Offaly Senior Inter County Hurling 2012

[thekid]

i believe galway, tipp, limerick and cork are all back training weeks now. and apparently Kilkenny and dublin players were given gym programmes in early novemver and have been assessed on them already, and have now began their hurling and skill training. I'm not saying we're too late, but shouldnt the 21s be back soon if they have any leinster aspirations? surely a manager is appointed by now?

[jimbob17]

disappointing result for the hurlers today, expected better than that to be fair despite missing the coolderrys. just wondering if any one has a report and who played well. Should we really be surprised that the westies are getting closer to us given their underage development structure has brought them ahead of OY in underage in the last few years and now it is starting to break thro at senior level.

Its certainly an eye opener for the management but i think the westies deserve serious credit for their improvement in the last while. They won the christy ring under kevin martin and Brian Hanley has brought them on since to being very close to Galway? in the leinster last year with ten minutes remaining. they are also getting footballers (Greville and others) to opt for hurling over football which is a fair thing in westmeath. They are definitely making strides and are well ahead of OY at minor and U16 the last few years. It is scary how far back we are falling while we look at the likes of Dublin and westmeath pass us out in Leinster hurling pecking order. And carlow arent too far behind us either...We just need to start doing things properly on every level. Starts with management from the top table. Chairman, secretary and treasurer of minor and senior boards need to start doing their homework!!!

[jimbob17]

and to answer the kid, does his info on u 21in other counties not speak volumes on the reasons we are where we are!! Add Limerick Wexford and Clare to those counties already in motion. Anyone else that is anyway serious are started while we havent even a management in place, and probably wont have for another few weeks. So bad and such lack of foresight is pathetic!! The suits need to open their eyes and get with the programme or else step away and let someone who knows what is required in to manage things properly!!! Its a sorry state how things are run!!

[durra1]

Walsh Cup: Murtagh double sinks Faithful

23 January 2012

Westmeath's Brendan MurtaghWestmeath booked a date with Kilkenny in the Walsh Cup semi final following an impressive 2-13 to 0-12 win over Offaly at Kinnegad.

The Lake County were 4/1 outsiders going into this match, but they impressed throughout with corner forward Brendan Murtagh top scoring with 2-6 (five points from frees).

Within seconds of the throw in, both sides were down to 14-men as Westmeath's Aonghus Clarke and Offaly's Shane Kelly were dismissed, virtually from the throw in.

Despite playing with the aid of a strong breeze, Offaly could not pull away from Westmeath and only for the free taking of Shane Dooley, they would have struggled more.

Indeed, Westmeath went in at the break leading by 1-5 to 0-6 after Murtagh got in behind the Offaly defence and coolly finished to the net on the stroke of half time.

Offaly rallied briefly in the second as Dooley, who finished the match with 0-9, seven of which came from placed balls kept them in touch before Murtagh second major midway through the half sealed their fate.

The visitors' woes were compounded when substitute Ger Healion was sent off with seven minutes remaining and it was left to Westmeath substitute John Gilligan to finish the scoring with an excellent point when under pressure.


Westmeath: S McGovern; P Fennell, A Price, C Jordan; D Fennell, E Price, P Gilsenan; P Dowdall (0-2), A Clarke; P Greville (0-1), F Boyle (0-1), A Mitchell (0-2 1f, 1 '65); B Murtagh (2-6 5f), D Higgins, J Shaw. Subs: A Dermody for Boyle (inj, h-t), D Carty for Higgins (47), J Gilligan (0-1) for D Fennell (65).

Offaly: J Dempsey; M Verney, P Healion, S Wynne; E Murphy, R Hanniffy, D Horan; J Bergin, S Kelly; D Dunne, C Egan, B Murphy; S Dooley (0-9 7f), D Molloy, S Ryan (0-1). Subs: G Healion (0-1) for Molloy (34), M Morkan (0-1) for Dunne (46), S Coughlan for P Healion (47).

Ref: P O'Dwyer (Carlow).

[Bord na Mona man]

Well done to Westmeath.
Good to see there is evidence of a pay-off for their work at underage. It isn't some sort of cryptic formula FFS.

If they can blend the younger generation alongside the more recognised names like Andrew Mitchell, Brendan Murtagh they'll be useful.
They gave Galway a good run in last year's championship and there is no reason they should fall back again.

Its early days for Offaly. The new management might have gotten a surprise if they had any expectations of Offaly going out and dictating the game.

Two red cards for Offaly. Maybe they weren't warranted, but our disciplinary record has been poor in recent times. I seem to recall we finished bottom of the Fair Play table in last year's league.

[High School Musical]

Two red cards for Offaly. Maybe they weren't warranted, but our disciplinary record has been poor in recent times. I seem to recall we finished bottom of the Fair Play table in last year's league.

If we can improve this aspect of our game, there's definitely an Intertoto Cup spot up for grabs this season!

[kingscounty]

new management or not westmeath should not be beaten offaly by 7 points in any competition even if the coolderry boys were missing. i know its only the walsh cup but westmeath look like a team that are training and that want to improve, its great to see them putting the effort in at underage and fair play to them but its worrying to see an offaly team struggle to score (7 points from frees from dooley) . a game against the cats would have being ideal in the next round to get us ready for the league but going by the last result we are better off not playing them as god only knows what the score would be. we are either behind in terms of gym work or maybe they are in a hard training programme and thats why we lost but everyone needs to get the finger out and get stuck in now.

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

No point in knee jerk reactions. We had a fairly experimental team out an many regards, and games this time of the year would not be a guideline. Mgt are probably in middle of hard training and are gearing towards a few weeks down the line for the league. Not making any excuses but I aint worried about Sunday, but will judge them after a few league games.
The points made here about what our under 21s are doing are crucial to how we do at this grade. Have they a panel, are they doing any training in gyms, or on programs?
Again the key concerns are as with the footballers, are our players doing gym programs over the winter, last year we were blown out of it at the start of the league, and I hope this wont be the case. We need to try and quickly settle on the spine of the team and work on getting intensity into the team all over the field and especially the work rate of our forwards in stopping defenders, and also ensuring our defenders improve the quality of their delivery to the forward line. This sounds basic, but unfortunately we have to start with the basics.

[townman]

well leaving kinnegad on sunday evening i didn't mind we were beaten but offaly just lay down the let westmeath do what they like for most of the match
now that offaly team wasn't that weak Hanniffy,Verney,Joe Bergin,Shane Dooley,Derek Molloy,Brendan Murphy, Horan have all played championship hurling.

i know its the Walsh cup but we should have went out to do well in it as well we are not going to get many chances to get to a final this year are we.
the only players that could hold there head up after this game were D. Horan, Eanna Murphy, and Brendan Murphy when he went centre field he had a good
second half.

the ref senting off the two players at the throw in was a bit OTT as a yellow card would have done i have to say offaly keep to the winter ban as Shane Dooley
is about a stone over weight and most were yards behind westmeath not alone in fitness but hurling wise as well.

The Goals westmeath goa'sl were school boy stuff from peter Healion i know we are missing our first 3 players that could be full back Cleary,Kenny,Corcoran,
but the goals were poor Mick Verney also got the run around is there not any young player that should be given a run in the walsh cup as Verney is there a good
few years not a won't get any better.

there a few lads have the opinion that Brian Carroll might get in hard to get on the county team this year by what i seen on sunday he get on it with one hand tide
behind his back as would Parlon and Damien Murray if he was to come back.

have to say kinnegad have a nice little set up there first time in that pitch the field was very good for this time of year the music at half time in the little stand would blow
the ears of you

its a shield game next then laois in tullamore hope to have more players back for the first league game because if they hurl like they did on sunday again leix
they will be on the end of another bad defeat.

[timber]

new management or not westmeath should not be beaten offaly by 7 points in any competition even if the coolderry boys were missing. i know its only the walsh cup but westmeath look like a team that are training and that want to improve, its great to see them putting the effort in at underage and fair play to them but its worrying to see an offaly team struggle to score (7 points from frees from dooley) . a game against the cats would have being ideal in the next round to get us ready for the league but going by the last result we are better off not playing them as god only knows what the score would be. we are either behind in terms of gym work or maybe they are in a hard training programme and thats why we lost but everyone needs to get the finger out and get stuck in now.

Every year after Offaly get beaten in these early games the first thing that is blamed is a lack of gym work and being way behind because of this. The real problem is this emphasis on the gym. A game was never won in the gym. All these lads on both football and hurling panels have been in the gym every year with some of the top coaches giving them advice. They are doing that work. Where they are falling down is they are not working on their aerobic conditioning outside. This should be done on there own or in small groups. The best player in the country wont concentrate totally on gym work over the winter then walk onto the field and cover every blade of grass in a game. I agree gym work has a place, but its a very small part of the big plan.

Shane Dooley is carrying weight as Townman pointed out. Why? Because too much emphasis on taking the easy option, going to a cozy gym and trying to look big. I only use Shane as he has already been mentioned. I personally think there is too much time spent in gyms doing weights. These lads should be outside doing a level of running to keep the weight off and a decent aerobic base for January.

[manfromdelmonte]

A properly structured and tailoured strength and conditioning gym program will see you drop the excess weight, improve strength and flexibility
if that is not the case, then either the coaches giving the programs don't know their arse from their ear, or the players go to the gym and do their own thing instead of following the programs
which is the case for a lot of GAA players.

I despair when I hear people say bulking up or whatever. its not fecking bodybuilding we are playing

[Plain of the Herbs]

For a good-news story, I see David Magner lined out at corner-back on the UCG team which beat wexford in the Welsh Cup las Sahirday.

[townman]

its wexford park on sunday again wexford wonder will their be many change's i hope he gives 5 or 6 who were on the bench last weekend a run.

[puzzled]

i believe galway, tipp, limerick and cork are all back training weeks now. and apparently Kilkenny and dublin players were given gym programmes in early novemver and have been assessed on them already, and have now began their hurling and skill training. I'm not saying we're too late, but shouldnt the 21s be back soon if they have any leinster aspirations? surely a manager is appointed by now?

Ger Coughlan is the U21 manager for 2012 with Aidan Hanrahan(Lusmagh)with him as coach and two selectors yet to be confirmed!

[puzzled]

Offaly team to play wexford
1James Dempsey 2Brian Mulrooney 3Sean Coughlan 4Stephen Wynne 5Barry Harding 6Rory Hanniffy 7Diarmuid Horan 8Micheal Verney 9Conor Mahon 10Colin Egan 11Derek Molloy 12Mark Morkam 13Sean Ryan 14Joe Bergin 15Dermot Mooney

If ever there was a chance to look at the panel and give everyone a chance to impress the new management then this is it.No harm to try lads in different positions either,interesting to see how Verney goes at midfield!
Personally I'd have doubts about some of the lads picked on this team but everyone deserves a fair crack at seeing whether they are good enough to play at this level!
Best of luck to all concerned but this will be a long journey home on sunday(hopefully I'm wrong)!