Mark McHugh: 'Why not Westmeath?'

New Westmeath senior football manager Mark McHugh believes Leinster is now more competitive than it has been for years and has set out his stall to get the Lake County back competing for honours in the province.

In the immortal words of John F Kennedy, McHugh asks, “Why not Westmeath?” as he looks ahead to a Leinster Championship that has now become more open than when Dublin were at their irrepressible best.

Last year Meath ended the Dubs' 15-year reign in the province, while Louth later went on to win the Leinster title for the first time in 68 years.

Donegal native McHugh, stepping into the hot seat after serving on Dermot McCabe’s management team last year, believes his Westmeath side has the talent to compete if players commit wholeheartedly to the cause.

“We want players who want to play for Westmeath and really want to put on the jersey and be proud to wear the jersey,” McHugh said. “You only have a wee space of time in your life that you can dedicate yourself and your commitment to your county. I’d hate to see people pass that by or let it slip when the opportunity is there for them.

“I would ask anybody that I do end up bringing over the next few weeks, or end up asking into the squad, really, really consider it. But want to play for Westmeath. Don’t think it is a wild commitment, it’s a chore. You should want to play for it. That’s what we’re going to try to do - get a panel of 30 or 35 people that really want to play for Westmeath and wear the jersey. If they want to do that, we’ll do the rest.”

McHugh insists the first step is a simple one: win a game in Leinster.

“I think for us as a group and as a county we need to win one Leinster Championship game before we decide we’re going to win Leinsters,” he said. “That is our goal. We haven’t won one in a few years so let’s win one Leinster Championship game and see where that goes then.”

Reflecting on his elevation from selector to manager, McHugh described it as “year two” of his Westmeath journey. “It’s just stepping up as opposed to a different wee role than I was in last year,” he said. “I’m hoping to work with the same group of players and adding in more players and more staff to the job and hopefully to push Westmeath forward. It’s a big job.”

He has assembled a new backroom team which includes Assistant Manager/Selector Emmet McDonnell (Coralstown Kinnegad), Head Coach/Selector Ryan Daly (Tyrone), Coach Stephen ‘Archie’ Beattie (Tyrone), and selector Jamie Gonoud.

McHugh acknowledged the challenges of last season but pointed to the progress of emerging players.

“We lost a number of experienced key players and when you lose them, not only from the field but from the dressing room, they’re characters as they say. But to be fair to the younger lads that came in, they stepped up and we blooded a lot of boys during the league. We need to take that a step further this year; blood more players, more young players," he remarked.

Looking at the wider Leinster picture, McHugh believes the field has never been more open. Last year Meath defeated Dublin and Louth won the Leinster title.

“For years, from looking from the outside as a Donegal man, you knew how far Dublin were ahead of the pack. They won six in-a-row. But that pack has come greatly in. We’ve seen what Meath did to Dublin last year. The gap is closing.

“So why not Westmeath? Why not? The boys have looked at themselves and asked themselves nearly, why isn’t it them? Because there’s no reason.

Three or four years ago Westmeath were beating Louth, were beating Meath. Our job is to figure out why that’s happening and change it.”