Name

Rory Porteous.

Age

29.

Teams played for

Fermanagh, Lisbellaw & big ball for Maguiresbridge.

What team have you enjoyed the most success against?

Leitrim probably. They kept us from a Lory Meagher final two years ago by score difference. I saved the video of their captain lifting the cup and watched it any time I didn’t want to go out and run or do a home workout during all the lockdowns the last 18 months. We beat them in the league the last two years and we’ve come up against them in multiple challenge games since too.

Which team have you enjoyed least success against?

Cavan have had our number the past few seasons. We couldn’t get a win for love nor money for three seasons. They beat us in our Championship opener this year too. That made getting the monkey off the back by beating them in the final all the sweeter. Might make them a strange answer for this question though.

Which player have you enjoyed marking?

I always relish the job of going toe to toe with the opposition’s “main man” as hard as that can be at times. Someone like Damian Casey springs to mind for Tyrone and Dungannon. Presents all kinds of problems to try and deal with.

Which player have you disliked marking?

I used to dislike when my man headed out round the middle of the field as soon as the ball was thrown in but all those lockdown runs have done me some good. Happy to come up against anyone to be honest. Embrace the challenge.

Which team or opponents has been the most physical?

We never get a gentle welcome when we head to Armagh for club games so I could name all those clubs. Individually though, Colm Moreton from Leitrim always wants a physical battle and if you give it to him he can make you look silly.

Which team or player that you have played against were the most skilful?

We played Warwickshire a few years back when they had Liam Watson playing for them and some of the stuff he was doing was comically good that day. He won a ball round midfield and went to take a point from distance and I got a hook in. When the ball dropped he flicked it up and off he went right through our defence and hit the net from the 21. Waste of a good hook.

Which team or player that you have played against was the funniest on field?

Any team that ever took on any of the Teagues in some sledging. Those three are black belts when it comes to verbals.

What’s the most frustrating defeat you have experienced?

No doubt it was the 2019 game against Leitrim I mentioned already. We were in a strange position that day. A four point loss of all things would’ve been enough to get us to Croke Park. We lost our cool and gift wrapped them a place in the final. I won’t ever forget the feelings after the game in the dressing room that day.

What’s the most satisfying win you have experienced?

This year in Croke Park winning the Lory Meagher. I was working in England in 2015 and watching from the sidelines when the lads lifted the cup. I’d been an unused sub in the losses in the years before that and then the pain of missing out in 2019 and the final in 2020 so it had been a long time coming personally.