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Re: Rhode in Leinster

Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 2:52 pm
by High School Musical
Firstly, apologies for my recent absence. I was on a gap year. Spent most of it working in a sweatshop in Cambodia. I really should’ve read the small print on that one before heading off there.

Anyway, moving on. Rhode. What a frustrating game and loss that was.
Although it’s hard to feel that there wasn’t an air of inevitability about this one, with the aid of hindsight.

People will say that Vincents are a class outfit and would beat many an intercounty team, yadda, yadda, yadda………. True, to an extent. But they’re by no means ‘streets ahead’ of Rhode. Rhode are a class outfit too. Were they 7 points worse than Vincents yesterday? Maybe - Maybe not. Personally, I didn’t think so. Vincents are certainly not unbeatable anyway and I think Slaughtneil may well take them, come February. Rhode left a lot behind them yesterday. A few silly things, individual errors and the lack of a more attack-minded philosophy all contributed to their downfall. It’s a real shame that they couldn’t go on and win it this time. Would have been a great reward for their efforts over the last decade where they could make a good argument for being the province’s most consistent team over that time period.

Rhode needed to learn their lessons from their last meeting with Vincents in 2014. As far as I’m concerned, that day two years ago was one of the worst performances by a Rhode team in Leinster in the 2000s. Rhode went out to go after Connolly that time to try & rattle him, and it backfired badly. Well, from one extreme to the other. Connolly sauntered around yesterday early on and looked like he could do what he wanted. To be fair, he was contained well enough for most of the rest of the game, but the damage had already been inflicted by then. Rhode could ill-afford to fall behind early on, but they did. They got one chance to peg back that 4 or 5 point cushion that Vincents had opened up, and they bottled it. The penalty could’ve left 1 point in it at half-time. That would’ve meant a very different 2nd half. Instead, Vincents always had the cushion and Rhode just couldn’t reel them in.

Rhode reminded me a little of the Irish rugby team in the recent November Internationals. Plenty of possession, but making awful hard work of getting anywhere or actually getting scores. Similarly, not making their opponents work hard enough to get scores of their own. The difference is that Ireland actually managed to go & grind out results in those games, whereas Rhode couldn’t.

Now, I don’t want to come on and single out any one player for particular criticism, but I feel that it is my duty to give my honest opinion on events, especially when I am specifically contributing to a discussion about the game. For me, yesterday, Alan McNamee played a huge role in that loss. For a man of his experience, seniority and quality to produce the number of basic errors that he did (most often due to poor judgement) was the last thing Rhode needed yesterday. Unfortunately, I feel that this is a recurring theme with Alan where he has swept aside most challenges in the county but failed to deliver when needed on the bigger stage. He is often way too casual in possession and he was guilty of turning over possession 4 or 5 times yesterday, some of which led directly to scores.

Rhode have now lost 5 Leinster finals in 11 years. That’s hard to take. My memory isn’t great when it comes to how each of those games played out, but from what I do remember, the 2008 final loss to Kilmacud was the one that really got away on them. That was a heartbreaker as they were much the better team that day, but were ultimately undone by a couple of mistakes. Disappointing too, that is the only final of those that they were involved in, where there was actually only one score in it at full time. Including yesterday, Rhode have now lost those 5 finals by a combined total of (32 points). Their average losing total is just over 6 points per final. That’s a bad record in finals, very bad. Hard to know whether it’s a mental block or if they just happened to run in to far superior teams, playing at a level above what Rhode are capable of. Look, they’re still the class of Offaly at senior level right now. Who knows, this time next year and they could very well be back in another Leinster final. The quality of opposition from the rest of Leinster looked to be poor this year. None of the champions of any county outside of Dublin would really fancy getting drawn with Rhode in a Leinster Championship in 2017.

Re: Rhode in Leinster

Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 3:15 pm
by High School Musical
biffinbanner wrote:it reminded me of an incident just before half time in the leinster final between offaly and dublin in 2006 i think.we should have got a peno when cluxton fouled a young niall mcnamee inside the box.ref gave a 14 yard free instead which we missed.
I think it was Cathal Daly that was fouled for that, not Niall McNamee.

Re: Rhode in Leinster

Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 6:53 pm
by Bord na Mona man
High School Musical wrote:
biffinbanner wrote:it reminded me of an incident just before half time in the leinster final between offaly and dublin in 2006 i think.we should have got a peno when cluxton fouled a young niall mcnamee inside the box.ref gave a 14 yard free instead which we missed.
I think it was Cathal Daly that was fouled for that, not Niall McNamee.
Yes, it was Cathal Daly. Cluxton scythed him down outside the square. It would be a black card nowadays or possibly borderline line with the dangerous use of the boot.

Scroll to 5 mins 24 on this. McStay must have thought he was commenting on a soccer match with his 'professional foul'.
https://youtu.be/cdg8zWMxo-0

Re: Rhode in Leinster

Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 10:14 pm
by biffinbanner
apols lads it was cathal and it was outside the square..point was we missed the resultant free and cluxton was left on the field....amazing what the few pints can do to a man before a game!!

Re: Rhode in Leinster

Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 1:10 am
by jimbob17
Watching that clip was fairly enthusing. Had forgot we were so competitive for so long in that game. Offaly looked well there and should have led at half time. Went fairly pear shaped in the years after which was a huge pity given the young talent on display that time ie Nigel Grennan, Shane Sullivan, Paul McConway in backs, Alan Mc in midfield and lot of youth in Deehan, Niall Mc Neville Coughlan and John Reynolds in forwards. If I remember correctly there was a lot of youth on subs that time too with Trevor Phelan and James Rafferty playing in the semi or quarter final.

Re: Rhode in Leinster

Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 10:06 am
by theman
Hard luck to Rhode yesterday. It wasn't to be but they are still one of the best teams to come out of Offaly and to be fair they have been beaten by good teams in the Finals. Their persistance will pay off some day.

Looking at that 2006 Leinster Final and the one thing that stands out to me is the amount of foot passing and actual kicking of the ball in general.

How many scores in that came from excellent foot passes?

The Dublin goal is a prime example of how a good placed kick pass can take a defender out of the game.

Hard to believe the way the games is gone in 10 years. I still watch Football at all levels but it has gone very boring.

Ill never forget the atmosphere that day as we had the Dubs rattled for 40 odd Minutes until they pulled away.

Great Times

Re: Rhode in Leinster

Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 12:43 pm
by Bord na Mona man
Anton was a loss when you see how Rhode struggled at times to get the forward quickly and in a direct fashion. Though in truth every teams needs 4 or 5 fellas like him who can make decent carries.
St Vincent's had the bit more power and were able to play more directly. With Rhode having to build attacks slower and keep possession, they coughed up a few unfortunate turnovers.

Even had Rhode scored the penalty, you'd still have fancied Vincent's to push on again. Rhode would have needed to score the penalty and then hit them again for another goal to get into the driving seat.

Another problem Rhode have is that in Offaly they mostly play teams that they can open up fairly easily. Within Dublin, St Vincent's are pitted against teams who've won All Ireland club titles recently and other clubs near that standard.

Re: Rhode in Leinster

Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 1:01 pm
by Bord na Mona man
Memories from 2006.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=797

Re: Rhode in Leinster

Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 3:18 pm
by allstar2010
Hard luck to Rhode. Would love to see them win one. Have to ask the question why does Niall McNamee not take the penalties? They missed one in the semi as well, surely he has to step up and show leadership?

Re: Rhode in Leinster

Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2016 1:15 pm
by townman
hard luck to Rhode last sunday, put you have to take your chances, the pen miss was vital 1 point behind at half time with Ger Brennan gone, instead miss the pen Vincents went up the field and scored 5 points in it game over, as for Niall not taking penalties he used to, but he also has missed a few for Rhode and offaly over the years.