ALL HAIL THE super sub! They may never get the full credit they deserve but any player who regularly comes off the bench to provide a positive impact for their team occupies a special place in the fans’ hearts.
2015 saw a number of players perform well in supporting roles, as well as a few people who we thought deserved a bit more game-time than they got.
Here are five men who we think should get more of a starting role in 2016.
Kevin McManamon
In fairness to Jim Gavin, McManamon does tend to play better when coming in off the bench against tired legs but has he not done enough to show that he should be in from minute one?
The pacy forward scored key goals in both semi-final clashes with Mayo – to add to his many championship strikes off the bench – and given Dean Rock’s lackluster summer, McManamon could well be in the first 15 when the league kicks off.
Shane Long
For an established striker, Long probably doesn’t score enough goals but for an Irish team short on firepower, he simply has to be in the first team. Long netted massive goals at home to Poland and Germany to help Ireland into a playoff for Euro 2016 and his speed offers a different route to goal than targetman Daryl Murphy.
With Robbie Keane winding down, this summer’s European Championship in France should be Long’s chance to finally nail down a starting position.
Tommy Walsh
Walsh hardly knocked down the door of the Kerry starting team after returning from a stint in Aussie Rules, but it would have been interesting to see how he would have re-integrated into the side with more game-time.
His former forward partner Kieran Donaghy is still going strong and Walsh showed in the All-Ireland quarter-final against Kildare that his high fielding has improved during his time away.
With another year of Gaelic football behind him, Walsh should be ready for a bigger role with Kerry this year.
Jack McGrath
McGrath starts a lot of games but when he and rival Cian Healy are both fit, it is the former that tends to end up on the bench. However, towards the tail end of 2015 Healy’s form dropped and McGrath played some of his best rugby.
Particularly, his carrying has improved to such an extent that Healy’s explosiveness isn’t missed quite as much. McGrath will be a serious contender to start Ireland’s Six Nations opener in February.
Darren Randolph
The West Ham back-up goalkeeper was heroic for Ireland after coming on for the injured Shay Given against Germany, conceding just three goals in four games against the strong attacks of the world champions, Poland and Bosnia Herzegovina. Randolph pulled off a string of classy saves and looked far more assured than Given between the posts.
Given how he finished the qualifying campaign, Randolph definitely deserves to keep his place for Euro 2016.
