First Blue Stars, now Maroon....

[Lone Shark]

I see that over in Galway they’re copying the Dubs vs Blue Stars idea and having a game between the county panel and a panel of club lads that have been voted as being the best in the county that year by the press. I understand it’s a lot easier do this in big counties where there are a lot of lads playing ball, but is there possibly merit to it? If the underdogs have highlighted nothing else, it’s that there is a tendency to decide that if you’re not good enough to graduate to the seniors by the end of Under 21 then you’re history – though thankfully Damien Hunt seems to have put paid to this idea.

Seeing as a decent chunk of our current team came from the juniors who won Leinster a few years ago, and seemingly that junior team is not being afforded the respect it deserves, what would you pick? The top 24 in the county is not available for selection, which for argument’s sake we’ll make into the 15 playing on Sunday plus McNamara, Keane, Rafferty, Barry Malone, Chop Grennan, Jim Grennan, Hunt, Shaper, David Egan. So, (and once again bearing in mind this is on the strength of last years club championship rather than any kind of Offaly 2nd XV) ……

1 Declan Hennessy
2 Niall Slattery
3 Fintan (Inky) Ryan
4 Sean Casey
5 Brian Darby
6 Enda Egan
7 Terence O’Brien
8 James Carroll
9 Paul Rosney
10 Paudie Mulhare
11 Joe Quinn
12 Ciarán Kiely
13 John O’Neill
14 Shane Dooley
15 Trevor Phelan

I didn’t get to see enough to really make a good judgement on the hurling, so I’ll leave that to others.

[Ted]

I can't believe you have no Edenerry guys on that list.

Adrian Murphy for full back and Martin Keogh somewhere in the half forward line.

[MF35]

I think Donie Ryan should be in there too. I saw him put on a 1 man show against Ballycumber in last years championship. Kicked 5 or 6 points if memory serves me right.

How does Paudie deserve the no. 10 jersey?

Whats the craic on the junior scene this year? Heard at the weekend that the first round is on Wed. June 1st with club championship on at the weekend. Surely players cant be expected to play 2 games in the space of a few days!!

[Lone Shark]

I did say based on last years championship rather than a B team. It would be very hard justify any Edenderry lads on the strength of last year. Shocking was the only word for it. Adrian Murphy would be one who did ok, but he'd never get full back over Inky - who I think has been one of the best club players in the county for a few years now.

Paudie was outstanding for Rynagh's this year - granted I only saw two of their games myself, but he was running the show, and by all accounts was like that the whole way through the year.

Donie wouldn't have been far off - the display against Ballycumber was top notch - but half forward was very competitive, and the other three boys were solid the whole way through the year. Joe Quinn was shunted around the field a bit, he was the only one that might have been moved, but these are the judgement calls that a one man bar stool selector has to make ...

[Ted]

If you are going on last years championship, what about Cillian Farrells 11 points against Gracefield. Surely he merits inclusion?

[Lone Shark]

Again you seem to be mistaking one off games with a solid championship. Ciran Kiely was outstanding from start to finish, scoring well and supplying O'Neill. Quinn moved an acre of ball, plugged holes all over the park and ran lads into the ground. Paudie may have been playing intermediate, but he was the fulcrum of a good intermediate team that had a reasonable year, and would fit very well into a side which would want scrapping, ball playing and the ability to take a point in that position.

Tis only my team though! Feel free to create alternatives. The heart and soul of pub debate......