Cathal Cregg: 'They have the forwards potentially to win an All-Ireland'

Former Roscommon footballer Cathal Cregg believes the current Roscommon team have the forwards to potentially win an All-Ireland but feels that other areas may not be as strong.

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The best set of forwards in Gaelic football right now?

You might suggest that Galway, with Walsh, Finnerty and Comer possess those, or perhaps Kerry with the Cliffords, the Geaneys and Sean O'Shea or maybe Dublin when Con O'Callaghan and Ciaran Kilkenny are fully firing. Perhaps Tyrone with the Canavans.

But how about Roscommon? Last year's All-Ireland quarter-finalists were already top heavy with attacking talent before benefiting from the return of several more score poachers for 2025.

It is no great surprise that they are joint top of Division 2 of the National League, having registered 3-21 and 1-17 tallies in their two wins so far, and pushing hard for promotion alongside Monaghan, whom they will host this Sunday.

It is probably the biggest game of Roscommon's campaign and with the likes of All-Star Enda Smith, Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup finalists Daire Cregg and Ben O'Carroll and the Murtagh brothers all putting their hands up for starting spots, they won't be short of options.

As far as former Roscommon forward Cathal Cregg is concerned, manager Davy Burke has a set of attackers with All-Ireland winning potential though Cregg isn't necessarily sure the rest of the team matches up.

"I probably think they have the forwards potentially to win an All-Ireland but whether they're strong enough in other areas of the field, I suppose that's to be seen yet," said Cregg.

"I think defensively they probably need to shore it up a small bit. I think they have a few more to come back in to be fair, the Dalys and David Murray and that, and they're blooding a few players in defence. Three of the six (backs) that started against Down in Round 1 were debutants and John McManus is back in after a couple of years out after a very good senior championship with Roscommon Gaels.

"Midfield is also stronger with Keith Doyle back and being injury free. I think the new rules will suit him, a very big guy, very good in the air. Eddie Nolan and Shane Killoran have both played senior championship before at that level too. So I think they'll definitely be stronger overall this year.

"Going on and winning an All-Ireland might be a stretch but I think they'll progress further than they have in the last few years because of the quality that they've got back.

"They probably have six (forward) players now who are all of the standard to play senior championship, which doesn't typically happen too often. You have Ben O'Carroll fit again, Ciarain Murtagh available, Cian McKeon, Eddie Nolan, Shane Killoran, John McManus all back, I'm missing someone there as well, so that's good quality to bring back into any team."

O'Carroll struck the winning penalty for UCD in last week's dramatic sudden death semi-final win over TU Dublin in the Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup. Colleague Daire Cregg captained UCD while DCU, who won the title on Wednesday night, had four players involved including forwards Eoin Ward and Jack Tumulty.

Cregg, the provincial games manager with Connacht GAA, said the new rules and two-point scores should suit a team with Roscommon's skill set.

"I do think they will," said the former International Rules player. "But I also think that when it boils down to it, there won't be an awful lot of players who will be kicking two-pointers regularly, for any team. I know there's a lot of talk about getting rid of it but generally I think it's a good bonus. The more points that we get from that range, I think it's good to see it."

Cregg won Sigerson Cup medals himself with DCU in 2010 and 2012 but is concerned about the treatment of third level players who double up as county men. Roscommon had eight players in all that were involved in Wednesday's final.

"The problem is that the inter-county managers are trying to take more control all the time," he said. "And the reality is that a lot of the players aren't allowed to train and they're just about being allowed to play with the Sigerson teams at the minute, which I think is completely and utterly wrong.

"The reality is that if you're able to play at Sigerson level, you're very close to making the jump to inter-county level. I don't understand managers who don't let them get that exposure."