Offaly Senior Football Trials

[Fargo Boyle]

I wonder will Spollen make a return.

[bracknaghboy]

These trials are a good idea, at least lads can't say they didn't get a chance now. Its a positive approach so credit where its due to McDonnell. I think this message board should send a representative to report back on the trials. I nominate High School Musical for this job! What do you reckon HSM, will you make it to Rhode for saturday??

[Truth as i see it]

These trials are a good idea, at least lads can't say they didn't get a chance now. Its a positive approach so credit where its due to McDonnell. I think this message board should send a representative to report back on the trials. I nominate High School Musical for this job! What do you reckon HSM, will you make it to Rhode for saturday??

You've changed your tune

Taken from McDonnell in for Offaly job thread
Is this McDonnell 'appointment' a late April fools joke or some sort of strange smoke screen while a proper manager is sorted out? Seriously.
He was in the paper saying that some of the training his school team did was "probably on a par with senior county level". Is he taking the piss or is out of his mind. Look at the training that Kildare have done for 5 years and they are still way off the pace and we now now have a chap who thinks that the bit of training he did with the young lads in the school will "probably" do for county level. He has brought his brother on board as well as a 'coach'. He also takes over the u21's and Pascal has been well and truly shafted. When is this 'appointment' being ratified? Is there any hope the clubs would step in and stop what appears to me and anyone I've spoken with to be madness.
If this goes ahead then I think we are in for a calamitous year.....I'd expect some players won't line out, a potential strike and a defeat to London in the league.

bracknaghboy

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Mixed up me dates after all the banter with Fargo!

See you all in Rhode, fancy me chances of rolling back the years!!

Was always good at kicking the ball back from behind the goals....

[High School Musical]

While I appreciate the nomination, I will be unable to attend on Saturday. I have a tennis doubles match on Saturday morning with my usual doubles partner, Trevor Steven. We’re on court at 9:30a.m. against Mike Frank Russell and Jim Bartley. It promises to be a real nail-biter, Jim does not like losing one bit.

I, however, do look forward to reading the feedback from the trials from any interested observers that plan on posting their opinions on uibhfhaili.com afterwards.

[boomcha]

legendary^^^^

[High School Musical]

So lads,
how did the trials go in the end?
Any exciting new talent stumbled upon?......

[DAF]

So lads,
how did the trials go in the end?
Any exciting new talent stumbled upon?......

How did your tennis match go?

[High School Musical]

So lads,
how did the trials go in the end?
Any exciting new talent stumbled upon?......

How did your tennis match go?

We won, comfortably enough actually, 6-3 6-2.

The result was never really in doubt, what with Trevors dominant baseline game and my strong serve & volley game, we’re the perfect foil for each other really. Mike Frank & Jim’s ‘both-up’ strategy never clicked at all. Poor old Jims bad back really left him susceptible to the occasional lob, and to be honest, we exploited that vulnerability and went straight for the kill.

Stiffer challenges lie ahead though and on a personal note, I’ll really need to lay off the post-match Pimms a little. My match-fitness is dropping quicker than Louis does to his knees in Rylan’s dressing room.

Did any of you at all attend the trials as an observer?

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Ah went in myself, but hamstring went after 20 minutes, wouldnt mind but i was after kicking 4 points. The lads said they would be in touch.
HSM, where is the next match?

[Lone Shark]

I feel I'm going to spoil this thread by making a serious observation, but anyway....

I went down to Ferbane on the Sunday morning - to be honest it wasn't anything you could get excited about. I think there were 20 players in attendance? They played a game but it was fairly shapeless, and really it was just about who was fit. Oddly enough half the participants seemed to be from the other side of the county, who presumably couldn't make it to Rhode the previous day for a variety of reasons. Ruairí Allen, Mark Young, Philip Foy and Paddy Rigney all travelled, they all looked decent enough. Allen was possibly the pick of them.

Keith Mullally of Gracefield looked very sharp, very hungry for action and he was probably the biggest surprise package, while Mark Langtry of Doon made a couple of good stops in goals. In one on one situations he's very good and if he's not playing soccer, he could be an interesting contender. Paul (Ballyduff) Heavin of Doon was in as well and looked reasonable as a defender, while you had guys like Aaron McDonagh, Kieran Flannery, Jeffrey Cuskelly, Shane Nally, Dean Bracken and a few others from around our end. No-one from Ballycumber, Tullamore, Shamrocks that I can recall. I think I saw Stephen Weir from Durrow too? Open to correction on that one though. They all had their moments, but again, the game wasn't of the best tempo.

Donie Ryan and Michael Verney came over from Birr as well, which was interesting. I'm a big fan of Donie Ryan as a young lad who has worked hard and who has a great football brain for defending, but I'd be even more delighted if Mick Verney got involved. He's a classy footballer who would be intercounty fit or near enough as it stands, while he'd have a lot more scope for improvement than a guy who's been exposed to high level football already. He stands out at intermediate level now despite spending little or no time on his football - give him a winter of work with the ball and I'd say he could be a real dark horse, possibly even a potential championship starter.

To be honest, I'd say the whole exercise was mainly about establishing who was interested and who wasn't - so in that regard, it probably served its purpose.

[Daleamar]

I feel I'm going to spoil this thread by making a serious observation, but anyway....

I went down to Ferbane on the Sunday morning - to be honest it wasn't anything you could get excited about. I think there were 20 players in attendance? They played a game but it was fairly shapeless, and really it was just about who was fit. Oddly enough half the participants seemed to be from the other side of the county, who presumably couldn't make it to Rhode the previous day for a variety of reasons. Ruairí Allen, Mark Young, Philip Foy and Paddy Rigney all travelled, they all looked decent enough. Allen was possibly the pick of them.

Keith Mullally of Gracefield looked very sharp, very hungry for action and he was probably the biggest surprise package, while Mark Langtry of Doon made a couple of good stops in goals. In one on one situations he's very good and if he's not playing soccer, he could be an interesting contender. Paul (Ballyduff) Heavin of Doon was in as well and looked reasonable as a defender, while you had guys like Aaron McDonagh, Kieran Flannery, Jeffrey Cuskelly, Shane Nally, Dean Bracken and a few others from around our end. No-one from Ballycumber, Tullamore, Shamrocks that I can recall. I think I saw Stephen Weir from Durrow too? Open to correction on that one though. They all had their moments, but again, the game wasn't of the best tempo.

Donie Ryan and Michael Verney came over from Birr as well, which was interesting. I'm a big fan of Donie Ryan as a young lad who has worked hard and who has a great football brain for defending, but I'd be even more delighted if Mick Verney got involved. He's a classy footballer who would be intercounty fit or near enough as it stands, while he'd have a lot more scope for improvement than a guy who's been exposed to high level football already. He stands out at intermediate level now despite spending little or no time on his football - give him a winter of work with the ball and I'd say he could be a real dark horse, possibly even a potential championship starter.

To be honest, I'd say the whole exercise was mainly about establishing who was interested and who wasn't - so in that regard, it probably served its purpose.

Nice report. Good to hear about a few new faces.

[Harps Man]

I was'nt at either of the trials,but i heard that there was 26 at the one in Rhode and 22 in Ferbane,heard that there was a serious 'warm up' before the game in Rhode,I persume to check out the fittness levels of the lads that turned up.
There is another trial on next sunday morn in Durrow @11 o clock (i think thats the time) for lads that are called back after the first 2 days,I know of 2 Clonmore lads that got called back.

[boomcha]

There is another trial on next sunday morn in Durrow @11 o clock (i think thats the time) for lads that are called back after the first 2 days,I know of 2 Clonmore lads that got called back.

is that the sunday morning before the county finals or the folowing sunday? Im guessing the two clonmore lads are jimmy and phillip foy??, both good players and i heard paul mcconway and maloney from tullamore, and bernard allen and the two mulhalls were a few better known names in rhode.

[Harps Man]

Yeah it's tomor,mornin of the co final,Philip Foy is 1 of the lads,the other is John Dunne,Clonmore's goalie.