Offaly v Laois NHL Round 1 26/2/12

[bazza]

Trevor Corcoran or Mick Verney, who's better?

[townman]

its a pity Watkins has left the panel he is better than both, Verney and Corcoran who's the better well Trevor Corcoran hasn't hurl much
inter county over the years wheres Verney is knocking around the last 6 years or more.

Mick Verney will give a 100 per cent and never gives up his best display was in portlaois again kilkenny in 2008 where he done
a great job on Richie Hogan who was taking off the same day.

Trevor Corcoran has been the best fullback in club hurling in offaly over the last two year's and this years display have been topclass
i think he should have got a run by now with offaly, he came on again limerick a few years ago but has went off the scene since then.

i think Corcoran is better in the air and has a better strike than Verney, if they were going for the corner back roll this year and on
form Corcoran would be my choice, but he has to hurl well in an offaly jersey first theres a big differ in club and county hurling.

the thing is if Paul Cleary and Stephen Egan plus Frank's come back fit and are hurling well add in Stephen Wynne who is going well
with offaly so far this year Corcoran and Verney could fine themselfs beside each other on the bench this year theres a lot of hurling
to be done yet before we will know the six back's for the championship clash again the slaneysider's in tullamore.

[Deadandgone]

I dont think s egan is goin back in. Kenny full back and franks in one corner. The no 2 jersey is up for grabs and at the min.

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Not really fair to compare Verney with Corcoran, Corcoran a full back, and a good one. Verney is a good lad, but he gets out in front, poor first touch, tussle and often a turnover. One example yesterday, he burst out in front, had to make a simple catch as had left his man for dead. Ball bounced off his hand and I think Laois ended up with a score, he does a lot of the hard work, but for whatever reason is it confidence or what, he seems to make simple mistakes.

When it comes down to it with Coolderry its hard to call who will come in, on the evidence so far, Joe could do a job at centre forward, I would prob put Parlon in for Mulrooney. Derek Molloy is a fella who looked like he hadnt hurled since last year, but he is a fella who i would persist with but he would want to mind himself and not get involved in any shite. He has a couple of games until the Coolderry are finished.
Offaly discipline yesterday was good and there is no room room for lads pullin the timber for revenge and ya 12 points up!

Davy Kenny could have brought a chair with him yesterday, he must have cleared 15 balls hit straight into him with noone near him at all!
Colin Egan looked rusty when he came in.
Will be a tougher test next week in Wexford.

[kinnittyman]

I dont think s egan is goin back in. Kenny full back and franks in one corner. The no 2 jersey is up for grabs and at the min.

Is there anyone able to confirm/dismiss this rumour about Stephen Egan??

I would find it hugley disappointing if he didn't hurl with Offaly this year. I would have him nailed down for one of the corner back roles.

[DAF]

I dont think s egan is goin back in. Kenny full back and franks in one corner. The no 2 jersey is up for grabs and at the min.

I think Kenny has to play at centre back he gets caught out when he has top mark a smaller full forward his strength is fielding the ball and he will get to do that more at centre back.When is Paul Cleary going to be back?

[Deadandgone]

It is ok to say paul cleary for full back he is a good player but u need to be playin week in week out at this level. Rorys best spot is at no 6. And play close to kenny. Do not leave the space in front of kenny,like the way kinahan and rigney played. Kinahan did not like space left in front of him or does any full back. S egan has had a gilmore groin opp. And wont be rite for a while.

[townman]

Firstly, the corner-forwards will have to switch sides. Dooley will have to be in the right. Colin Egan would be a better option, as a ball-catching half-forward. Looking forward to seeing James Rigney at midfield. A Rigney – Mahon midfield has a good blend to it.

Diarmuid Horan’s selection at wing back is an interesting one. Really the last time Horan started a game was in the Qualifier in Limerick (whenever that was), when he was carried off injured late in the game and missed the Waterford match. Thing is, everyone hurled well that evening, and while everyone else is judged on what they did last year, I feel Diarmuid’s selection at wing-back is based on that evening long ago.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, and Diarmuid Horan is a fine hurler, but it’s a caveat nonetheless. I recall Horan did alot of hurling when he came on in an attacking-midfield role in Wexford Park more recently. Anyway, there’s always the option of switching Horan and Rigney if needs be.

Make no mistake, Laois will be well-up for this. It’s their All-Ireland, and their whole year revolves around this fixture. And facing a side who leaked 10 goals last time out isn’t ideal for Offaly either.

Daffodils starting to blossom. Rugby on the Telly. Laois do their best hurling at this time of year. Laois by a single point.

since your good at bring things up i though i might remind you on a few points you wrote, i don't know if you were at the game sunday but Diarmuid Horan was outstanding again
like he was in the Walsh cup game's this year the two he played in so i don't think Ollie Baker and Mark Corrigan and Pauge, are picking him on what he done that Evening long ago.

i think you should get out and watch a little bit more hurling as to predict a laois win on sunday on what you base that on beats me! didn't see you come on and say
how far out you were on this one.

[Lone Shark]

In fairness Townman, it's very easy make a post like yours with the benefit of hindsight. There were actually plenty of solid reasons for suspecting that Laois had a chance on Sunday. League games between the two counties are usually evenly split, Laois are always fired up for games in February, and they had shown plenty of promise in the Walsh Cup by beating Dublin - we lost to Westmeath, and beat Wexford and DIT - two teams who turned out to be pretty poor.

Secondly, if Mick McEvoy hadn't got sent off, Laois were hurling well up to that point and could have been in contention after 25 mins - the point at which they gave up last Sunday.

Seriously though, crowing over someone's prediction that turned out to be incorrect is bad form, particularly when your own prediction was Offaly to win by 5-8 points if they get a bit of luck.