Division 2 2023

Rights lads, the club championship's are finished. Thoughts turn to 2023 and Division 2 next year. What did we learn in 2022? In my opinion, we were very unlucky to get relegated, we competed very well in most games but unfortunately we came up short. With All-Ireland Semi Finalists Dublin & Derry in Division 2, it will be a difficult task to gain promotion but that has to be the aim nonetheless. I don't rate Meath and think we are ahead of all the other Division 2 teams. I think we can really use Newbridge as a fortress and we should be aiming to win all our home games, there is no team I would fear at home. If we have 4 games then that would give us a huge chance of promotion, the away form really has to improve though!

The news that Ben will be off travelling is a huge blow, he was fantastic this year and carried that form into the Club Championship. However, we just need to get on with it now, nobody can begrudge a young man going to sample the world. I personally would go all out to try and get Luke Flynn to commit, he has all the attributes for Inter County Football, strong, athletic etc. Take a look back at the 2021 Leinster Final and he didn't give Brian Fenton a sniff. I think he could play at Centre Back which has been a problem for us in 2022. Who is playing club football that could potentially make the step up to Inter County. Presume James McGrath, Harry O'Neill & Adam Fanning will be with the U20's next year. Would like to see more of Paddy McDermott at this level, he has pace (which is essential at this level) and always stands out for Naas. Same goes for Paddy Woodgate, he had a good league campaign but didn't see much game time in the Championship. Anyone know if Mark Dempsey is back available?

This is a big year for management. Year 2 is an accurate gauge for whether this management team are up to it. I really don't understand how David Hyland was ignored for most of this year ahead of James Murray. The Mayo game gave us a template to how we should play going forward. It's just a pity we only had around 10 days training with that style of football ahead of the Mayo game, ultimately it wasn't enough to get us over the line.

Anyway, I can't wait for more heartbreak in 2023! Up the Lillies.

Leinster Championship Draw  is on 4pm Saturday will include frist round. Quarter final and semifinals draws


Kildare. Westmeath  Meath Dublin automatically in Quarter finals they winners of frist round

Semi finals open draw

FlourBag_1 wrote:

Rights lads, the club championship's are finished. Thoughts turn to 2023 and Division 2 next year. What did we learn in 2022? In my opinion, we were very unlucky to get relegated, we competed very well in most games but unfortunately we came up short. With All-Ireland Semi Finalists Dublin & Derry in Division 2, it will be a difficult task to gain promotion but that has to be the aim nonetheless. I don't rate Meath and think we are ahead of all the other Division 2 teams. I think we can really use Newbridge as a fortress and we should be aiming to win all our home games, there is no team I would fear at home. If we have 4 games then that would give us a huge chance of promotion, the away form really has to improve though!

The news that Ben will be off travelling is a huge blow, he was fantastic this year and carried that form into the Club Championship. However, we just need to get on with it now, nobody can begrudge a young man going to sample the world. I personally would go all out to try and get Luke Flynn to commit, he has all the attributes for Inter County Football, strong, athletic etc. Take a look back at the 2021 Leinster Final and he didn't give Brian Fenton a sniff. I think he could play at Centre Back which has been a problem for us in 2022. Who is playing club football that could potentially make the step up to Inter County. Presume James McGrath, Harry O'Neill & Adam Fanning will be with the U20's next year. Would like to see more of Paddy McDermott at this level, he has pace (which is essential at this level) and always stands out for Naas. Same goes for Paddy Woodgate, he had a good league campaign but didn't see much game time in the Championship. Anyone know if Mark Dempsey is back available?

This is a big year for management. Year 2 is an accurate gauge for whether this management team are up to it. I really don't understand how David Hyland was ignored for most of this year ahead of James Murray. The Mayo game gave us a template to how we should play going forward. It's just a pity we only had around 10 days training with that style of football ahead of the Mayo game, ultimately it wasn't enough to get us over the line.

Anyway, I can't wait for more heartbreak in 2023! Up the Lillies.

Centre Back was a highly solvable problem in 2022 but for some inexplicable reason management insisted on leaving David Hyland sitting on the bench. Hopefully whatever lay behind that entire episode is set aside as we face into 2023 and our best players are played in their best positions.
According to Johnny Doyle as quoted in the media last week he expects to see Ben McCormack in a white jersey next year.
The news on Kevin Feely is not so good and he will miss the entire League. The chances of him making the championship are slim but fingers crossed

I think you’re right, Dempsey and Luke Flynn would be big additions. We’d be a lot more solid with Hyland at centre-back and Flynn as a defensive midfielder. Dempsey would strengthen the full-back line and allow Houlihan to play in a more natural wing back position.
I would be fairly optimistic in general if all the above happened. Ben and Feely are big losses but we will still have a strong panel.

I think that we need to strike a balance and develop a system whereby we are not split open at will. Never mind the Dubs, Westmeath should have beaten us.

Like everyone here is saying, how could Hyland not get his game last year?? They showed v Mayo that they could switch to closing it up and we could have won that game.

Ben is a massive loss but Paul Cribbin played some of his best football at centre forward in the past and has been excellent for JTB. A lot of the criticism he gets is for tackling from wing forward, but he carries well and can kick a point.

Paddy McDermott should get more game time too. If Luke Flynn can commit it would be a big boost.

The Dubs will walk this division but we are in with a shout. I dunno if Derry will kick on or will they just stagnate?

Bottom Three teams in Division 2 will be in tailteann cup unless they make provincial final

I see the draw was done for the summer O’Byrne cup…. Yawn. I could put up the fixtures, but who actually cares these days?

Short summer ahead

I don't understand I taught the Gaa didn't do the semi final draws in Leinster until the quarter winners were through.
Is it back to the way it use to be or what?

Thelillywhites wrote:

I don't understand I taught the Gaa didn't do the semi final draws in Leinster until the quarter winners were through.
Is it back to the way it use to be or what?

Gaa don’t control provincial championship the provincial council make rules of provincial championship.

Well by Gaa I meant the leinster council. Last year the draw wasn't made till we got through the quarter. Is it changed again this year?

If it is that way how about the leinster semi in O' Moore Park then take Dublin out of croker

Jimmy winning matches wrote:

Short summer ahead

Why do you say that? If we lose to Dublin we’re guaranteed at least three more games. Very busy summer ahead I’d say

Jimmy winning matches wrote:

Bottom Three  teams in Division 2 will be in tailteann cup unless they make provincial  final

I thought it was bottom two teams.

bite the pillow wrote:

Jimmy winning matches wrote:

Bottom Three  teams in Division 2 will be in tailteann cup unless they make provincial  final

I thought it was bottom two teams.

8 provincial finalists. And Westmeath straight through to Sam maguire stage and next best 7 Sam maguire teams.


Could leave 6 place team in Division 2 worrying position After
Draw Connacht draw with with all weaker teams on one side one of them will make Sam maguire stage

Thelillywhites wrote:

If it is that way how about the leinster semi in O' Moore Park then take Dublin out of croker

Great point. We have to look to take dublin out of croker for semi final if we beat carlow/ wicklow

lily4fr wrote:

Thelillywhites wrote:

If it is that way how about the leinster semi in O' Moore Park then take Dublin out of croker

Great point. We have to look to take dublin out of croker for semi final if we beat carlow/ wicklow

I say Tullamore. Dublin have no problem playing out of Croke park

Well if it is a Kildare v Dublin semi Kildare should 100% percent be asking for it to be out of croker.
Get a Newbridge or nowhere type mentality going again. Dublin out of croker a no brainer.

Lads fuck Tullamore that game should 100 percent be in Newbridge. I am deadly serious... It’s high time we ruthlessly took them out.

I think Tullamore, Portlaoise or Navan would be best for Leinster semis seeing as they don't get more than 30-35k these days anyway.

I would add though that if the medium to long term goal is to win trophies then they tend to be handed out in Croke Park. Rather than try to avoid playing there we need to get used to playing and winning there.

I think Newbridge or Nowhere is different in that it was a round of the qualifiers where we were 100 per cent meant to have home advantage. That doesn't apply to a Leinster semi.

I am correct in thinking that the Connacht council have 'pulled a stroke' here that could ensure 4 Connacht teams in the All Ireland series ( Galway, Mayo, Roscommon possibly via the NFL/Connacht Championship and either Silgo, Leitrim, London or New York via the Connacht championship).

If so, how was this arranged draw allowed to happen.

They badly need to find a system and settled places. some positions they need to sort out:

Goals: needs to be one keeper be it the don, aaron oneill or an other but we cant be switching so often like last year.

Full back line: keep as is, great year last year.

Half back line: need a proper centre back. Kev Flynn and Archibald each side.

Midfield: hopefully luke flynn commits. Him and kevin ocallaghan could be a formidable partnership (assuming feely is out and i had heard masterson isnt playing this year (unsure how true that is)).

Half forwards: the two wing forwards need to be able to tackle. As someone said above P Cribbin is better at 11.

FF line: Kirwin & jimmy are nailed on to start in the FF line. Daniel Flynn when on song is a beast but we havent seen that for a yr or two. Would hope he finds form again

Management: They badly need to reach out and get help in where required. A proper defensive coach is badly needed. And they need to play the best available. It was a disgrace watching us opened up again and again last year

BearintheSquare wrote:

They badly need to find a system and settled places. some positions they need to sort out:

Goals: needs to be one keeper be it the don, aaron oneill or an other but we cant be switching so often like last year.

Full back line: keep as is, great year last year.

Half back line: need a proper centre back. Kev Flynn and Archibald each side.

Midfield: hopefully luke flynn commits. Him and kevin ocallaghan could be a formidable partnership (assuming feely is out and i had heard masterson isnt playing this year (unsure how true that is)).

Half forwards: the two wing forwards need to be able to tackle. As someone said above P Cribbin is better at 11.

FF line: Kirwin & jimmy are nailed on to start in the FF line. Daniel Flynn when on song is a beast but we havent seen that for a yr or two. Would hope he finds form again

Management: They badly need to reach out and get help in where required. A proper defensive coach is badly needed. And they need to play the best available. It was a disgrace watching us opened up again and again last year

. What seen of Kev o Callaghan in club championship a shadow of player that  played for  Kildare. Earlier in season.

Given we'll be out at the semi-finals, think the qualifier groups will look something like this.

TEAMS THAT'LL MAKE PROVINCIAL FINAL PLUS TAILTEANN CUP WINNERS (9)
Galway
Sligo
Meath
Dublin
Kerry
Cork
Donegal
Tyrone
Westmeath

DIVISION ONE TEAMS NOT IN PROVINCIAL FINALS (4)
Armagh
Mayo
Monaghan
Roscommon

Thus three more spots for those who finish highest in Division Two from Clare, Limerick, Derry, Louth and Kildare. So basically, don't get relegated and we stay in the Sam Maguire.

Heard away Dublin frist game