We speak to the Division One Managers to get their hopes for the Club Players’ Competition as the club action gets under way.

Colm Bradley – Belnaleck

THE club players section of the year will be particularly challenging for us again this season.

Through county commitments, injury, university and unavailability, we will be short a lot of players.

Last year, while we didn’t pick up any additional points, we were able to get valuable game time for players who would have considered themselves fringe players, and this both improved them as individuals and helped us as a squad. This year, we will be doing the same.

The split season isn’t really a split season, and for club players it is as long as ever, so we need to be focused on continual improvement both as individuals and as a squad as a whole.

If we can do that, as the season goes on we should get stronger and be better prepared for championship when it comes around in September.

Paul Hasson – St. Patrick’s

The Club Players’ Competition is a fantastic opportunity for us to introduce our newest members of the squad to competitive Senior football at the top level available, most of whom will be playing at that level for the very first time.

Hopefully, the lads can take advantage of the experience the competition will provide, and become accustomed to the demands of a Senior footballer, and use that experience for the remaining competitions this season.

Dom Corrigan – Kinawley

We’re looking forward now to getting a run of competitive games to run the rule over the squad; at this time of the year, players just want to be playing games, and this Players League is a good way to ease them into it.

Sean Donnelly – Derrylin

FOR a club coming up from Division Two and without three of your best players, it is not easy.

It is not going to tell us a pile, but maybe it will show how strong a panel we will have for down the line.

We have a few young boys coming up from U-17s and it will give them a chance to push on.

Simon Bradley – Enniskillen

We are looking on the competition as four challenge matches, because you are putting out a team that won’t resemble the team that you have when the county players return.

I would also lament the fact that John Reihill has had no competitive football since the county squad started out, and yet is not allowed to play for us in this competition.

We will though try and win every game, and it is an opportunity to see some young players play Senior football, and to see others play in a position that they maybe wouldn’t be accustomed to.

Eammon Kavanagh – Roslea

It’s early days for us as a new management team at Roslea, so it is an opportunity for us to look at players and get to know players and see which players can and can’t do a job for us.

We want to try and get a system in place and get an understanding with the players, but we are also aware that there are points to play for, and we want to try and put points on the board.

Seamus Ryder – Erne Gaels

For us it will be the same as last year. We will try to get everyone game time, try different things out, and hopefully have a few points to carry into the league when it starts properly in June.

Mick Glynn – Derrygonnelly

We will be without six county players, which is a big loss, but it presents opportunities for other lads to step forward and make a case for themselves to be included in the team. We will be using the Club Players’ Competition to give all our players game time and we’ll see where we are at afterwards.

Michael Cassidy – Ederney

We will use the Club Players’ Competition to have a look at players and see if there are any boys there who can come in and do a job at this level. However, we want to be competitive, and we would still like to pick up a point or two to take with us into the league if we possibly can.

Marty O’Brien – Devenish

The Club Players’ Competition is a welcome easing into the season; we can hopefully use this competition to blood some new players and try out a few new things.

Hopefully, we can gain a bit of confidence before the league proper starts, and if we can gather a point or two along the way, we will take anything we can get.

We have a tough opener at the far end of the county in Roslea. I think they came down to Garrison twice last year and went away with a draw and a win, so we know we are up against it from the get-go.We speak to the Division One Managers to get their hopes for the Club Players’ Competition as the club action gets under way.