Royal rumbling: Can Tribes loss lead to Meath bounce?

Perhaps Meath manager Andy McEntee would describe his half a dozen years in charge as something of a rollercoaster ride.

Three years ago he guided the Royals to promotion from Division 2 and to the Super 8s, resulting in a fresh three-year deal. To date, that has been the high water mark, and the last four months alone have been a challenge.

That he is still in the role is something of a surprise to many given Meath's executive committee to remove McEntee as manager. A county board meeting held in October saw McEntee, who stated ahead of the meeting he wished to stay on for a sixth season, remain in place by way of a 46-27 vote.

County chairman John Kavanagh called for a "united county" to move forward following the vote, but it was hardly a ringing endorsement either.

The sobering defeat to Galway last Sunday – where only the half-time scoreboard was more atrocious than the conditions from a Meath perspective – the latest dent to fragile confidence.

"Abject" was Oisín McConville’s candid description of the Meath performance and the 'highlights' reel wasn't forgiving.

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It took 46 minutes of play for Joey Wallace to open the scoring for the visitors in Salthill, the ironic jeers of the drenched supporters a moment to forget.

"I'd swap hatred for sympathy any time," says O'Rourke, who from his own playing days, was only ever familiar with the former.

Of their dozen wides, some were executed with little conviction. After the break, with the wind, they outscored the Tribesmen by