Offaly versus Kildare 16th June 2012

[Cyrillthesquirell9]

Can any one tell me offalys most likely starting 15 for Kildare match as there is a lot of confusion and speculation over injuries

[Lone Shark]

I'm doing my best to keep my sense of foreboding in check, I really am, but it's not easy. The red flags are just too numerous to ignore.

(1) We're going into a championship game with debutants at 3, 6 and 11. Granted Moloney has been the one bright spot of the season so far and I'd trust him to hold his own, but that's essentially an entirely new spine - that's a serious concern.
(2) Leave out frees for the moment. How many of that forward line would you bet on scoring twice or more from play at even money? Anton, maybe. No-one else. I understand the concerns over defence, but for the love of God, you have to give Kildare something to think about when flooding forward, that there is some danger of a fast paced break. I'm looking at the half forward line and I'm serious concerned about the lack of pace there, and the midfield for that matter.
(3) Kildare are powerful, but as was pointed out elsewhere in this thread, they thrive off sucking men in and creating overlaps. The worst thing you can do is wave them past, and I'd be hugely worried about a lot of our players' ability to check a run and to stop the man in a one on one situation. I'd nearly prefer lighter guys who can run with a player. Neither Richie Dalton nor Alan McNamee are renowned for turning over opposition players in possession, I have visions of them flapping at the Kildare half backs as rows of white jerseys flood past.
(4) For all his lack of size, Bernard Allen is a hard working corner forward who knows where the posts are - I'm surprised he hasn't got the nod here. Both Casey and Sullivan would be capable of doing a job in the half forward line, and they would add some scoring potential to that sector too.
(5) I'm really not sure what role Guilfoyle has, my guess is maybe that he's going to drop out to the half forward line and maybe let somebody like Ross Brady sweep in behind the midfield - but I really don't know. One thing's for sure - when Guilfoyle burst onto the scene as a teenager in 2010, he terrorised defences by running at them from the 45m line in. Now he runs from 45 to 45, which is utterly ineffective. Dropping him back into midfield defies all logic for me. Of all the good players on this year's U21 team, he was the one we got the least out of, relative to his ability.

On the whole issue of Peter Cunningham, I suspected earlier in the year that he'd get a call up and it's not without cause, but I'd be worried about what would happen him in a game like this. When Niall was called up as a minor in 2003, he was a potential swing factor in a game against Laois, where the result was in the balance. This time it's like throwing a fresh Christian into the lion pit. I don't see the advantage, frankly, and I don't expect he'll line out. If we get a qualifier draw against beatable opposition - not that there are many such opponents for us nowadays - then maybe there's a case for giving him a run. He'll have plenty of days to come.

Lets not get too carried away with Kildare and build them up to mythical status either. I don't rate them as much as some in the media do. In big games, by pure stubborness and doggedness they've stayed close to the better sides.
And that's not to be dismissive of such qualities. I'd love to transfuse more of that mentality into the Offaly panel.

On this point, I wouldn't downplay Kildare too much either. Right now I'd rank them as third favourites to win the All Ireland, behind Cork but only narrowly behind Dublin. Ahead of Kerry and Tyrone, and miles ahead of anyone else. That's a good place to be. I would argue that they are as good a championship team as we've played since playing Meath in 2000. Granted that one ended well....

[kingscounty]

just looking at the kildare team midfield is foley and o neill , to me their not the greatest of midfielders. foley is a good full back and o neill normally plays as a forward. smith and eoin o flaherty not the tallest of men either , john doyle is the other half forward and will spend most of his time loose i reckon picking up breaks around midfield and catching ball around the middle, a 3rd midfielder.kildare look strong in the back line , maclochlainn is corner back and might be a weak link if we can run him with someone like anton on him. if our half forward line dont hold the line they will invite bolton and co to attack and this will suit the lillys down to the ground. we need to get into their faces from the start , we dont match them for size but surley after 2 months we are some what fit, bring guilfoyle out and let him run at them.

[Bord na Mona man]

I'm doing my best to keep my sense of foreboding in check, I really am, but it's not easy. The red flags are just too numerous to ignore.

Lets not get too carried away with Kildare and build them up to mythical status either. I don't rate them as much as some in the media do. In big games, by pure stubborness and doggedness they've stayed close to the better sides.
And that's not to be dismissive of such qualities. I'd love to transfuse more of that mentality into the Offaly panel.

On this point, I wouldn't downplay Kildare too much either. Right now I'd rank them as third favourites to win the All Ireland, behind Cork but only narrowly behind Dublin. Ahead of Kerry and Tyrone, and miles ahead of anyone else. That's a good place to be. I would argue that they are as good a championship team as we've played since playing Meath in 2000. Granted that one ended well....

On the evidence of the last 4 years, I don't think they'll win an All Ireland. Because I reckon they'd need to sledgehammer their way through too many matches to ever win one. They don't have enough footballing ability to allow them to win games smartly rather than lung burstingly.

They've generated a lot of heat and column inches for a team that has gotten beyond the Quarter finals once, despite four 'epic' championship runs.
The only defeat I'd consider them unlucky in was the Donegal one. In the close runs of Dublin (14 men x2), Down, Cork, Tyrone etc. the better team still won.

All of this is moot for Offaly this weekend. Kildare might well unleash the full monty against Offaly...Simply because they know no other way!

[Lone Shark]

I'm doing my best to keep my sense of foreboding in check, I really am, but it's not easy. The red flags are just too numerous to ignore.

Lets not get too carried away with Kildare and build them up to mythical status either. I don't rate them as much as some in the media do. In big games, by pure stubborness and doggedness they've stayed close to the better sides.
And that's not to be dismissive of such qualities. I'd love to transfuse more of that mentality into the Offaly panel.

On this point, I wouldn't downplay Kildare too much either. Right now I'd rank them as third favourites to win the All Ireland, behind Cork but only narrowly behind Dublin. Ahead of Kerry and Tyrone, and miles ahead of anyone else. That's a good place to be. I would argue that they are as good a championship team as we've played since playing Meath in 2000. Granted that one ended well....

On the evidence of the last 4 years, I don't think they'll win an All Ireland. Because I reckon they'd need to sledgehammer their way through too many matches to ever win one. They don't have enough footballing ability to allow them to win games smartly rather than lung burstingly.

They've generated a lot of heat and column inches for a team that has gotten beyond the Quarter finals once, despite four 'epic' championship runs.
The only defeat I'd consider them unlucky in was the Donegal one. In the close runs of Dublin (14 men x2), Down, Cork, Tyrone etc. the better team still won.

All of this is moot for Offaly this weekend. Kildare might well unleash the full monty against Offaly...Simply because they know no other way!

But if you go through the front door, as Kildare are likely to do, then you don't have to do too much in too short a space of time. You can always regather your strength and this shouldn't be an issue.

Certainly your view on Kildare is the more widely held, I accept I'm in the minority on this one, but they just have too much going right for them to ignore for me. Cork are the best team in Ireland with a small bit to spare for me, but Kildare are as good as anyone else I reckon.

[DAF]

Daniel Currams will become the 29th Offaly man to line out in Senior championship for Offaly in both hurling and football. He will also be the third from Kilcormac to do so, Liam Currams and Conor Mahon being the other two.

Offaly team:
Mulhall;
Sullivan, Moloney, Pender;
B Darby, Brazil, Rigney;
A McNamee, Dalton;
Brady, Currams, Smith;
Casey, Guilfoyle, Sullivan

Any idea of the other rest apart from the 3 you named.Off the top of my head I can think of these.
John Ryan
Sean Ryan
Cillian Farrell
Ollie Minnock
Paudge Mulhare
Paudie Mulhare
Michael Duignan
Noel McGee
Neville Coughlan

[gunnerman]

Offaly wont line out like that. Given a team in on a Tuesday gives an even stronger hint that they wont. There is fitness tests for 5 or 6 lads on Saturday morning,some of which are down to play and others subs. The naming of the 1 to 15 is needed for programme numbers etc...and I cant see it lining out like that both positionally and in personnel.

[turk]

Kildare - lads eating loads of fruit and running around.

That's what McGeeney was at when he was with Na Fianna. Running around Dublin with weights strapped to his arms and legs and spending 30 -40 punts on fruit a day. That's a grand a month old money!!
Who says the same thing isn't going on in Kildare.

[Bord na Mona man]

Kildare - lads eating loads of fruit and running around.

That's what McGeeney was at when he was with Na Fianna. Running around Dublin with weights strapped to his arms and legs and spending 30 -40 punts on fruit a day. That's a grand a month old money!!
Who says the same thing isn't going on in Kildare.

Kildare got a 300k bailout from GAA HQ a few weeks ago.
That equates to a panel of 30 lads eating 1k worth of fruit for 10 months of the year.
The whole thing has gone bananas!

[bracknaghboy]

Kildare - lads eating loads of fruit and running around.

That's what McGeeney was at when he was with Na Fianna. Running around Dublin with weights strapped to his arms and legs and spending 30 -40 punts on fruit a day. That's a grand a month old money!!
Who says the same thing isn't going on in Kildare.

Never mind the fruit......some of our lads have been known to drink 30-40 pints in the course of a weekend!!
I knew we'd have a weak team out but looking at it on paper its truely shocking. To me this team does not look much better than the one that lined out for us in January against Kildare in the O'Byrne Cup and we only scored 4 points. Its no secret that Offaly have had virtally no preparation for this and I've heard fitness levels are nowhere near whats required to last 50 minutes of high intensity championship action never mind 70 - 75 minutes. We are taking on what is for all intents and purposes a professional outfit in their fifth year of preparation. Generally speaking you get out what you put in and we have put in virtually nothing and Kildare have put in everything humanly possible. There can only be one result here. I expect Offaly to be slaughtered and it could be a 20 point defeat. Despite this as always I'll be there to the final whistle but I'm not looking forward to it and after many many a year supporting Offaly teams I'll be attending a game where not for second do I believe there is so much as a shred of hope for a victory here. I agree with LS that Kildare are primed to go after an All-Ireland this year.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Does Bulmers Pear qualify as fruit?

Kildare - lads eating loads of fruit and running around.

That's what McGeeney was at when he was with Na Fianna. Running around Dublin with weights strapped to his arms and legs and spending 30 -40 punts on fruit a day. That's a grand a month old money!!
Who says the same thing isn't going on in Kildare.

Never mind the fruit......some of our lads have been known to drink 30-40 pints in the course of a weekend!!

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Never mind bananas, have you been on the mushrooms again Turk! Whats the point in belittling McGeeney?
He is/was extreme in his team & personal preparation, and until the GAA are willing to tackle the number of sessions/payment to managers then he will continue on this path. Now where did I put them tomahaa's?

[Muck Savage]

The very best of luck lads, give it all for 70 mins and no-one one can say a thing to ye! You're still in the championship and offaly teams ever went out expecting to lose.

I like the look of the team. Plenty of youth with a view to build for then future. If the current mangement stay in place through next year a great chance to build from the experience this weekend through the rest of the championship and into the close season. The majority of that team will be playing for the next few years and experiences like this will build the team.

Give it all, I'm 6000 miles away but will be glued to the Internet radio Sunday morning shouting and waking up the neighbours

[timber]

Lads we want a win. Offaly teams never feared anybody and we aint gonna start now. Offaly have to keep plugging away and if they are within striking distance with 5 to go then a win is very possible. Kildare have blown all their big games when it came to the crunch.

Our lads have been off the beer the last two weeks and staying out of the palace night club. So they are primed and ready.

[ryot]

Offaly have to, as usual, play without fear and I never yet knew one that feared Kildare.

Now I will have to travel from Kildare and no matter what happens I will see it through to the final whistle. How I would "luv it" if I could travel back with a smug smile not saying a word !!!!

I fear I might have to take some stick but hell, its only Kildare.