Louth Team

First Declan Kidney now our own Aidan O'Rourke!

Louth Team 

Neil Gallagher

John O'Brien, Dessie Finnegan, Gerard Hoey,

 Conor McGuinness, Derek Crilly, Adrian Reid,

Paddy Keenan, Mick Fanning,

Andy McDonnell Mark Brennan, Brian White

                                Kevin Rogers, Shane Lennon, Pepe Smith

The team picked for tomorrow's refixtured game against Galway really didn't spare us the shock factor of an Irish rugby team selection.  

With 3 players make their first start of the year and a number of deselections!


The Manager obviously knows something we don't!
 

what we do know is....

That  

Brian Donnelly DCU and Gary O'Hare DIT are involved in the Sigerson cup


that

From the local papers, Ray Finnegan, JP Rooney, Gary Connolly and John Bingham are all out with Injuries

that

4 players have dropped from the original team named to play Galway the game.

Pop Rath
Jim McEnaneny
Darren Clarke
Colm Judge 

These omissions provide the most Shock, Pop Rath has been our best inside defender so far this year, Jim McEnaney has shown good form is every game he has been involved in, Darren Clarke is our number one marksmen inside with these two out who takes the free's Brian White? and Finally, Colm Judge makes way also after a fiery start against Westmeath he will still feel he has been harshly dropped.


that
The pecking order has been turned on its head

Ronan Carroll is now behing Brian Donnelly and now, Mick Fanning?

David Reid is now behind Judge, Clarke and now, Rogers and Pepe?

Jaime Carr is now behind the 6 named to start the first day and now Dessie and Conor McGuinness?

Conor Rafferty after starting the last day is well down the pecking order altogether.

that

some players have gone missing,

either that, 

or the manager doesn't rate our are just out of form ?



Peach Califf, Cathal Bellew, Eoin O'Connor all Showed promise in the O'Byrne cup and seem to be nowhere near the starting the line up and are possibly just there as a squad filler?

Liam Shevlin, Declan Byrne two players who have suffered most from this new regime, they were regulars last year, this year they are struggling to make an impact.

Summary
The manager has been bold, and once again put the onus on the players to perform.  

He obviously liked what he has seen in training over the past few weeks and by showing that no one is safe.

He has firstly, given the new players included a massive confidence boost from his belief  to start them in the first place and secondly creating a lot of competition for places.

These two things are important going forward, as every player will feel they have a chance to get on if they train hard and show form and by pushing each other, the whole standard of the squad will improve also.

but and its a big but,  

Aidan O'Rourke needs to get a performance out of the players he's picked and the team in general.

and, I think, because these boys can't let him down now, they will have no choice but to perform.

Which, like the Managers outlook is a positive. 


Roll on tomorrow!!!