The Official Cavan GAA Discussion thread.

It'll be 6 weeks in a row if we make the final.

I'd assume the Dome was ruled out due to limited attendance numbers

I think Leitrim are on one of the pitches at Bekan as opposed to the actual Dome

After 3 rounds, who would have expected London to be top of the table!? Our trip to Ruislip may not be as easy as we thought because we didn’t exactly comprehensively beat Leitrim.

I’d fully agree but it’s very rare you’ll have everyone from your 30 plus man panel fit. The squad has to be able to cope with players being missing.

Agree wholeheartedly re younger forwards chipping in with scores. We need to establish a panel. I wouldn't worry about the jugular, I'd be more concerned with getting minutes into younger lads and resting those who are needed for the more difficult games. If we can't play some squad players against Carlow in Division 4, when exactly can we give them a chance?

Unfortunately, game management is going to come into it now. We did play seven weekends in a row in 2020 but we were largely fortunate with injuries in that time, particularly to our established players. What are lads who have been there for the guts of ten years going to learn about themselves against Carlow? If it's like the first half of the Wexford game, they'd get more intensity in a training match.

Meant to ask you Cavan_King, what is Rehill finished with the county? He was one of our best players in his debut season.

I saw Carlow against Sligo. Carlow were probably the worst inter county team I have ever seen on a pitch in that game. Now they seem to have rallied a bit against Waterford but If Cavan go at them early and hard they will fold and Cavan should put up a big score. If our forwards cant score against them then god help us in Ulster.

To my knowledge he won't be going back while some current players are in situ. There was a falling out with one in particular back in November 2019 when the county team trained something crazy like 26 of the 30 days. Rehill voiced his disapproval with the amount of training publically after a session. He was lambasted publically by one senior player in particular. This senior player did approach him afterwards with a view to building bridges but he is not interested in going back.

That's what I was told anyway. Is it fact? Your guess is as good as mine. Since the Terry Hyland days, county players have an omerta about giving away info.

Although it was atrocious conditions yesterday, Meath scored only one point from play - they did get two goals that said. They aren't playing well and have 1 point from 3 games, including 2 home games. They have Derry, Cork, Offaly and Clare left to play and may find themselves (hopefully) in Division 3 with us next year. Hopefully Faulkner gets in Morris' ear because he would be an addition to any county team in the country. The one thing I think may have stopped him coming to Cavan was Meath being in a higher Division and higher standard of football but that may not be an issue much longer.

Would you like a saucer of milk with that? Other than his fleeting appearances for the county, when exactly am I to watch Benjamin Kelly? I can’t watch all 40 lads on the county panel in depth. Kelly was a junior player until 12 months ago and I support a senior team. Why would I travel to the other side of the county to watch a lower standard of football?

Moynagh was gone for two whole League campaigns. If you know any lads on the county panel, ask them how it went down in the room when McCabe welcomed him back with open arms ahead of lads had slogged it out with barely a break between seasons.

A long standing player indeed but a long standing player who was in Australia sunning himself when those lads were training in the rain and ***t in the Winter.

So we should keeping bringing back Stephen Smith year after year as he has experience rather than give someone who may be a genuine intercounty player a chance?

How much game time has Benjamin Kelly got for Cavan over the last couple of years ?

I would prefer if you would answer my question if you know the answer instead of coming back with one....

Making a panel and breaking into and cementing a position as a starter are different things, and it isn't a straightforward thing of talent + application = reward.

There's a load of contingencies that have a massive impact, including injuries (to players and other people in the panel creating opportunities). Kelly has been unlucky for Cavan- he was on a crest of a wave at club level, showing form and debuted in Mickey's first competitive game. Was looking lively and then off concussed which meant he missed the other McKenna cup game (and i think was also out for the Galway game).

One of his strengths is his versatility, which is a huge asset for a panel member, but maybe that works against him as well. He also mostly plays down the centre of 1-9 and we happen to be really well stacked there. How patient can Kelly be (and others mentioned) waiting for their chance? It's always a conundrum for managers but clearly he is doing something right as he's been there or there abouts for the last few years. Chris Conroy is a great example of a player doing the right things and getting the reward in due course.

Ideally on Sunday we go out with the right approach so that the likes of Clarke, Smith or Galligan could come off with the job done and start getting minutes into lads who need the exposure at some time in the future. And no player can be judged on whether they have it at county level until they get the chance (earned by club performances and commitment to the conditioning and training). And i don't mean two minutes as a blood sub against Wexford or two minutes in McKenna cup!

We all want to see the likes of Paddy Lynch get a decent run to do that, the likes of Kelly probably need that as well.

Here's a question - of the new players who featured last year, how many are still there?

Paddy Lynch is and starting. Caoimhin McGovern has been unfortunate. McEvoy, due to forces outside football, hasn't worked out and it looks like he won't be available to Cavan for a long time. Cian Reilly, I believe, is injured but still due to be involved. Oisin Brady started against Leitrim and didn't feature against Wexford after looking promising in the McKenna Cup. Breen O'Connell has left the panel. Were there any others?

There are a few others who have dropped off the panel who didn't overly feature but were panel members. Danny Cusack and Paul Gilcreest were in there last year from Lavey for example. Both got Ulster medals in 2019. Cusack suffered a bad injury last year, was on crutches and missed the whole club championship so it's unknown if he dropped off the panel due to that or was just let go. Mickey hadn't used him in the League last year so it's difficult to tell if he had any plans for him but doesn't appear so. Gilcreest was just let go. He only ever featured in the charity game against Monaghan in November/December 2019. In that match, a number of lads not even on the panel played like Fergal McKenna from Laragh.

Oisin Brady is a quality player. He won an Ulster All Star with St Pats which isn't easily won. There's certainly a place for him on the panel or even starting team. Has Timoney definitely left? I was hoping he was still there.

Is Ryan Connolly from Drumlane still in there? I remember him coming on in the League against Westmeath and Clare in the home games in 2020. Haven't seen him since I don't think.

Thomas Edward Donohoe from Denn isn't on the panel anymore either. I saw him down in Lidl after the Wexford match and heard then he wasn't in the panel anymore. Speaking of which, I'd like to see Denn's centre half back, think he's Oisin Kiernan also, get a run. Looked a great player in Denn's junior championship run.

It was a person from Denn told me as I asked them after I had seen him in Lidl. I had also thought he was on the panel but they reckoned no.

Connolly kicked a point against Westmeath that just about made it over the crossbar. He also definitely came on against Clare because there were a few people who would support a rival intermediate club near me and they were highly critical of him coming on before he had even touched the ball.