Meath can step up to the plate

It's the stuff of legend now but to prepare his troops for battle over the years Brian Cody often selected two teams of 15 players each and told them to get on with a game.

Cody himself would 'referee' the contest but at times, it seemed he swallowed the whistle or forgot he had one; players laid into each other with the same intensity as if the training game was an All-Ireland final.
It's hardly surprising that in recent months the Meath training games are said to have included a level of high intensity. Two members the management team  - Martin Comerford and Michael Kavanagh - won All-Ireland gold in the black and amber under Cody.
When it's suggested to Nick Fitzgerald that, like Cody, he too might have swallowed the whistle at the training games he laughs.  "I was never fond of blowing the whistle anyway!" added the former Meath referee of the year who is now in charge of the county hurlers.
Behind the laughter however, there is the serious business of getting the Royal County ready for a NHL campaign that begins next Sunday, against Kildare at St Conleth's Park, Newbridge, 2pm - and there is a sense that this Meath team will be well prepared as they march into battle. 
Meath then take on London, with games against Westmeath, Kerry, and Carlow to follow. Promoted from Div 2B last year the Royal County is facing a considerable jump up in standard.
Not that Fitzgerald is too fazed. He is happy with the way his team has dealt with some heavy, demanding training, a recent series of challenges against the likes of Armagh and DIT and of course those training games.
He's also happy with his support team that includes Comerford, Kavanagh and well known athletics coach Ciaran McDonagh who has worked with the likes of Jamaican Olympic gold medalist Asafa Powell. Such men he insists, weren't picked at random.
"From the outset I wanted to surround myself with people who have a track record in winning and have that winning mentally and Michael, Martin and Ciaran certainly have that. They are proven winners who have done the business in their respective sports.
"Ciaran is a renowned strength and conditioning coach, he has brought the players to a new level in terms of fitness and their approach to training.
"Then, when you add on other people such as David Tobin our nutritionist, he ties in with the players on a daily basis and there is a bit of a education going on there as well in terms of how they lead their lives.
"When the guys started to train in November they were given a training programme and they knew week on week how the programme was going to progress, they knew what was coming down the line in terms of training."
Manager Fitzgerald also name checks selector Paul Reilly for his ability in reading a player and vast knowledge of the local game. 
Perhaps, Fitzgerald adds, the fact that the Kilkenny duo along with McDonagh are on board has provided and incentive to players but the reaction he got was that there is a lot of hurlers out there who are proud to wear the county jersey. 
"Maybe the addition of Michael, Martin and Ciaran made it a bit more attractive, but I genuinely think that, of all the players I contacted, the initial response was very good, there was no question of players not being interested or who did not want to be involved." 
What Comerford and Kavanagh have brought to the table, he added, is their ability to take players to one side and give them "little nuggets of information" on how to improve their game.
Golden nuggets gleaned from chasing Celtic Cross medals over long and illustrious careers. 
"The drills are no different but intensity is something they work on and work on, every minute of every session." 
Whether all that will translate into a successful league campaign is another question completely.
Fitzgerald is well aware of the pitfalls, but he genuinely does not believe there is a wide chasm between Meath and the rest although others might disagree.
"The other teams in the division will look to Kildare, Meath and London and say that's six points we can pick up but from our point of view we have just one target to start with, that's Kildare next Sunday," he concluded.
Fitzgerald is confident, that with his own, and Reilly's knowledge of Meath hurling, they have gathered a good squad of players.
Some have returned to the Meath fold such as Paul Fagan, Colm O Mealoid, Paddy Conneely and Jack Regan and they are joined by newcomers including Chris Lynch from Longwood.  
Last week Fitzgerald had the onerous task of reducing the panel down to 35 for the league.
"I had to make eight or nine phone calls which were not nice phone calls," said Fitzgerald. Now he feels he has players to make an impact. The coming weeks will tell a tale.

 

NHL DIV 2A FOCUS

SUNDAY 28th JANUARY

Newbridge: Meath v Kildare - The Lilywhites  are managed by Joe Quaid and they recently played Kilkenny in the Walsh Cup and put up a good show. They have very talented performers such as Paul Divilly, Martin Fitzgerald and Paul Dermody who will make like very difficult for opponents, particularly in Newbridge. 

SATURDAY 3rd FEBRUARY

Ruislip: Meath v London - For the past four years London have been managed by Kildalkey man Fergus McMahon. All London's games are at home this year and that will be a help to McMahon who has struggled to build a new team in trying circumstances.

SUNDAY 18th FEBRUARY

Trim: Meath v Westmeath - The Lake County will be missing Aonghus Clarke one of their marquee players, but Mick Ryan's team will still prove to be very formidable opponents. Meath will need every advantage to win, but will be buoyed by how close they ran Westmeath in the Leinster SHC last year.

SUNDAY 25th FEBRUARY

Killarney: Meath v Kerry - Already this year Kerry have defeated Cork for the first time since 1891 and that will give them confidence going into the league. In Bryan Murphy and Brandon Barrett they have two classy performers.
 

SUNDAY, 4th MARCH

Trim: Meath v Carlow - Arguably the strongest team in the division, Carlow got to last year's Div 2A final only to lose out to Antrim. Managed by former Tipperary star Colm Bonner they are sure to be there or thereabouts this time around.