ROBBIE BRENNAN INTERVIEW: Regionals offers opportunity to knock on Meath door

Manager looking to fill panel ahead of new season

FERGAL LYNCH

There could be as many as 12 places up for grabs on the Meath senior football panel as manager Robbie Brennan is looking to the Regional FC, which start on 1st November, for new players.

At last week's launch of the Regional competition, which is now in it's fifth year, Brennan revealed that he has a core panel of around 23 players but he is looking to add to that list with players who impressed in this year's championships and who will feature in the Regional FC.

Brennan also confirmed that Donal Keogan will return for 2027 as he edges closer to his 200th appearance for Meath, while he is also hopeful Bryan Menton will come back for another season.

"We're trying to trim the panel back a little bit. In year one we spread the net wide, in year two we continued with that and as the season went on, you bring guys in and then guys would drop out. We're trying to go with a different approach this year.

"There's a core group there that are certainly in the squad, they would be the obvious ones that everybody would suspect to be there. Then there's a nice chunk that needs to be filled. A lot of those guys that have come through the under-20s, will play the regional and see where they're at.

"Whether it's another keeper, whether it's extra cover in the backs. We've loads of big guys in the county. Then is there something there that's jumping up from up front, that might be good for us.

"We have 23 at the moment, we have the four injured lads with cruciates unfortunately, so there are four places that need to be filled straight away. There's real, genuine opportunity there.

"From Junior B right the way through to the county final the other day, there's been plenty to look at. I have an Excel sheet there, as long as my arm, and it's exciting to have it.

"I have to get to Mento (Bryan Menton). He's such an incredible guy. I really hope he does come back, I'll have my sales hat on and the sales pitch ready, so hopefully, he'll commit to us for another season.

"I met Keogie (Donal Keogan) when the boys were heading down to Dingle after the Mayo game and just said, 'let's just cut to the chase now, there's no talk about not coming back'. He said yes, so I'm delighted.

"He had an incredible season. The way he finished for Meath was as well as I've seen him play and that says something. To see that performance against Derry up front, right in front of your eyes, having seen how well he's played for the county over the decade, it was incredible.

"Then he followed it through with Rathkenny, he was gliding around the club pitch, he just looked like a Rolls-Royce. Hopefully he comes and stays injury-free and is ready to go again. He deserves to hit the 200, but he won't care about 200.

"We are so, so lucky to have had him and please God, have him again."

Brennan confirmed that the Regionals are a real and viable option for an aspiring Meath footballer to make their way onto the panel, but it is not an easy journey and while some players have impressed with their clubs, the manager acknowledged that there is a huge jump to senior inter-county fare.

"I went to a couple of Junior B games, particularly to watch Staff (Rian Stafford) for Kilmainhamwood and ended up watching somebody completely different.

"Myself and my son came home in the car saying he's our new favourite player, but in relation to that next step up for some guys, it is a big step. That's the reality.

"I'm really excited about the Regional FC because the benefit of that is that the standard is going to be really, really high. Anybody we have seen in the championships will, hopefully, put their hand up through this tournament.

"I loved the Regionals from the first match I watch. It was under the light. It was electric. Huge crowd at it. I was gobsmacked by that. I didn't expect it to be that.

"Obviously, it's developed into the format it is now. You don't want to call it a glorified trial, but it's certainly serving that purpose for me and the rest of the management team.

"It is a real, real shop window. If anybody was asked and didn't take it up, they probably missed a chance because there are spots up for grabs in the squad and they would be filled by guys who perform well in the regionals."

Reflecting on 2026 Brennan described the season as a real 'rollercoaster'. From the highs of winning Div 2, securing promotion to Div 1 and the championship win in Derry to the lows of the loss to Westmeath in Leinster and the second-half collapse against Mayo in Castlebar - there are regrets.

"It's was your typical roller coaster. We did what we needed to do in the league, we needed to get out of Div 2 and we did that.

"The loss to Westmeath was a massive kick in the stomach, even though they went on to win Leinster and proved to be a really good team.

"The win in Derry was a massive, massive high to go up there and win a game like that. Mayo will be a massive, massive regret for a long, long time, specifically because of how they went on and it makes you feel you're very close to it.

"Them's the breaks, you've just got to pick it up and go again.

"You never know what's going to happen with those kind of things (the two substitutions in the Mayo game). To be fair, it probably looked like it was two midfielders we took off, but it was one midfielder and a wing forward, but I can see why people would think it was two midfielders.

"Sometimes you get them right, sometimes you get them wrong. If you'd said to me at the start, we're starting with Ronan Jones and Charlie O'Connor as your midfield pairing, or one as a wing forward and one as a midfielder, we'd been as equally as happy. "The lads were flying in training. Jonesy, he had put a brilliant impact in up to that. He'd won a brilliant turnover. These things, unfortunately, happen.

"I still look back at the decision (to send off Ronan Jones) and it certainly came from the line. It didn't come from the referee. Those kind of decisions you have to be absolutely certain.

"Nobody on the pitch could have been absolutely certain. Subsequently, the video footage would tell you that. But it is what it is. It happened and we just have to move on.

"There's a lot of teams with some hard luck stories from last year and I think we're just one of a few there. It's nice to be in that picture with the top teams and not further down the pecking order.

"The injuries are going to be a hit for us, there's no doubt about that. We will be missing four really, really incredibly talented footballers, but it's about the strength of the squad and through this Regional FC and what we've seen in the club, we'll unearth another couple."

Playing Div 1 football next year will be both a massive challenge and a huge opportunity for Brennan for his players.

There is the comfort in knowing that there will be Sam Maguire football for Meath next summer, but there is also the need for a careful balancing act when it comes to injecting new players into the fold.

" Our S&C coach, who's been involved in Div 1 for a number of years said, you're only one game away from going further up the table or possibly being dragged down into a relegation battle. That's the way NFL Div 1.

"Our aim is to be competitive and make sure we stay in the division. We need to find a few players and we'll have to use the games to do that.

"You only get so much out of challenge games. So we will be using those games, not to necessarily try guys because if they're in a Meath jersey then they're good enough, but give them the opportunities that when we come into the championship, that we have some real live options that we know we've tried and we trust coming into the big games.

"Playing in Div 1 guarantees All-Ireland football in the summer, that's a big thing and it's great to have it."

Despite the frustrations of this year, Brennan is still relishing his role as Meath manager. He has been involved in football in some shape or another since being a young boy. He went straight from finishing playing with Dunboyne to managing them and then went on to manager Kilmacud Crokes and is not heading into his third year with Meath.

"There are good and bad days, like what happened on the pitch after Mayo. Things can get you and be upsetting at times but the highs outweigh the lows by far.

"We're all here for the one reason, we love Meath and you just want to try and do our best."

An All-Ireland SFC semi-final in year one, promotion to NFL Div 1 in year two - it's been a decent start to Robbie's reign. However, next year will be 28 years since Meath last won an All-Ireland, the longest barren run since winning the first of the seven in 1949. It'll be 26 years since the Royals even contested an All-Ireland SFC final.

There are high expectations in the county, but none higher than what the Meath manager expects himself.