Offaly vs Limerick

[Square Cab]

It was my first time seeing the hurlers this year and its hard to know what to make of the game. Happy to sneak a draw but we could have won it (we could also easily have lost it!) For me, the half back line struggled and the quality of the ball going into the full forward line was terrible. Big high balls pumped into the likes of Brian Carroll who hadn't a hope of winning any of them. What's wrong with pucking a ball low and hard into space allowing the forward to run onto at pace and hopefully pop it over the bar?? The ref also made some home town decisions which def helped our cause. But to be fair, the lads battled hard and never threw in the towel. They're honest and hard working and that's a good starting point for any team.

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Whats happened to POTH? Jumps in here now and again with stinging barbs to anyone challenging the status quo, but none of the great previews or reviews that we have come to expect.
Have you given up on the stickmen?

[Plain of the Herbs]

Not that I owe you an explanation (or my opinions), but it's mid-March, it's only the league and I wasn't doing handstands after the Laois performance anyway.

I hadn't seen the hurlers since, until Sunday, and I don't post here just for the sake of posting here.

The Geraghtys seem to have added a new dimension, in terms of pace, grit and quality, to the team. Particularly Peter, who did quite well.

Twice now that Kevin Connolly has hurled as an auxiliary centre half-back alongside Ger Healion. I wonder is this necessary given Healion's pace issues (and he is also playing with a 'patch' on his hamstring). Now, GH might be lining out in the position owing to injuries and lack of numbers and if that's the case then we have to live with it for the time being. If that's the case, are they better off with Kevin Brady at 6 for the moment?

Still it's good to see Offaly looked to hurl some ball and put some thought into their play. I noticed an interesting drill pre-match too which involved running on for a pass.

Limerick were awful.

Then again Offaly's skill level will always be ahead of Limerick's. I said skill. Sharpness is a different thing. Sharpness will come with the longer evenings.

Manager was very proactive throughout, constantly encouraging, cajoling, giving out, when necessary. There was an interesting exchange between him and Parlon early on which involved how best to hurl at right half-back.

I'd prefer Dooley to be on the frees, if he's going to be on the field.

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

So sorry POTH, I must not post for the sake of it, must learn to control myself!

No, you dont owe me an explanation.
But either way, I enjoy your analysis and previews.

[Toxicity234]

Dempsey. Excellent. Puckout were good and nothing he could do about the two goals.

Wynne. Excellent. Made the Hogan stand team of the Week. Slowly becoming the soild corner back Offaly need. Will make the Team of week a hell of a lot over the next 12-13 years.
Hanniffy. Soild until he got injured.
Rigney. A fine display. Will be disappointed for the 1st limerick goal but otherwise excellent.

As a unit. Good still things to work on but not bad at all.

Parlon. Better than last week. Still not very good at wing back. Came into to the game as Limerick back off trying to hold on to the lead.
Healion. Poor touch gave away a few scores. Spend most of his time around midfield with Connelly behind him. I think he being use incorrectly by the management. Look more at home at Full back for the last 10 mins.
(i'm just reading POTH comment that he playing with a patch up hamstring, If he has a underline injury he shouldn't be on the field. if you have to go back and ask someone to join the panel do it. We need lads full fit in May and the danger of play patch up player in a league game. you could lose him for the whole year.)
Egan. Excellent 1st day out against the Munster champions. Did the basic well. Didn't try to do too much and keep it simple. Waste one free in the 1st half but overall. Very good.

As a unit. Poor. Connelly covering back in the space between the full back and centre back line cover some cracks. Loads of room for improvement.

Gerathy and Gerathy. 1st time i seen these two play midfield and they did good.
Two young lads that work and work and work. An example to the rest of the county. Made mistake but never hide.
Got up and fought harder after.
They very young and inexperience but they have no fear. The second limerick goal could be blamed on them but i think someone should have seen the corner forward ghost in behind the defence Gerathy had to attack that ball. so i won't blame them for that one.

As a unit. Not bad. Two fine young hurlers. Workrate is unbelievable. These lads are only going to get better the more games they get.

Bergin. Moved out of centre forward and he is a different player. unlucky with the penalty. our best half forward and excellent again.
Mahon. He was under pressure all day but work hard and won a few frees in the 1st half to keep us in the game.
Dooley. Did Ok. Scored two great points at the start of the 2nd half. I worry that play Shane too much when he still recovering from injury.

As a Unit. Hurling wise not the greatest preformace ever. But made up for it with pure hard work

Carroll. Getting bad ball in from the back. being marked by the best defender Limerick have all combined to a disappointing preformace from Carroll.
Curmins. was poor for most of the match and i have admit that i though he could have come off but his goal was awesome. he could have had another one as well but could get the ball up.
Connelly. Excellent Sweeper Sunday. in fairness Limerick made his job easy but he did it well. could work on his distribution. Need to be aiming to get the ball into the corner forward chest and not over his head.

As a unit. They weren't a unit.


Have to mention Sean Cleary who was excellent when he came on.
Great to see Morkan back.

Not scoring for Play for 35 mins is a huge worry.
I think the sweeper work ok sunday for the first half mainly because Connelly did well and Limerick did badly. But the downside is that when we play a sweeper we have no attacking treat.
if were are going to play a sweeper. then we need to forget about playing a full forward and push two lad into the corner forward positions and when the defender get the ball it goes into these guy chest.
When they have the ball one half forward has to break into the full forward position. This is very tough to teach.

When we went 15 vs 15. we look like a good team.

[KillougheyGoBragh]

Great post Toxicity. Fantastic in-depth analysis. 10/10. Thanks

[Toxicity234]

Thought i bump up this thread with Donal O'Grady walking and the Limerick County Board look for an apology for the performance against Offaly.
Disappointing to see what other county think. That Offaly hurling as being so weak that a draw for them away from home is a shocking result.
Now don't get me wrong i think the County Board are well out of order here and O'Grady was right to walk.

But what do you think? Are the county board correct and should the Offaly county board look for an apology for the Laois, Wexford, Cork and Antrim away performances from our management team?

[kaiserchief]

I am with you on this toxicity.. And more of an apology for the game against Kerry. 7 points down at one stage in the first half is disgraceful.

[Killeighman]

Ah shur dont worry about it we ended up on the right side of the result in the end

[townman]

are Limerick looking for one from Tom Ryan for 1994 as well .

[Buck Face]

Oh yes, we need to follow Limerick’s great example here.

We need to get someone from our top table to apologise for our dreadful and shameful ‘home’ league result against a very poorly prepared Limerick team.

Shur even Limerick admitted they were abysmal…..or at least they kind of did……or at least they said someone said they were….we think……or was it just a voicemail…..maybe not.

And then the County Board should insist that Brian Whelehan sign a statement taking full responsibility for him getting the flu in ’98….and costing us the match….okay….almost costing us the match…..well agree on the first half of the match at least…..he’ll surely sign up to that?...then we’ll be sorted!

Seriously, who do Limerick think they are? Sorry, no, who do the Chairman and Secretary of Limerick County Board think they are?

To think we were discussing how badly off we are here with our crew!

Phew…..it could be a lot worse by the looks of it.

[Kevin]

Thought i bump up this thread with Donal O'Grady walking and the Limerick County Board look for an apology for the performance against Offaly.
Disappointing to see what other county think. That Offaly hurling as being so weak that a draw for them away from home is a shocking result.
Now don't get me wrong i think the County Board are well out of order here and O'Grady was right to walk.

But what do you think? Are the county board correct and should the Offaly county board look for an apology for the Laois, Wexford, Cork and Antrim away performances from our management team?

Absolutely not.

This bit of apologizing is for losers. Other counties can do as they please. Our Senior teams may not be where we or the players/management wish at this point, but as a Faithful Supporter I'd be embarrassed by any such announcement. It reeks of capitulation and flies in the face of what Offaly GAA is supposed to be about.

[Buttons]

Dissapointed at what is happening with Limerick, was hoping that they would go on and win it last year and I am sure most of the country was too. They are one of the smaller hurling counties like Offaly too.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Please tell me this is a joke on your part, Toxicity234.

I’m not surprised there was management upheaval in Limerick, and I think I mentioned as much to Searing Drive in O’Connor Park in the aftermath of Joseph Bergin’s equaliser. If surprise there is, it is because it took so long, but it now seems there was a ‘wait and see’ period while Dónal O’Grady waited for the board’s retraction of their most ridiculous statement.

Now, they haven’t been helped by a gaffe-prone County Board, and the latest carry-on defies belief. But looking at the bigger Limerick picture, there is quite an element of hurling snobbery with Limerick. Or delusions of brilliance, if you like. Because I worked in Limerick for many years and believe me they will have felt so ashamed at drawing with Offaly and having to have came from behind against Laois (and Offaly and Laois is all the same to them) the same as the shame they felt when Offaly beat them in 1994 (when, remember, Limerick scored just 0-5 in the second half – real All-Ireland form that) and when Wexford beat them in 1996.

Living in the shadow of Tipperary (with whom the hurling territory of East Limerick shares a substantial border) is, I feel, a major factor for them and Tipperary, as we know, won’t hesitate to sew it in when you are down – as when you draw with Offaly and/or beat Laois narrowly.

Many opine that Limerick are All-Ireland contenders and are currently underachieving. I beg to differ. I think that for the last ten years they are consistently outside the top 6 (Kilkenny, Waterford, Cork, Tipperary, Clare and now Dublin) with the occasional good result that gives hope. One All-Ireland win since 1940, seven (I think) Munster Senior titles in the same time, and a history of failure in Croke Park.

Would they have beaten Cork last year if Pat Horgan was on the field for the second half? There is a psychological thing with Limerick that, when facing Munster champions the rest of the country will bow to them in the All-Ireland series. Which they didn’t in 1980, ’81, ’94, ’96 or last year, which Loughgiel didn’t do in 2012 or Portumna last February.

Then again, a county who beat two big Munster rivals with John Allen in charge deserve some grudging respect. Allen is one of hurling’s great spoofers whose biggest contribution to Cork between 2005 and 2006 was to keep out of the way and let the Ógs run the show.

[Toxicity234]

Please tell me this is a joke on your part, Toxicity234.

What POTH.

If you read my post you see i think the Limerick County Board are out of order.
Lets give this a bit of back round. Working with a Company Basic in Limerick at the moment.

One of the Lads is big into his hurling and still plays club hurlers.
He was Happy to see the back of Donal O'Grady. Because he feel that they should have be winnng 1B. Cause 1B hurling is rubbish.
His Said that "sure Offaly, Wexford, Antrim and Laois are Rubbish" and O'Grady didn't suit Limerick Hurling.
Now i dismissed this as one man opinion but talking to some of the Limerick lads and read some of the Limerick Forum. It not. Cue my surprise.
That why i bumped the Fourm. To see if i was missing something.

From what he was saying (and reading between the Lines) Limerick are hurting not from Tipp but from Clare being able to turn underage success into an Senior All Ireland something they have never being able to do.
As for TJ Ryan he between a rock and a hard place. He wants to do the job but with the county board not retracting their statement he undermined him before he starts.

As for Limerick hurling in general mental there soft. They remind me of a team that always have an excuses in their head before the match starts or someday they think they just have to turn up and put in little or no effort. They don't have the Clare mentally of "Us against the world and we will overcome"