Maurice Brosnan: Eight observations from the National Football League

Nature versus nurture. What matters more? The sports science industry has invested endless hours into understanding what it takes to develop top talent. What makes top talent.

Céin D’Arcy was a decent player for Pádraic Joyce when the Galway legend first took over. He played in nine games across the 2020 FBD League, National Football League and championship. He scored two points, he was a decent kickout option, he started the Connacht final against Mayo before being taken off after 23 minutes. That was it. Until January 2024, he didn’t play again.

The towering midfielder was always a physical specimen. It made him a fine kickout target, a formidable presence. He needed to be more. D’Arcy transferred to Dublin club Ballyboden St Endas and played in the 2023 SFC final. Joyce recalled him to the squad last year. In the FBD league final, a Galway development squad took on Roscommon and were hammered by 18 points.

Three of that team started on Sunday in Tuam: Daniel O’Flaherty, Jack O’Neill and D’Arcy. All three progressed through the development squad to the senior side. Joyce’s management team have an awesome ability to take raw gems and turn them into diamonds. John Maher, Sean Fitzgerald, Jack O’Neill, a brother of fellow panellist Sam, and D’Arcy are recent examples of athletic prospects who came in and flourished.

How?

“I just find it brilliant,” said D’Arcy outside a satisfied dressing room in Tuam. “It really is a privilege. My perspective on this has changed since I was younger. You kind of just roll on the whole time - Minor, under 21, straight to senior.

“I had a perception at the time that I was working hard and doing things properly, but I really wasn’t. That fed into me falling away for that few-year hiatus. Getting back in, behaviourally, I had a big shift. My mindset really. I am in a privileged position to be here. I want to do it for as long as I can. There is a big drive there.”

Everything got better. Last season he was their second best kickout target, just behind Football of the Year Paul Conroy. D’Arcy was a late inclusion in place of captain Sean Kelly for the All-Ireland final against Armagh. He finished with three points from play, tying with Conroy as their top scorer in the decider.

“I would be big on the mental side of the game,” he said. “There are a few guys in there who really engage with it heavily. I have affirmations on my wrist before every game, before the All-Ireland final last year I was walking around in the parade quoting my affirmations back to me.”

Before the throw-in, he spent a considerable amount of time in discussion with psychologist Ann-Marie Kennedy, who previously worked with Dublin under Jim Gavin.

“I was mainly over with Ann-Marie just getting a caffeine shot or something like that,” he explained with a smile. “She has a big role to play but there is a lot of personal reflection that feeds into this.”

It comes down to the unit - what he can give and take from them. They are products of their environment.

“It is just brilliant to be part of the group. The outcome, like the obvious outcome is to get to the All-Ireland but there is so much I can get out of being in this environment from a life perspective. Instilling certain values in myself, how it filters into my life as a whole. This takes up an awful lot of time in my life obviously, but it’s the environment, the lads, the accountability I get out of this, that will stand to me in all walks…”

Here are eight observations from the National Football League.

Mayo’s moves

“Every team has them,” explained Kevin McStay when talking about the strategy of Mayo players holding their hand above their head in recent weeks.

Twice in the first half against Kerry, a Mayo player made that signal. Both moves ended in a score. He laughed when we asked why they work. That was, admittedly, information he was never likely to share.

“I’m sure there was plenty of signals going on the last two years and not a whole lot… But it takes time. It takes time for things to bed in. It takes regular players on a starting 15 or 12 of the regulars. They begin to understand what we are trying to do. Suffice to say, we will continue to work at them. We are happy we are getting some results from it.”

Mayo have had noticeable success with this tactic in recent weeks. They have used it to isolate an athletic player on the left wing, with Eoghan McLaughlin and Matthew Ruane benefitting in 2025. On Saturday, it was Sam Callinan.

The move started with Enda Hession (highlighted) raising his arm above his head. Sam Callinan immediately ran wide to the left wing. The rest of Mayo’s attackers started to drift right.

Mayo move their players and the ball to the right wing. Kerry shift across in response. Sam Callinan stays wide on the left.

Mayo have now created a free wing right in front of Callinan. They use their goalkeeper, Colm Reape, to flush the sweeper on the top of the D out. Stephen Coen also runs to the endline, bringing a defender with him. Mayo’s inside line stay deep. They have stretched Kerry’s defence.

Now the ball is with Matthew Ruane (circled). Every Kerry defender has a man. It leaves Callinan free on the wing. He can cut in and force them to scrabble.

Callinan collects the ball and breaks through. He can shoot from inside the D under little pressure. It ends in a well-worked score.

Fermanagh’s number one

Kieran Donnelly has consistently utilised roaming goalkeepers. In 2023, Sean McNally caught the eye with a terrific Division 3 league final display against Cavan. He was on the sideline with his foot in a boot during 2024, so Donnelly used goalkeeper Ross Bogue in a similar role.

This season Bogue started their first three games. McNally started the last two, including against Sligo last weekend where he produced a late equaliser to snatch a draw.

Thanks to the work of Fermanagh’s excellent analyst Stephen Jackson, all of their scores have been available to watch on YouTube. They landed 15 points on Saturday, including two two-pointers. McNally was involved in a remarkable ten of them. He scored three points and directly assisted another three.

The top tier playmaker

One man makes Armagh tick. On their way to a stunning All-Ireland triumph last season, Rory Grugan was their man creator. He finished the year with 2-15 in assists. That trend continues.

Grugan has created a remarkable 2-11 so far in 2025. He also missed the Donegal fixture due to injury. Last Saturday, he laid on early points for Andrew Murnin and Greg McCabe. He then demonstrated his true genius.

A short Evan Comerford kickout was caught inside the arc for a free. The rule is a free from the point of the foul, presenting Armagh with a tricky one-point free. Instead, Grugan immediately raced after the ball and took advantage of solo and go. Armagh worked it through the hands and eventually, he popped back out to Oisin O’Neill who swung over a two-pointer. Grugan also scored three points, two from play.

Cranky managers fill the player void

An age-old journalism compliant is that we don’t hear enough from players. Some of this is their own choice, some if it is by design. Certain counties, like Mayo, have implemented a new policy where managers are brought directly to the press box at the top of the stand for post-match interviews. Journalists are no longer allowed in the tunnel area. It effectively renders it impossible to even ask a player if they are interested in talking. Ryan O’Donoghue spoke briefly while accepting a Man of the Match award, Sam Callinan (Sigerson) and Jordan Flynn (All-Ireland intermediate club) did some promotional work around other competitions, but otherwise we can’t find a single interview with a Mayo player since the league started.

It should be noted others do it differently. Galway, as it happens, made three players available in Tuam Stadium last Sunday. If you are still reading at this stage, it means you heard from one of them in D’Arcy already.

However, it wouldn’t be fair to label Mayo as outliers by any stretch. As a consequence, we only hear from managers. The page will be filled. Right now, they are full of complaints.

Managers are always cranky this time of the year. They are entitled to make specific criticisms too. Feedback is a fundamental part of this process. The goal was to always improve the game as we go.

We know, for example, that Shane Walsh and Johnny McGrath love the new rules. An elite inside forward and exceptional man-marker have told us exactly why it is more enjoyable. It would be beneficial to know how other players feel too.

KEANE AND ABLE: Manager Peter Keane ismaking waves with Clare. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Keane’s chance to kick on to the top level

Victory over Kildare last weekend means Clare are right in the race for promotion from Division 3. They play Sligo on Sunday in a refixed game before finishing against fellow top-two chasers Laois and Offaly.

Speaking on the Irish Examiner’s Gaelic football podcast this week, former county star Gary Brennan spoke about how Peter Keane’s appointment was greeted in Clare.

“With a lot of interest really. I suppose a lot of intrigue to see, people felt he probably wants to prove he can operate at this level. Not that he needs to prove that, but he wants another crack at this level. He has gotten Eoin Curtin in, his father Tommy managed Clare years ago, but Eoin himself managed Liscannor locally and managed several teams in Flannan’s.” The Munster final draw also means Clare have a great chance to make a provincial final this summer. They will play Waterford or Tipperary in the Munster semi-final.

“A lot of intrigue. Sit back, wait and see how it goes type of thing.”

Leitrim fight on

It has been a desperately tough year for Leitrim. Mickey Graham’s departure forced them into a late appointment. They are bottom of Division 3 without a win and -77 on scoreboard. The squad they published for last weekend’s game against Offaly only included 23 players.

Yet they still put in an admirable performance to lose by just four points. They scored a second-half goal that saw three teenagers link up, 19-year-old Darren Cox eventually finishing the move.

This fine goal was one of the highlights of yesterday's performance as three of our 19 year olds linked up nicely from a kickout.

🟢 🟡 pic.twitter.com/fSvqRVRfrq — Leitrim GAA (@LeitrimGAA) March 3, 2025

Cork can’t afford to kick away chances

The final tally was a 14-point thumping. Roscommon won 2-21 to 0-13 on the scoreboard. When it came to shots, Cork led with 29 to Roscommon’s 23.

Expected points is a statistical measurement of the quality of scoring chances and the likelihood of them being scored. Cork won by five on expected points. Put simply, they created enough opportunities and failed to take them.

It started from the throw-in.

Colm O’Callaghan won it, referee Sean Lonergan played advantage for a foul until Sean McDonnell blasted wide. They won the next kickout, worked a goal chance for Paul Walsh but he fired right at the goalkeeper.

Roscommon couldn’t get out of their half and conceded a sideline. Cork worked a two-point chance for Mark Cronin. It drifted wide.

Cronin did kick a two-point free after a three-up breach subsequently. He had another chance minutes later when a 50m advancement saw the ball brought up to the 45m line. Instead, Cronin went quick and passed short. Brian O’Driscoll tried a one-point shot and missed.

This comes after Cork had 28 shots to Monaghan’s 24 in the previous round. The expected points had them up by two.

Let us hear the refs

After a successful trial during the interprovincial games in Croke Park, all league broadcasters made it clear they believe referees should be mic’ed up. That never materialised.

“I just would so love for referees to be mic’ed up so we could all hear particularly in this era of new rules, I think it would do much for spectators,” said Tyrone All-Ireland winner Enda McGinley on RTÉ co-commentary last Saturday. It came after Cormac Costello’s effort was chalked off for a wide. A few minutes later, there was a comical scene as Dublin were apparently pinged for a three-up breach. Armagh took a free from the halfway line but the game was stopped again. Eventually, the free was brought forward up in front of the goals.

“I think it would really help the rules in the club game, everybody would learn so much from these top referees but at the moment, there is so much confusion. “

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