‘This Next Block Will Be Massive’ – Sligo Co-Captain Earley

It is amazing what a year can do. Twelve months ago, Sligo were staring at the bottom of the Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 2B table, winless and worried after three rounds. Right now they are near the summit, unbeaten and daring to reach the play-offs once again.

For a club that spent much of last season fending off relegation, the turnaround has been remarkable, and their strong start to their Energia All-Ireland League campaign has come under new director of rugby and head coach Grant Ross.

Victories over Skerries, Buccaneers, and Rainey have turned doubt into quiet confidence. Pre-season had not hinted at a revival, their run in the Connacht Senior League ended early, and they will not be able to defend their Connacht Senior Cup title.

The signs pointed to another struggle. Yet, when the All-Ireland League began, Sligo flicked a switch. Three rounds in, they have not missed a beat.

“It’s a massively better start this season. Three from three is a much better start than from zero from three last year,” Sligo co-captain Matthew Earley told IrishRugby.ie.

“It’s a bit weird, last year we won the Connacht League going into the season looking real positive, and then the AIL turned out the way it was.

“And then this year, we didn’t have a chance to win the Connacht League, and we’re out of the Connacht Cup, and then we go three from three in the AIL. It’s a bit strange that both seasons have had ups and downs.”

Earley’s calm perspective comes from experience. At just 24, the influential hooker has already spent eight seasons with Sligo, captained them through turbulence, and amassed over 90 appearances.

He has seen squads built, rebuilt, and reimagined. He has seen the best of what Sligo can be when everything clicks, saying: “This season I think the difference was we had a lot of players coming back late.

“The squad that we put out in the first round of the Connacht League against Galwegians is nothing compared to maybe the first round of the AIL. Whereas last year, we might have had a stronger team in the Connacht League.

“It kind of gave us a false sense of where we were. I do think that maybe we haven’t played the top sides yet, the top four (in Division 2B) are all unbeaten.

“I think it might take a few more rounds to really see where you are, and I wouldn’t really be getting too excited that we’re second in the table. But at the moment, there’s a lot more rugby to be played.”

That measured tone reflects a team that has learned the hard way. This time last year, a home win over Malone in the fourth round got them on the board. Roll on twelve months and tthey arrive at the same stage chasing a fourth consecutive victory.

When Sligo run out at Hamilton Park next Saturday, they will do so with renewed belief. The opposition, another Ulster side in Clogher Valley, will provide a stern test.

It is the start of a gruelling block of fixtures for New Zealander Ross and his ambitious squad, including away trips to current Division 2B leaders Galwegians, and Ballynahinch in the Energia Bateman Cup, plus a visit from unbeaten Malone.

Earley insisted: “The next block is going to be massive. We have a bit of a break before Malone (on November 15), but we’re in the Bateman Cup semi-final that weekend away to Ballynahinch, so it’s not really much of a break.

“We have four games on the bounce now, we’ve Clogher Valley at home, Galwegians away, Ballynahinch away, and then Malone at home, so it’s going to be a massive block.

“It’s going to be a tough block, four games is never easy, one after another, and we’re definitely going to be going to Ballynahinch with the strongest side possible, so there could be a few tired bodies come Malone.

“They’re obviously one of the unbeaten sides at the moment. It’s going to be a massive block, and it’s going to say where we’re at.”

The Sligo squad has been through serious change in a short period of time. A few seasons ago, they were on the brink of promotion, losing narrowly twice to UL Bohemian in the Division 2A play-offs, in back-to-back seasons at the semi-final stage.

Since then, key players have moved on. Julian Leszczynski is now at Terenure College after a stellar season with Young Munster. While in Limerick he lined out with Hubert Gilvarry, the former Sligo favourite. Gilvarry who has scored four tries for the Cookies this term.

Young prospects have stepped up, many coming from Sligo Grammar School, who have had great success in the Connacht Schools Senior Cup in recent seasons, and Summerhill College. The local club has had to find its balance again to try and fight for promotion.

“Four seasons ago, we started kind of a three-season journey with our coaching staff and players. It’s a completely different squad.

“We got to the play-offs the first year, lost down in UL by two points, and then the following year, we got better again. We had a better result in the league, but we still finished fourth, and then we were beaten again by UL by a point in the play-offs.

“Out of our ten regular backs that season, we lost eight of them, and then the other two were actually missing for a substantial part of last season as well, and a few forwards were missing, so we were missing maybe 12 players last season on the season before.

“With the Connacht League two years ago, we kind of walked through it, we won every game by 30 points. Whereas last year we were just scraping by, and we just about won it.

“It’s as simple as last year our squad just wasn’t the same as the season before. Some of those lads are playing (Division) 1A week in and week out.

“Julian Leszczynski, who’s now with Terenure, was with Young Munster last year. Hubert Gilvarry, who is scoring tries for Young Munster, and then four or five other players who moved on.

“There was a big exodus that summer, and it just took us till after Christmas to gel, and then luckily we went on a run. I think it was six unbeaten games, maybe seven if you include the Cup final, that we went on to just kind of to stay up.”

That late season run restored pride and built belief. It also forged a group that seems hungrier than ever. One that is aiming to end Sligo’s long run in Division 2B, as they have been playing in the league’s fourth tier since the 2018/19 season.

In the middle of this journey stands a hooker from Leitrim, proud, unflinching, and determined to lead his side to something lasting.

Earley has been on this path for many years. Having started off with his local club Carrick-on-Shannon, he then studied in Sligo Grammar before making his club debut a week after his 18th birthday.

Now, nearly 100 caps later, he is one of Sligo’s most experienced figures, at still such a young age, and only for the Covid-19 pandemic, the Leitrim Village man would have reached that milestone of 100 caps by now.

“I’ve loved every bit of it. I think I’m going into my eighth season now, which is a bit mad, because I’m still only 24,” he explained.

“I would have started my rugby with Carrick-on-Shannon. I was between Gaelic football and rugby, I would have played on and off when I was a young fella, but never really seriously until I went to Sligo Grammar.

“I would have been 17, just going into Leaving Cert when I moved to Sligo, and then it would have been maybe around Christmas time, when I started training with the first team. A week after my 18th birthday, I made my debut.

“Covid kind of nearly put a bump in it, I would have hit 100 caps when I was 22, which would have been nice, I don’t know how many people have 100 caps at 22, but hitting it at 24 is still a nice achievement, and a lot of the time you see people in their late 20s, nearly 30, hitting 100 caps.

“I’ve enjoyed every moment of it, we’ve had some great seasons. We’ve won three Connacht Leagues, three Connacht Cups.

“We’ve been in the play-offs three times, and lost all three of those games by an average of less than two points, so look, the only thing we’re kind of missing is a real crack at the All-Ireland League.

“We’ve finished fourth three times, sixth twice, and eighth once, so we’re averaging mid-table. We’re the longest standing 2B side, and we’re trying to make this year our last year in it. Hopefully (going) in the right direction.”

If Earley sounds like a man who has earned perspective, it is because he has lived it. Just five months ago, he broke his leg, not playing rugby, but back on the Gaelic football field. It was a cruel blow at the start of summer, but if there is one thing he does not do, it is sit still.

While many players use a league break to rest, Earley has other plans. This weekend his local GAA club, Leitrim Gaels, contest their first ever Leitrim Senior Football Championship final.

Earley, who has togged for both their junior and senior sides, will be part of the squad, officially as sub goalkeeper, although he keeps an outfield jersey handy ‘just in case’.

“I actually broke my leg in May,” he acknowledged. “I only came back on the pitch really when the rugby season started, so I’ve kind of been focussing more on the rugby, and I’ve missed a few of the Championship games because of rugby games.

“Missed the semi-final because we were playing Buccaneers. I’m not sure if I’ll get on the pitch on Sunday, but I’ll definitely be there and be named on the bench.

“I’ve never broken a bone playing rugby, I was two or three weeks back playing football and broke my leg going up for a high ball, and I don’t know, after five weeks or six weeks I was back walking.

“Maybe after May, I was three or four days after surgery, I was back in the gym four times a week, I couldn’t sit still. I was back running after eight weeks, and then the day after 12 weeks, I was back on the pitch for Leitrim Gaels in a league game against Fenagh.

“I togged out that day, but didn’t play that day because I couldn’t kick a ball, but I could run. I didn’t even miss a minute of pre-season. I’ve played every minute of the six games, the three Connacht League and the three All Ireland League games so far.”

He added: “I would play outfield for the juniors, so I’d be centre-back or full-back or that kind of thing for the junior football team, but for the senior team, I was going for the goals and I’ll be sub keeper this weekend, so we’ll see.

“Hopefully I won’t be needed because there’s only ever a bad thing happens if I’m needed. But I’m ready to go if needed. I’ll have both jerseys on the sideline with me anyway, ready to go.”

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