O'Byrne Cup 2019

Did Kevin o Callaghan get any game time Folks ?.

O'Callaghan also injured alongside Kevin Flynn and Archibald.

I wouldn't be as quick as Cian to give lads a pass on the basis that they were tired from hard training lately. I know our lads were allowed back to training 6 weeks after the likes of Westmeath had already started but still..... Sunday confirmed suspicions that we would have had about players who are up to it and players who are not. 3 - 5 players may have played themselves off the panel. In years to come someone will do a phd thesis on how Fionn Dowling has lasted this long on the Kildare panel. Would expect Dempsey to start some games in the league and hope that Barrett and Gibbons get starts at some stage. Be nice to see the 2 Monasterevin corners get a run at some stage too.

16 January will be an informative day as that's when the first round of the Sigerson is and we will have probably more lads than usual playing in these games. There's a backdoor in the Sigerson this year which means if a college loses in the first round and then goes through the back door to the final, they will have to play 6 games. That would mean 6 Sigerson games and 3 national league games in 5 weeks. Remember when they got rid of the under 21 championship because it was causing burnout!!!!!!!!

O'Byrne Cup performances have had no correlation with later success in recent years but it would have been comforting to see a better performance last Sunday.

A totally meaningless competition that should have been scrapped years ago. I completely ignore the pre-season competitions & it does wonders for my outlook.

In 2012 & 2013, we beat Dublin, and ran them close in 2015 - all precursors to absolutely disastrous championships.

Meanwhile, in 2017 we lost to their third string - only to end the year with promotion to Div 1 and a Leinster final appearance.

We’ll find out where we are against Armagh & not a moment before. I wonder if Dempsey is the man to take Clarke? The way we dealt with him - or completely failed to deal with him - in 2017 was absolutely unacceptable. Murnin & McPartland tricky customers as well.

Tie those down & it’ll go a long way to winning.