Camogie National League Division two group one

Down v Derry

Sunday, Mayobridge, 2pm

Down camogie manager Derek Dunne believes that his team have a great chance of making progres this year.

Dunne took over from Martina Rooney, and has high hopes for the team, but the most crucial game is this Sunday’s clash with Derry.

“If we can get over the line on Sunday we have a great opportunity to get to the All-Ireland league semi-final. The more competitive games we can give our players the better. That is where we are at at the moment.”

Dunne is without some key players though. Karen McMullan is out with a hamstring problem and Catriona Caldwell has a knee issue that means she won’t play.

Those are the more senior players on the team, but Dunne said that this year’s squad is youthful, and they have great potential.

He said: “I suppose we are at the stage where we are trying to knit them together. They are working hard. We are trying to get them to mix, to create a bond.”

Dunne said that some of the senior players have made an effort to encourage the young players to get more involved.

It is not enough for them to just tog out, they have to be active members of the team according to Dunne.

“The senior players are in there trying to help them out. They are getting them to speak up. They are encouraging them. And are helping them out.

“It has been a problem in the past where there can be a core group of players and they will just drift away.”

He cited Catherine McGourty as an example of one of the more experienced players who has provided guidance for the younger squad members.

“Our goal is to get games under our belt. Yes we could win this year, but the most important thing is to get all our players up to the same level. Sometimes you can push players and get eight or nine up to a certain level and the rest are left behind. We don’t want to do that.”

Dunne said that the team have been training since just before Christmas, and have been doing two nights per week. They had three friendlies including a clash with Dublin.

One of the areas they have been working on is to do with the new rules.

They include an increased amount of acceptable contact when in the tackle, persistent fouling will lead to a yellow card after three offences, quick puc outs are allowed, and frees from the hand are allowed if players are fouled inside their own 45-metre line (only the player who is fouled cantake the free, which is indirect).

“We have been anticipating these new rules. We have been game planning for them, and thinking about what we have to do to work with them. Whether they are good or not, we will find that out.”

What is positive from a Down perspective is that they have a huge squad training. Well over 30 are out training a the moment for Dunne, providing enough players for the Junior and Intermediate teams.

Furthermore, they are also waiting on the return of the Clonduff players, though that might take a little longer as they are still hurting from their loss to Gailtir recently.

“They need a couple of weeks break,” Dunne said.