BOYLAN TALKS SPORT Is the winning habit coming back?

Yes, I am acutely aware that posing the above question could come back to bite me where the sun doesn’t shine very quickly after you have ingested this. However, what Robbie Brennan’s charges have achieved in their last two National Football League outings - and particularly on Saturday last - at least surely permits a pondering as to the significance of the momentum currently behind the green and gold.

There are certain things which cannot be bred into an individual player, never mind a team. It’s either there or it’s not. That’s taking things like hunger, desire and willingness to strain the last sinu. Anyone who doesn’t have that shouldn’t be, and in the vast majority of cases won’t be, anywhere near the very highest level.

But there are more factors which each team must create for themselves or adjust to if said circumstances are bequeathed in their direction. Every team must create their own culture.

What the hell is that, I hear you ask. Well, an individual identity. What’s your preferred style of play? Are you supremely scientific, devoted to structured, often pedantic phases of attritional play a la rugby? Or are you more of an off the cuff, dare we say old fashioned aficionado? Where the notion of ‘let the ball do the work’ seems eminently sensible.

Now, to much chagrin, Colm O’Rourke was lampooned by individuals scarcely qualified to air such opinions for trying to implement Exhibit B, yet, now, with the rules revolution currently unfolding, it is the desired and most effective methodology with which to use the FRC’s adjustments to the best advantage of your team.

In Meath’s case, that means taking advantage of the physique, athleticism and raw footballing ability currently available to the county.

Thus, at the present time, that has manifested itself as Joe McMahon’s influence becoming ever more obvious in Meath’s defensive ‘system’.

Well, I say system, that might be to overcomplicate it. In reality, the plan of action, if you will, appears to be to defer to what was the modus operandi in Sean Boylan’s time.

That is to say, swarm around incoming attacks and literally suffocated the life out of such advances and effecting turnovers. I suppose where, say, McMahon’s modernity becomes a factor is in terms of protection of and transition with possession. Whereas, back in the day, lump the ball up the field was Plan A all the way through to Z.

So, with the defending differences outlined as best as is possible, it is only right to acknowledge the attacking ability of the current Meath panel and how they have so far flourished with the new rules and can continue to do so.

As evidenced by the 3-21 they clocked up against Cavan, alongside 0-24 in Pairc Esler on Saturday night and even the 0-21 posted in defeat against Cork in Round 1. That’s 3-66 in three games. Moreover, as was expressed here at the time, had they made better use of the two-point option, they could and should have won in Cork too.

Still, it would be readily ventured that if you’d offered Robbie and his entourage four points after three rounds with a score difference +9, your hand may well have been severed for same!

Though even outside of all the above, there are two factors which I believe have altered the horizon significantly in a positive sense for Meath. Firstly, that playing what the doom mongers might call old fashioned football suits them.

Due to the fact that (a) we have some powerful fielders of the ball like Jack Flynn, Bryan Menton, Conor Duke, Ronan Jones, Eoghan Frayne, Cian McBride and Daithi McGowan. And most if not all of them are more than capable of unloading double aces on cue also.

And (b), the second hugely consequential asset Meath now have in their armoury is a large infusion of exciting young talent. Most if not all of whom bring a winning culture with them.

Whether that be by way of Leinster Minor, All Ireland Minor, Leinster U-20 or, with college teams in the likes of the Sigerson and/or Trench Cup competitions.

Which lends credence to the notion of the younger players coming into the setup and driving the standards onward. That is not for a second to infer that there has been any diminishment in the output of, say, Seamus Lavin or Donal Keogan or Bryan Menton, for example, just that the newer lads into the setup are used to winning - what at least one generation of Meath players haven’t been - and, as a wise soul once said, a rising tide carries all boats.

Before any high horses are mounted, in no way do I think there’s going to be a huge revolution necessitating devotees to take a Monday off in August to celebrate with Sam or anything of the sort. However, we can surely allow ourselves to look up to the table rather than down. That in itself has to count for something.

SIDELINE CUTS

The GAA’s ability to shoot itself in the foot will never cease to amaze. Again, it will be admitted that yours truly has had something of an epiphany in relation to the Third Level competitions, but, you do have to wonder did the H.E. Committee within the Association have a brain f**t when it came to the organisation of the Fitzgibbon Cup Final.

Right, so the storm damage done to the Connacht GAA dome in Bekan hardly needs any further elaboration. It is indeed a great pity that has been - temporarily, hopefully - decommissioned because it’s truly one of the country’s unique sporting venues. But it’s worth remembering that it was literally only the Dome itself - yes, the structure that, to all intents and purposes, resembles an extra large hot air balloon when inflated to its normality, that’s out of commission.

The playing pitches and dressing rooms were/are in perfect working order. Which only amplifies the curiously disjointed nature of the Fitzgibbon Cup hurling final day organisation. Where to begin? Well, notwithstanding a belief that hurling should not be played before March, it would surely have made more sense for the Fitzgibbon Cup Final to be played on the all weather pitch at the Toureen venue rather than an ordinary grass field which, while not as cut up as if ploughed, certainly passed as having been grazed by sheep. As bad as that was, how did it end up that a Limerick referee, Johnny Murphy, took charge of the Fitzgibbon Cup Final even though UL were one of the competing teams.

Now, the above observation is not, by any means, a dig at the whistler from the Treaty County, but it has to be the case that it was a scenario which could’ve been avoided.

It was hardly a fair spot to Murphy himself in either. Another case of ‘Must Do Better’ on the Association’s report card. But will they?