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Rob Kearney / Cooley

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Good sign of the guy. Even if he's lost a bit of pace, he has 2 assets that age will not readily diminish: 1. Power and physicality - he'll be a difficult man to dispossess 2. Ball handling - like basketball players, rugby players have "sticky" hands. It's obvious - stick him in at full forward, on the edge of the square, rain high ball in on top of him, he'll get a good percentage of them and then he either scores or they have to foul him : ) Even at 35, at club level, a great addition. essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 1141 - 11/08/2021 15:44:03 2369889 Link
Dublin tried out a rugby chap in O'Byrne Cup about 15 years ago. Can't for the life of me recall his name. That was the plan. Put him on edge of square. Saying he was worse than useless but be being kind to useless. He'd want to have a bit more to him than being able to catch the odd ball lumped into the square at his age! BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2584 - 11/08/2021 17:41:59 2369918 Link
Replying To BarneyGrant: "Dublin tried out a rugby chap in O'Byrne Cup about 15 years ago. Can't for the life of me recall his name. That was the plan. Put him on edge of square. Saying he was worse than useless but be being kind to useless. He'd want to have a bit more to him than being able to catch the odd ball lumped into the square at his age!" Eric Miller Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12122 - 11/08/2021 17:46:47 2369919 Link
Replying To BarneyGrant: "Dublin tried out a rugby chap in O'Byrne Cup about 15 years ago. Can't for the life of me recall his name. That was the plan. Put him on edge of square. Saying he was worse than useless but be being kind to useless. He'd want to have a bit more to him than being able to catch the odd ball lumped into the square at his age!" No disrespect to Louth club football but any level for Dublin is surely a few steps up. Miller was a back rower, Kearney should have a few more interchangeable skills than him for Cooley. Gavin Duffy was back in the Mayo squad for a few years. Best of luck to Rob Kearney and to Cooley. GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7364 - 11/08/2021 17:58:15 2369923 Link
Replying To essmac: "Good sign of the guy. Even if he's lost a bit of pace, he has 2 assets that age will not readily diminish: 1. Power and physicality - he'll be a difficult man to dispossess 2. Ball handling - like basketball players, rugby players have "sticky" hands. It's obvious - stick him in at full forward, on the edge of the square, rain high ball in on top of him, he'll get a good percentage of them and then he either scores or they have to foul him : ) Even at 35, at club level, a great addition." He will have excellent footwork, ball handling skills, strength and conditioning, and intensity even by intercounty standards. He would be wasted on the edge of the square. with a bit of round ball practice he would be nailing points from the 45. He wasnt a 2nd row rugby player. He was 1 of the 3 positions that need the best ball handling and kicking skills. And he wasnt just any rugby player. He was 1 of Ireland's best rugby players this millenium and at his peak one of the best in the world. And hes only 35 after living as a professional athlete for the last near 20 years. Hopefully no1 shows him this post and he caves under the weight of expectation!!! Good luck and fair play to him!! Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12057 - 11/08/2021 18:53:20 2369935 Link
Replying To Breffni40: "Eric Miller" Eric Miller was a number 8. Completely different skillset to a fullback. Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12057 - 11/08/2021 18:59:07 2369939 Link
Good luck to him, hope he enjoys his return to gaelic football. Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1722 - 11/08/2021 19:03:12 2369942 Link
I'd say he'd be well able for club ball given what he has achieved in professional sport. I'm guessing his contract with the Western Force in Australia has ended now? Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 12/08/2021 08:48:11 2370020 Link
Replying To Gleebo: "I'd say he'd be well able for club ball given what he has achieved in professional sport. I'm guessing his contract with the Western Force in Australia has ended now?" Yeah had signed 1 year deal with the force which ended few weeks ago KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3512 - 12/08/2021 14:32:32 2370174 Link
Will he get a call from Mickey? conman1282 (Tyrone) - Posts: 88 - 12/08/2021 14:45:08 2370182 Link
I have to confess I always presumed Rob Kearney was from South Dublin, that is not a Louth accent he has. StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 1737 - 12/08/2021 14:50:38 2370184 Link
Replying To BarneyGrant: "Dublin tried out a rugby chap in O'Byrne Cup about 15 years ago. Can't for the life of me recall his name. That was the plan. Put him on edge of square. Saying he was worse than useless but be being kind to useless. He'd want to have a bit more to him than being able to catch the odd ball lumped into the square at his age!" Limerick had an Irish Rugby player playing with them when they made the Munster final in 1991. Can't remember his name but think he might have also played underage with Kerry. He was from Abbeyfeale. oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1380 - 12/08/2021 15:15:01 2370193 Link
Replying To oneoff: "Limerick had an Irish Rugby player playing with them when they made the Munster final in 1991. Can't remember his name but think he might have also played underage with Kerry. He was from Abbeyfeale." Phil Danaher. A few intercounty Gaelic footballers played rugby for Ireland at different grades and also interprovincial and club levels. Not all from posh schools, looking for another sport to play during the football or soccer or other sports off season. Some lads and ladies drift off to other sports. We should be proud of them and wish them well. 2 sons of GAA legends who have represented Ireland in rugby and soccer: link link GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7364 - 12/08/2021 15:51:08 2370211 Link
Replying To StoreysTash: "I have to confess I always presumed Rob Kearney was from South Dublin, that is not a Louth accent he has." Tommy Bowe a near neighbour but sounds more like hes from up that way!! Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12057 - 12/08/2021 16:42:52 2370229 Link
A very nice story. He should be more than capable for intermediate club football. I always wondered about the accent alright. I wonder if he sounds 'more local' when at home or down at the GAA pitch. :) The former premiership soccer referee Dermot Gallagher was interviewed on Irish radio a few months ago. People couldn't get over his Dublin accent, as he always had an English accent when on telly over there. He was born in Dublin and moved to England with the family as a young lad. I know people whose accent changes depending on where they are or whom they're speaking to. WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2049 - 12/08/2021 18:25:28 2370249 Link
I thought Rob Kearney had another year with his contract with Western Force, anyway I wish him well I heard he played minor for Louth, he would be a good guy to have in the coaching side of things too for with his experience for his club. Monaleen in Limerick might get Sean Cronin back too he won 2 county senior medals with them just before his professional rugby career took off. DUALSUPPORT (Limerick) - Posts: 1038 - 13/08/2021 00:04:23 2370319 Link
Replying To essmac: "Good sign of the guy. Even if he's lost a bit of pace, he has 2 assets that age will not readily diminish: 1. Power and physicality - he'll be a difficult man to dispossess 2. Ball handling - like basketball players, rugby players have "sticky" hands. It's obvious - stick him in at full forward, on the edge of the square, rain high ball in on top of him, he'll get a good percentage of them and then he either scores or they have to foul him : ) Even at 35, at club level, a great addition." That's very simplistic. He'll be playing senior league and intermediate championship with a team that is seriously devoid of talent in the forwards. He has great hands and he is immensely strong but for Cooley to benefit from his presence he wil have to play further out the field. Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 13/08/2021 01:25:56 2370337 Link
Replying To Viking66: "He will have excellent footwork, ball handling skills, strength and conditioning, and intensity even by intercounty standards. He would be wasted on the edge of the square. with a bit of round ball practice he would be nailing points from the 45. He wasnt a 2nd row rugby player. He was 1 of the 3 positions that need the best ball handling and kicking skills. And he wasnt just any rugby player. He was 1 of Ireland's best rugby players this millenium and at his peak one of the best in the world. And hes only 35 after living as a professional athlete for the last near 20 years. Hopefully no1 shows him this post and he caves under the weight of expectation!!! Good luck and fair play to him!!" I think you may slightly over estimate the crossover of skills at top level. It's very difficult to come back after years away. Somebody mentioned Gavin Duffy, who's skills understandably regressed from when he left for pro rugby. You mentioned footwork, which is right, but I see that players coming back from rugby generally struggle to change direction quickly, other than a super sidestep of course. Turning with your back to goal is another problem. Therefore the edge of the square will be no good for him, Middle of the field winning ball and running through the centre is more appropriate now. He could be a very useful addition at club level to a point. But nowhere near county. That being said Tomas O'Leary came back to Erin's Own and performed well for them in the county junior football championship. He scored a goal and a few points against my club in the semi, and a goal in the final, although they lost in the end. Junior club in cork would be a decent standard at that stage of competition and akin to nearly all intermediate clubs in Cork, but a good bit away from senior level. I would say a scrum half probably had the best interchangeable skills in terms of movement and kicking over the shoulder. BaldyBadger (Cork) - Posts: 311 - 13/08/2021 11:30:25 2370398 Link
Replying To Greengrass: "That's very simplistic. He'll be playing senior league and intermediate championship with a team that is seriously devoid of talent in the forwards. He has great hands and he is immensely strong but for Cooley to benefit from his presence he wil have to play further out the field." Ah yeah, you're probably right. It's just that I sometimes wonder what e.g., the likes of Michael Murphy would have been like if he'd been left to play as a pure forward, instead of being cursed with being such a good all-rounder that he ends up doing a bit of everything. Yeah you're right, it presupposes that Cooley has no gaps to fill out the field. Fair play to him anyway, obviously not ready to give up real competition for the golf course and wants to give something back. He'll probably get plenty of attention too from opposing markers too, in the way that county players have to contend with club warriors with a point to prove … essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 1141 - 13/08/2021 12:39:43 2370423 Link
Replying To DUALSUPPORT: "I thought Rob Kearney had another year with his contract with Western Force, anyway I wish him well I heard he played minor for Louth, he would be a good guy to have in the coaching side of things too for with his experience for his club. Monaleen in Limerick might get Sean Cronin back too he won 2 county senior medals with them just before his professional rugby career took off." A fantastic footballer was Cronin. Played against him in school when he was with Ardscoil. Great wing or corner forward and serious pace and power! playonref (UK) - Posts: 9 - 13/08/2021 13:02:51 2370428 Link