I came away from Tullamore very worried on Sunday, I have to say. Traditionally we would be expecting Offaly to at least be cute and do the right thing in possession, as well as having the basic skills of the game like catching, rising, ground strokes, etc etc. Our physicallity was always exposed in the past few years against the bigger, stronger teams like Clare, Kilkenny, Limerick etc.
On Sunday I witnessed Offaly players trying to solo out of trouble instead of handpassing to an open colleague, I saw poor striking, I saw poor discipline and I saw at least 6 or 7 lads who were so far off the pace that they made Limerick look like a fast team, which they are not. I also, witnessed criminal lack of effort from a couple of lads, one in particular and POTH and LS will know who I mean because I probably bored them to tears sitting beside me
I hope that the pitch, which was very bobbly, is in some form to blame for the poor rising and ground strokes, although Limerick didn't seem to have as much trouble with it. I also hope that Joe had them training hard or something during the week, which might explain how someone like Shane Dooley was left 10 yards behind Mark Foley in a race, not to mind the painfully slow pace of the likes of Kevin Brady, Ger Healion and Joe Brady.
However, it really worries me when someone like Ger Oakley, who is a genuine good tryer and whose heart I love, is our most natural looking hurler.
There were a few decent performances, but there has been precious little progress as far as I can see. Plus ca change and all that.
**Edit. Best of luck to Lone Shark in his new journalistic role. I hope none of my comments made it into his report, or he'll be shot after day 1
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Shane Gavin. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.