Offaly hurlers 2006

[redser]

Mullins
Hoctor
Oakley
Franks
Rory Hannify
Claffey
browne
Cordial
Molloy
Cassidy
Brady
G Hanniffy
Carroll
Hanrahan
Murphy

Im aware that this team has it faults. All county teams need a half forward line to compete on puckouts and thats why ive gone with a dubious line. Hanniffy and Browne are needed n the backs cause the county is lacking in big strong pacey backsmen

[ballymanabroad]

I agree with the sentiment of the half back line. Look at any successful team over the last 15 years and they all had exceptional half back lines. The half back line does the midfielder's job now.

[Rynaghs Biffo]

1. Mullins
2. Hoctor
3. Oakley
4. Franks
5. K Brady
6. R Hanniffy
7. Claffey
8. Cordial
9. Browne
10. Murphy
11. J Brady
12. G Hanniffy
13. Carroll
14. Hanrahan
15. Murray

A Strong team, but still not up to standard. we need as good a team playing in the league week in week out, with the birr lads more than likely missing due to club championship, this could prove costly. Feels weird for me picking a team with no Rynaghs fellas on it, how times have changed.....

[black and red exile]

1 Mullins
2 Teehan
3 Oakley
4 Franks
5 Hoctor
6 R Hannify
7 Claffey
8 G Hannify
9 Cordial
10 Carroll
11 O'Hara
12 Brown
13 Hayden
14 Murphy
15 Hanrahan

I feel Paul Cleary is probably a year too early for the starting 15 but what a talent to have on the bench as cover for Oakley.

[Lone Shark]

My full analysis is going up in a few minutes, but for what it's worth - I think Joe Brady has to be picked. He's improving as a CB and was written off too quickly I reckon. Cleary has to start, he's been too good not to.

Mullins

Franks
Oakley
Cleary

Rory Hanniffy
Joe Brady
Teehan

Diggy
Barry Whelahan

Carroll
Gary Hanniffy
Browne

Lee
Hanrahan
Murphy


Subs:

O'Connor, Kealey, Rigney, Claffey, David Kenny, Hayden, O'Hara, Bergin.

[Bogman]

1 Brian Mullins

2 Kevin Brady
3 Paul Cleary
4 Brendan O'Meara

5 Barry Teehan
6 Rory Hanniffy
7 Niall Claffey

8 Gary Hanniffy
9 Stephen Browne

10 Brendan Murphy
11 Ger Oakley
12 Diggy Cordial

13 Aidan Hanrahan
14 Joe Bergin
15 Brian Carroll

Panel: Shane O'Connor, Eoin Kennedy or Damien McDermott, Fearghal Keeley, J.P.O'Meara, Eamonn Lee, Joe Brady, Damien Murray, James Rigney, Alan Egan, Andrew McRedmond, Daniel Hoctor, Ciaran Slevin, David Franks, Stephen Delaney, Mick O'Hara, Pat McIntyre, Colm Cassidy, Dylan Hayden, Michael Dwane.

[Treasurer]

Willie Comerford deserves a look in there somewhere

[Bord na Mona man]

I would put Paul Cleary at full back. I think Ger Oakley was getting caught out by high balls this year. Cleary looks like a specialised full back. I would also be interested to see how Brendan O'Meara or Trevor Corcoran would get on at corner back. I haven't seen much of them, but they seem fairly dogged and diligent defenders.

I'd give Paul Molloy a run at midfield also. I don't think he would make it as a forward, but midfield might suit his game better. His use of possession and ability to stick over the odd score might improve us here.

I think in the long term, we need to find more aggressive players in the backs. We shouldn't make any apologies for playing spoilers and stoppers.

Kilkenny's defence started to leak like ours once it was without the slash hooking and briarcutting of Noel Hickey.
Cork have one of the niggliest corner backs around in Brian Murphy (far more intimidating than the Rock). It's time to start casting the net a bit wider to find timber merchants.

In Offaly we have tended to pick good all rounders in the backs - Cassidy, the Bradys, Teehan etc.
I'd be more interested in trying to dig out specialised players for positions.
Ollie Canning was an average Galway forward, thrown in at corner back as a desperation measure back in 2001 and look what became of him. Maybe there's a couple of unmined gems in Offaly?

To be fair to John McIntyre, he seems imaginative and isn't afraid to change things about (Kevin Kilmurray take note). Aidan Hanrahan as a full forward for example was a good move - that a more cautious manager mightn't have tried.

I'm certain that the sum of all parts that we have seen recently from our hurlers is far less than the collective ability.

[Bogman]

I notice that Leinster played Rory Hanniffy at right half-back in the "Sid" position, similar to Lone Shark's proposed Offaly team.

They had Gary Hanniffy at full-forward scoring 1-2 (where he spent some time in the county final) and Brian Carroll at No. 15 (0-2).

I still prefer Gary Hanniffy at midfield for the county but full forward would be better in my opinion than half forward where he just gets bottled up.

As Bord na Mona Man says Paul Molloy might be worth a look at midfield - he's maybe not an All-Star forward and not a specialist defender but he would chip in a few points from midfield.

John McIntyre does seem to be creative with trying players in different positions so I hope that he sticks with the lessons he learnt last year rather than re-learning them again during the course of embarrassing championship defeats.

Just to summarise again we finished up with:

Gary Hanniffy at midfield.
Barry Teehan in the half back line (much better there)
Paul Cleary a first team regular when fit ( I think he's better at full back)
Diggy in the half forwards rather than midfield.
Rory Hanniffy at centre half back
Ger Oakley question mark at full back after being replaced by Joe Brady with a few minutes to go due to problems under high ball against Dublin - I'd prefer to see him at centre-half forward
Aidan Hanrahan a first team regular
Damien Murray starting position in doubt although good squad player
Kevin Brady at corner back (not perfect yet but big & strong)