ROSSA’S hurlers have hopes of consistently competing with the top teams in Antrim, but there are a number of issues that they have to address before they can do so.

Last year they proved that they were good enough to be at the same level as the best in in the county. They were able to get some good results against Cushendall and Ballycastle, and they also ran the eventual champions Dunloy close on occasion. Those results meant that they were able to stay in Division One.

This season, buoyed up by their performances from last year, the team have thrown themselves into their preparations.

However, manager Colly Murphy explained that the team have some obstacles to overcome if they are to be consistently good against the top teams, and not just put on a good show against them from time to time.

“We are a work in progress, “ Murphy said.

“We are a season or two away from competing with that top four group of Dunloy, Cushendall, Loughgiel and St John’s on a regular basis. But we are heading in the right direction.”

Murphy said that they have to have a strong squad that is fully fit and available for those games. The challenges to that happening are holidays, dual responsibilities of their footballers and injuries.

At this early stage in the year, they are addressing the latter of those problems with their strength and conditioning coach Niall McHugh who works out of Belfast CrossFit.

Manager Murphy said: “The boys have been training hard on their own. We are getting into our injury prevention training. We are not worried about fitness or stick work. We are doing a lot of work on twisting and turning.

“Niall does all that side of things. We did that with him last year and we thought it paid dividends. We cut our injuries down by a fair bit. We still had injuries but I think that was due to fatigue.”

Injuries are something that Rossa can address. They feel that McHugh’s systems can help them reduce injuries, and that is in their control. What is not in their control is the issue of fixtures.

“This  year’s Antrim Senior Football Championship had 14 teams in it, and had three groups of four and a group of three. We are in the group of four which means we have six Senior Football championship matches, home and away, against St John’s, Moneyglass and Cargin.

“We have three championship matches guaranteed in hurling, against Ballycastle, St Enda’s, Loughgiel. Until we get through that first phase we don’t know where we are going to be.”

The challenge for Rossa is that they are a dual club, many of their senior team play both codes, and so they are all keen to fulfil both sides of the fixtures. They take inspiration from the likes of Sleacht Néill who have been successful in both codes. However, Rossa’s numbers are not as a big as that of the Derry team who have won senior titles in men’s football and hurling.

“It is a big ask for 10 of our players to play both. I know we are not on our own. I know St John’s, St Gall’s, Creggan, Dunloy have a lot of dual players. We will just have to manage the players as best we can.”

And they did do a fine job. Both the hurlers and the footballers played very well in their respective championships.

But it came to a head when the fixtures piled up. They played Cushendall on a Saturday in the Senior Hurling Championship, then they played Cargin in the Football Championship on the Tuesday, then on the following Sunday they played defending champions Dunloy.

“To ask anyone to switch codes and play three championship matches in eight days was too much. They wouldn’t ask it of intercounty players so why ask it of club players?

“I haven’t seen the fixtures yet but I am just hoping and praying that there are not mid-week championship matches.”

Rossa did try and address the issue of fixtures in the county. They put a proposal to the county board to decrease the amount of football fixtures, but it was rejected.

“Obviously clubs in the county might think we are feathering our own nest.

“We are to an extent, but we are trying to look after our players’ welfare. But we will wait to see the fixtures.”