Offaly starting team to face Kilkenny

[Killeighman]

What do ye guys think the offaly team to start in the first round of the championship against Kilkenny will be? This is presuming that all players are fit

[I am Tony McTague]

What do I think?!!...

I hope you get Writers Block soon, thats what I think....

[Killeighman]

Tony if you have nothing better to say just jog on

[townman]

maybe we should join up with laois like Tony McTague says we should

[SearingDrive]

It's 2 months away. We should know by week ending 8th June.

[biffo1991]

Was talking to a gentleman this evening, and the topic arised of Offaly Hurling, and he told me that James Rigney had been invited back to the panel by selector Mark Corrigan. Apparently Rigney is working in tullamore in the bridge house....

When the next training session arrived, Rigney arrived and Baker didn't know anything about it and asked him whats he doing with himself, Rigney replied working in the bridge house, apparently Baker told him to get his stuff and head on home he didn't want him near the squad whilst working in a Pub/Club.

If im telling a lie, i heard a lie.

But if its true, i think baker is out of order with this as Rigney is a great half back and would definitely in contention for a spot on the team come June.

[Killeighman]

He is one of the best hurlers we have got. How could baker just do that. I've lost a fair bit of respect for baker now if true

[townman]

i suppose he would have said the same to Brian Whelehan and Johnny Pilkington if he was over them
in the 90's

[fifitrixiebelle]

Ollie was a fine hurler in his day & knows his stuff. id have fate in him to get the absolute best out of this offaly team.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Just means Rigney ks a cert to appear against Lusmagh in a fortnight.

Not that I ever doubted he would, or anything.

[The Bogman]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but is James Rigney not currently serving a 48 week (or some similiar length) ban? It was a Kinnitty person who told me this, seemingly he played illegally while in London last summer. The person also said that the Kinnitty secretary and/or chairman were also handed down the same ban.

[True Red]

Chinese whisper i'd say.......doubt that occurred.

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Doubt this happened, Rigney is a very committed young lad and I doubt he would be treated in such a manner, secondly, doubt Mark Corrigan and Baker would handle things like this with a relatively experienced player.

[Lone Shark]

None of that story makes sense. For one thing, is James Rigney not working as a blocklayer at the moment, over in Banagher? If so, and he is actually working in the Bridge House as well, then this is a second job for him, in which case you'd have to say that he'd be seriously stretched to keep the pace with the rest of the panel, never mind to make up the ground from missing training since the start of the year.

Secondly it would strike me as odd that Rigney would be out on the field and togged out and only then does the manager ask what's going on - unless we're in a situation where the management team never meet each other, you'd presume the very least they would be doing is singing off the one hymnsheet.

Like most people, I love watching James Rigney hurl, and if he was in a position to make a real and meaningful contribution to Offaly's cause, then you'd like to see him involved. However guys should only be called in at this time of year in very special circumstances and when they're in a position to make up a lot of ground after missing out on the work done so far. If Rigney is working two jobs, then he's really not ready to do that. That's not meant as a criticism of the lad - work should always come first - but speaking as somebody who works odd hours and well in excess of fifty of them every week, if I was ten years younger and a hundred times better at the sport, I'd still be in no position to commit to a county hurling panel. It's unfortunate, but it's the way of it these days. Nobody's to blame, but you're competing with students, teachers, bank officials and various other nine to five folks - you just can't do that if your work is tied into bar hours.

[turk]

I think it's a great story. I'd like to add that Baker probably had to be restrained by the other selectors as he flew into a rage. Then a five minute tussle ensued between seven grown men which culminated in a whiskey bottle being smashed over Baker's head.