By John Harrington

Paul Broderick believes Carlow will have to evolve as a team in 2019 if they’re be competitive in Division Three of the Allianz Football League and have another Leinster Championship campaign to remember.

2018 was a hugely positive year for the Barrow-siders as they won promotion from Division Four of the League and then defeated neighbours Kildare in the Championship for the first time in 65 years.

Despite those two landmark achievements their style of play was criticised by some pundits for being overly negative, but PwC All-Star nominee Broderick believes it served a purpose.

“I think we play a brand of football that has suited us to try and build," he said. "Steven (Poacher) came in and I think we were conceding the most scores in all four divisions to being third across all four divisions in the first year he was there.

“He wanted to build from a defence point of view. And, to be fair, a lot of these criticism are probably from people who haven't gone to watch a whole lot of the games.

“I know we've played Laois and I've looked back at the game myself and it doesn't make for great viewing. And that's not because we lost. It didn't make for great viewing in general, the style of play.

“But all our games all season weren't like that. I think if you were to look at the likes of the Kildare game, and I'm not just picking that because we won.

“The Kildare game, or even the first Laois game in Dr. Cullen Park, they were different affairs. They don't all look...I know on days it just went wrong. We probably went behind and went into our shell moreso than other games.

“Look, I'm happy with the way we're playing. And, like any team, we need to keep moving and evolving. If the rules change we need to evolve and move with them.

“But at the moment, no, players and management are very happy with how things are going.”

Having mulled over his future for a few months after Carlow’s championship exit at the hands of Tyrone, team coach Steven Poacher has committed to making the round-trip from Down for another season.

Poacher’s decision to stay on has been a huge boost for Broderick and all of his team-mates.

“To do what he does, it takes a unique type of character to be able to travel down a couple of times a week from where he's coming from and to still hold the rest of his life together.

“He is a unique type of character. I've never met a coach with the level of enthusiasm and positivity that he brings.

“I think that's been huge for us. He's a huge part of where we are from where we've come from. I don't think anyone would have wanted to see him leave.”

Broderick has certainly blossomed as an inter-county footballer in recent seasons and his form this year received the ultimate acknowledgement with a nomination for a PwC Football All-Star award.

He regards it not just as a huge personal honour, but a recognition for those who have helped him be the best he could be this year for Carlow.

“It's a huge moment for family and friends as well, and certainly the Carlow management and players,” said Broderick.

“I suppose going back four or five years there wasn't a hope that any Carlow player could have gotten an All-Star nomination.

“There weren't structures in place for players to be recognised because we weren't playing to a certain level. It's a credit to the current management that Carlow players are now being looked at in that way.

“That's only through winning promotion and beating Kildare and stuff like that. That doesn't happen by chance.

“With regard to the support I've received and the messages I've gotten since, Carlow is a small place and the messages I've gotten from people that I know who go to these games and love Carlow football, their support has just been overwhelming to be honest.”