ONE OF THE most notable newcomers to Division 1 football this season has been Conor Cox, who’s played a leading role in attack during his debut campaign with Roscommon.
The Kerry native has contributed 17 points in his four games for his adopted county in the league so far.
He missed the opening round defeat to Mayo, but has been an ever-present for the Rossies since then. He’s proven equally dangerous from placed balls and open play.
Cox switched his allegiance to the Anthony Cunningham’s side through the parentage rule as his father hails from the Éire Óg club in the county.
He is the highest-profile player to make an inter-county transfer in 2019, although he’s not the only one to do so.
In Division 3, Offaly brought talented Kilmacud Crokes wing-forward Shane Horan on board, while bottom flight side Wicklow have recruited two Dublin-born players – David Devereux and Oisin Manning.
Devereux, younger brother of former Dublin defender Nicky, represented the All-Ireland champions in the 2018 O’Byrne Cup. The Balinteer St John’s clubman transferred to Wicklow this year as both his parents hail from the Garden County.
Manning, who lined out at corner-back for St Jude’s in their Dublin SFC final defeat to Kilmacud Crokes last October, also has strong family ties to Wicklow and both men have boosted John Evans’ options this year.
“The two lads that came in from Dublin, they’re very professional and everything they do is 100%,” says Wicklow forward Patrick O’Connor.
“You’d think Dublin might look down on Wicklow but the two lads obviously saw the chance and took it with both hands. They came in and gave everything and seem to be really enjoying it.
“They’ve fitted in straight away with all the lads. You’d swear they were on the team for the last four or five years the way they’ve fitted in straight away after a week or two.”
O’Connor believes Wicklow should continue to go after Dublin club players with connections to the county
“Wicklow might chase a few of them but definitely the two lads they’ve brought in have been unbelievable this year.
I think there are a good few people that are eligible for Wicklow.”
Wicklow currently sit in fourth place in Division 4 but are out of the running for promotion as both Derry and Leitrim have it sealed with two games to play.
“At the start of the year promotion was the big goal, that was the aim we were hoping for,” says O’Connor.
“We got a good start against Waterford, beating them down there. Then coming into the Leitrim match, we knew we had what it takes to beat them. We were a point up coming into injury-time and I think it was just a lack of concentration, they got a late goal and clipped two scores.
“That was a real big set-back. Then we went up to Derry and it was kind of the same, a few silly mistakes and then two goals. That kind of set us back. Very frustrating because when we look back on it they were games we could have won and got the points to go up.
“It’s a very young panel, it’s a very young team. There are a few lads around 20, 21 – it’s the main bracket. Even the minors last year, they brought Kildare to a replay in the Leinster semi-final, so they’re putting a big effort in.
“Kevin O’Brien is over the minors down there at the moment. The impact of John Evans, he’s a brilliant manager and he’s given everyone their fair shot. He’s given youth a chance. I think it’s going to pay off.”
With Devereux and Manning bolstering their hand, the Carlow IT student is “very confident” they can give Kildare a good rattle in the Leinster SFC later this year.
He opted out last season and missed the county’s historic Leinster first round defeat of Offaly in O’Moore Park.
“When you’re not doing the hard training it’s grand, but I was down in Portlaoise when they were playing. The hype and everyone around, even watching the lads out doing the warm-up, it’s horrible on big days like that not to be involved.
Being there that day that’s why I said I’d go back this year, to be involved on the big days.
“This year we’re only gelling together, we even have two lads in from Dublin that have joined us. So we’re getting to know each other because there were so many new lads on the panel this year.
“Hopefully now next year we’ll have everyone and promotion will be the big goal.”
Andy Dunne joins Murray Kinsella and Ryan Bailey to discuss Joe Schmidt’s undroppables and how France might attack Ireland’s predictability in The42 Rugby Weekly.
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