2018 Walsh Cup

A forum to air your views on Offaly GAA matters and beyond.
frankthetank
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Re: 2018 Walsh Cup

Post by frankthetank »

As I said I'm not up to speed with the panel but if Sean Ryan is available then he would occupy one of the wing back slots for me yes.

greenairfield
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Re: 2018 Walsh Cup

Post by greenairfield »

Without been to negative I would have to say yes you are been foolish if you think we are stronger this year

LooseCannon
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Re: 2018 Walsh Cup

Post by LooseCannon »

frankthetank wrote:As I said I'm not up to speed with the panel but if Sean Ryan is available then he would occupy one of the wing back slots for me yes.
I heard he had a near miss with his eye, so could be a few weeks
Good Luck

LooseCannon
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Re: 2018 Walsh Cup

Post by LooseCannon »

Gardiner played well last Sunday, however, I feel that if he and Shortt swapped, it would be better. I feel that Shortt wasn’t great on Sunday, and I know how good of a full back that he is.
1. Slevin
2. Rigney
3. Shortt
4. Conneely
5. Gardiner
6. Doughan
7.
8. D Egan
9. King
10. Gath
11. C Egan
12. Cleary (Ciarán)
13. Dooley
14. Bergin
15. Kelly

Not 100% sure on panel
Obviously you’d have Seán Ryan to come back. Geraghtys, Mahon, Hughes, Kinsella, etc on bench
Not sure on Murphy, and others
Good Luck

frankthetank
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Re: 2018 Walsh Cup

Post by frankthetank »

Ciarán Cleary hasn't been starting regularly for Shinrone has he?

LooseCannon
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Re: 2018 Walsh Cup

Post by LooseCannon »

frankthetank wrote:Ciarán Cleary hasn't been starting regularly for Shinrone has he?
Played FF vs KK in the QF of the championship.
Good Luck

frankthetank
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Re: 2018 Walsh Cup

Post by frankthetank »

LooseCannon wrote:
frankthetank wrote:Ciarán Cleary hasn't been starting regularly for Shinrone has he?
Played FF vs KK in the QF of the championship.
I still think Seán Cleary has something to offer in the forward line if I was looking at Shinrone forwards.

LooseCannon
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Re: 2018 Walsh Cup

Post by LooseCannon »

frankthetank wrote:
LooseCannon wrote:
frankthetank wrote:Ciarán Cleary hasn't been starting regularly for Shinrone has he?
Played FF vs KK in the QF of the championship.
I still think Seán Cleary has something to offer in the forward line if I was looking at Shinrone forwards.
I’d agree.
I think Ciarán has potential though.
Good Luck

Kevin
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Re: 2018 Walsh Cup

Post by Kevin »

greenairfield wrote:Without been to negative I would have to say yes you are been foolish if you think we are stronger this year
Am thinking it is just too early to tell, plus the ground being soft and all.
Kevin Clancey. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

greenairfield
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Re: 2018 Walsh Cup

Post by greenairfield »

I will guarantee you now the same results as the last 4 or 5 years before any hurling is done.

LooseCannon
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Re: 2018 Walsh Cup

Post by LooseCannon »

greenairfield wrote:I will guarantee you now the same results as the last 4 or 5 years before any hurling is done.
Not trying to stir the pot, but who would be on your panel, and/or what tactics would you try to implement.
What manager would you have?

I’m going to put my neck on the line and say that we won’t be relegated from Leinster.
Good Luck

greenairfield
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Re: 2018 Walsh Cup

Post by greenairfield »

My manager wouldn't be different because I believe no matter who we have over us we won't get to the next level.

Now we have had managers in the past who were not up to mark which even made us worse but we had stronger players then, now we have a weaker group.

The panel is more or less fine at the end of the day there isn't that many lads not hurling with the county who would make a huge difference, the standard has dropped and the players are not they there so who ever we have I say fair play to them but it's not like we have a wealth of talent at our disposal.

Your neck on line we won't get relegated is that an acievement these days ???

Like I said if we don't get relegated or if we do results are much the same over the last 4 or 5 years performances and results will be the same.

LooseCannon
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Re: 2018 Walsh Cup

Post by LooseCannon »

greenairfield wrote:Your neck on line we won't get relegated is that an acievement these days ???

I’m not a betting man, but look at the best odds for each team in the Leinster Championship

Galway:8/11

Kilkenny:11/4

Dublin:7/1

Wexford:7/1

Offaly:250/1

So yes, first year avoiding relegation would be great. I’m an optimist, but a realist at the same time, and realistically if we stay in Leinster, it gives us something to build on.

Also, do Birr have a management team finalised? (Is it the same lads?)
Good Luck

greenairfield
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Re: 2018 Walsh Cup

Post by greenairfield »

Gerry Spellman is over the team again Gary Cahill is gone in with him also this year.

Toxicity234
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Re: 2018 Walsh Cup

Post by Toxicity234 »

Colin Gath is 22.
I could be wrong but he didn't make the Minor or u21 team at any stage.
As a Drumcullen man It's great to see him doing so well. What even better is seen his workrate and commitment
It's nice to see him and Ciarán Cleary scoring but the basic skill of any county players is Workrate and physical commitment and they were very good in that sat. If they keep the basic up he could developed into an excellent player.
Daimen Egan will only get better at this level as well. that young man has so much skill. He a huge plus to that panel now

Lots of Player to come back With the stucture of the Championship your going to need a huge panel.
but the Great thing of players is that even if your not getting a huge amount of game time in the league, you could well get a lot of championship time cause we have to play 4 weeks in a row.

I see lads are picking team for the start of the league.
The spine of the team is important to get right this year. We see Galway improved 10% last year but putting a hard hitting stopper at centre back. Shortt is that to me, Conor Doughan is to good a hurler to have him wasted trying to hold the middle of defence. i put him into midfield and tell him to run the game.
Full back still Look like an issue. Kiely could be wasted there as well. but that said, I wouldn't put Kiely and Doughan in midfield together, there still a year to young to have that key role together. Full back need to sorted.
Pat Camon i can't figue out. I like him as a hurler but haven't a clue what his best position is. his out of position too much at wing back and lose him man too much. Midfield he can be effected but sometime the game pass him by and he doesn't use his power in that position.
I few years ago we have a problem with good half forward but now we have a good few cominng into the ranks.
The full forward line is a tough one to pick at the moment as well. Ok some are not going to like this but Joe Bergin and Shane Dooley can't play together anymore. Too often the Workrate together doesn't meet the required level.
You can carry one or the other but not both to me. and still have one for sub.

I'll start with a team of something like.

Conor Slevin or Conor Clancy. It think Slevin is a bit a head here but Clancy is a good goal. (on a side note is the Lusmagh goal on the panel or who is it)

Coner Backs. Jesus we have loads. Rigeny, Gardiner(but his best position is wing back) Delaney, Grogan, Conneely There loads more and they all good.

Full back. Maybe Gardiner is the man for this position, He is excellent in the Air, he has pace, he a wonderful hurler. need to impose himself physical and be a bit nasty, He need to hold the middle ( we can't have team running straight at the our goal keeper). The problem lie if Gardiner miss games. Who goes full back. do we Drop Doughan, Shortt or Kiely in there. are we robbing peter to pay paul. This is a position we have question mark around.

Wing back. Again it an intesting one. Camon has to be in the mix, He to good not to be. but Doguhan could play here. and loads more. Jordan Quinn would be my Club hurler of the Year( or Gary Kelly as CHOY) has to be considered again he to good not be.Gardiner if we find a full back. morkan is his condifenace returned. Kiely maybe. King favourite position.

Centre Back. Shortt is the natural choice for me here but Daniel Doughan is an interesting one, He a good defender. isn't strong enough for this position at the moment but a much better defender than Conor. Has a better Eye for danger and get into better positon to stop attacks. Long term Daniel could be covering that slot. This again is not a position were have a lot of cover for.

Midfield Its great to Have Egan here. But getting the mix of attack and defence is a big thing here. Egan does both well but is an attacked. Is he starts, then we need some with a defence brain beside him. King is the 1st choice but that said there a case for Kinsella, Kiely and Conor Doughan. but with Kinsella been an attacker as well so i don't think these two lads can play together. Then we have Sean Ryan he a Attacker
So as an Attacking midfielder you have Ryan, Kinsella and Egan
As a defend midfielder you have Kiely Doughan and King.
An of these conbindition could work but getting the balance correct is the main thing.


Wing forwards Murphy, Ronan hughes, Colin Egan, Peter Gerarthy, and then the two you lads Gath and Cleray, with Kiely able to play this positon as well. Maybe Mahon. Maybe Kinsella. load of hard working in this position.

Centre forward. Kinsella, Egan and Mahon. When you have Mahon and Kinsella in a forward line they do the work of 10 men. how we get these two lads to work together could change Offaly hurling.

Corner forwards. I'm not sure if Quirke is around but he should be. Dooley, Kelly, Langton and about 10 others. it a tough position to get into the offaly team at. Dooley workrate isn't always what it should be but he still could walk off the field after scoring 3-7 after his man hurler his to a stand still. Langton is very light as is some of the other corner forward. Quirke is in the age where he should be a nail on. Kelly has an eye for goal. Cahill is one of the best free taker in Offaly.

Full Forward. Joe Bergin again when he on form he is beautiful but when he not, when he trying to block or hook when he had the chance to put in a shoulder to shove the full back on the back foot. is the issue. Kelly again a goal machaine but young and light, not very physical for the size of him.

So for me some sort of conbination of a team. with a strong full back, a good stopper at centre, a midfield with an attacker to help the attack and a defender to help the half backs. a centre forward work horse and a strong full forward.

something like
1. Conor Slevin (two good Goalkeepers)
2. Ben Conneely
3. Sean Gardiner
4. Paddy Rigney
5. Conor Doughan
6. Dermot Shortt
7. Jordan Quinn (he been too good not to been a chance)
8. David King
9. D. Egan.
10. Ronan Hughes
11. Shane Kinsella
12. Kiely
13. Colin Egan
14. Conor Mahon
15. Oisin Kelly.

Ok. Firstly it the league we have to develop players.
Conor Doughan has played Centre back of Offaly since 19, He has have zero time to develop at this level in that position. Wing this will given him the time he needed to develop at this level.
Jordan Quinn I can't think of him having a bad game in 2017, Better than everyone else in the county at the moment so one reason he can't step up.
Shortt is and experienced player now.

King vs Kiely for the defence role. i picked King cause I was always going to Pick Egan and I want someone with a little older and a good head to help develop Egan. King fits that better.

The forwards I just pick the 6 hardest working forward I could think of.

I been looking for our forwards to hurt the defence before Dooley, Bergin, Qurike and Murphy come on and run them to death.

The league is going to be run off very fast this year. So we going to use loads of players, not great to develop players.

Again Shortt can't fill both Full back and Centre Back so we need to find a few more players for them 2 positions.

The other issue over the last few years has been forward not working hard enough. No back line can clear the ball if it coming straight back all the time. So we need to Slow the ball coming into our defence.
“Common sense is not so common.”

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