DERRY MIDFIELDER BRENDAN Rogers says he is relieved that the long search for a new manager is over as they prepare for life under Tyrone native Paddy Tally.
A coach with Kerry since 2022, Tally was appointed last week, four months after the departure of Mickey Harte who held the position for just one season.
Tally was previously part of the Derry management team during Brian McIver’s term between 2013 and 2015. That period coincided with Rogers’ debut season with Derry and he’s excited about the prospect of working with Tally again.
“He’s such a clued in manager, it’s very exciting to have someone like that. He’s probably learned a lot since the last time he’s been over us so I’m definitely excited to see what he has to bring.
“We trusted the whole executive process that they would find the right guy. The players can just play. We knew that they wouldn’t just run and get anybody, they would get the right fit for the team. To get the top, top managers, they are very difficult to get and very difficult to nail down because they are in such demand.”
Several candidates were linked with the vacancy prior to Tally’s appointment, including former manager Rory Gallagher. Gallagher stepped down from the role in May 2023 following domestic abuse allegations made by his estranged wife, Nicola Gallagher.
Amid speculation in recent months that Gallagher could be in line for a Derry return, his solicitor publicly reiterated that he has “firmly and steadfastly denied his guilt” and “refuted all the allegations”.
“I would say a lot of the players who played under him would have quite an affection for what he’s done for us,” Rogers said. “He brought us from Division 4 up and won us a couple of Ulster titles. There’s something to be said for the impression he’s left on us.
“In terms of who gets selected as manager, that’s out of our control. Would he coach us very well again? Absolutely. He’s one of the best IQs in football that I’ve ever experienced. But look, the executive do their thing. They have Derry’s interests at heart so we’ll row behind whatever decision they make and they opted to go for Paddy Tally.”
Derry appeared to be one of the frontrunners for the Sam Maguire this season, as they ended the league campaign as Division 1 champions. Their extra-time victory over Dublin in the final strengthened their claim for All-Ireland glory.
A clip from that game has resurfaced following Brian Fenton’s decision to retire from inter-county football. The footage shows Fenton and Rogers engaging in some light jostling, which Rogers remembers fondly.
“You’re always trying to rattle your competitor. We see how the game should be played the same way. The fact that you can go competitively at each other and push each other to the limit, that’s good honest work. It was nothing nasty, and it’s a nice moment to share.
“It’s funny when I look back on it but Brian was a very good competitor. He’s probably one of the best players of all time.”
Derry struggled to catch fire in the championship, starting with a six-point defeat to Donegal in the Ulster quarter-final. That saw them fall short in their bid to complete a provincial three-in-a-row. They picked up just one win over Westmeath in the All-Ireland series before a preliminary quarter-final victory against Mayo suggested a flicker of a revival.
Kerry then dumped them out of the championship at the quarter-final stage.
“It is very difficult to say what exactly went wrong,” says Rogers.
“There was probably a big compound effect of injuries, the players perform, were the decisions tactically wrong, things like that. There is so many variables that we encountered. Nobody is perfect, nobody sets out to do the wrong thing or play wrong or all them things. I would go as far to say the players are as accountable as management. Everything was in agreement together.
“Ultimately we did learn from that, it was just too late. After the first few defeats we put in a performance against Mayo, and then we just didn’t back it up against Kerry. The joys is we get to do it again and we have quite a young profile of players. Sometimes you need setbacks like that to hit the reset and develop again.”
For now, Rogers is focused on his commitments to the Slaughtneil hurlers. They played out a thrilling Ulster semi-final last weekend, eventually overcoming Antrim’s Cushendall after extra-time. Rogers contributed seven points from full-forward, the last one coming in the final crucial stages of extra-time.
The 3-26 to 1-36 epic was shown live on RTÉ, bringing the excitement of the Ulster club hurling competition to a new audience.
“There is less club teams in Ulster, but the quality of games played between them is still quite high, and that is what you got to see on Saturday night.
“We know the quality is there, maybe it would help if there was an Ulster championship. We are yet to see it at a provincial level, I know teams are playing in Nicky Rackard, but maybe having that avenue again would show these teams can play in the top level as well. Not just stuck in their leagues or whatever. I think something like that would help bolster what we already know.”
any mention of club players in any of this discussion or do they exist…..just wondering
@PW: They do exist, but its all for the love of the parish.
@PW: in what way should club players be included in that conversation ?
@PW: no they don’t. Club was sacrificed for county long time ago.
GPA members are doing quite well to be fair. Maybe all club Chairmen and Secretaries should go on strike, all the juvenile trainers and selectors too. There are many groups who are a lot more out of pocket than the GPA members. Of all the groups within the GAA they do quite well.
Poor Tom!
Definitely needs to be a wider debate here.. the spending on inter county teams seems totally unsustainable.. The collective bargaining agreement is an interesting proposition- in that it would improve player welfare while also managing to maintain the amateur ethos…. To me a strike with all going on in the world over last few years would seem petty, although the GPA seem to have gathered more public support than I imagined
Time the players took a real stand. I’m so tired of the fat cats in GAA treating the players like fodder. No wonder we see soccer tactics are coming into the game. The players are fed up.
@2thFairy: Soccer tactics not sure your on the correct page here ? I’ve watch a bit of soccer and I’ve never seen them handpass the ball 1 million times during a game! Stick to what you seem to know very little about GAA .
@2thFairy: Pity they don’t learn to play a bit of soccer and kick a ball instead of all that hand passing, to call the game football is comical.
GPA. Greedy Players Association