Returning Rossies having major impact on squad strength

In his Monday League final analysis on these pages, Éamonn Fitzmaurice wrote that Roscommon midfielder Eddie Nolan had a “huge game” in Saturday’s Division 2 decider. 

In the same fixture, Cian McKeon kicked a pair from play, with Ciaráin Murtagh doing likewise from the placed ball.

None of the three were involved last year. Ditto Shane Killoran who featured in five of the seven games on the way to the final. Their return has filled out the Rossie plate. Their return was not the MiWadi and biscuit work of manager Davy Burke.

“I'd say from a distance they've probably seen a development in the squad, they've probably seen progress being made, and I think as a group of lads, the players have really went after them, whereas in years gone by, they might have kind of allowed lads to slip out through the net,” said Burke.

“Whereas they got together this year and said, can we really go after everybody? And they definitely got about 8 out of 10 back. That was player-driven, with very little help from us.

“You know yourself, peer pressure is a lot more [persuasive] than a manager ringing you. If your mates are ringing you going, 'come on now, she'll be there in six months’ time’, or ’Australia isn't going anywhere’, you know that kind of way, whereas our clocks are ticking. So that's a credit to the players.

“If you want to be consistent, if you want to be in the top tier, for a county like Roscommon, we have to have our players. I'd like to think we've got the majority of them together now.” 

Roscommon fell at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage last year. They fell, according to Burke, partly for their lack of depth.

 That quarter-final, given what their Orchard conquerors went on to do, tells Burke his beefed-up 2025 class can be right in the mix. 

Before reaching the mix, though, they must first take care of a potential banana skin in Ruislip on Saturday.

“We were extremely disappointed with [that quarter-final], between the red card for Ruaidhrí Fallon before half-time and losing David Murray and Ultan Harney after 15 minutes, and we had a much lighter squad, much less depth than we have now.

“Early in the second half we were level, before a bad kickout-turnover, so it would give you great hope, we are right there in the mix. Like anyone, you probably need a bounce of a ball. 

"Armagh won the All-Ireland, I’d say [Kerry goalkeeper] Shane Ryan is probably kicking himself for dropping a ball, you know that kind of way. We’d just love one of them to drop our way at some stage.

“We are a serious outfit when we’re absolutely right. At the minute consistency is our biggest thing.” 

On the injury front, defenders Brian Stack and Niall Daly won’t feature against London. The latter’s younger brother, Conor, is not involved with the panel this year, the manager confirmed.