New faces add fresh impetus to Royal challenge

LADIES NFL DIV 1 PREVIEW Vice-captain Niamh Gallogly believes the future is bright once more

Last week, Dunshaughlin's Niamh Gallogly was named vice-captain of the Meath senior ladies side, writes Tom Gannon.

In the aftermath of that announcement, the speedy Royal star discussed Meath's upcoming campaign with the Meath Chronicle.

The 2024 league campaign didn't exactly go to plan for the Royals and a few inconsistent performances left Meath quite a bit off the pace. Gallogly says that the squad will be focusing on having a more consistent campaign this time around regardless of the outcome.

"A big thing for us this year will be consistent performance. We showed positive signs at the start of the league last year and we played quite well in those first few games of the league against the likes of Dublin and Mayo but we dipped after that," recalled the newly appointed vice-captain.

"The Armagh, Kerry, and Galway games were quite poor. We didn't seem to regain that form. What we took from that was to focus on the performance and not the outcome.

"We need to focus on what we want to get out of our performance on the pitch. If we can achieve that and do it consistently as a team, the results will follow."

Gallogly can see the benefits of using the league as a learning experience and an ideal opportunity to give some inexperienced players game time against the top teams.

She is confident that the players introduced to the panel this year by the management will be of great benefit to the team as a whole.

"The league can be a huge learning experience and it is great for trialing new players out and giving them game time against the top teams. It's very important in that regard," said Gallogly.

"This year we are very lucky that all the girls that the management have brought in have been brilliant. Nobody has looked out of place and everyone has just slotted in so well. No one knows who is going to start the first game because it is just so competitive at the moment."

Meath's toughest fixtures come towards the end of the league campaign which is why Gallogly and the Royals will be keen to get off to a good start.

"The way the fixtures have worked out this year, the last thing we want is to be heading into the latter stages of the league potentially staring at relegation," warned the Dunshaughlin Royal Gaels star.

"That is why it is so important for us to get off to a good start. We want to reach Croke Park and get to a league final, but retaining our Div 1 status is a very high priority for us".

The opening two games of the league see Meath come up against Tyrone and Mayo. Gallogly maintains that the challenging aspect of facing a team like Tyrone is the unfamiliarity of the fixture. The last time Meath faced Tyrone competitively was the All Ireland Intermediate final in 2018.

"I don't think we have played Tyrone competitively since the 2018 All Ireland Intermediate final. There is a bit of unknown territory there. The fact that we have to play them away and go up there is also going to be a new experience for us," suggested Gallogly.

"There are going to be no easy games in the division but if we can get off to a good start, it will set the tone in the squad and get the morale and confidence going which would be great.

"It would give us a big boost heading into three home games in a row with the first one against Mayo. Hopefully, we can have a good crowd at our first home game because the support makes such a huge difference. When you are on the pitch and you hear the Meath crowd it drives us on."

Following on from their first home game, Meath will then face two sides that they have gotten to know relatively well over the last few years in Kildare and Waterford.

"We have been playing Waterford and Kildare year in and year out now for the last few years. Waterford are always a very tough and dogged team especially when you travel to them. It's a big positive that we have that game at home. They did well last year and got to an All-Ireland quarter-final. We know what to expect from Kildare but we hear that they have been going well in preseason so it won't be easy."

One fixture that will be marked on everyone's calendar is the meeting with Dublin on the 1st March. It is certainly the game that Gallogly is looking forward to the most.

"Everyone loves playing Dublin, it's certainly my favourite fixture, I get a real kick out of playing against them," enthused Gallogly.

"The rivalry helps but we do need to get back to that level where we are having a close tight game with them and ideally beat them. Last year in the Leinster final, we were all very disappointed with how we performed. We didn't do ourselves any justice that day and it frustrated us a lot."

Going on 2024 league form, Meath's last two opponents are certainly the toughest of the lot. Kerry and Armagh contested the 2024 league final. Gallogly is hoping that Meath can make amends against Kerry who knocked them out of the Championship last July.

"If we can try and get points on the board earlier on, that will make the Kerry and Armagh fixtures a bit easier.

"I'd love it if we could produce a better performance against Kerry than what we did in the All-Ireland quarter-final in Tralee last year. It would be great to rectify that.

"There is always a good rivalry between ourselves and Kerry and the matches between usover the last couple of years have been very tough," concluded Gallogly.