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Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
'I would do anything to win another one' - Mark Collins sets sights on winning three-in-a-row with Castlehaven
Chasing three-in-a-row. Mark Collins remembers well the last time Castlehaven went after that particular prize. The memories are not fond. The Haven began the 2014 Cork football championship the same as they do the current edition throwing in this weekend - the back-to-back winners wearing a sizable target on their back. They should have taken care of the neighbours first day out 11 years ago. They enjoyed a six-point advantage over Carbery Rangers at one juncture. Brian Hurley's 10 second-half minutes on the sideline because of injury was pounced upon by their opponents. In the Round 4 replay a fortnight later, the men from Rosscarbery outgunned them 1-9 to 0-2 in the second half for a nine-point win. A first county championship defeat in two years, 10 months, and 29 days. Come throw-in this evening at Ovens, Castlehaven's latest unbeaten stretch on the local scene will sit at 11 games and two years, nine months, and 24 days. Mark Collins was 24 then, is 35 now. His attitude for this latest three-in-a-row push isn't a second cousin of what it was when last they went after a feat that has been managed by only one club - Nemo, of course - over the past 80 years. 'I'm at a totally different stage of my career now. Back then, everything seemed like a bonus, whereas now you're trying to get every little last bit out of it,' Collins said this week. Read More Familiar look to Cork football as county championship throws in 'That time, we probably would have been absolutely delighted to have won two-in-a-row, whereas now I would do anything to win another one. 'We were disappointed with that go at three-in-a-row in 2014, so we'd be hoping to, starting on Saturday against Mallow, which won't be an easy start, to start on a better foot.' Their Division 1 League campaign wasn't hectic. Lest we forget Rory Maguire and Conor Cahalane lining out the day after featuring in Cork's Sam Maguire group defeat to Meath to help secure a relegation-avoiding victory over fellow strugglers Carrigaline. Uninspiring League form is nothing new, ditto the challenge of the Cahalane brothers rejoining the local fold days ahead of their championship opener. They've dealt with all that before. They've dealt too with the expectation. 'We'd never been there before,' said Collins of their 2024 status as the ones to knock. 'All those big matches against the Barrs and Nemo in recent years, we went in as underdogs whereas last year, probably every match we played, we went in as favourites and it was a different thing for the group. We dealt with it well, which was a positive. 'We've had a lot of younger lads break into our team, no fear, plenty of confidence. Winning that county in '23 gave them confidence that they were good enough to be at that level and they progressed even more for us in '24 and became big players and leaders for us.' Is there enough there for them to go where no Castlehaven side has gone previously? Let's find out.
Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Familiar look to Cork football as county championship throws in
Throw-in time for the Cork football championship. The conversation remains unchanged from the 2024 edition. Forgive the repetition, but repetition is unavoidable. Castlehaven again begin as champions. Nemo and the Barrs again are prioritised by unseating the men from the west. Everyone else, bar one or two at the bottom of the ladder, are again prioritised with breaking the latter-end stranglehold of the big three. In essence, as you were, this time 12 months ago. But of course, it isn't as you were given the game is largely unrecognisable from last summer. The new rules could lend to an interruption of the big three. They could also serve to push the Haven, the Barrs, and Nemo further clear from a chasing pack that hasn't managed to get in amongst them since Clonakilty contested and came up short of the Barrs by the minimum in the 2021 county final. Clon again appeared best placed to push through and break through. They brought the Barrs to extra-time in the recent Division 1 League final, coming up short on this occasion by two. The fixture was the latest piece of evidence of how the 2025 Cork football championship could be sung to Steven Sherlock's tune. On the opening weekend of the League, Sherlock, who opted out of the Cork set-up this year, kicked 0-15, including four two-pointers. On the final weekend of the League, and in steering St Finbarr's to early-season silverware, he kicked 0-18, including three orange flags. Mark Collins of three-in-a-row chasing Castlehaven said the champions still have to calibrate their orange flag radar. According to the former Cork footballer, their two-point conversion rate was as low as 20% during the League. The return of Cork captain Brian Hurley should help improve that particular figure, the 33-year-old having registered five of them across the Munster and All-Ireland championship. 'Our percentage was shocking, and it's something we're looking at. I think it's a lot about right option-taking. When the rules came in first, there was kind of a freshness to it and everyone was maybe looking to have a go or have a pot. Trying to nail that as the year goes on, is something we'll look at,' said Collins. The top-tier championship throws-in with a familiar pairing. Nemo versus Ballincollig (Ballygarvan, 7.30pm). They met on the opening weekend last year, Nemo winning 0-11 to 0-6. They were even more comfortable winners on the opening weekend the year previous, Nemo taking that fixture 2-11 to 0-6. Throw in the one-sided 2022 semi-final and this is the fourth consecutive year they are crossing paths. Ballincollig have yet to walk in front of the men from Trabeg during that time. Where Ballincollig finished mid-table in Division 2, Nemo were a point off making the Division 1 League decider. And so the expectation is that Nemo will again be a step or two ahead.
Irish Independent
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Gorey glee as Rangers rule across age grades
Under-16 double along with Under-13 and Under-12 titles returned to base in Ramstown A lot of special teams are making their way through the Wexford and District Schoolboys Soccer Leagues but one of them has come to the end of the line, doing it in the utmost style with a Division 1 League and Cup double. It was nearly even more impressive for the Gorey Rangers boys, who fell at the semi-final stages of the SFAI Regional Cup. It was a mere blot on the copybook of a team laced with supreme talent.
The Sun
23-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
GASTAK Denies Withholding Prize Money from Players
THE sepak takraw association of kelantan (gastak) has denied claims that players of the Kelantan Warriors were not paid last season's Division 1 League prize money. In a statement, GASTAK said the issue, which went viral on social media, stemmed from a misunderstanding. Each player received RM5,000 at a Sept 9 event, which included the league prize money, it said. GASTAK said it had also paid out nearly RM40,000 in bonuses and awards, including Best Tekong and Best Right Apit (Attacker) prizes, before receiving the official prize money in October. To address the ongoing discontent, GASTAK's Supreme Council decided on May 18 to provide an additional RM500 token to each player during the 2025 Player Introduction Dinner. Citing a Facebook post by player Fakhrul Akmal, GASTAK said he received RM11,000 over six weeks, covering salary, allowances, bonus and prize money, not including travel or unpaid leave reimbursements. The association reiterated that bonuses are at management's discretion per contract terms and warned that it will consider legal action if false claims continue.
The Sun
23-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
GASTAK denies withholding prize money from Kelantan warriors players
THE sepak takraw association of kelantan (gastak) has denied claims that players of the Kelantan Warriors were not paid last season's Division 1 League prize money. In a statement, GASTAK said the issue, which went viral on social media, stemmed from a misunderstanding. Each player received RM5,000 at a Sept 9 event, which included the league prize money, it said. GASTAK said it had also paid out nearly RM40,000 in bonuses and awards, including Best Tekong and Best Right Apit (Attacker) prizes, before receiving the official prize money in October. To address the ongoing discontent, GASTAK's Supreme Council decided on May 18 to provide an additional RM500 token to each player during the 2025 Player Introduction Dinner. Citing a Facebook post by player Fakhrul Akmal, GASTAK said he received RM11,000 over six weeks, covering salary, allowances, bonus and prize money, not including travel or unpaid leave reimbursements. The association reiterated that bonuses are at management's discretion per contract terms and warned that it will consider legal action if false claims continue.
