Podcast appearances and mentions of will slattery

In May of 2005 Will Slattery went on a dream vacation with his friends, Jimmy Simplicio and Many Sanchez, to parachute in Costa Rica. On their last parachuting trip, their plane was taken down by unexpected weather and turbulence. The three men had to jump out of the plane to save their lives,  however they were all about to be split up and Will would find himself alone in the middle of the ocean. Go to TryMiracle.com/nottoday and use code NOTTODAY to try Miracle Made sheets, claim your FREE 3 PIECE TOWEL SET, and get over 40% OFF! 

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to look back on the Champions Cup quarter-finals. Leinster booked their place in the semi-final after a dominant win against Leicester in Welford Road, and the lads are in agreement that they are well primed to take on Toulouse in Saturday's semi-final. The French giants outlasted Munster in a dramatic penalty shootout at the Aviva Stadium, and Luke thinks that Munster's defence let them down. Munster's game management, Leinster's semi-final selection and Toulouse's ability to make something out of nothing are all up for discussion too. Listen and follow the Left Wing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to look ahead to the Champions Cup quarter-finals. It is set to be a bumper weekend, with Munster and Leinster playing back to back on Saturday afternoon. Munster host holders Toulouse in what promises to be a cracker at the Aviva Stadium, and while Cian thinks the French side will be too strong, Luke has an inkling that Munster could produce an upset. We then have a clash of the two most in-form teams in Europe. English table-toppers Leicester host Leinster, who have a commanding lead in the URC. While it won't be easy for Leo Cullen's side, the lads are in agreement that they should have enough to advance to the semi-final stage. Listen and follow the Left Wing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by South African rugby journalist AP Cronje to discuss the resurgence of the South African teams in the URC. The Bulls, Lions, Stormers and Sharks are a combined 18-2 at home against the rest of the competition, which is a complete turnaround to how they started the competition away from home. AP gives the lads the lowdown on the four South African franchises and says that enthusiasm is building for the tournament among the fans down there. The Springboks potentially joining the Six Nations, Leinster's defeat to the Sharks and Munster's win over Ulster are all up for discussion too. Don't forget to listen to the Left Wing Extra on Thursday when Sinéad Kissane previews Ireland's final game in the Women's Six Nations at home to Scotland with Cliodhna Moloney and Cian Tracey. Listen and follow the Left Wing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

Galway finally defeated Mayo in the Connacht Championship helping to relieve the tension for Padraig Joyce but the Tribesmen must now kick on in the province to really capitalise on this victory says Martin Breheny on this week's Throw-In. He joins Will Slattery and Michael Verney as they look back on all the weekend football action with Armagh coming in for particular criticism in the wake of their defeat to Donegal. Plus, the club v county debate in the current congested fixture schedule gets an airing with Breheny describing as ‘utter madness' the extended lay-off for counties now waiting for the football qualifiers to begin. Meanwhile in the hurling, John Mullane was also on the show to discuss Limerick's win over Waterford. Although the margin of defeat was only three points this time around, Limerick have shown they're still the ones to beat but it's not the be all and end all for Waterford says Mullane. Finish in the top three, get to Croke Park and then they can challenge for the All-Ireland he tells Will and Michael. Elsewhere, the panel discusses Clare's three goal haul against Tipperary in Semple Stadium and Dublin's one point win over Wexford on the road. Every Monday the Throw-In brings you the best insights and analysis from all the weekend GAA action. And don't forget to listen to Philly McMahon's show every Friday where he gives his take on the Football Championship. Listen and follow on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Jonathan Bradley of The Belfast Telegraph to discuss the Champions Cup round of 16. Leinster and Munster march on to the quarter-finals after wins over Connacht and Exeter, with the southern province producing a classic Thomond Park performance to sweep Exeter aside. There was also drama in Belfast, as Ulster were pipped at the death by Toulouse. Jonathan starts off by telling the lads about the mood in Ulster as the province look to bounce back from the devastating defeat. Ulster's progress, Connacht's consistency issues, Leinster's tricky balancing act ahead of the quarter-final and Joey Carbery's resurgence are all up for discussion too. Don't forget to listen to the Left Wing Extra on Friday when Sinéad Kissane previews England v Ireland in the Women's Six Nations. Listen and follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

The 2022 Hurling Championship has begun right where it left off, with Cork once again on the wrong end of a Limerick beating and on this week's Throw-In, former Kilkenny All-Star, Eddie Brennan, joins Will Slattery, Michael Verney and Vincent Hogan to discuss all the main talking points from the weekend action. While the soul-searching for Cork goes on, they have to pick themselves up for their next match against Clare and Limerick face Waterford in an early meeting between the country's top two teams. The Déise got their season off to a good start with a win over Tipperary, showing their own strength in depth, but can Waterford narrow the gap to Limerick and ask them some difficult questions? In other matches, Wexford rallied against a wasteful Galway to earn a draw, while Dublin edged out Laois and Kilkenny blew Westmeath away by sixteen points. Meanwhile in the football it was a low-key start to the Championship with Tyrone overcoming Fermanagh as the reigning All Ireland champions move on to face Derry while in Connacht, Sligo just about survived a scare from New York in America and Leitrim won out against London. Every Monday the Throw-In brings you the best insights and analysis from all the weekend GAA action. And don't forget to listen to Philly McMahon's show every Friday where he gives his take on the Football Championship. Listen and follow on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Sean O'Brien to look back on the Ireland legend's career. O'Brien confirmed last week that he will retire at the end of the season and he says that the 2017 Lions tour in New Zealand was when he was playing at his peak. The Tullow Tank says that the 2015 World Cup quarter-final against Argentina is one game that still gnaws at him, while he also opens up on his love of coaching. Cian Tracey also joins the lads to discuss Graham Rowntree's appointment as the new Munster head coach as well as the proposed trial for a 20-minute red card. Listen and follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Ruaidhrí O'Connor to discuss Leinster's big win over Munster and Ireland women's head coach Greg McWilliams to discuss the Six Nations campaign to date. Leinster secured a big win in Thomond Park to head into Champions Cup action in style, but both Luke and Ruaidhrí are worried about Munster's prospects after another damaging defeat to their biggest rival. Joey Carbery's best position, Leinster's Champions Cup chances and Munster's head coach search are all up for discussion too. Greg McWilliams then joins the lads to discuss how he feels Ireland have performed in the Women's Six Nations so far. Despite two defeats from two, McWilliams thinks there are reasons to be hopeful ahead of Sunday's game against Italy. Don't forget to listen to the Left Wing Extra with Sinéad Kissane later in the week when she previews Ireland v Italy in the Women's Six Nations and you can follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald discuss all the latest rugby news and are joined by Chris Foy in the UK to chat about Eddie Jones, England and their coaching succession plan. The lads kick off by looking back at Ireland's opening game of the Women's Six Nations. Despite losing to Wales, Luke thinks there are reasons to be positive ahead of a big test against France this weekend. The chat then looks at the resurgence of the South African teams on home soil in the URC, as well as the prospect of Leinster signing ex-All Blacks centre Charlie Ngatai. In the second half of the show, Chris joins the lads to discuss all the options on the table as England decide who should succeed Eddie Jones after the 2023 World Cup. Listen and follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

Dublin relegated to Division 2 was just one of the many storylines from a fascinating and enthralling final round of football league games, but did the GAA miss a trick in not maximising the audience for an incredible, frantic day of football? Will we see the introduction of Friday night football as a way to whet people's appetites even more? Ciarán Whelan joined Will Slattery and Michael Verney on the latest Throw-In podcast to discuss all the main talking points from the weekend with Dublin's relegation dominating. “They can't complain,” said Whelan. “Their performance throughout the League was just far too patchy at times and it looked like they were getting a bit of structure back over the last two weeks but that wasn't prevalent in the first half yesterday and again they looked very, very disjointed, particularly from a defensive perspective.” Elsewhere, there's special mention also for Kerry and Mayo who meeting in the Division 1 final, and for Roscommon's return to the top flight, plus Limerick and Louth's promotion to Division 2. Meanwhile, in the hurling, John Mullane was on the show to discuss the stunning statement of intent from Waterford in their 19-point mauling of Wexford in the League hurling semi-final. “I think this Waterford team now are at the peak of their powers,” said Mullane. “I think they're ready to do something special and unfortunately for Wexford, they just came across a juggernaut yesterday.” The Déise meet Cork, who beat Kilkenny in the other semi-final, in a final to savour. Will this be the year of something big for Waterford hurlers? Every Monday the Throw-In brings you the best insights and analysis from all the weekend GAA action. Listen and follow on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/ The Throw-In is in association with Allianz.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery is joined by Cian Tracey to review the 2022 Six Nations. Ireland came up short in their title quest but ended up with a Triple Crown after four bonus-point wins. The lads are in agreement that the continued development of the attack was a big positive although the number of handling errors needs to be addressed ahead of the summer tour to New Zealand. One area of concern for Andy Farrell will be the depth at front row, with injuries to Andrew Porter and Ronan Kelleher putting the scrum under serious pressure. Away from Ireland, the state of England is one of the big talking points. Should they stick with Eddie Jones? Scotland's poor campaign, France's resurgence and the return of crowds are all up for discussion too. Listen and follow The Left Wing on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

With a second win in-a-row, have Dublin now steadied the ship? Philly McMahon joined Will Slattery and Michael Verney on this week's Throw-In podcast and he thinks there's now a calmness to their play and a leadership that was previously lacking which are all good signs for the months ahead. Philly also discusses Kerry's top of the table form and believes their dominance means they are now more in the heads of the players from the other counties. On David Clifford and how to stop him, Philly remembers the 2019 All-Ireland final when he he was marking Tommy Walsh but was still keen to get in Clifford's ear. “I'm sure Walsh was looking at me going 'you're marking me, why are you talking to him?' But there was still bits where he bit - you know you could say 'fair play to him for standing back up to you' blah, blah, blah but he bit and that for me was something that I always wanted to test. I would have definitely, in the last two managements, had conversations before games that I wanted to get a chance to mark him.” In the hurling, the League semi-final match-ups are confirmed with Cork v Kilkenny and Wexford v Waterford next weekend and John Mullane joined Will and Michael to give his run-down of each county's chances and why he's rubbishing talk as to whether teams should be saving themselves for the Championship soon after. “Waterford's opponents next week, Wexford are going to go all out to win it. I would take it Kilkenny will go all out to win it and I would be thinking that Cork, home advantage by a home following, will go all out to win it. So, I think from a Waterford point of view, I think they should go all out next weekend, get to a League final. A League final is a League final.” Every Monday the Throw-In brings you the best insights and analysis from all the weekend GAA action. Listen and follow on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/ The Throw-In is in association with Allianz.

Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Rúaidhrí O'Connor to discuss Ireland's team selection for the Six Nations finale against Scotland. Iain Henderson, Jack Conan and Mack Hansen all start as Andy Farrell's side look to win a first Six Nations title since 2018 - provided England can do Ireland a favour against France. Meanwhile, Scotland have dropped out-half Finn Russell and have opted for rookie ten Blair Kinghorn. Will that decision come back to haunt Gregor Townsend? Can Ireland win an unlikely Six Nations title? Luke is tipping England beat France anyway... Don't forget to listen to Sinéad Kissane and the Left Wing Live for post-match reaction to the game on Saturday while Luke and Will return for the regular Left Wing show for more rugby discussion and analysis next Wednesday. Listen and follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more Left Wing episodes, visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by former England prop Alex Corbisiero to look back on Ireland's record win in Twickenham. Andy Farrell's side are still in contention for the title ahead of Saturday's game against Scotland, but need Eddie Jones' side to do Ireland a favour in Paris against France. The lads kick off the discussion by taking a look at Ireland's scrum woes - with Alex giving his take on why England were so dominant there. Luke felt that Ireland attacked well but forced the final pass on too many occasions, a recurring theme from earlier in the campaign. Eddie Jones' position, Ireland's bench boost and the team's depth are all up for discussion too. Listen and follow The Left Wing on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

The football league action dominated over the weekend but it was off-pitch that was generating much of the headlines with Tom Parsons saying the GPA were prepared to take further action in the players' stand-off with the GAA over expenses. However, Dick Clerkin, who joined Will Slattery, Sinéad Kissane and Donnchadh Boyle on this week's Throw-In podcast believes that a conversation over player welfare needs to take precedence over expenses first. “What are the GPA looking for in terms of a sustainable model for the intercounty game?” he asked on the show. “Because I don't think anybody could agree that it should be ok that a county team should be asked to train seven days a week around the Championship season and that can be funded carte blanche because that's effectively what Tom Parsons was saying. If it is the case with the county teams now that it's the norm to be asked to train five to six times a week, that's not sustainable, that's not fair and it's not sustainable.” Back to on-pitch matters, Dublin finally got their first league win of the year with a victory over Tyrone in Omagh, albeit against a very poor Tyrone performance and it begs the question will the defending All-Ireland champions even get out of Ulster at this rate? In Tralee on Saturday night, Kerry edged out Mayo with a last-minute free but the panellists were predicting this could be the dress rehearsal for something bigger in Croke Park come the summer. Meanwhile, in Division 2, Cork's footballers are staring relegation in the face after another defeat, this time at the hands of Meath, and the question everybody is asking is, what has happened to Cork football and how can things improve? Every Monday the Throw-In brings you the best insights and analysis from all the weekend GAA action. Listen and follow on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/ The Throw-In is in association with Allianz.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Rúaidhrí O'Connor to look ahead to Ireland's Six Nations showdown with England on Saturday. The show kicks off with the news that Johnny Sexton has signed a new deal to take him up to the 2023 World Cup, and the lads debate how Andy Farrell should manage his captain between now and the tournament in France. The chat then moves onto Eddie Jones and England - is he building a new team capable of success or has he abandoned the players and style that produced a World Cup final appearance? All three of the lads are nervous ahead of Saturday's game, despite England's poor recent showings, with the loss of Andrew Porter and Ronan Kelleher particularly damaging. Things finish up with a look at the recommendations made from the report into the women's team, before predictions for the England game. Listen and follow on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On the latest episode of The Left Wing podcast, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Ian Madigan to discuss Ireland's win over Italy and the campaign to date. Ian and Luke agree that although Andy Farrell's side have had a good tournament, last Sunday was a sloppy day at the office. Luke thinks that the team forced things too much against 13 men, while Ian gives his assessment on how he thinks Joey Carbery played in his two recent starts. Ireland play England next, and both Luke and Ian are unsure if Eddie Jones is going down the right path with his revamped team. The lads finish off the chat with Ian by discussing how his Ulster team are faring, as well as looking ahead to their two-legged tie with Toulouse in April. Listen and follow on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Fergus McFadden to look back at Ireland's defeat to France in Paris. Andy Farrell's side came up just short at the Stade de France, with the decision to kick for the posts in the closing minutes proving contentious. Fergus thinks it was the right call while Luke says that James Ryan should have opted to stick the ball in the corner. Both of them are in agreement, however, that with a few less errors, Ireland could have secured a famous victory. Scotland's defeat in Cardiff to Wales, Six Nations trends and France's room for improvement are all up for discussion too. For more Left Wing episodes, visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing Extra, Will Slattery is joined by Cian Tracey and Rúaidhrí O'Connor to discuss the Ireland team to face France. The big news is Johnny Sexton's injury, which means that Joey Carbery will make his first Six Nations start in Paris. Is Carbery ready for the step up? The lads debate Ireland's chances with a new out-half, whether they have the power to match France and Andy Farrell's decision to name Iain Henderson and Robbie Henshaw on the bench. For more Left Wing episodes, visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey and Benjamin Kayser to discuss all the Six Nations action. Will and Luke kick things off by looking back at Scotland's dramatic win over England, before Cian joins to discuss Ireland's bonus-point win over Wales. The lads all agree that Ireland's ball-playing forwards give them a big edge over the opposition, but the step up in Paris this weekend will be a huge test. Mack Hansen's dream debut, Ireland's lack of a bench impact and the selection battle for France are all up for discussion too. Former France hooker Benjamin Kayser then joins the lads to give an insight into the recent French resurgence after some lean years. Benjamin says the improved relationship between the clubs and the national team as well as the all-star coaching staff headed up by Fabien Galthié have played a big part in France's return to the top table. For more Left Wing episodes, visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

Dublin's woes continued in Tralee on Saturday night and Ciarán Whelan joined Will Slattery and Michael Verney on this week's Throw-In podcast to look back on all the weekend football action. “I really thought Dublin would have been set up with a little bit more structure defensively going into the game,” says Whelan. “And then particularly in that fifteen minute period where Kerry just ate them. There was no effort to stem the flow of that period and it just meant Kerry could control the game.” Meanwhile, elsewhere in Division 1, Armagh beat Tyrone as the All Ireland champions saw four players dismissed in a remarkable game; Donegal picked up their first win over Kildare; and Mayo overcame Monaghan. In Division 2, Andy McEntee's troubles continue with Meath's loss to Roscommon who are joint top with Galway and Derry. The hurling Leagues also began over the weekend with John Mullane joining the show and the biggest surprise of all coming from Wexford's three point win over Limerick, pointing to Limerick's one possible weakness in their squad depth. But, for Mullane, he reckons Waterford and Dublin are two counties to watch in this coming campaign. The Throw-In will have new episodes every Monday bringing you the best insights and analysis from all the weekend GAA action. For more visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/ Listen and follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts from. The Throw-In is in association with Allianz.

On this bonus episode of the Left Wing, Will Slattery is joined by Rúaidhrí O'Connor and Cian Tracey with their reactions to the Ireland team announcement. Connacht's Mack Hansen will make his debut on the wing against Wales on Saturday in what is a huge call by Ireland head coach Andy Farrell. Elsewhere, Joey Carbery has fended off Jack Carty's claim to the back-up ten slot, while James Hume will get a chance off the bench after strong form for Ulster. The lads finish up with predictions, with all three going for a big Ireland win. For more Left Wing episodes visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Rúaidhrí O'Connor and Welsh legend Tom Shanklin to look ahead to the Six Nations. Rud joins first and is bullish on Ireland's chances, tipping Andy Farrell's side for title glory off the back of a strong November and the form of key men. The lads discuss how Ireland should handle the out-half situation, the key players who are primed for a big campaign and any concerns ahead of the big kick-off. Tom then joins Luke and Will to give the view from Wales ahead of the opening game. While ordinarily he wouldn't be too worried by the form of the Welsh regions, Tom thinks that Wales' injury list will make life difficult for them this year. The lads finish up with their predictions, with both Luke and Tom going with France for 2022. For more Left Wing episodes visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

There weren't many positives for Dublin after their opening league defeat to Armagh in Croke Park and on this week's Throw-In podcast, Dick Clerkin joined Will Slattery and Michael Verney to look back on all the league football action. “There was nothing new or fresh and that's probably the concerning thing if I was a Dublin fan looking at them,” said Clerkin. “It was the same sort of style of play that they developed in Jim Gavin's later years, very methodical, not much creativity.” It promises to be a pressure cooker of a game for Dessie Farrell's team next weekend against Kerry in Tralee, and with the Kingdom struggling in their draw against Kildare, both Dublin and Kerry will not want to be no wins from two after their clash. Elsewhere in Division 1, Donegal let their lead slip against Mayo with pundits wondering if their intensity and aggression levels have dropped from years gone by? Tyrone and Monaghan also played out a draw in Omagh and every point is going to be hard fought with little between the counties in the top division. John Mullane also joined the panel to look ahead to the start of the hurling leagues next weekend and the big question is, can anyone take down Limerick? Mullane reckons John Kiely's men will look to add another League title to their trophy haul before going for their All-Ireland three-in-a-row and it's up to the others to try and catch them. With Henry Shefflin in charge of Galway, the Tribesmen will be under the microscope and what of Waterford's chances as Liam Cahill looks to build on the Déise's ambition to pick up a trophy in 2022? With Ballygunner in the club final, it could be something to build on for the county for the year to come. Plus, is there something building in Dublin under Mattie Kenny? The game of the weekend looks to be Dublin v Waterford with the Dubs coming off the back of their early season success. Could a Leinster title be on the horizon? John Mullane is tipping them for a big year. The Throw-In will have new episodes every Monday bringing you the best insights and analysis from all the weekend GAA action. For more visit the show page at: https://www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/ Listen and follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts from. The Throw-In is in association with Allianz.

The Allianz Football Leagues are back and so is the Throw-In with Will Slattery and Michael Verney as they're joined by Martin Breheny and Colm Keys to preview the likely contenders and relegation fights in the weeks ahead. One of the burning questions is how will Dublin react since the end of their historic All Ireland winning run and Michael Verney says write Dublin off at your peril. ‘A defeat can almost send people running away with themselves, they were going for 7-in-a-row last year and now all of a sudden a lot of people are potentially writing them off, so I think the reaction is going to be fascinating this year.' Dublin face Armagh in Croke Park in their opening game. And what of Kerry under Jack O'Connor again? They'll be going for every game and every title, with a point to prove to themselves most of all and start their campaign away to Kildare. Elsewhere in Division 1 sees reigning All-Ireland Champions, Tyrone, against Monaghan in Omagh and Mayo v Donegal. The real tussles promise to be in the lower leagues with Division 2 promising to be the tightest while Martin Breheny raises question marks over Cork's diminishing status as a football county. Finally, the panel discussed Divisions 3 and 4 where there are places in the Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cup also on the line. It might be early in the year but every county is playing with one eye firmly on the summer. The Throw-In will have new episodes every Monday bringing you the best insights and analysis from all the weekend GAA action. Listen and follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts from. The Throw-In is in association with Allianz.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by former Connacht back row Eoin McKeon to discuss all the weekend's Champions Cup action. All four Irish provinces are into the knockout stage after an exciting final round, and the lads kick off with what Connacht need to do to kick on after another dramatic defeat. The chat then turns to how Leinster are faring after getting their season back on track with two big European wins. Ulster's European form, Dan McFarland's coaching style and Munster's improvement are all up for discussion too. For more Left Wing episodes and rugby stories visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On the latest episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to go over all the latest rugby news. The lads kick off by discussing the Ireland Six Nations squad announcement, as Andy Farrell makes some interesting decisions. The chat then moves on to the Champions Cup action, starting with Leinster's record-setting win over Montpellier - is there really anything they can learn from that? Connacht's collapse against Leicester, Ulster's exciting backline and Munster's European form are all up for discussion too. For more Left Wing episodes and rugby stories visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Gavin Mairs of The Daily Telegraph to discuss the landscape of English rugby after a tumultuous Covid year. First, Will and Luke discuss Munster vs Ulster and Johann van Graan's short-term future. Then Gavin joins the lads and they chat about whether the English sides still value Europe and if the Premiership is as good as all the hype suggests. The prospect of a Lions League, the emergence of Harlequins and Eddie Jones' England are all up for discussion too. For more Left Wing episodes and rugby stories visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On the latest episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Rúaidhrí O'Connor to go over all the latest rugby news. After a Christmas period light on on-field action, there's only Connacht vs Munster to discuss - and none of the lads were impressed with the standard on show. While Andy Friend's side continue to build, Luke and Rud both have major questions about Munster's prospects of success after another game where their attack struggled. The lads then discuss the fixture chaos in club rugby, in particular with Leinster, who have only played three games in ten weeks, as well as the decision to give Conor Murray a new two-year central contract. Finally, the lads discuss the to-do list for new IRFU CEO Kevin Potts, who is replacing Philip Browne. For more Left Wing episodes and rugby stories visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On the last Left Wing of the year, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Rúaidhrí O'Connor to discuss all the latest rugby news. For the second year in a row, Munster's St Stephen's Day clash at home to Leinster has been shelved due to Covid - Rud gives a state of play in what is a messy situation for Leo Cullen's side. The lads then turn their attention to Munster's win over Castres, while Rud also puts forward Declan Kidney as a possible replacement for Johann van Graan. The chat then turns to the news that Ultan Dillane is leaving Connacht at the end of the season to move to France and Will thinks that more fringe Ireland players would benefit from a move abroad, while Luke isn't so sure. For more Left Wing episodes and rugby stories visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to pick through all the latest news. The lads start off with a discussion about Munster's future after the announcement that head coach Johann van Graan will leave at the end of the season - is it time for Ronan O'Gara to finally come home? On the pitch, Munster enjoyed a bumper win at Wasps last Sunday, with the young guns making a big step up and Luke thinks it is time for the younger players to be trusted more. The chat then turns to Connacht's big win, as well as the form of Jack Carty and where he sits in the Ireland pecking order. Leinster's Covid situation, Ulster's upset win in Clermont and the state of women's rugby are all up for discussion too. For more Left Wing episodes and rugby stories visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined for a bumper Champions Cup preview by Cian Tracey. Will starts things off by asking Cian and Luke who the best team in Europe is right now - the consensus seems to be that it is between Toulouse and Leinster. For Leo Cullen's side, it is coming up to four years since they last won the Champions Cup - how much pressure is on Leinster to deliver? Cian thinks they have a power deficit to make up with the top teams while Luke thinks their mindset has to be right to win it again. Meanwhile, Munster are looking to produce another European miracle against Wasps this weekend while there is also uncertainty around their coach Johann van Graan, while there are also question marks around Ulster and Connacht ahead of the tournament kick-off. The lads round things off by discussing the teams outside of Ireland that they are looking forward to seeing, and then give their predictions for the eventual winners. For more Left Wing episodes and rugby stories visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Ulster out-half Ian Madigan to look back at the autumn internationals. Ireland finished November with three impressive wins from three games, and Ian was very pleased to see how the team's style of play has developed. After discussing Ireland's win over Argentina, the lads move on to the big question after the autumn tests - who is the best team in the world? Luke and Ian are in agreement that despite suffering a defeat to England, South Africa are the team to beat. Will and Luke then talk to Ian about his frustrating season to date, after initially suffering an injury, he is now looking to break back into the Ulster squad. For more Left Wing episodes and rugby stories visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On the latest episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey and Ruaidhrí O'Connor to look back at Ireland's impressive win over the All Blacks. Will kicks off by asking Rud what his big take-away from the game is – and he was left very impressed by how dominant Andy Farrell's team were. Cian thinks the bravery with the ball-in-hand shown by Ireland was noteworthy while Luke was surprised by how poor New Zealand's handling was under pressure. Ireland's front row power, Jamison Gibson-Park's speedy service and the balance of the back three is all up for the discussion too. Rud and Cian also weigh in on what has been another controversial period for the women's game in Ireland after Director of Women's Rugby Anthony Eddy came under fire for an interview he gave last week. For more Left Wing episodes and rugby stories visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey and New Zealand rugby journalist Liam Napier to look ahead to Ireland vs the All Blacks. To start off, Will, Luke and Cian look back at the big win over Japan - how much can be read into Ireland's impressive victory? Ireland offloaded far more than in previous matches, but Luke has an interesting view on whether this represents a new departure for the team. Liam then joins the lads to give the view from New Zealand. He says there are a number of question marks over the All Blacks, with the biggest one being the battle between Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo'unga at out-half. The lads then give their predictions - with Luke expecting New Zealand to leave the Aviva Stadium with a 15-point win. For more Left Wing episodes and rugby stories visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Ruaidhrí O'Connor to look ahead to the autumn tests. We are at the midway point between World Cups, so how has Andy Farrell fared to date? Luke and Ruaidhri give their assessment of the positives and negatives of Farrell's tenure ahead of a crucial November period. Talk then turns to Ireland's schedule this month, starting with Japan, before the visit of the All Blacks and then Argentina. What would constitute a successful window for Ireland? Luke thinks a win in all three games is achievable. The lads then discuss all the questions surrounding Eddie Jones and England heading into November, following an article about Jones' abrasive style of management. For more Left Wing episodes and rugby stories visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to discuss all the latest rugby news. The lads kick off by discussing Johnny Sexton's comments about Ireland's fresh approach to the World Cup, with the team now actively speaking about the tournament two years in advance. Is it a good idea or is there a danger that the pressure to finally deliver a World Cup semi-final place will build even more? The chat then moves onto Connacht's big win over Ulster, with Jack Carty once again outplaying an out-half rival - but there's still no place for him in the Ireland squad. Munster's disappointing defeat to the Ospreys, the hooker battle at Leinster and Greg McWilliams' appointment as the head coach of the Ireland women's team are all up for discussion too. For more Left Wing episodes and rugby stories visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Ruaidhrí O'Connor to pick through Andy Farrell's Ireland squad for the autumn series. Dan Sheehan and Ciaran Frawley are the two uncapped players named while there is a return for Simon Zebo after 4.5 years in international exile. Although Farrell has named a strong squad, will Ireland be undercooked with no big European games to prime the players for November? The lads also discuss the out-half selection - a position that they agree is a 'problem area' for the team'. Ireland's exciting front row, the back three battle and the standard of officiating in the URC are all up for discussion too. For more Left Wing episodes and rugby stories visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Jonathan Bradley of The Belfast Telegraph to discuss all the latest rugby news. The lads kick off by asking Jonathan about the state of Ulster rugby as the province moves into their fourth year under head coach Dan McFarland. The signing of Duane Vermeulen, John Cooney's uncertain future and the emergence of Nathan Doak are all up for discussion. The chat then moves onto Munster and the rotten injury luck suffered by the team and their Springbok signing RG Snyman, who has suffered an ACL injury for the second straight season. However, there are some positives with the performance of the province's young guns. The lads finish up by taking a look at the out-half landscape in Ireland and debating whether a Club World Cup is worth pursuing at the expense of the Champions Cup. For more Left Wing episodes and rugby stories visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

On the latest episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to discuss all the latest rugby news. The lads kick off with a look at how the South African sides have fared over the opening two weekends of the URC. With seven defeats from eight, it has been a tough opening for the four new franchises and the lads discuss the challenges facing the quartet as they look to make their mark. It was a good weekend for the provinces with four wins from four, but while Connacht and Munster will be particularly happy with two big wins over South African opposition, Leinster won't be pleased with their laboured win over Dragons. Finally, the lads look back at the titanic clash between the All Blacks and the Springboks, and assess which country is the best in the world at the moment. For more Left Wing episodes and rugby stories visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

The Left Wing is back for another season and Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined for the first episode by Ruaidhrí O'Connor and former Ireland international Alison Miller. The panel kick things off with a post-mortem of Ireland's failure to qualify for the Women's World Cup after a disastrous defeat to Scotland last weekend. Alison says that change is needed at the top of the sport to ensure women's rugby in Ireland can get back on its feet. The discussion then turns to the United Rugby Championship, which kicked off over the weekend. Will the arrival of four new South African teams provide a much-needed boost for the league? Munster are the team that are most interesting heading into the new campaign, with question marks over the future of their coaching staff as well as the return of Simon Zebo to Thomond Park. For more Left Wing episodes and rugby stories visit the show page at: https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/

In this episode, Erika covers the murders of Larry Peyton and Beverly.  Larry and his beautiful girlfriend Beverly were murdered in Portland, Oregon on November 26th, 1960.  The couple was parked at a remote Lovers Lane when Larry was brutally murdered, and a gun shot was heard. Beverly's body would be found a little over a month later in a ravine on the Sunset highway.  Who killed them? There allegedly was a witness that was given a “truth serum” it could have been 2 brothers and their friend on a way to a party or was it a guy that would end up on the FBI's Most Wanted list by 1961.  You be the judge.Erika pulled her sources from:www.oregonlive.com / Phil Stanford explores notorious 1960 Portland murder case in ‘The Peyton-Allan Files' / Jeff Baker / November 10, 2010www.pamplinmedia.com / After 50 years, murders still a mystery / Jim Redden / October 27, 2010 / Portland Tribunewww.en.wikipedia.orgThen Amber covers the amazing survival story of Will Slattery. Will Slattery and his 2 friends, Manny Sanchez and Jimmy Simplicio are seasoned skydivers and are on a dream vacation, skydiving in Costa Rica. On there last jump of the day, the wait out a storm making sure that it was safe to fly before heading out. But after they are in the air, the weather turns and the trio make the difficult decision to do a blind jump out of the Cessna 206. Amber pulled her sources from:I Shouldn't Be Alive “Fear in Freefall” Season 3, Episode 6The San Diego Union Tribune :Plane Crash Survivor Recalls Tragedy” Jo Moreland 8-27-2016www.nbcnews.com 

While the Mayo heartbreak continues, let's also celebrate Tyrone for what they have achieved and on the final Throw-In podcast of the season, Dick Clerkin and Cora Staunton join Will Slattery and Michael Verney to give credit where credit is due to the 2021 All Ireland champions. “It's everything that you'd want in your team that you'd be involved in or if you were a coach at any level,” says Dick Clerkin. “The confidence, the skill level, that passion, the tackling, the discipline….I've just total respect and admiration for what they done and how they done it.” But for Cora Staunton, there are plenty of questions to be asked about Mayo's approach to the game. “I'm still wondering what their actual forward game plan or system of play was,” she says. “Because at times it didn't seem like they had one or knew what they were doing. At times we had Aidan O'Shea inside in the square and we couldn't get long ball into. At times we had Kevin McLoughlin in there, our most creative forward, sitting very deep, and we had Tommy Conroy at times too far away from goal so for me it was our decision-making, our lack of composure, especially in that forward third.” Looking ahead to 2022, can Mayo go again? Wow strong will the Dubs be? Who will be in charge of Kerry? And of course Tyrone will be back more confident than ever – it promises to be another fascinating campaign. Finally on this week's show, Wexford's Ursula Jacob also joined Will and Michael to look back on the camogie final where Galway beat Cork in a classic game that was a brilliant advertisement for the sport and show-cased just how good the standard has become, auguring a bright future ahead. For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/ The Throw-In's All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.

2021 is becoming known as the year of the underdog but there's one remaining question to be answered and that's whether Mayo can banish the ghosts of footballing pasts by capturing Sam Maguire for the first time in seventy years at the weekend. On this Throw-In football final preview special, Will Slattery and Michael Verney are joined by Cora Staunton and Peter Canavan as they look ahead to the big game. “It's a little bit surreal down here,” Cora tells the show. “While there's plenty of flags and bunting, cars painted and stuff like that, it's not as hyped or as built up as in other years. I think Mayo fans have learned in the past that the more hype you have it's probably not the best. We're optimistic and there's a confidence down here but things are certainly calmer which is good.” While in Tyrone, Peter Canavan says people are upbeat, never expecting to have got so far this year. “The mood's very good, people are in great form up here, there is a great buzz about the place in the towns and villages. There's nothing but red and white so supporters have really bought into it and bought into this team. They've given us a great run so far and we're in a position very few expected us to be in.” Injury concerns notwithstanding, Cora says it will be tight for Mayo but expects them to pull through by a point or two in the end, while Peter thinks it will be even tighter and will finish in a draw with nothing to separate the teams. ‘It's too hard to call,' he says. Listen and follow the Throw-In on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, with new episodes every Monday throughout the Championship. For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/ The Throw-In's All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.

After the Dubs dominance of the last six years, the 2021 All-Ireland football final has a unique pairing with Tyrone and Mayo set to meet up following Tyrone's surprising win over Kerry at the weekend and on this week's Throw-In, Cora Staunton and Dick Clerkin join Will Slattery and Michael Verney to discuss where and how such an upset was caused. Plus, looking ahead to Mayo's chances against Tyrone, Cora Staunton says her own county would have preferred not to be facing Kerry. “From a psychological point of view for Mayo it's probably better that it's Tyrone rather than Kerry because obviously we've had All-Ireland final baggage with Kerry in the years past. I think it's going to be a huge tactical battle, Horan is very shrewd in the way he operates and Dooher and Logan are exactly the same. The way they set Tyrone up, their organisation was immense and it's going to be a very difficult final for Mayo.” The camogie final pairing has also been decided with Cork facing Galway in a repeat of the 2015 final and Ursula Jacob joins the panel to discuss the semi-final wins for Cork over Kilkenny and Galway over Tipp and she gives her prediction for the final. Listen and follow the Throw-In on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, with new episodes every Monday throughout the Championship. For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/ The Throw-In's All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.

It's been described as the greatest hurling final display since Kilkenny's demolition of Waterford in 2008 and after Limerick's record score and victory over Cork this year, just how can they be beaten? Brendan Cummins and John Mullane join Will Slattery and Michael Verney on this week's Throw-In to look back on Limerick's incredible performance as well as reviewing where Cork got it so wrong and what other counties can do to stop the ‘green machine' from dominating in the years to come. “It was probably the best half of hurling I've ever seen,” says Mullane. “It was just relentless. They just pushed this button, they went into gear and they just blitzed Cork and it was just a joy to sit back and watch it. The great teams don't let up and they didn't let up in the second half.” Listen and follow the Throw-In on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, with new episodes every Monday throughout the Championship. For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/ The Throw-In's All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.

The countdown to the 2021 All-Ireland Hurling Final is on and the Throw-In looks ahead to the clash of Limerick and Cork with an exclusive interview with Galway legend, Joe Canning, who tells Will Slattery and Michael Verney why all the pressure is on John Kiely's men. Canning also talks about life post-retirement, his future coaching plans, and the good and bad days of his hurling career. Also on the show, former Limerick All-Star, Andrew O'Shaughnessy, and former Cork manager, John Meyler, run through where they see the game being won and lost. Unsurprisingly, both are tipping their respective counties to win by three points but Meyler says Cork will be in no fear of the reigning champions. “Cork have just quietly gone about their business and they've a new style, a new freshness and certainly won't fear Limerick and Croke Park will suit this kind of running, mobile athletic Cork team.” Listen and follow the Throw-In on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, with new episodes every Monday throughout the Championship. For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/ The Throw-In's All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.

After nearly a decade, Mayo have finally shaken off Dublin and taken their fans on another incredible journey to Croke Park. On this week's Throw-In, Ciarán Whelan and David Brady join Will Slattery and Michael Verney as they look back on an epic clash between the two counties. For Brady, it was the gritty, never-say-die manner of the victory over such a decorated Dublin team that said more about the win. “As a Mayo man, as a Mayo person, as a Mayo supporter, we have always said it, we're on this journey with the team and the team represents the people. Time and time again we've come up short and we have failed and it's been very disappointing against Dublin because their class just eluded us by the smallest of margins in games but it was great to get that one victory to beat such a dominant Dublin team.” For Dublin meanwhile, it's not quite back to the drawing board but they will certainly be a team in transition for the coming years says Whelan. The Dublin ladies continue to march on however and they will face Meath who are into their first All Ireland ladies football final after an incredible come back from six points down against Cork. Bríd Stack joins the show to go through where it went wrong for the Rebels and the chance Meath has of causing another upset. Plus, there was also time for Michael Verney to celebrate Offaly's U20 All Ireland football success on a weekend when the traditional big guns were ousted. Listen and follow the Throw-In on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, with new episodes every Monday throughout the Championship. For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/ The Throw-In's All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.

It's Cork v Limerick in the 2021 All Ireland hurling final and what a mouth-watering game it promises to be. Ultimately Cork got over the line despite Kilkenny's last gasp heroics, whilst Limerick were too good for Waterford, and on this week's Throw-In, John Mullane and Frank Roche joined Will Slattery and Michael Verney to look back on the semi-finals and preview how they see the final going. Mullane has been singing Cork's praises for the last number of weeks and he says their tradition and self-belief will count for much in their approach to the final. “The Rebels are the rebels,” says Mullane. “And the Rebel Roar was back yesterday. Cork hurling is in a very good place. Their dander is up, they're hurling very, very well. They can be extremely dangerous opponents for anyone and here we are now, we're going to be in for a thrilling final with both Cork and Limerick.” The panel also discussed Kilkenny's fight and determination and what the future holds for Brian Cody, while Mullane also says that the Waterford county board must stick with Liam Cahill for them to fulfil their potential. In the football, Frank Roche looks ahead to next weekend's semi-finals with question marks over Dublin's form the biggest what-if, alongside that of whether and when Tyrone and Kerry will get the go-ahead due to Covid concerns. Listen and follow the Throw-In on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, with new episodes every Monday throughout the Championship. For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/ The Throw-In's All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.