Latest news with #NiallScully
Irish Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Dubs star gives clear indication of how much longer he plans to play for county
Niall Scully has said that he had no inclination to join the Dublin exodus last winter. Stalwarts like James McCarthy, Brian Fenton, Michael Fitzsimons, Paul Mannion and Jack McCaffrey all called time on their Dublin careers, albeit the latter trio didn't officially confirm it, while some others were expected to follow suit but ultimately didn't. Scully wouldn't quite be in that bracket but, at 31, he's of a similar vintage to Fenton, Mannion and McCaffrey. However, having only made his championship debut in 2017 at the age of 23, his career had a later lift-off - and he's determined to play into his mid-30s. He explained: 'I could understand why anyone would (retire) – but for myself I had a couple of years on the panel where I wasn't making it. 'So for me, it wouldn't have felt right. I individually worked very incredible to get where I am. Just personally, I wouldn't be able to give it up this season anyway. 'I only planned last season to play this season – I have no plans outside of that. 'But the biggest factor was when I sat down to think about it was that you work so hard to get yourself into that position and it just wouldn't have felt comfortable to just walk away.' The Templeogue-Synge St man's role has evolved in recent seasons as he has suddenly emerged as one of the elder statesmen amid a spate of retirements. 'Absolutely – previously you would have just fitted into the squad and gone along with everything,' he said. 'Now there are lads on the panel who were born in 2002 and 2003 and it's just, 'What?'. There's a group of eight or nine of us that are senior and the senior part of the group. 'We like to think that we are in a position to lead by example by sharing the knowledge that we have. You're looking for these younger lads to fit into it and set their own tempo and identity on the squad as well.' Scully said that he didn't feel a greater responsibility to play on purely because so much experience had been lost from the dressing room. 'Not really, to be honest. I haven't been to that stage where I felt like I wanted to walk away and could potentially feel guilty about doing so. I didn't have anything like that. 'Again, I'd be hoping to play for three or four seasons, or more, if I can. I'm fortunate enough that I haven't had to think in terms of that.' Following their shock defeat to Meath last month, Dublin are back in Championship action with a novel trip to face Galway tomorrow in Salthill - a venue where windy conditions are often a factor in the game, particularly now with two-pointers in vogue. Scully added: 'If you press out of that arc you're wide open in the back; but if you sit into the arc, you're leaving yourself exposed for two-pointers. But again, most of the games we've played, there's been a massive breeze and it's hugely affecting the style of play and the games and the scoreboard. 'So, again, on a sunny day the rules sound great. But alternatively, if you can't solo the ball without the ball flying past you, I suppose in one half you can just sit back and sit in the arc, knowing that they're not going to be able to kick a two-pointer.'
Irish Examiner
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Scully's belief in Dublin still as strong as ever
The repercussions of Portlaoise played out half an hour or so after Niall Scully had finished his media duties in the Muskerry Suite of Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Scully had talked about his Dublin team lacking composure and how they just couldn't get their hands on the ball during a Leinster semi-final first-half that Meath finished 0-17 to 0-5 clear. The consequences of that absent composure and their usually top-of-the-class problem-solving capacity were steep. Very steep. A Round 1 fixture away to either Galway or Mayo. A Round 2 fixture at home to Armagh or Donegal. And the group that everyone else is glad they're not part of concludes against Derry at a halfway house. Repercussions, indeed. As noted at the outset, Scully spoke with the media before the Sam Maguire draw proved so unkind and stretched out even further their road to Sunday, July 27. Scully's message, while in the presence of those dictaphones and tape recorders, was that Dublin still firmly believe they can reach July 27 and reach 5.30pm of July 27 as champions. 'Absolutely, yeah,' stated the 31-year-old Dublin forward. Portlaoise, so, was no fatal blow? 'Not at all,' he continued. 'We were hoping we would be in a Leinster final and win the Leinster series. But again, we have to take it as it comes. We have dealt with blows previously. We've been relegated to Division 2 and won an All-Ireland from Division 2. We'd be hoping for something similar. 'We are good enough to be in the mix, if you get it right. We have a three or four-week period to do that.' Back to Portlaoise. It merits greater introspection. It was, after all, the county's first defeat in 44 Leinster outings. From the perspective of the blue corner and the perspective of someone who has already watched back proceedings more than once, what happened? First off, Scully, a five-time All-Ireland winner, refused flat out to lean on either their injury situation or being taken out of Croke Park as factors in a first Leinster setback since 2010. Kickout retention, so rarely an issue, was a gargantuan one at O'Moore Park. Six of Cluxton's 19 first-half restarts were not retained. On occasion, the issue was on the receiver's end, such as when intended target Scully slipped at the crucial moment. In the main, though, their kickouts amounted to a constant source of lost possession. 'They obviously targeted our kickouts and got a good bit of joy out of it. And, I suppose, if you're not winning your kickouts, you have less of the ball and less plays for us to attack. 'At the weekend, you'd a huge wind, us kicking against the wind, and a press coming on… we just couldn't figure out how to get our hands on the ball. And you've probably seen, by most games that have gone on over the last couple of weeks, the kickouts are probably a lot more crucial to what they would have been previously. 'I've watched the game a couple of times, and I don't think, as a team and as a collective, you can't have any complaints from the performances of both sides on the day. 'Meath are a good side. They probably should have been promoted, just missed out on promotion to Division 1 this year. They came with a game-plan and they executed it. "Down the last 10 minutes, we'd a lot of unforced turnovers and our execution was off. Against Kerry in the League, all them opportunities that we had came off and the execution was correct. It's probably a fine balance between the two.' Before Portlaoise, Dublin were not being mentioned in the same conversation as Donegal, Kerry, and Galway. After Portlaoise and after yesterday's draw, their re-entry into that conversation, which has since been expanded to include Armagh, has been pushed further from them. 'We won't be focusing too much on external factors – we'll keep a lot in-house,' said Scully. 'Ever since I've been involved, I've tried to avoid the external chat and the external conversation. We're going to regroup. We won't be focusing on what everybody else is going to say about us. Everybody will have their opinions but what matters most is what we're discussing with ourselves. 'As a group, we'd 100% much prefer to be in a Leinster final, but we're not. So we'll have three or four weeks with the fit players to figure things out and three or four weeks for the lads that are injured to come back when they're ready.'
The Irish Sun
01-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Niall Scully replays Meath defeat twice as Dublin star insists All-Ireland dream still alive
NO DUBLIN fan will want to relive the defeat to Meath that shattered their 14-year reign as Leinster champions – yet Niall Scully has already sifted through the wreckage twice. In his 24th Leinster SFC appearance, the Templeogue Synge Street wing-forward finally tasted defeat on the provincial stage last Sunday. 2 Dublin and Niall Scully suffered a shock defeat to Meath in the Leinster SFC semi-final 2 But Scully is sure they can bounce back after the defeat and still realise their All-Ireland dream By Monday morning, Scully was braving the footage of And he went back for a second helping before attending yesterday's SuperValu's He said: "You're just trying to look for learnings. I'd be more than happy to park it but I do think you have to address that and you can't just go on blindly and hope that you figure it out.' Scully, 31, had no intention of turning a blind eye to the circumstances that led to his county's first defeat in Leinster since 2010. READ MORE ON GAA But when it comes to the death knell that many observers are now sounding for this Dublin team, the approach will be different. He continued: "Ever since I've been involved, I've tried to avoid the external chat and the external conversation. 'We're going to regroup. We won't be focusing on what everybody else is going to say about us. Everybody will have their opinions but what matters most is what we're discussing with ourselves." While Meath were a long shot to win in Portlaoise, the result was no fluke. Dublin's kickout, which has so often been a potent weapon, experienced a major malfunction as they lost 16 of their 28 restarts. Most read in GAA Football In Scully's five previous Championship meetings with Meath, the Dubs' average winning margin was more than 14 points. Only once did the Royals manage to keep the final deficit below double digits. But the five-time All-Ireland winner commented: "The scoreline might have said different but definitely over the last three or four years. Oisin McConville urges GAA to ditch big rule change mid-season after controversial ending to Championship clash "I think the games have been a lot tighter and, like that, the physicality of them. They were always a big, physical group so I definitely felt that at the weekend. 'And they obviously targeted our kickouts and got a good bit of joy out of it. I suppose if you're not winning your kickouts, you have less of the ball and less plays for us to attack. "Meath are a good side. They came with a game-plan and they executed it. Down the last ten minutes, we had a lot of unforced turnovers and our execution was off." The injury-hit Sky Blues were missing Seán Bugler, Eoin Murchan, Sean McMahon, Cian Murphy and Lee Gannon for the four-point loss in Portlaoise. Still, Scully maintained: 'I don't think the injuries have been a fair reflection on why we lost. I have the belief that the squad that took to the pitch on the day is good enough to get over the line. 'One hundred per cent, injuries were there and they would have an impact, but I do believe that we had the squad to win that game.' Scully also refuses to cite the venue as an excuse. For the first time in 30 years, Croke Park was not the setting for the Leinster semi-finals. The 2020 All-Star said: 'I've played a fair few seasons and we've gone through the Super 8s and the new system where you're playing games outside Croke Park and for us and the supporters it's a huge experience. 'It's something that we kind of look forward to. I know my family love coming together and travelling to games like that. I don't see that as something that we buy into.' While a ninth Leinster medal is no longer at stake for Scully in 2025, there is still an All-Ireland up for grabs. However, the knock-on effects of losing a provincial semi-final were felt in yesterday's Sam Maguire draw. The Dubs, who were subsequently third seeds, will begin their campaign on May 17-18 away to the winners of Sunday's Connacht final between Galway and Mayo. Their daunting group also contains Derry and the losers of the Ulster final clash of Donegal and Armagh. ALL TO PLAY FOR Speaking before their opponents were revealed, Scully said: "You're going to have to play these teams eventually. "That's an exciting prospect. A provincial winner at home in their venue is quite exciting." Scully refuses to view the Meath defeat as a fatal blow. And he draws parallels with 2023, when Dublin bounced back from the previous season's National League relegation to reclaim their All-Ireland title after a two-year absence from the summit. He said: "It's more being disappointed in the performance, knowing how we could have played. 'We were hoping we'd be in a Leinster final and win the Leinster series. But we have to take it as it comes. "We've dealt with blows previously and we've come from Division 2 and won the All-Ireland. We'd be hoping for something similar. 'The biggest thing is that we need to take what happened, learn from it and move on. "We're good enough to be in the mix and if you get it right, we have a three or four week period to do that. Hopefully come the business end of the season we'll be there or thereabouts.' Asked if he believes Dublin are capable of ending the season as All-Ireland champions, Scully insisted: 'Absolutely, yeah.' *NIALL SCULLY was speaking at the announcement of a five-year extension to SuperValu's sponsorship of the All-Ireland SFC.
Irish Times
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Niall Scully says Dublin ready to regroup and go again
Niall Scully would've been more than happy to park Dublin 's Leinster semi-final loss to Meath . Write it off and drive on to the next challenge. But he couldn't. He woke up on Monday morning carrying the weight of that disappointment and opened the laptop to revisit it all over again. There was no pen and paper on hand for the first viewing as the five-time All-Ireland winner scrutinised his own performance. On the second watch, he looked to delve a little deeper. The Dubs gathered together for the first time since Portlaoise on Tuesday evening. It won't be until the weekend that the collective review of their first provincial loss since 2010 is complete and all the lessons are fully absorbed. READ MORE 'You can't just go on blindly and hope that you figure it out. I've watched the game a couple of times. We'll bring all our heads together later on,' said Scully. 'Once the weekend comes, if we have answers, we can move on and look forward to the next step.' What the result hasn't done is shake his belief in their group. When asked if he is still convinced Dublin can win the All-Ireland, Scully's response is instant: 'Absolutely.' The rationale reflects back to how they handled relegation from Division One heading into the 2023 campaign. 'We have dealt with blows previously. We've been relegated to Division Two and won an All-Ireland from Division Two. 'We'll treat this no differently than we would have treated that. We need to regroup and figure out what happened on the weekend and adjust to that accordingly. 'We are good enough to be in the mix. If you get it right, we have a three- or four-week period to do that. Hopefully, come the business end of the season, we will be there or thereabouts.' Speaking less than an hour before the All-Ireland group stage draw took place, Scully was aware of the potential 'group of death' scenarios. That came to pass with their schedule bringing them away to the Connacht champions (Galway or Mayo) before hosting the Ulster runners-up (Armagh or Donegal) and finishing with a clash against Derry at a neutral venue. [ Dublin drawn in proverbial 'Group of Death' in All-Ireland qualifier round-robin stage Opens in new window ] 'You have to play the best at some stage throughout the season,' he said. 'That's an exciting prospect. A provincial winner at home in their venue is quite exciting.' There are a couple of factors cited for the Meath defeat that Scully rejects. Injuries? 'We had the squad to win that game,' he replies. Playing outside Croke Park? 'I don't see that as something that we buy into, no. It's something that we look forward to.' Mícheál Martin (Cork), Cillian McDaid (Galway), Ikem Ugwueru (Clare), David Clifford (Kerry), Jemar Hall (Armagh) and Niall Scully (Dublin) at the launch of the GAA All-Ireland senior football championship at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho He also won't be tuning into the social media postmortem. 'We're going to regroup. We won't be focusing on what everybody else is going to say about us. Everybody will have their opinions but what matters most is what we're discussing with ourselves.' So what were Scully's thoughts as he watched it all unfold again on Monday morning? 'Meath were always a big, physical group, so I definitely felt that at the weekend. They targeted our kick-outs and got a good bit of joy out of it. If you're not winning your kick-outs, you have less of the ball and less plays for us to attack. 'You'd a huge wind and us kicking against the wind and a press coming on . . . We just couldn't figure out how to get our hands on the ball.' The new rules are a major factor there. 'The kick-outs are a lot more crucial [compared] to what they would have been previously. Where it would have been a broader tactic of what you could do on the opposition's kick-out, now it's okay, he can only kick it 60 metres but he has to kick it 40 anyway. 'You can't have any complaints from the performances of both sides on the day. Meath are a good side. We won the Sam Maguire from Division Two and they just missed out on promotion to Division One this year. They came with a game plan and they executed it. 'Down the last 10 minutes, we'd a lot of unforced turnovers and our execution was off. Against Kerry down there, all them opportunities came off and the execution was correct. It's a fine balance between the two.' – Niall Scully was speaking at SuperValu's sponsorship renewal of the All-Ireland Football Championship for another five years.
Irish Daily Mirror
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Scully gives frank view on Dublin's All-Ireland prospects after Meath shock
A defiant Niall Scully insists that Dublin can still contend strongly for an All-Ireland despite their first Leinster loss in 15 years. Scully has already pored over the video of the Meath game - twice - and admits that there can be no complaint at the outcome. There was a time when Dublin's big provincial ties, win or lose, were a catalyst for a social spillover into Monday and perhaps beyond, but those days are long gone and Scully was in front of the laptop first thing the next morning as he sought answers in the wake of the four-point defeat in Portlaoise. 'I woke up and I was, obviously, disappointed,' he said. 'I watched the game back on Monday morning and I don't think, as a team and as a collective, you can have any complaints from the performances of both sides on the day. 'Meath are a good side. We won the Sam Maguire from Division Two and they probably should have been promoted, just missed out promotion to Division One this year. 'They came with a game plan and they executed it. Down the last 10 minutes, we'd a lot of unforced turnovers and our execution was off.' And it took two viewings for him to get the bottom of it all. 'Now, in fairness, I'd be more so looking at my own individual performance before I'd be looking elsewhere,' Scully explained, when speaking at SuperValu's All-Ireland Championship launch in Cork. He added: 'But, the setbacks that we already had, we've been relegated to Division Two and won an All-Ireland from Division Two. We'll treat this no differently than we would have treated that. We need to regroup and figure out what happened on the weekend and adjust to that accordingly.' Meath's win came not just in the context of a long losing streak to Dublin which stretched to nine Championship games, but the majority of them were comprehensive defeats. The average margin from 2012 on was 12 points and last year 16 points separated them in Croke Park. 'I always would have said, previously when we were playing Meath, that you would know that you're playing them,' Scully explained. 'Again, the scoreline might have said different but definitely over the last three or four years, I think the games have been a lot tighter and, like that, the physicality of them. 'They were always a big, physical group, so I definitely felt that at the weekend and they obviously targeted our kickouts and got a good bit of joy out of it. And, I suppose, if you're not winning your kickouts, you have less of the ball and less plays for us to attack.' Scully also poured cold water on the notion that Dublin would have won the game had it been played at Croke Park, with last Sunday's game their first Championship meeting with Meath outside of GAA headquarters in 45 years. 'I've played a fair few seasons and we have gone through the 'Super 8s' and the new system where you are playing games outside Croke Park and for us and the supporters it is a huge experience. 'It is something that we kind of look forward to. I know my family love coming together and travelling to games like that. I don't see that as something that we buy into, no.' But while Dublin's 14-year reign in Leinster is over, Scully doesn't believe that it's fatal to their All-Ireland chances. 'Not at all – again, it was hugely disappointing,' he said. 'We were hoping we would be in a Leinster final and win the Leinster series. But, again, we have to take it as it comes. We have dealt with blows previously and, as I said, we have come from Division Two and won the All-Ireland. We'd be hoping for something similar.' Dublin's loss came amid the absence of Sean Bugler, Luke Breathnach, Lee Gannon, Sean MacMahon, Eoin Murchan and Cian Murphy through injury and while Scully wasn't using the casualty list as an excuse, the break to their opening group game on the weekend of May 17/18 at least gives them some breathing space. 'Yeah, there's a fair few. As a group, we'd 100% much prefer to be in a Leinster final, but we're not. 'So we'll have three or four weeks with the fit players to figure things out and three or four weeks for the lads that are injured to come back when they're ready.' And it'll be a trip to face Connacht champions, Galway or Mayo, next up. 'That's an exciting prospect. A provincial winner in their venue is quite exciting.'
