www.uibhfhaili.com

While he didn't play I would have to admit if some of our players are in or around the top fitz squads they should be in or around our panel.

I am beginning to wonder how much scouting and knowledge Kevin knows of Offaly club players.

greenairfield wrote:While he didn't play I would have to admit if some of our players are in or around the top fitz squads they should be in or around our panel.

I am beginning to wonder how much scouting and knowledge Kevin knows of Offaly club players.

I have to agree.. I don't know much of Hardiman but I taught Mulrooney would have been given a chance this year. I was very impressed when I seen him last year.

Match report on 42.ie has Eoghan Cahill scoring 0-3 (0-2f).. is this correct?

LIT hurling today, so Oisín Kelly should be playing.
I think they’re playing DCU. Do we’ve anyone in DCU?

LooseCannon wrote:LIT hurling today, so Oisín Kelly should be playing.
I think they’re playing DCU. Do we’ve anyone in DCU?

Nope, no-one in DCU. Brian Loughnane (Shinrone) and Dylan Quegan (Birr) are listed on the LIT panel, but whether they'll feature or not is another matter.

I Heard a piece with Joe Troy on Midlands 103 and he said Offaly hurled Waterford on Friday night, would anyone have the team that lined out? Joe Bergin was back I know

Killeighman wrote:I Heard a piece with Joe Troy on Midlands 103 and he said Offaly hurled Waterford on Friday night, would anyone have the team that lined out? Joe Bergin was back I know

Heard that as well. Will try to find out.

DCU stunned LIT today, winning by a point.
Oisín Kelly hit 0-2.

Here’s what I have with regards the challenge v Waterford
Snippets of info from the Waterford GAA thread on boards.

Someone said earlier in the thread Waterford won 0-22 to 0-13. I doubt Oisin Kelly played due to Fitzgibbon today. Offaly have a fighting chance Saturday night.

Pretty sure Kelly played. There was an Oisín playing wing forward who was very good at line balls. Put one over and another just wide.

Just seen a clip on YouTube with a preview of the National Leagues and Derek Mc Grath stated he was hugely impressed by the whole approach from Offaly.

Bit like Cody saying it was a "fierce battle" when he's just won by 25 points.

There should be a decent Offaly crowd going to this by the sounds of it.
Pat Gilroy is clearly playing a long game by giving lots of fringe players a chance in the early season. He isn't going all out to clean up in January and get early plaudits.
This should be to Offaly's advantage.

Offaly are +9 with Paddy Powers. I'd be disappointed if they didn't clear that.

https://t.co/I47nWdh9mG

Good result for UCD considering that UCC appear to have more star names.
UCD captained by Padraig ‘Podge’ Guinan.
Anyone know if he’s on the Hurling panel?
Perhaps he has a break for the Fitzgibbon.

Can’t wait for Saturday night, going up with hope in my heart that we put in a decent 70 mins . Best of luck lads

Hopefully a selection will be released tonight.

Interesting selection calls at corner back, full back, wing back and centre back. Hope to see Eoin Cahill in goals. He has scored 0-05 from frees for Mary I in two games so far so that's a nice asset to have from your goalkeeper. Knowing that any free from 90 yards or closer is a scoring chance puts the opposition under a little bit of pressure.

Not a preview. Because I don’t know anything about Dublin 2018. Probably no one knows much about Dublin 2018, except themselves.

Rumours that Berminghams’ is reopening to cope with the visiting throng will probably be wide of the mark.

For that reason, Offaly shouldn’t oblige them by releasing their starting lineout to the public. And with Fitzgibbon matches today and tonight, and with Eoghan Cahill and Oisín Kelly involved, Offaly probably wouldn’t be in a position to name a team tonight anyway.

I’d like to see Offaly get stuck in. Not by driving in with late lunges; rather that they compete in the rucks, win the ball, support each other, hurl the way they are facing, and let the ball to the inside forwards. Don’t let Dublin catch the ball. And don’t dive in with three men converging on a Dublin ball carrier, only for the ball to be handpassed over their heads. Discipline isn’t just about ‘don’t be fouling’. It is about basic, intelligent defending. With Offaly likely to hurl with three up front, they have scope to defend man on man from the full-forward line. Make Dublin puck it out long. And compete like hell for it.

A concern of mine is that Offaly could be slow out of the blocks. Looking around them in Croke Park. Very often happens Offaly. Happened in the last league meeting between the two in Parnell Park. Happened in Croke Park in 2011. It could well happen that Dublin open up an early 0-8 to 0-2 lead, with Offaly to come with a second half surge.

Croke Park, in the damp, can be very slippery. The ball skids on the surface and takes off. Offaly should use the open spaces, switch the play from side to side, keep their shape.

With Dublin having been superior to Offaly for so long, and with Offal having been such a mess for a few years now, there is a possibility Dublin will have a mentality of ‘who are Offaly?’. Dublin hurlers will be hearing this from their friends and neighbours, and it can seep into the psyche, no matter how much or how often Pat Gilroy tells them otherwise.

Time for Offaly to rediscover the passion.

Time to hurl.