Replying To ISupposeSoSheehan:  "Any word on how the U20s are shaping up? The new development league starts this date next month."

Replying To Barney123:  "Anyone know who is on the panel?

The ones I heard are Jordan Morris, Cian McBride, Cathal Hickey, James O'Hare, Aaron Lynch, Cathal Finnegan and Andrew Beakey."

Replying To Barney123:  "Anyone know who is on the panel?

The ones I heard are Jordan Morris, Cian McBride, Cathal Hickey, James O'Hare, Aaron Lynch, Cathal Finnegan and Andrew Beakey."

Replying To LeitrimRoyal99:  "Andrew Beakey, James O'Hare, Harry O'Higgins, Cathal Hickey, Eoin Harkin, Oisin Martyn, Cian Swaine, Sean Ryan, John Keane, Liam Byrne, Robbie Clarke, Danny Dixon, Daithi McGowan, Cian McBride, Connell Ahern, Conor Frayne, Luke Mitchell, Matthew Costello, Aaron Lynch, Cathal Finnegan, Jordan Morris, Luke Kelly, Saran O'Finnagan, Dylan Keating (I think), Oran Smullen, Sean Bannon.
That's all the lads I can remember.
Shane Walsh and Adam Murphy unfortunately couldn't commit. Both would have been enormous additions. Still an awful lot of talent there especially from 8-15"

Replying To Belt:  "Have any other clubs had access to the players they have on this panel?

Our lads have only been available for championship football since the start of February - which is odd since the U-20s collective training isn't allowed to start until 1st March and their championship doesn't start until late June......."

Replying To sam1996:  "This is blatantly not true"

Replying To sam1996:  "This is blatantly not true"

Replying To sam1996:  "This is blatantly not true"

Replying To Anmhi364:  "Shane Walsh from Na Fianna not making himself available to the u20s due to LC commitments.
This is a huge blow, O'Callaghan should be doing everything in his power to work around that"

Replying To Aloblack:  "From what I gather the management did everything possible to work around his decision to concentrate on his studies but he's repeating his leaving cert this year and doesn't want any distractions so I say for play to him he's dead right and his decision should be respected. He still as next year at u20s if he's not in the senior panel by then which I reckon he will be. I heard he's going in with the senior panel after his exams are over ."

Replying To LeitrimRoyal99:  "Was at the game in Inniskeen tonight. Monaghan were poor but this is a very talented group of footballers, very well conditioned, good athletes. Have a lot of the tools to do very well. Down and Armagh both beat Monaghan already so they will be a better test. But considering through LC and injury we were missing 9 lads. And I'd say 5 of them would be pushing to start it was a very good performance."

Replying To ASaminthehand:  "I was at the game too. I thought we were much the better team. Some good talent on show and with a good few lads missing lots of positive to be taken from it.
By the way - Inniskeen is a great venue!"

Replying To overthehill72:  "he will definitely be with seniors he is a serious talent"

Replying To Furlong1949:  "Andy asked him onto the senior panel at the start of the year , but he is concentrating on his studies. Which is the right thing to do . When he is finished his exams at end of June , he is coming straight onto senior panel. Which shows how much Andy McEntee rates him . James Conlon and Dara Campion have been excellent this year. I have been very impressed by both. But I rate young Walsh the best forward on last years under 20 team. I think he has huge potential. He offers something different to the forwards we have produced lately. We have produced allot of pacy skilful small in stature forwards. Shane Walsh is very skilful but also could be an excellent target man.

We havent really produced quality target man since Graham Geraghty. Every sucessful Meath team has had a quality target man eg Noel Curran in the 60s , O Rourke in 80s , O Dowd and Reilly in 90s and Geraghty in 00s. Now Im not comparing young Walsh to the above. He needs time to develop as a footballer. But I think Shane Walsh could be the type of player we need in the full forward line. I expect him on the senior panel next year , if he is on the senior panel this year. And of course he needs time and we shouldnt be putting to much pressure on him eitheir.

But I think he is excellent talent. I wouldnt be surprised to see a Donal Lenihan Michael Newman Shane Walsh full forward line next year. Two experienced inside forwards with lenihan and Newman and Conlon Dardis Toibin T O Reilly and young Walsh could be option for the final spot. We have some really good young exciting forward talent coming through. If 2 or 3 of them were to make an impact it would be brillant for this team. 5 players from last years under 20 team have played senior this year eg Conlon Campion Devine Reilly Scully. I can see 4 or 5 from this years team also. The Dunshaughlin two of Costello and Mitchell are also great prospects I can see them being giving a chance. While Trims Aaron Lynch and young Jordan Morris are also young talents worth looking out.

With Shane Walsh and hopefully someone from Costello Mitchell Lynch and Morris to be called up. The return of Donal lenihan and Two Wallaces. And return of Ronan Jones our best potential midfielder and Paddy Kennelly should be back is another option next year. Young Cian McBride also could be lookedd next year or the year after for a call up. Alan Forde and Niall kane should be fully fit next year. And allot of players peaking as footballers reaching ages of 25 26 27 eg McGill , Harnan , Sullivan , Gallagher , lavin , J McEntee, S McEntee, Flanagan , Forde , Dardis , McMahon , E Wallace, J Wallace. Basically allot of the class of 2012 who reached minor final. And players like J Conlon , Campion and Devine in their second year. With all.the above developments, our panel and team should be stronger next year for div 1 football. Thats one of the reasons I think we will stay in div 1. And will reach Super 8 next year and have good championship next year. If we went up any year in last few years we would have went straight down. Next year I think we are going in a position of strengh in terms of panel of players.

For example uf you add this years old 20s potential players eg Shane Walsh , and Matthew Costello or Luke Mitchell or Cian McBride or whoever is called up. And add Donal Lenihan , Ronan Jones , Paddy Kennelly, Niall Kane , Alan Forde , Eamon and Joey Wallace as options. Our panel strenght really gets stronger.

Anyway hopefully our under 20 players will be leinster champions this year. They are made up of two minor leinster winning teams while Dublin will be strong of course and kildare will.also be strong with All Ireland winners from last years team. We should be aiming to win this title. U never know with young lads and there is many examples of strong underage not achieving in every county. But this is a strong under 20 team.

Our record is appalling at around this age group for near two decades. We have turned the corner at minor, but we need to see sucess at under 20 now. Roscommon Tyrone Cavan Dublin Galway footballers have all used sucess at under 21 to build sucess at senior; while limerick and Clare hurlers used under 21 sucess for senior sucess. Under 20 is the new under 21 age grade. We need sucess here badly. Our minors are real contenders this year but we need to be winning under 20 leinster title this year.

We had strong under 20 team last yeae proved by 5 of them playing senior this year and we were only team to beat the All Ireland champions in the championship last year. Hopefully we dont see another dreadful performance like we saw v Dubs last year. That was shocking stuff. We should not have seen our under 20s being hammered by Dublin when kildare hammered Dublin afterwards and we defeated kildare well before that. Hopefully this year we will be champions at this grade. We really need to see sucess at this age group and it would really give our players huge confidence when they play senior next year.

U can see last years under 20s are full of confidence. That coz of sucess at minor. Allot of players who came onto senior team in last few years were on Meath teams who were beaten by Dublin kildare Westmeath and longford teams at minor and under 21. It is no coincidence we had losses to these counties at senior. If we start having more consistent sucess at underage this in the long term will have a massive positive benefit for our senior team. It would be brilliant if we did the minor and under leinster double this year. Its not impossible. But for me the under 20 leinster is the big one we need to win this year."