Roscommon’s manager Davy Burke: 'We have trained 65 times and we have had our full squad together zero times, and that’s a big problem.' Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
This yo-yo run has a kind of consistency – six Division 1 seasons in nine years – and has coincided with championship success, two Connacht titles in 2017 and 2019. Last year they ended Mayo’s Connacht prospects a week after their neighbours had won the league.
This year has been more difficult, though. In February Burke lamented: “We have trained 65 times and we have had our full squad together zero times, and that’s a big problem. You can blame colleges, clubs, whoever we want, but if we want to compete at this level those boys need to be on the field tomorrow morning, it’s as simple as that.”
Ronan Stack has a clear perspective on these shifts. The only member of the St Brigid’s team that won the 2013 All-Ireland still to be starting in January’s final 11 years on, he was part of the county teams that rose through the decade. Despite the management changes Roscommon have remained competitive and frequently a Division 1 county.
Monaghan, also threatened by relegation this weekend, have been brand leaders in this husbandry, staying afloat for 10 years in Division 1 with an even smaller population .