GER CUNNINGHAM RECENTLY axed a number of experienced members of the Dublin hurling panel as part of his plans to build for the future.
One youngster he’d surely love to get his hands on is Cuala’s goal-poacher Con O’Callaghan, whose scoring exploits in the Leinster club SHC have made plenty of hurling people sit up and take notice.
The 20-year-old has bagged 5-6 from play in Cuala’s run to the provincial final, but he says his immediate future lies in the far more serene environment of Jim Gavin’s squad.
“In a few years’ time, I wouldn’t rule it out (joining the hurling squad) but now I’m really focused on just this match,” O’Callaghan said.
After that, I’ll let the new year worry about itself. The U21 footballers will be back soon enough. So I’ll just focus on this and giving my best performance this year.”
O’Callaghan is happy to push for a breakthrough with the back-to-back All-Ireland champions in 2017. He picked up his first All-Ireland medal as part of the Dublin squad this year, after making a few brief appearances in the O’Byrne Cup and National League.
“I’m focusing completely on the hurling for the moment,” he says. “In terms of next year, I’d love to push on in terms of experience. I didn’t get much league time last year but hopefully I can build on what I did last year.
Everyone on the panel will have ambitions to play and start for the team. Hopefully I can build on the small things I’ve done this year and push on for next year.
“It’s a great privilege to be a part of the team. Jim and the management and players have a really strong culture there and it’s a bit intimidating at the start. Just a year or two ago, you’d be looking at them on TV with aspirations of playing for them.”
O’Callaghan continued: “When you’re there, at the start it might be a little overwhelming but the lads accept you into it and you get on with it. You have to give it your best and there’s a lot required from you.
“Obviously if Dublin are winning All-Irelands, it’s not going to be easy to get into the team so you have to push yourself in everything you’re doing. It’s a great privilege.”
Places in the Dublin attack are not easy to come by, but the starlet knows if he plays well, he’ll get his chance.
Cormac Costello was rewarded for his fine vein of form in the lead-up to the All-Ireland final replay and he made a decisive impact with three points on his introduction against Mayo.
“Cormac, I think he didn’t make the match-day panel for one or two games this year and it just shows you. Davy Byrne got in this year for his first, I think it was his first start and he played throughout. Cormac had a great final and finish to the year so there’s definitely opportunities there.
The competition is really good in training and there’s opportunities for young lads if you’re going well enough. It’s not just like Jim is picking lads because they’ve done it before; they’re doing it every day and are consistent. That’s what it takes.
“Firstly you’re fighting to get on the match-day panel which is a big achievement in itself and it takes serious work. Then you’re fighting to get on as a sub and fighting to start. There’s huge competition and lads are really giving it everything to get onto the bench and team.”
O’Callaghan’s father, Maurice, played a significant role in protecting the dual star from burnout during his youth.
“The whole way up, I played both. My brother Cian would’ve been the same until he got an injury and decided he could only play hurling.
“(My father) pushed us hard when we needed a push. Underage, you might be playing with loads of teams, the schools, Dublin development and Cuala, so he recognised when we needed a little break.
“He would be forceful enough in making sure we got our breaks. He did push us quite hard. The teams looking for me would have to go through him first and a lot of the times, he decided without telling me or not. But he recognised what was important to us and put our names forward for us.”
After falling short at the final hurdle in Leinster last year, O’Callaghan is determined that Cuala end the year on a winning note.
“Our primary aim last year was to win a Dublin championship and Leinster of course was bonus territory. But once you’re there, you don’t look at it as bonus territory.
We went out then after winning Dublin with the intention of winning Leinster and although bridged the gap of not winning Dublin for 20-odd years, we weren’t satisfied with losing a Leinster final. I don’t think any team would be.
“It just slipped away and it’s so easy for that to happen in finals. Hopefully this year we’re going to take our chances when they’re given and work hard.”
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Crazy decision. Completely accidental clash of heads.
A five game ban for this is outrageous. How is a decision like that arrived at. It was clearly accidental.
Cant watch the clips because I’m in Australia ffs. But the fans I’ve spoke to say it’s a yellow a most and even that’s harsh. Any truth to this??
@Dara: no
@Dara: Do they not have YouTube in Australia ?
Shameful decision. Warranted a yellow card at best. He’ll be badly missed for the ECC games where his brawn and explosive speed would have levelled things up for Connacht.
Whatever about whether it was right or wrong, how can they suspend 1 week off the 6 week ban for ‘remorse’ when the red card was challenged? Surely that is a prime indication that not alone was there no remorse but the feeling was that it wasn’t even a red card. This incident aside, I would be concerned that the judicial process is flawed on that basis.
His biggest mistake was not being Owen Farrell.
I think he’s a lucky lad to only get 5 weeks, accidental or not he clearly didn’t learn his lesson from the last high shot.
@Jim Demps: I don’t think people here understand. The tackler has an obligation to tackle safely. Accidental or not he has made head to head contact which could have been avoided. The player doesn’t dip in fact he may even come up a little at impact. It’s a clear red and when it’s your second of the season 5 weeks seems lenient.
@Jim Demps: It was an accidental clash of heads after the attacking player changed his running line. I think 5 weeks is harsh, I’d love to see how they arrived at this decision. He does need to lower his tackle height though. Owen Farrell only got 5 weeks for tackle on Charlie Atkinson and in terms of intent those tackles are like chalk and cheese. With Farrells tackling track record it should have been far longer.
@Jayme Mc Goldrick: yeah that’s it. Accidental or not the outcome is still a dangerous tackle. I get why people are annoyed, I’d probably be the same if it was a munster player but it’s not like it’s a new rule, a head shot has never been legal.
@MacEoin.T: I think the decision is pretty clear, he got 6 weeks the first time and it was reduced to 3 for having a clear record. He then got 6 weeks this time and didn’t get the reduction for having a clear record. If anything I’d be saying he didn’t deserve the one week reduction given he clearly hasn’t learnt his lesson.
@Jim Demps: Out of interest, does a player get a clear record at the beginning of each season or is it a pro career duration timeframe?
@MacEoin.T: I know in the amateur game in Ireland they look at your records for 5 years so I assume it’s probably something similar. They definitely don’t get a clean slate at the start of the season anyway. Punishing repeat offenders more harshly I think is a good way to go. Like if Papalli gets sent off again for another high shot I’d say he could be looking at 10+ weeks.
@Jim Demps: he’ll be back in time for the game against Munster on the 9th of January Jim. We’ll get a proper look at him in action then.
@Jim Demps: Would you stop Jim, Farrell got the same ban for trying to take Atkinson’s head off and you’re arguing the Papali’i deserves the same? You’re dreaming lad.
@Paddy Kennedy: I’m not arguing anything, I’m saying that’s how it works. Farrell actually got a 10 week ban reduced by half for a first offence. Farrells was worse and he got a bigger ban, papalli is in the dock for the second time in four games and gets less of a reduction. It’s fairly straightforward
@David Finn: great stuff, hopefully he takes the time between now and then to learn how to tackle in Union. He’ll be a serious player once he irons out those mistakes.
@Paddy Kennedy: It was Farrell’s first red so he got more lenient treatment. The fact that Farrell should have had plenty of reds in recent seasons can’t be taken into account.
Players & coaches have to understand how seriously World Rugby is taking head injuries and act accordingly. That means a lower body position in any potential tackle situation.
Clearly difficult to get it right all the time so some players will get unlucky from time to time. Lack of intent doesn’t seem to be a mitigating factor.
Crazy biased decision.
That makes no sense. How the ref made out he led with his head is beyond me. The attacking player steps and papali has to change direction to make the tackle, their heads collide. 5 games is ridiculous.
Outrageous decision! Ref & TMO bottled it!!
I really don’t understand all the comments arguing that this is somehow disproportionate. It was a clear red card, it was clear he was going to get a significant ban and if he doesn’t learn how to tackle lower he’s going to miss more games than he plays. Crazy decision by Connacht to contest this and I’d argue you shouldn’t get a reduction if you contest the decision, as you’re clearly not remorseful if you think you didn’t commit an offence.
The hypocrisy on this forum , when it was Peter O Mahony deliberately targeting someone’s head in the ruck with his shoulder a few weeks ago (imo, is much worse than an accidental clash of heads) people here were saying ‘he was frustrated’ and ‘playing on the edge’!