WATERFORD
"For f***’s sake...that was absolute...it was definitely there," Waterford’s Tommy Prendergast laments when thinking back to what might have been last May.
Big scalps have been few and far between in the history of Waterford football, but last summer they came agonisingly close to a huge championship upset against Cork at Fraher Field.
The 14-man Rebels overcame a red card and a huge performance from the Déise to stumble into a Munster semi-final, Paul Kerrigan’s class the difference between their advancement and one of the biggest shocks in football.
"It would have been crazy," the towering midfielder says, whose grandfather was playing the last time they got the better of Cork in the Championship.
"I thought when the man was sent off, ‘this is going to be it’".
Daring to dream can be a dangerous policy for a weaker county. Waterford haven’t tasted a win in Munster in eight years and while a scalp would have been a huge lift for the county, the League is where real incremental improvement can be made.
"Realistically when you are looking at Waterford football, you are always going to want to do well in the League. If you do well in the League, if you can get promoted, it’s better teams you play, it encourages more people to play."
In a hurling-dominated county, the footballers go about their business very much below the radar, and maintaining a motivated panel can be difficult. Last season, once any mathematical chance was gone after a couple of defeats, the panel dwindled. Even for the championship defeat to Cork, they had a squad of 24 players.
"You have got to be aiming for promotion, or to be in the mix. The longer you stay in it, the more competitive games are and you keep players interested."
"I came into the panel in 2010, Waterford won a match and got promoted, but ever since then, it’s been going back to the way it was before. One good year in the middle of it all"
Now in his ninth season with Waterford, the Kilrossanty clubman made his debut coming off the bench in a League win over Leitrim
"Little did I know that was going to be the highlight," he says, remembering a campaign that saw Waterford promoted after six victories, more than they have accumulated in the past three campaigns put together."
Has much changed in the intervening years?
"It’s hard to know. It’s much and much the same. When I came in they weren’t after winning a Championship match in 10 years. I came in, they won a match and got promoted, but ever since then, it’s been going back to the way it was before. One good year in the middle of it all."
Whatever about the bigger picture, the focus is on Aughrim at the weekend, followed by games against Antrim (home) and Laois (away) as they look to bounce back from relegation. The aim is to remain in the mix towards the conclusion of the group and the carrot of Croke Park is a big motivating factor.
"The chance to play in Croke Park is significant. There aren’t many lads in Waterford that have played there, so that is always in the back of the players’ minds, to get a day out in Croker."
Last year’s finish: Sixth. P7 W2 L5
Manager: Tom McGlinchey
Captain: Not yet confirmed
New players to watch: Dungarvan pair Kieran Power and Mikey Kiely have been drafted into the panel, along with Adam Walsh of Kilmacthomas, Martin Scurry of John Mitchells and Gary Cullinane.
Unavailable: Nobody unavailable from the 2017 Championship panel
LONDON
London will enjoy home comforts over the course of the League as they look to turn performances into results. Last year they were on the road owing to the refurbishments work at Ruislip, but this year will be at home for all seven games.
"Travelling to games is definitely a hindrance," says corner back Philip Butler. "We spend a lot of time in hotels. It can help sometimes, you can sort out team meetings, but you still prefer just to play at home."
Since Kilkenny pulled out in 2013, the Exiles have propped up the Division 4 table each season (joint-bottom with Carlow in 2014) with a single win in each campaign, just one of those coming at Ruislip.
Now in his fifth year in the London set-up, the Tir Chonaill man is encouraged by their pre-season and manager Ciarán Deely’s determination to turn around their fortunes.
"The approach has been completely different this year," he says, "there is more pressure on us. I think there will be an improvement from the past couple of years. We didn’t take too much time off over Christmas so it has been a bigger push.
"A lot of the lads are as fit now as they would be in May for Championship."
Last year’s finish: Bottom of Division 4 P7 W1 L6
Manager: Ciarán Deely
Captain: Liam Gavaghan
New players to watch: Tom Waters, Shane McManus, Patrick Begley, Brian Elliott
Unavailable: Greg Crowley, Rory Mason
ANTRIM
Antrim and Laois will both be hoping to bounce straight back from last year’s relegation.
The Saffrons went down on points difference and have put good stock into the McKenna Cup, with fewer experiments in personnel in comparison to other years.
Manager Lenny Harbinson welcomes former Brisbane Lions player Niall McKeever (below) and Colm Duffin back into the fold, which will bolster their hand.
Another fillip is that Dublin-based defender Peter Healy has committed to the year ahead. The rookie made an instant impression in his debut season, but there were fears the UCD student may take the year out.
The forward division will be without Conor Small and Owen Gallagher who have both taken the year out.
Rounds five and six could hold the key to their promotion hopes when they travel to Laois and host Carlow at Fr. McGuigan Park.
Last year’s finish: Relegated from Division 3. P7 W2 D1 L4
Manager: Lenny Harbinson
Captain: Kevin O’Boyle
New players to watch: Not so much a new player as he featured in the 2009 Ulster final loss to Tyrone, Niall McKeever’s return to the panel is a huge boost. The towering midfielder spent a few years in Australia with Brisbane Lions and rejoined the panel in 2014 upon his return, but stepped away from the panel for 2017. Moneyglass forward Colm Duffin will also add to their strength in attack.
Unavailable: Conor Small and Owen Gallagher both taking a year out
LAOIS
Many eyes will be on the fortunes of the Laois footballers in the bottom tier of league action. Just six years ago, the O’Moore County was dining at the top table, but it has been a downward pointing graph since then.
Successive relegations have seen expectations lowered in the county, but bookmakers have John Sugrue’s side as odds-on to earn promotion.
"John Sugrue hasn’t shirked away from it," Alan Hartnett of Laois Today says. "Management know that if they don’t get promoted, it’s a failure.
"The talk this time last year would have very much been achieving promotion from Division Three. They really could do with getting off to a good start Saturday night against Limerick."
Kevin Meeney has called time on his career after 11 seasons with his county and Conor Meredith has stepped away from the pane, while Sugrue has refreshed the panel with 11 players.
What should please Laois supporters is the fact that for the first time in quite a while, there is a strong Portlaoise contingent at his disposal. The county kingpins have representation of nine in the 41-man panel, with Graham Brody, Kieran Lillis and Gareth Dillon joined by six club members, including the returning Paul Cahilane.
Laois are nursing injuries to a number of key personnel in the early season. 2012 All Star nominee Brendan Quigley (groin) is out for at least the first few rounds of the League, while David Conway (knee), Damien O’Connor (shoulder) and Denis Booth (groin) are all currently sidelined.
Sugrue is in his first year in charge, having been the county’s team physio in 2012 and 2013. In 2015, he had guided South Kerry to a county title and the following year a number of players backed the Kerry native to succeed Mick Lillis in the hotseat before Peter Creedon was given the nod.
Promotion is almost a non-negotiable for the underachieving side.
"It’s up to us (management team) to put in front of the players a programme of football that excites them and gets them enjoying their football again and see the potential for results," he said recently. "But there are a lot of questions to answer before we get to that point."
The first glimpse to those answers will come under the lights at O’Moore Park this weekend.
Last year’s finish: Relegated from Division 3 P7 W2 D0 L5
Manager: John Sugrue
Captain: Stephen Attride
New players to watch: Hard-working forward Brian Glynn is one of a raft of Portlaoise players brought into the panel by John Sugrue. The 28-year-old had been working as a physio in Liverpool and didn’t even play for Portlaoise this year, has returned to work locally. Glynn played at centre-back in O’Byrne Cup, but more likely to feature in the half-forward line over the coming months.
Other new faces include Benny Carroll, Brian Glynn, Chris Finn, Kieran McEvoy, David Holland and Paul Cahilane (returning after stepping away from the panel) all of Portlaoise, Ballylinan trio of Padraig McEvoy, Robbie Donahor and Jamie Farrell, the returning Tom Shiels, Finbarr Crowley, Robbie Piggott and Ruaidhri Fennell.
Unavailable: Kevin Meeney (retired), Conor Meredith
CARLOW
It’s all about building on the progress of 2017 for Turlough O’Brien and his Carlow troops. The Leinster Championship yielded a win over Wexford and a very creditable display against Dublin. Fellow Division 4 sides London and Leitrim were disposed of in the qualifiers before putting up a good showing in the five-point defeat to Monaghan.
Now it’s back to the League. Last year they missed out on promotion by just a point and their tally of 10 goals was only better by six teams across the four divisions.
"Our season starts maybe earlier than other teams," says goalkeeper Craig Kearney, who is again battling with Robbie Molloy for the number one jersey.
Last year Kearney started against Wexford and Dublin in Leinster, while Molloy took over for the qualifiers.
"Every team plays for the League, but it would be our number one."
Hard-working wing-forward Alan Kelly is not part of the panel this year and they begin with a trip to Ruislip. Last season the Exiles secured their only win of the campaign against O’Brien’s side.
"They played very well against us last year. The first half won it for them, I think they were winning by 10 points at half time. We came back in the second half but it was too much, they were too far ahead.
"They played really well."
Last year’s finish: Third P7 W4 D1 L2
Manager: Turlough O’Brien
Captain: John Murphy
New players to watch: There are high hopes within the county that Jordan Morrissey can bring his 2017 minor form with Carlow, not to mention impressive club displays with Eire Óg, into the senior set-up. Played at wing-back in the O’Byrne Cup, but normally plays his football further up the field. Conor Crowley, Lee Walker, Simon Doyle and Cian Lawlor are other new additions to the panel.
Unavailable: Alan Kelly
LEITRIM
It was a middle of the road campaign for Leitrim in Division Four last year and the squad available to manager Benny McGuckian is quite different to last year’s hand.
Long-serving Gary Reynolds steps away, as has Ronan Kennedy, the two-goal supersub against London in the Connacht Championship last year.
Almost a dozen players have been drafted in by McGuckian and he is hoping they hit the ground running this weekend.
"The start of the League is massively important," he told RTÉ Sport.
"We have three of the toughest games, away to Antrim, home to Laois and away to Carlow. Those three teams will all be targeting promotion so that is a difficult start. If we can get something out of those three games we will be in a good place."
Last year’s finish: Fourth P7 W4 L3
Manager: Benny McGuckian
Captain: Donal Wrynn
New players: 11 new players on the panel
Unavailable: Eight departed. Gary Reynolds (long serving), Ronan Kennedy (scored vital goals in London), Paddy Maguire
LIMERICK
Few managers in the country have had to deal with the upheaval in personnel facing Limerick manager Billy Lee. For a range of reasons, 16 players from last year’s panel won’t be playing in 2018. Not that Lee is feeling sorry for himself.
"We have had a number of fellas come in," he says in an understated manner. "We’re investing our time and energy into them. We can’t be crying over people who aren’t there. It’s gone too serious to worry about who is not around.
"Getting lads up to the pace of inter-county has been the main thing. We have a lot of young lads, and club lads who might not have played county in the past. You are trying to educate them."
The Treaty men travel to Portlaoise on the opening night to take on the promotion favourites, but Lee feels their first home outing against Carlow will be every bit as tough.
"I would think that Carlow are perhaps physically the biggest football team in the country," he says. "A lot of people wouldn’t be aware of that. They are a big team and have a system in place. They are quite a formidable team."
Last year’s finish: Fourth P7 W4 L3
Manager: Billy Lee
Captain: Donal O’Sullivan
New players: Nearly half the panel are facing into their first-year of inter-county football.
Unavailable: A total of 16 players from the 2017 panel have stepped away for various reasons.
WICKLOW
2017 was a year to forget for the Wicklow footballers, with just one win in League in Championship to show for their efforts.
John Evans has come in on a three-year term and he is looking for both immediate results and a longer-term project for the betterment of Wicklow football.
"We’re targeting three to four wins" he says. "If we could do that we would be very, very happy. There are a few very good teams in there, even teams.
"My project is about building a new team and getting the senior guys to lend their experience to a young Wicklow team."
He will be without Stephen Kelly who has thrown his lot in with the hurlers, while Paul Cunningham, top scorer for the past last two seasons, is currently in Vancouver.
Evans however will have more players from county champions Rathnew at his disposal, including the return of stalwart James Stafford.
The 35-year-old midfielder, whose last game for the Garden County was in the qualifier defeat to Armagh three years ago, was a key figure in Rathnew’s run to the Leinster semi-final and Evans says his decision to come out of retirement is a huge boon.
"He had such a great Championship this year that you couldn’t but ask him to get involved," he says. "It was all going t opened on what his appetite for the game was. He was definitely one of the best, if not the best, player on view in the Championship.
Last year’s finish: Seventh P7 W1 L6
Manager: John Evans
Captain: Seánie Furlong
New players to watch: James Stafford comes out of retirement at the age of 35, while Mark Jackson, Eoin Murtagh, Pat Burke, Dan Kelly, Pádraig O’Toole, Conor Byrne, Harry Wilson, PJ O’Toole, Martin Shannon, Paul Merrigan and Theo Smith are all part of the 2018 panel.
Unavailable: Daniel Woods, Stephen Kelly, Anthony McLoughlin, Paul McLoughlin
