, this time away. So the O’Byrne Cup is getting the new guys bedded in. Getting them game time, getting their organisation right in our team and of course getting our fitness right. So it is all those things but obviously you want to try and win the games and put in strong performances but it really is all about the first game of the league.’
The new rules brought in at GAA congress is something Kierans has had to comprehend. Sin bin, Advanced Mark and Kick outs are all things Kierans says his squad have been working on.
‘We’ve done a small bit on them,’ Kierans revealed
‘Majority of the work is fitness based but we definitely touched on the mark. Whereas this time last year we probably wouldn’t have done anything because we didn’t know whether it was here to stay or not.
‘Yes the option is there for the mark. We’ll be trying to avoid the other ones obviously like the sin bin. We’ve been working on that, trying to clean up our discipline and our tackling so it will be interesting to see how everybody gets on with them and how the referee’s deal with them.’