Offaly Hurlers 2022

[private joker]

The standard of coaching at underage is average at best. Couldn't name one forward thinking coach at underage who has a modern approach to training at club level.

[Fairplayalways]

absolutely no swipe at anyone at all here or elsewhere, but I read just above and in other forms our underage coaching is not up to the standard of other counties (paraphrased here)..that sort of amazes me at this stage...is this based on the fact that other counties underage teams can now beat ours more frequently and often by alot??..is the statement based on that?...who has been to these other counties underage training and seen what they are doing??...who has been in Nolan Park, Thurles, Kilmallock or Gaelic Grounds, Ennis or Walsh Park or where ever to see what these teams are doing???...I doubt anyone, would one be allowed in anyway?...or as I said above is it "assumed" that they are doing something different because they are beating us and saying they are doing things different or better is the stick required to beat our under age managements etc...is it hear say that team X is doing ABC etc? It is possible we are not doing everything 100% right, show me a team that is I would say..we have the coaches we have (good or bad they are doing the training) and I doubt if other counties are hiring anyone much different or more qualified than what Offaly are doing..

I would say skill wise we have as good as most counties, physicality (natural physicality now I mean not this worked up strenght from S&C) I think is probably the biggest thing we lack..we have big players and are strong for Offaly but I have seen club teams particulary in Munster Club championship, and the players, some not even on the county panel, and the physicality and natural strength in their game had me stumped (I think I mentioned this on here before) Offaly have big players, strongish (for Offaly) but its just not the same, I do say the same when Ireland play the Australians or the All blacks in Rugby..you can have all the big strong players you want, but come up against a team with natural strenght (on top probably of abit from training as well) and you have a very different type of player indeed..and I think to be honest that is not all but a big part of Offalys struggles with the current game over the last number of years...I think you can coach (good and bad) all you want, if you havent the natural physical strenght to impose your skills and talents then you will struggle big time, as we sort of are..yes we will go toe to toe with the lesser teams on a very good day, but thats as good as it gets..just my hunch, and let me repeat it is not a swipe or a slur on anyone on the forum or the Offaly set up..the one or two natural physical players with skill and strenght are not involved at this time,but that is only one or 2, you would need around 10 to be competitive along with 5 lesser physical players..3 or 4 currently is no where enough, and I am being generous there...it is as it is.

[Bord na Mona man]

The Gearoid McInerney goal is a good case study of some weaknesses we have.
People might brand him slow, but he cut through Offaly like Jonah Lomu here:

https://youtu.be/qErIMHQ0hB4?t=33

- Offaly struggling with modern game tackling. The days of hooking, blocking and flicking being the primary teams of tackling are past. If the player isn't 'showing' the ball, the Offaly players haven't been properly taught the grappling techniques to stop him.
- Offaly set up too open. Antrim got a lot of joy by running straight down the centre also. Let's hope we can tighten up in the Joe McD.
- Strength and conditioning - Look at shape and physique of McInerney. The alarming thing is that Offaly players who aren't carrying muscle mass are not speedy greyhounds because of this. Also, Offaly will fade out of games after 50 minutes against elite because of being underpowered S & C wise. There is no instant fix for this,

This is no criticism of the current team and panellists who are a product of their environment. Progress and improvements are being made and it needs time to seed. Certain things we will see quicker improvements in, like underage results. The culture change around preparation at adult level and the pathway from underage to adult level will take longer to percolate.

I would back the view that the culture change is happening quicker in certain clubs in Offaly less burdened by tradition.
From my own very limited interactions, there are still plenty of flat earthers in traditional clubs talking about a brand of hurling that is long gone and still dismissing modern innovations despite all evidence staring them in Ultra HD.

[joe bloggs]

The improvements at underage are there to be seen in hurling if you're willing to look closely enough.
Go back 7 or 8 years ago and we were regularly taking beatings from Laois, Carlow, Westmeath and struggling with Kildare and Meath.
We now have pushed our noses back infront of these counties. Players in development squads over the last number of years are being exposed to S&C training. The problem with catching the other counies in Leinster is largely down to the limited number of players we have participating. We can do everything right, but will not consistently reach their standards with current playing numbers. However, hopefully every few years a really talented group can emerge at the same time and then the years of S&C will propel them to a title.
The key for our underage system is to produce a couple of top class players to supply the senior team each year, winning titles will be few and far between, but as we seen last year with the u20 football team its still a possibility

[private joker]

Antrim vs offaly, in Belfast. Hard to anything else other than a win for Antrim.

[jimbob17]

I think if Offaly are at full strength, they will have every chance of winning

[Pat Mustard]

The improvements at underage are there to be seen in hurling if you're willing to look closely enough.
Go back 7 or 8 years ago and we were regularly taking beatings from Laois, Carlow, Westmeath and struggling with Kildare and Meath.
We now have pushed our noses back infront of these counties. Players in development squads over the last number of years are being exposed to S&C training. The problem with catching the other counies in Leinster is largely down to the limited number of players we have participating. We can do everything right, but will not consistently reach their standards with current playing numbers. However, hopefully every few years a really talented group can emerge at the same time and then the years of S&C will propel them to a title.
The key for our underage system is to produce a couple of top class players to supply the senior team each year, winning titles will be few and far between, but as we seen last year with the u20 football team its still a possibility

Our minor hurling team are playing Laois Saturday and by all accounts this is a very good team so it would be great to see a good crowd in supporting them

[SearingDrive]

The improvements at underage are there to be seen in hurling if you're willing to look closely enough.
Go back 7 or 8 years ago and we were regularly taking beatings from Laois, Carlow, Westmeath and struggling with Kildare and Meath.
We now have pushed our noses back infront of these counties. Players in development squads over the last number of years are being exposed to S&C training. The problem with catching the other counies in Leinster is largely down to the limited number of players we have participating. We can do everything right, but will not consistently reach their standards with current playing numbers. However, hopefully every few years a really talented group can emerge at the same time and then the years of S&C will propel them to a title.
The key for our underage system is to produce a couple of top class players to supply the senior team each year, winning titles will be few and far between, but as we seen last year with the u20 football team its still a possibility

Our minor hurling team are playing Laois Saturday and by all accounts this is a very good team so it would be great to see a good crowd in supporting them

Of course, tickets are online?

[biffinbanner]

heres hoping for a big improvement on the last antrim game. antrims best player mcmanus is back which will make it harder even. something tells me theres still a kick in offaly tho. a lot of things didnt go right the last day..

[jimbob17]

I expect minors to win well - best minor hurling team Offaly have had in a long time.

Re seniors, only concern i'd have is the significant turnover in starting team from last years team when we seemed to be getting lots of momentum. Offaly seemed to be able to beat Joe Mc teams comfortably in the league in 21, taking Carlow, Kerry and Down for average of 13 or 14 pts. From the team named recently, there is a new goalie, a whole new full back line, 2 new wing backs, a new midfielder, and maybe 3 new forwards starting, with only Brian Duignan starting in same place as last year from the forwards. In the backs, the only person in same place as last year is Ben Conneely while the only other starter in backs from last year is David King who reverts to full back from wing / corner back. Leon Fox is the only starting midfielder from last year. Obviously, the named team is subject to some form of change (highly likely), but to only have 3 lads in same starting positions from last years league / championship team is quite surprising, given that it was the most positive league we had in years from a results perspective.

[Bord na Mona man]

[Bord na Mona man]

Tomorrow is a shot to nothing in some ways. It's probably the only Joe McD group fixture that Offaly could afford to lose. The rest are must wins.

Have Offaly learned from the relegation play off?
Being carved open by Limerick or Cork in the league is inevitable given the gap in standard. But there is more to be learned by studying what Antrim did to us last day out. Can Offaly tighten up and deal better with Antrim running at us and offloading?
Can Offaly keep getting scores after the 50th minute, or will the tank be out of diesel?

Playing at home in Corrigated Park and having Neil McManus back will give an extra edge to Antrim but I'm hoping Offaly show they are still making strides.

[private joker]

I expect minors to win well - best minor hurling team Offaly have had in a long time.

Re seniors, only concern i'd have is the significant turnover in starting team from last years team when we seemed to be getting lots of momentum. Offaly seemed to be able to beat Joe Mc teams comfortably in the league in 21, taking Carlow, Kerry and Down for average of 13 or 14 pts. From the team named recently, there is a new goalie, a whole new full back line, 2 new wing backs, a new midfielder, and maybe 3 new forwards starting, with only Brian Duignan starting in same place as last year from the forwards. In the backs, the only person in same place as last year is Ben Conneely while the only other starter in backs from last year is David King who reverts to full back from wing / corner back. Leon Fox is the only starting midfielder from last year. Obviously, the named team is subject to some form of change (highly likely), but to only have 3 lads in same starting positions from last years league / championship team is quite surprising, given that it was the most positive league we had in years from a results perspective.

Minor game could be close enough. Laois gave kildare a fair trimming. You never know with young lads.

[frankthetank]

Neil McManus not named in the 26.

[Hasselhoff]

Why are the minors not in the strong leinster group with kk wexford and Dublin considering offaly got to the Leinster hurling final in 2020 /2021