National Hurling League 2017

A forum to air your views on Offaly GAA matters and beyond.
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timber
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Re: National Hurling League 2017

Post by timber »

the Untouchable wrote:It hardly takes a genius to point out that we are where we are, Offaly hurling has been on a massive spiral downwards since we took a massive beating in the All Ireland final to Kilkenny back in 2000, in the time since, we've never once appointed a high profile manager who could come in and bring a real buzz to Offaly hurling, instead we've gone for the cheapest option or the yes man that the county board wanted, the whole pointless debate on bringing hurling back to Birr just masked over
the real issue, because we were in massive decline and that was down to the players rather than the fact that we weren't hurling in Birr!!

What I don't get is why people think that Offaly getting relegated to Division 2 and the Cristy Ring cup will be the moment that will get everyone to put the shoulder to the wheel and get us back to been a hurling force again...It won't, we'll be gone and to get a decent manager and backroom team in then will be virtually impossible never mind convince good hurlers in the county to either come back into the panel or stay involved in the county set up...because hurling against counties in the 3rd tier of county hurling is what they dreamed of!!

The reality, much like a side getting relegated from the English premier league is that the way to get back to the top may be a whole lot harder than you imagined because we have lost the right to be considered a big hurling county now, we've haven't won a senior Leinster title since 1995, an U21 or Minor Leinster title since 2000, so we've been gone a long time with no sign of change and relegation would just be the final nail in the coffin!!
Agree with the untouchable. This Birr debate has always been a total waste of time and frankly totally irrelevant issue. Stop wasting time even mentioning it when real problems exist.

The problem lies in the structures at underage and has done over the last 25 years as far as I can see.

There is no point blaming senior management who have inherited a squad that is not at the level of the top tier teams. However, we still should have realistic goals and securing their place in this division was and remains a must. Laois and Kerry are teams this current group should still be capable of beating. Failing to do so is a failure for management and players. Staying here is going to give the players better quality games and a level that they have to try get to and build on. Going down a division will only lead to slower hurling, bad habits and a comfort zone during the league.

The other goal should be qualifying out of the round robin. Two major goals and being honest they should be achievable. And management and players should be measured on this.

In fairness the untouchable seems to know what he is on about. We need lads like this involved putting structures in place at underage that will develop our hurlers and footballers of the future.

greenairfield
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Re: National Hurling League 2017

Post by greenairfield »

Couldn't agree with you more than the birr issue which was just an excuse for what was not happening at underage. I do firmly believe we must focus on clubs in the Birr area though and make sure they are all getting the best of coaching as this is the hurling strong hold of Offaly. Birr, Coolderry, Clareen and possibly a few more face uncertainty in the coming years on the scale of what is coming through at underage. It would be a shame to see these clubs drop off and it will be hugely damaging for Offalys future.

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joe bloggs
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Re: National Hurling League 2017

Post by joe bloggs »

:D
timber wrote:
the Untouchable wrote:It hardly takes a genius to point out that we are where we are, Offaly hurling has been on a massive spiral downwards since we took a massive beating in the All Ireland final to Kilkenny back in 2000, in the time since, we've never once appointed a high profile manager who could come in and bring a real buzz to Offaly hurling, instead we've gone for the cheapest option or the yes man that the county board wanted, the whole pointless debate on bringing hurling back to Birr just masked over
the real issue, because we were in massive decline and that was down to the players rather than the fact that we weren't hurling in Birr!!

What I don't get is why people think that Offaly getting relegated to Division 2 and the Cristy Ring cup will be the moment that will get everyone to put the shoulder to the wheel and get us back to been a hurling force again...It won't, we'll be gone and to get a decent manager and backroom team in then will be virtually impossible never mind convince good hurlers in the county to either come back into the panel or stay involved in the county set up...because hurling against counties in the 3rd tier of county hurling is what they dreamed of!!

The reality, much like a side getting relegated from the English premier league is that the way to get back to the top may be a whole lot harder than you imagined because we have lost the right to be considered a big hurling county now, we've haven't won a senior Leinster title since 1995, an U21 or Minor Leinster title since 2000, so we've been gone a long time with no sign of change and relegation would just be the final nail in the coffin!!
Agree with the untouchable. This Birr debate has always been a total waste of time and frankly totally irrelevant issue. Stop wasting time even mentioning it when real problems exist.

The problem lies in the structures at underage and has done over the last 25 years as far as I can see.

There is no point blaming senior management who have inherited a squad that is not at the level of the top tier teams. However, we still should have realistic goals and securing their place in this division was and remains a must. Laois and Kerry are teams this current group should still be capable of beating. Failing to do so is a failure for management and players. Staying here is going to give the players better quality games and a level that they have to try get to and build on. Going down a division will only lead to slower hurling, bad habits and a comfort zone during the league.

The other goal should be qualifying out of the round robin. Two major goals and being honest they should be achievable. And management and players should be measured on this.

In fairness the untouchable seems to know what he is on about. We need lads like this involved putting structures in place at underage that will develop our hurlers and footballers of the future.
Well, Ryan has ticked one of your boxes so far anyway in his short managerial stint. No round robin to get out of this year
'if your not part of the solution, your part of the problem' J. McClean

jimbob17
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Re: National Hurling League 2017

Post by jimbob17 »

Really at lowest ebb. Biggest league defeat from Laois in 43 years and biggest from Galway ever. With limerick and wexford yet to come we really need to keep score down. If we don't it is most likely that in event of beating kerry, it'll be three way tie at bottom of table on two points so score difference crucial to staying up. Our is worst at moment by good distance. If we lose to kerry which is very possible, we are gone for definite. Hopefully break will do lads good to get right for battles ahead.
jimbob

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the Untouchable
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Re: National Hurling League 2017

Post by the Untouchable »

Jaysus Timber thanks for the vote of confidence, sadly I'm not actually in the country this year as I'm over working with me mate Trump making America great again, once we've that done, I'll see if we can do something to make Offaly Hurling great again too, Donald said we should start by put up a wall all the way from Belmont, across in Mucklagh to try and stop these lads coming in to the hurling strongholds of Offaly & trying to take lads jobs and places on the county panel!!
The Untouchable

greenairfield
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Re: National Hurling League 2017

Post by greenairfield »

That wall would be progress untouchable

timber
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Re: National Hurling League 2017

Post by timber »

the Untouchable wrote:Jaysus Timber thanks for the vote of confidence, sadly I'm not actually in the country this year as I'm over working with me mate Trump making America great again, once we've that done, I'll see if we can do something to make Offaly Hurling great again too, Donald said we should start by put up a wall all the way from Belmont, across in Mucklagh to try and stop these lads coming in to the hurling strongholds of Offaly & trying to take lads jobs and places on the county panel!!
Interesting one Untouchable. I know for a fact there is plenty of the old school boys in the south who would be very happy to see that wall.

I have always questioned why the traditional strongholds who were only focusing on hurling struggled against the so called footballers who would be playing football championship and lifting a hurl maybe the week of the championship only and obviously that could not be too intense the week of a game. These strongholds should be walking those games but its not always happened. If the footballers concentrated on the hurling fully I think a few of the hurling strongholds would be in big big trouble. Coolderry at their peak were the only one that really made the most of the huge advantage hurling clubs have over the dual ones and to be fair Coolderry had a strong side back then. But you would have to question how strong the others are who have struggled or even losing to the dual clubs.

Pity you are over the states. We badly need knowledgeable enthusiastic chaps like yourself involved in shaking up the whole process in the county. Obviously the kids need the best coaches they can get to give them the best chance of developing the skills.

Cmon Offaly
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Re: National Hurling League 2017

Post by Cmon Offaly »

Timber, read the development squad thread and you will see how the kids are being looked after and what is happening to quality coaches in Offaly.

timber
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Re: National Hurling League 2017

Post by timber »

Cmon Offaly wrote:Timber, read the development squad thread and you will see how the kids are being looked after and what is happening to quality coaches in Offaly.
Had a quick read of your comments on that thread alright Cmon Offaly. By all accounts seems like the board have a lot of question to answer. seems like harsh treatment of management that won silverware.

I heard the man over the U17 development squad that won the celtic challenge division 1 was doing excellent work. Surely he was kept on?

Plain of the Herbs
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Re: National Hurling League 2017

Post by Plain of the Herbs »

Thanks to the man who sent me this link today. Regular observers of Offaly hurling will be well aware of the atrocious underage record. The piece also highlights Offaly's pathetic involvement in intervarsity hurling.
http://takeoffthecornerforward.com/
Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

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Bord na Mona man
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Re: National Hurling League 2017

Post by Bord na Mona man »

Plain of the Herbs wrote:Thanks to the man who sent me this link today. Regular observers of Offaly hurling will be well aware of the atrocious underage record. The piece also highlights Offaly's pathetic involvement in intervarsity hurling.
http://takeoffthecornerforward.com/
Good article.
They left out Offaly minor hurlers losing to Carlow in 2008 on the stat sheet, maybe mercifully.
I was reading back about that game, and a decade ago we were already browned off about the direction Offaly hurling had taken.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1638&start=15

Cmon Offaly
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Re: National Hurling League 2017

Post by Cmon Offaly »

timber wrote:
Cmon Offaly wrote:Timber, read the development squad thread and you will see how the kids are being looked after and what is happening to quality coaches in Offaly.
Had a quick read of your comments on that thread alright Cmon Offaly. By all accounts seems like the board have a lot of question to answer. seems like harsh treatment of management that won silverware.

I heard the man over the U17 development squad that won the celtic challenge division 1 was doing excellent work. Surely he was kept on?
Yeah, under 17 management did excellent work last year to win the Celtic Challenge and they have been kept on this year. The problem is they have been given the task of managing 2 squads this year, the under 16's and 17's which is crazy stuff. That's at least 70 players and that management team only consisted of 3 people.

Plain of the Herbs
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Re: National Hurling League 2017

Post by Plain of the Herbs »

Four changes to the Offaly squad of 26 for the Limerick match. In come Derek Morkan, Stephen Quirke and Liam Langton instead of the suspended Aidan Treacy and Seán Gardiner, and Paddy Murphy (presumably injured).

Full matchday 26 listed here -
http://offaly.gaa.ie/2017/03/02/offaly- ... -limerick/


Limerick have also released their matchday 26. Link here
http://limerickgaa.ie/limerick-senior-h ... ounced-14/
Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

kingscounty
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Re: National Hurling League 2017

Post by kingscounty »

At nothing putting Dooley full forward , put Oisin Kelly in at 14 a big man and can take a goal chance when it comes

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Bord na Mona man
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Re: National Hurling League 2017

Post by Bord na Mona man »

Good to see Derek Morkan back in contention.
Just looking at the listed half back line for Offaly, on another day that could be the full back line.
I wonder will there a point in this league campaign when Offaly have a settle defence that can be built on?

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