Senior A Football 2018

A forum to air your views on Offaly GAA matters and beyond.

Who will win the Senior A football championship?

Rhode
14
52%
Clara
0
No votes
Gracefield
1
4%
Ferbane
7
26%
Edenderry
3
11%
Tullamore
1
4%
Cappincur
1
4%
Durrow
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 27

FaithfulFacts
Junior C
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2018 12:14 am

Re: Senior A Football 2018

Post by FaithfulFacts »

A very impressive performance by Rhode. The players showed again on the field the level of commitment, skill and passion they have. It was a joy to watch them play. It would be unfair to single out players but I thought Shane Sullivan's willingness to run in support and then get back into a protective position for the full back line was immense.

On Ferbane I think they were hamstrung with the loss of key players and so decided they would just have a go at Rhode, they hoped they would click up front and Rhode might have an off day..

They pushed up in zones on Rhodes kick out and in isolation it looked a good decision as they disrupted Rhodes quick/short Kick outs. But ( and this is an issue I had a disagreement on this thread with Jimbob on) they were totally exposed any time rhode got past this high press. Ferbane left young and inexperience backs in space / one on one with the best scoring forward line in Offaly. We all watched the results. Nothing happens in isolation on a football field. Ferbanes high press was the cause of rhode's high score.

I'd actually love to hear Jimbobs thoughts on the game. He has been an outspoken critic of Jack Cooney and Rhode on this and other threads. I wonder has he changed his views in any way.
.

first_touch
All Star
Posts: 173
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 1:26 pm

Re: Senior A Football 2018

Post by first_touch »

Well done to Rhode. By a country mile, the best team in Offaly for the past several years.

For Ferbane it is back to the drawing board. There is no point blaming injuries, tactics, the referee, a bad day at the office. Sunday's game showed a gulf in class between the sides. If Ferbane hope to close that gap and even begin to emulate Rhode's achievements they have a lot more work to do.

Fifteen of the Ferbane panel were also part of the Belmont panel that was not far off reaching the county hurling final. It has been a remarkable achievement that, with such an overlap of panelists, both teams have been able to reach the latter stages in their respective codes for the the past two or three years. But to reach the standard set by Rhode serious questions need to be addressed. Can Ferbane afford to have over half their panel devoting half their time to playing hurling? And conducting football training, as a full panel, on a week on/week off basis?

Compare that to Rhode who can focus their preparations solely on football. The results of this were borne out on Sunday: their angles of running, interplay, seamless transition from defence to attack and vice versa, tackling and scoretaking were all superior to Ferbane.

As a Ferbane man I would love to see my parish do a senior football and hurling double. But on Sunday's evidence this looks increasingly unlikely and indeed it is possible that we will fall between two stools and end up winning neither.

Is it time to create separate two separate panels, with players having to opt for one of the other? In the short run this would deplete the talent available to each team but in the long run it would enable the level of consistent, intensive preparation necessary to achieve the honour of a senior county title(s).

I'd be interested in hearing others' views on this.

jimbob17
All Star
Posts: 913
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:40 am

Re: Senior A Football 2018

Post by jimbob17 »

FaithfulFacts wrote:A very impressive performance by Rhode. The players showed again on the field the level of commitment, skill and passion they have. It was a joy to watch them play. It would be unfair to single out players but I thought Shane Sullivan's willingness to run in support and then get back into a protective position for the full back line was immense.

On Ferbane I think they were hamstrung with the loss of key players and so decided they would just have a go at Rhode, they hoped they would click up front and Rhode might have an off day..

They pushed up in zones on Rhodes kick out and in isolation it looked a good decision as they disrupted Rhodes quick/short Kick outs. But ( and this is an issue I had a disagreement on this thread with Jimbob on) they were totally exposed any time rhode got past this high press. Ferbane left young and inexperience backs in space / one on one with the best scoring forward line in Offaly. We all watched the results. Nothing happens in isolation on a football field. Ferbanes high press was the cause of rhode's high score.

I'd actually love to hear Jimbobs thoughts on the game. He has been an outspoken critic of Jack Cooney and Rhode on this and other threads. I wonder has he changed his views in any way.
.
Well done to Rhode. Fully deserved. If you read posts again, i was never a critic of Rhode but an admirer! I was critical of how they played under Cooney for most of year. I said they were better than that and they showed it Sunday. They fronted up like they used to do and Ferbane were suffocated!

I think you might have difficulty understanding that my sentiment is not anti Rhode at all but it is anti negativity which we have seen from them a lot in recent years unlike the Darby and Coffey years! Then, they fronted up and worked hard like they did last Sunday!

You can press high and still get back if clever about it when you go together and not in isolation. Its only way to win games. Conceding k-out as they have done turns a 50 50 ball into lesser percentage chance of gaining primary posession. Did Rhode concede every kickout the last day or did they front up?

Did they play same way Sunday as in semi where I felt justifiably critical? Absolutely not. In previous games they let others have ball and got everyone behind it tackling in own half inside own 65 or often 45 only after conceding kickout. Counted 15 inside own half in semi final plenty of times. Didnt happen Sunday? Or did it?

Last Sunday the forwards hunted like savages in packs higher up the pitch and turned it over in middle third, not inside their own 45 generally. As a result they had men furtger up pitch to go at teams quicker after turnover with less distance to opposition goal and got scores easy as result.

Sullivan excellent. He was a sub against Tullamore? Made huge difference! There was no comparison between the way they played Sunday - with purpose, intensity and fronting up versus games against Tullamore and Edenderry. Chalk and cheese really. Edenderry man I spoke to today even said same thing to me. Sunday performance is what I said they were capable of. They have classy forwards if they get it to kill teams. It doesnt change the fact that their negativity against Tullamore held them back and did so in Leinster last year too as we all saw!

Lets see what happens the next day. Would love to see them getting a run but that will only happen if the handbreak of negativity is taken off and they go at teams with sense of purpose like last day! So Well done to Rhode, and long may that level of intensity continue. Lets hope they go and play same way in leinster!
jimbob

FaithfulFacts
Junior C
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2018 12:14 am

Re: Senior A Football 2018

Post by FaithfulFacts »

Jimbob its good to hear from you. On a positive note your above message makes me think there is hope for our relationship yet. Maybe there is more that unites us than divides us. But sadly we still disagree on a few points.

Shane Sullivan did start against Tullamore. He made the lung busting run and pass for the Niall McNamee goal. A very important score as Tullamore were very impressive for large parts of that game.

I think the main difference in how we see things Jimbob is that you seem think teams like Rhode just choose when they want to play the open free wheeling football or play the more conservative responsible game at random. They dont. They have to respond to the opposition and play accordingly. Given the choice im sure they would choose a game like Sunday every time. But most teams they face will employ at least 1 sweeper, if not 2, and drop off in the half forward line.

When a team is facing these more defensive set ups they cant put in the kind of ball we watched on Sunday. Id say the Rhode inside forwards couldn't believe the space, time and delivery they were afforded on Sunday. They very rarely get it anymore. A sweeper will cut out a lot of that ball and it will be turned into counter attacks on the other end.

A winning team will change the plan as needed to face the obstacle in front of them and overcome it. They wont stick to the one idealistic plan and hope it works out anyway.

I used a stat earlier in this thread, this 3 in a row Rhode team has lost only 2 championship or league knock out games in the last 3 seasons. looking into it further I make that 2 losses in 34 games. Jimbob you say you are "anti the negativity which we have seen alot in recent years" from Rhode. Id say that track record shows they have chosen well on when and how to change the plan as needed.

jimbob17
All Star
Posts: 913
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:40 am

Re: Senior A Football 2018

Post by jimbob17 »

FaithfulFacts wrote:Jimbob its good to hear from you. On a positive note your above message makes me think there is hope for our relationship yet. Maybe there is more that unites us than divides us. But sadly we still disagree on a few points.

Shane Sullivan did start against Tullamore. He made the lung busting run and pass for the Niall McNamee goal. A very important score as Tullamore were very impressive for large parts of that game.

I think the main difference in how we see things Jimbob is that you seem think teams like Rhode just choose when they want to play the open free wheeling football or play the more conservative responsible game at random. They dont. They have to respond to the opposition and play accordingly. Given the choice im sure they would choose a game like Sunday every time. But most teams they face will employ at least 1 sweeper, if not 2, and drop off in the half forward line.

When a team is facing these more defensive set ups they cant put in the kind of ball we watched on Sunday. Id say the Rhode inside forwards couldn't believe the space, time and delivery they were afforded on Sunday. They very rarely get it anymore. A sweeper will cut out a lot of that ball and it will be turned into counter attacks on the other end.

A winning team will change the plan as needed to face the obstacle in front of them and overcome it. They wont stick to the one idealistic plan and hope it works out anyway.

I used a stat earlier in this thread, this 3 in a row Rhode team has lost only 2 championship or league knock out games in the last 3 seasons. looking into it further I make that 2 losses in 34 games. Jimbob you say you are "anti the negativity which we have seen alot in recent years" from Rhode. Id say that track record shows they have chosen well on when and how to change the plan as needed.
Correct me if I am wrong but did Shane wear 17 or sub number v Tullamore. Was in late so just assumed he was sub.

Ferbane very poor but either way, Rhode didn't concede kickout to ferbane so easily as they did Tullamore. Straight away you are on front foot. For example if you compare with tull game where you conceded them all. 8 to 0 as an example or -8 as net score. In contrast, win 3 out of 8 that is 3 extra for Rhode and 3 less for ferbane or net score of -2. Essentially a six ball swing on primary posession.

My point is Rhode handed tullamore the platform to win game just their forwards were not good enough and Rhode were clinical when they got chance. Another team with better forwards and Rhode were beat all ends up.

Last day they had extra attacks because they had ball to attack with that they voluntarily conceded and had to defend v tullamore. Its simple philosophy and one that as you say splits opinion.

I think you should contest all kickouts and if you lose it then do what you need to do! You are suggesting to concede to better teams and dont for poorer teams? And lets be clear, Ferbane albeit minus the 2 lads are much lesser team than Tullamore. Or perhaps they were shown to be lesser because they weren't afforded the room tullamore and Edenderry were afforded?

In strategy, there was significant difference in rhodes mentality from semi to final! You mentioned inside forwards and space! Against Tullamore Rhode no inside forwards for lot of second half. For me they almost and should have paid the price. For me, the fact that they didnt is more a credit to tenacity and efficiency than their tactical suicide. Reckon they beat tullamore handy if they went at them like they did Ferbane!

But when all said and done they are co champions so fair play.

Interesting to see if ferbane would go after few they were missing this year. Grehan, Lowrys, Heavin and Clancy could have made difference especially with 2 lads out. That kind of talent would not be let disappear in Rhode!
jimbob

LooseCannon
All Star
Posts: 991
Joined: Tue Jun 27, 2017 11:31 am

Re: Senior A Football 2018

Post by LooseCannon »

Just on your last point, I think that Clancy and Grehan were intermediate, as for the others, if they’d any bit of interest, they’d be there.
Good Luck

NewEra
County player
Posts: 135
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2015 4:50 pm

Re: Senior A Football 2018

Post by NewEra »

I heard that the Wicklow replay may be played the day before the Rhode game due to one team’s participation in hurling. Great news if so!

greenairfield
All Star
Posts: 1013
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 12:20 pm
Club: birr

Re: Senior A Football 2018

Post by greenairfield »

If you were to pick 15 Offaly players to line out against Meath who would they be...we can't be that far off Meath we have performed okay at underage level.
You can included Niall mc in the team as I presume he is still the best forward in the county.
If so he should be approached by management to come back for one more one year.

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