Fermanagh hurling Manager Joe Baldwin, is looking forward to the action getting started when his side take on Cavan on Tuesday, January 3 in the Conor McGurk Cup.

Baldwin is hoping that preparations will be ratcheted up in the coming weeks with the Conor McGurk Cup giving the squad competitive action ahead of a tough Division 3A campaign, followed by the Nickey Rackard Cup.

The Erne boss admits that training has not been at full speed yet, but he is keen to get players game time and wants to have a run in the Conor McGurk Cup.

“Preparations have been going all right; they are maybe just not up to speed yet but we’ve had 15 or 16 sessions under our belts now and the boys are just eager to get back to playing games.

“Some of the new players in the squad are doing really well and will get an opportunity in the Conor McGurk Cup. It will be a chance for boys to try and cement a place in the team going forward.

“I would like to get more than one game in the competition and we have a few challenge games lined up as well, but the Conor McGurk is a meaningful competitive competition. I would like to get past Cavan and then test ourselves against Ulster University in the next round,” he said.

In terms of the squad, Baldwin has a few new faces including Dan McGeough from St. John’s in Belfast.

He does though intend to cut the squad next month.

“I have said that I’m going to cut the panel; we currently have 33 players in the squad, and I’ll hopefully cut that back to 26. It has been up to the players themselves over the last couple of months to put in the effort and see where they are,” he said.

League opener

It will then be full focus on the league opener against Monaghan in Inniskeen and Baldwin acknowledges that they face a tough league campaign.

“The league programme is going to be very tough. The first game is Monaghan, it is going to be very difficult; they have been in this league for a while and we can’t really look beyond that.

“Hopefully we will have everybody injury-free because we need a full squad to pick from. The two home games are Mayo and Roscommon, and they will be difficult as well.

“We will just take the league one game at a time – we will be competitive and if we can pick up a couple of wins along the way then I will be more than happy,” he stated.

The bigger picture though is being ready for the Nicky Rackard Cup and Baldwin is in no doubt that if the players are in form and believe in themselves, then they are a match for anybody.

“Everything is really geared up for the championship.

“It is a fairly condensed season. It could be all said and done by the first week of June, and it is a long summer after that, so you want to try and stay involved in it for as long as possible.

“Hand on heart, I honestly believe that if we get our act together there is nothing to stop us getting back to Croke Park, apart from ourselves.

“John Duffy said last year that he didn’t think this current squad had got out of first gear, and John is around Fermanagh a lot longer than I am.

“That’s coming from one of your most experienced and best players so that is reality, that’s how he feels, and if the rest of the players could just feel the same and just understand the potential that they have, then the world is at their fingertips.

“We are expressing to the players that their county career is very short-term and it could be gone in the blink of an eye, so you have to embrace every opportunity and every moment that you get,” added Baldwin.

FIXTURES

Conor McGurk Cup

Tuesday, January 3 (7.30pm)

Cavan v Fermanagh at Breffni Park 3G

Allianz NHL Division 3A

Saturday, February 4 (2pm)

Monaghan v Fermanagh in Inniskeen

Sunday February 12 (2pm)

Fermanagh v Mayo in Brewster Park

Sunday, February 26 (2pm)

Fermanagh v Roscommon in Brewster Park

Sunday, March 12 (2pm)

Louth v Fermanagh in Darver

Saturday, March 18 (2pm)

Armagh v Fermanagh (TBC)

Nickey Rackard Cup

April 15/16

Donegal v Fermanagh

April 22/23

Fermanagh v Wicklow

April 29/30

Louth v Fermanagh

May 13/14

Fermanagh v Armagh

May 20/21

Roscommon v Fermanagh