Laois v Offaly – Leinster Hurling Quarter Final 7th June

A forum to air your views on Offaly GAA matters and beyond.
TheGreatGame
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Re: Laois v Offaly – Leinster Hurling Quarter Final 7th Ju

Post by TheGreatGame »

Fair play to the Offaly supporters and online posters who have been gracious, the well wishes are appreciated. The pre match analysis by PotH in particular was eerily accurate, and as I stated on our own forum had Keenan not nailed those long range free's who knows how the match may have turned, though our lads just seemed like they wouldn't accept defeat on the day.

Townman you are totally missing the point. With our playing numbers (both Laois and Offaly), competing for Leinsters and All-Irelands every year has never been the aim at minor/u21. We can dare to dream when we get a particularly talented group, but that won't be the case most years. The minor team that Cha Dwyer graduated from didn't tear up any tree's, but we've brought a player through the system that hit 5 points from play the other day. Now, you can play that down all you want stating Offaly weren't at the races or the lad that was marking him shouldn't have been there, but that would only be bitterness. The Offaly supporters around me were able to appreciate his skill and determination, you should be able to as well.

Kilkenny may very well beat our minors in the semi-final, we have a few key weaknesses that will probably be exploited, but I'd be very confident our top four or five players will be every bit as good as their best lads.

fifitrixiebelle
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Re: Laois v Offaly – Leinster Hurling Quarter Final 7th Ju

Post by fifitrixiebelle »

townman wrote:look lads fair play to laois they were the better team on sunday by miles, now don't get me wrong Mullane and the sunday game were at it on sunday night laois have made great strides at underage
what have they won, they have beaten offaly minors the last few years so what, offaly hurling is at its lowest, they said laois underage is to be look at, Carlow beat them last week in the under 21, its the same carlow teams that offaly have hammer the last few years since 2013 at minor, nothing again laois best of luck to them but they aren't winning leinsters or anything, we beat them two years ago at under 21, Kilcormac/ Killoughey have beaten Camross and rathdowney/Errill in the last two leinster club meetings.

i am sure most will disagree with me but sure thats what has us in the hole we are in and we are only getting deeper.
typical townman, his head so far up his hole dat he cud comb his hair wit his teeth. of course been beaten by leix is far worse than been beaten by kk, sure dont all offaly lads love gettin a hiding from kilkenny. its the only time ya hear da Rose of Mooncoin comin from both dressing rooms!! :lol:

Uve been sneering leix now for a good while & ya got yer answer on sunday...'heres yer arses now lads' sez cheddar. what have leix won ya ask? more than offaly in recent years...a much better football team & now a much better hurling team. no need to be mentioning carlow, dere leapfroggin ye now too. ye hammered carlow in minor but who knows what will happen at u21? Ur full of it townman...batein carlow....batein (14 man) limerick in the league...comin close to (13 man) tipp in the league....there's always some shovel of shite ur flingin about.

face facts; 1. offaly are in de round robin next year 2. no guarantee theyll come out of dat. 3. cud be the Christy Ring shortly if ye dont get yer act together 4. better hope ye draw westmeath in de qualifiers tho ye mitent bate them. de alternative is clare cork or limerick/tipp....holy mudder of all bateins townman.

Give Paudie a call, like i said :roll:

sam88885a
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Re: Laois v Offaly – Leinster Hurling Quarter Final 7th Ju

Post by sam88885a »

tox you make a great point , nice hurlers win notting .
b whelahan was a brilliant hurler but a pure hurler ,he was special and h rigney allowed him to express himself .
i dont think we can ever play j bergin b carroll s dooley and d currams together unless we have two players to do the donkey work for them .
offaly were soft on sunday and only d shortt and c kiely have fire in them but they rest would run away from trouble in my opinion.
a team like this would have much more steel in it but the wouldnt suit the system b whelahan want to play , so maybe sid has the wrong system for the type of player avable .
j demsey d king g healion s egan c kiely d shortt c doughan
d kilmartain e murphy
j bergin c mahon e nolan

s dooley c egan d currams

Heshs Umpire
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Re: Laois v Offaly – Leinster Hurling Quarter Final 7th Ju

Post by Heshs Umpire »

townman wrote:what have they won, they have beaten offaly minors the last few years so what, offaly hurling is at its lowest, they said laois underage is to be look at, Carlow beat them last week in the under 21, its the same carlow teams that offaly have hammer the last few years since 2013 at minor, nothing again laois best of luck to them but they aren't winning leinsters or anything, we beat them two years ago at under 21,
No, we're not winning Leinsters, you're spot on there.
But it's all about the slow but steady progress at underage in the background.
You're spot on about the Carlow result too - that was bad.
But I still think our hurling graph is on an upward curve and for now that will do us.
And maybe we will nab a provincial title at some stage - you'd hardly begrudge us that now, would you?

offalyman
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Re: Laois v Offaly – Leinster Hurling Quarter Final 7th Ju

Post by offalyman »

How can a team change so much in personnel in 2 years...
Offaly v Kilkenny 2013:
OFFALY: James Dempsey (Kinnitty); Chris McDonald (Brosna Gaels),David Kenny (Belmont), Kevin Brady (Coolderry); Rory Hanniffy (Birr), Ger Healion (Kilcormac/Killoughey), Cathal Parlon (Coolderry); Conor Mahon (Kilcormac/Killoughey), Dermot Mooney (Seir Kieran); Colin Egan (Belmont), Brian Carroll (Coolderry), Ciaran Slevin (Kilcormac/Killoughey); Shane Dooley (Tullamore), Joe Bergin (Seir Kieran), Sean Cleary (Shinrone).

Subs: Dan Currams (Kilcormac/Killoughey) for Cleary (36 mins), Paul Cleary (Birr) for Kenny (42-47 mins), Derek Molloy (Shamrocks) for Mahon (44 mins), Tomas Carroll (Seir Kieran) for Slevin (52 mins), Sean Ryan (Shinrone) for Brady (52

Offaly v Kilkenny 2014:

Offaly: J Dempsey; N Wynne, R Hanniffy (0-01), J Rigney; B Harding, D Morkan, C Parlon (0-01); C Mahon (0-01), S Ryan (0-01); J Bergin (0-01), D Currams (0-01), P Geraghty; K Connolly, S Dooley (0-01), B Carroll (1-10, 0-05f).

Subs: C MacDonald for Rigney (27mins); T Geraghty for P Geraghty (35mins); S Quirke (0-01) for Connolly (35mins); G Healion for Harding (53mins); K Slevin for Bergin (61mins).

OFFALY: J Dempsey; D King (0-01), D Shortt, N Wynne; C Parlon, C Egan, P Camon; S Ryan, E Nolan (0-01); P Murphy, D Currams (0-04), J Bergin (0-01); S Dooley (0-10, 9f, 1 65), J Mulrooney, B Carroll (0-03). Subs: C Kiely (0-01) for Ryan (HT); E Murphy for Parlon (41); S Cleary for Mulrooney (44); S Wynne for King (60).

sam88885a
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Re: Laois v Offaly – Leinster Hurling Quarter Final 7th Ju

Post by sam88885a »

j demsey e nolan d shortt n wynne c kiely e murphy c doughan
j bergin d king
s kinsella c mahon p camon

s dooley c egan d currams

surely a team like that would be much more agressive and balance than sunday and 10 of them are in their early 20 s.
long term i can see c kiely and c doughan taking up the full back and centre back spots . d kelliher is also an option for either spots

Toxicity234
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Re: Laois v Offaly – Leinster Hurling Quarter Final 7th Ju

Post by Toxicity234 »

offalyman wrote:How can a team change so much in personnel in 2 years...
Offaly v Kilkenny 2013:
OFFALY: James Dempsey (Kinnitty); Chris McDonald (Brosna Gaels),David Kenny (Belmont), Kevin Brady (Coolderry); Rory Hanniffy (Birr), Ger Healion (Kilcormac/Killoughey), Cathal Parlon (Coolderry); Conor Mahon (Kilcormac/Killoughey), Dermot Mooney (Seir Kieran); Colin Egan (Belmont), Brian Carroll (Coolderry), Ciaran Slevin (Kilcormac/Killoughey); Shane Dooley (Tullamore), Joe Bergin (Seir Kieran), Sean Cleary (Shinrone).

Subs: Dan Currams (Kilcormac/Killoughey) for Cleary (36 mins), Paul Cleary (Birr) for Kenny (42-47 mins), Derek Molloy (Shamrocks) for Mahon (44 mins), Tomas Carroll (Seir Kieran) for Slevin (52 mins), Sean Ryan (Shinrone) for Brady (52

Offaly v Kilkenny 2014:

Offaly: J Dempsey; N Wynne, R Hanniffy (0-01), J Rigney; B Harding, D Morkan, C Parlon (0-01); C Mahon (0-01), S Ryan (0-01); J Bergin (0-01), D Currams (0-01), P Geraghty; K Connolly, S Dooley (0-01), B Carroll (1-10, 0-05f).

Subs: C MacDonald for Rigney (27mins); T Geraghty for P Geraghty (35mins); S Quirke (0-01) for Connolly (35mins); G Healion for Harding (53mins); K Slevin for Bergin (61mins).

OFFALY: J Dempsey; D King (0-01), D Shortt, N Wynne; C Parlon, C Egan, P Camon; S Ryan, E Nolan (0-01); P Murphy, D Currams (0-04), J Bergin (0-01); S Dooley (0-10, 9f, 1 65), J Mulrooney, B Carroll (0-03). Subs: C Kiely (0-01) for Ryan (HT); E Murphy for Parlon (41); S Cleary for Mulrooney (44); S Wynne for King (60).
36 players used in 3 games. 36 Players. almost 3 different team and people say that players won't commit.

This is one of Brian Whelehan 1st interview.
“[It’s a] big step up from club management. It’s something I was really looking forward to,” he told RTÉ Sport.
"We’ve been a long time in the shade, looking at and admiring other teams, and that has to change"
“I’ve two very good guys with me in Ger Coughlan and John Troy.
"Ger has been here before and John brings that edge to us from a forward’s point of view – just that different way of thinking.
“As an Offaly man, and very proud Offaly hurler, when that opportunity came my way I was only too delighted to throw my hat into the ring, and I felt the opportunity mightn't come again.
"We’re under no illusions here in Offaly of where we have to get to. The first step is trying to get a bit of confidence into the team, into the squad, and a bit of spirit.
“What we will aspire to is getting back to some core values – moving the ball, supporting one another, you know, getting that Offaly spirit back there. We’ve been a long time in the shade, looking at and admiring other teams and that has to change."
Our Confidence in Offaly hurling has never been so low.
The unbelievable thing is that Whelehan has taking a chainsaw to the tree that was give us shade and kill Offaly hurling.
Last year i said we we're on suicide watch. It's too late.. We've flat lined. I just can't see a way back after the last 18 months. Then Whelehan came we were in trouble but this is far worst than i could have ever have feared. 18 month of him complaining about training facility. Blaming players and just whining has kill us off. we should have been sent to 2b last year. That were Offaly hurling belong at the moment.
Former Offaly All-Ireland winner Daithí Regan has taken a swipe at his county’s management, while the players weren’t spared from criticism either.

With the county already destined to spend another season in the second tier of the league after losses to Dublin and most recently to Limerick, speaking exclusively to the Irish Examiner Regan said he stands by comments that they would be a Christy Ring side within five years. He added that some of manager Ollie Baker’s decision-making “is like something you’d see at a junior level”, and noted that the focus for this season “had to be promotion and that would define a good year but that’s already gone now”.
The Birr native, who works as a pundit and has recently taken over senior club Shinroan, continued: “In Offaly, the players look for crutches. We look for excuses. We hurl from behind. We give up a yard. And I’ve been watching it for the last five years. At the weekend when we played Limerick, with them you can see a game plan with control, with movement, with speed.
“It’s the same with Clare. But Ollie Baker is there as long as Davy Fitz is in Clare yet we still don’t know what style we want to play. We tried to play some sort of possession game and it was so desperate.
“At the time I thought the appointment was wrong, and in the two years it’s just gone downhill completely, even from there. I fear for it. The lads go out and admire Kilkenny and we are trying to do what they are doing. We always say Kilkenny are doing this and that and we had better do the same.

It’s completely the wrong approach. We aren’t alone as other teams too look at them but they don’t realise they aren’t as big or strong and have to go out and do their own thing.”
Regan went on to question the manhood of the current team, suggesting that whatever about talent, they are mentally nothing like the side he was a part of that reached the top in 1994.
“It’s not new either. I spoke some harsh words [as a selector in 2005]. Players can turn around now and say ‘shit management’ and I’d have my own views on that. But there is a weak mentality. When we played, you didn’t hear from outside the group what was wrong, you got it from Joe Dooley or Michael Duignan. Fellas were men enough to say it and you took it because they were right. They lack that now.”
He concluded by saying that people for a decade have been worried about the disappearance of Offaly and Wexford but that happened long ago and he doesn’t expect to see either back as a force any time soon, although he would still love the chance to help his county back up the ladder as a manager in the near future. He did however concede that whatever about Offaly, the sport was in a good place and that the Munster championship should be one of the best ever.
Some highlights for Regan on Ollie Baker when he was in charge. unsurprisingly he hasn't the balls to come out and say something like this against the current management.
Its a lot easier to stand up to people who are not friend with i guess.
“Common sense is not so common.”

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bracknaghboy
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Re: Laois v Offaly – Leinster Hurling Quarter Final 7th Ju

Post by bracknaghboy »

I could fill 10 pages with the amount of stuff I want to write about our woes but only one thing matters and that is........... what can be done. BNM man has supplied the answer:
Bord na Mona man wrote: Maybe forget we ever won All Irelands and start from the absolute bottom instead of trying to draw from the well we think we already have.
The main problem is its very hard for any of us to forget the fact that we were contesting All Ireland finals as short as 15 years ago. The media have continued to refer to Offaly as a top county even though we have ceased to pose any sort of threat for about the last 12 years. Everybodys thinking and proposals are based around getting back into All Ireland finals because there is this belief that its our divine right to be there. As long as this attitude/approach remains we are doomed. Imagine if we were an emerging county and had never had success what would/should the approach be? It would as BMN man suggests be a bottom up approach.

So Offaly are officially are out of the 2016 Leinster and All Ireland Senior hurling championships (barring qualification through the round robin). Given the players we thought we had I think few would have thought it would get this bad so quickly. Antrim beat Laois in the round robin and still got relegated to the Christy Ring. I hope we are not back in 11months time wondering how we are now in the same situation.

sam88885a
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Re: Laois v Offaly – Leinster Hurling Quarter Final 7th Ju

Post by sam88885a »

tox
i guess if the u21 preform well against wexford sid will be added to the 36 guys who have played championship hurling in 2014 and 2015 .

Toxicity234
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Re: Laois v Offaly – Leinster Hurling Quarter Final 7th Ju

Post by Toxicity234 »

sam88885a wrote:tox
i guess if the u21 preform well against wexford sid will be added to the 36 guys who have played championship hurling in 2014 and 2015 .
That is the most frighting thing writen on this fourm over the last few week but it could well be true.

The list of players that have play for offaly in league and championship in the current management. (i might be missing a few or have one or two down twice)

1. J Dempsey;
2. N Wynne,
3. D Kelliher,
4. J Rigney;
5. C Doughan
6. B Watkins,
7. D Mooney
8. K Brady,
9. C Parlon;
10. P Geraghty,
11. J Bergin
12. C Egan;
13. K Connolly,
14. S Gardiner,
15. B Carroll
16. C McDonald
17. D Currams
18. D Kilmartin
19. S Cleary.
20. Rory Hanniffy,
21. Conor Mahon
22. Stephen Quirke
23. Damien Egan,
24. Shane Dooley
25. G Healion
26. M Egan;.
27. D Morkan
28. Conor Slevin;
29. B Harding;
30. Ciarán Slevin
31. C Coughlan
32. G Conneelly
33. E Nolan
34. D Kenny,
35. D Shortt,
36. S Egan;
37. P Camon;
38. S Kinsella
39. P Murphy
40. C Kiely
41. G Mann
42. C Mulrooney.
43. D King,
44. S Wynne;
45. E Murphy,
46. J Mulrooney
47. T Carroll
Thanks Ryot.
The M. Egan

Sorry. it's Mark Egan from Belmont. He hurlers wing back last year against Limerick and hurler well, he also played the 1st few mins against Antrim in tullamore but was talking off injured.
Last edited by Toxicity234 on Fri Jun 12, 2015 10:45 am, edited 2 times in total.
“Common sense is not so common.”

ryot
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Re: Laois v Offaly – Leinster Hurling Quarter Final 7th Ju

Post by ryot »

A few duplications in that list like

16 C McDonald & 23 Chris McDonald
12 C Egan & 27 C Egan

Who is 28 M Egan ?


He has given plenty lads a chance.

I noticed when reading the programme Sunday that around 20 of the players in the photo from Nowlan Park last year were not listed this year. It is a massive turn-around. Probably shows we have plenty hurlers of similar standard but we need to find some exceptional players.

Some were comparing us to Waterford but they have won 2 or 3 Colleges and a Minor All Ireland in recent times and have WIT..with a pile of lads on Fitzgibbon teams... We have noting similar to any of these.....and dont have young lads like Gleeson, the Bennetts, Curran except C Kiely........

What really annoyed me on Sunday was the time and space Hyland & Dwyer got from our wing backs to knock over around 10 points with no action taken by the wing backs or the sideline..... All were too casual,,,,,,,,,,

onthefence
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Re: Laois v Offaly – Leinster Hurling Quarter Final 7th Ju

Post by onthefence »

That's some about of players over a short period of time, I also thinks think the likes of Gary Connelly and David Cox and a few more were brought in for training matches this year.
I think the volume of players gone through the county panel over the last few years shows that as a county we are mainly producing the same type and style of hurler,nice stick work and skill level but very few primary ball winners, very few with the ability to break a tackle. On any given day you could probably make a case for the 50 odd players to be on the panel.

Why are we so poor as a county at winning primary ball? Is it down to what is been coached and the way we are been coached or is the style of club hurling in Offaly, is the academies all been coached the same way? Is there any communication from a U13 coach to a U21 coach in the county set ups to say this is how we want to play?
Who picks each team style of play is it the manager of the team or coaching officer ie. John Leahy or Johnny Flaherty/Pat Cleary type of hurling committee?
As people have said here on this site start from scratch but what is scratch who now decides on styles, coaches, is it back to the county board? People give out about the county board so are they the first to go before any thing can happened who comes in in there place? Its a long way back to scratch :oops:

KeshaWantsTimber
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Re: Laois v Offaly – Leinster Hurling Quarter Final 7th Ju

Post by KeshaWantsTimber »

I have read and listened to the epitaphs of Offaly hurling being written for the past few days and wanted to share some thoughts. IMO the build up to and aftermath of Offaly's defeat and Laois' annihilation by Cork have a number of similarities. Both sets of players were poorly prepared by a succession of underwhelming set-ups by inter county standards. In Offaly's case they have continually traded down since Joe Dooley's modest reign. First with Ollie Baker and now with their current set-up. In the aftermath of both games the players have received a huge amount of criticism and currently many Offaly fans believe they have less than 5 players up to inter county standard, similar to the commentary after Laois lost to Cork.

In both cases the players had no belief in the set-up, the managers had lost their support and when that happens any scoreline is possible. I don't think the distance between the two COUNTIES is huge but the difference between the two TEAMS was last Sunday. The real problem for Offaly is the huge psychological blow this defeat has inflicted. If Offaly had a top class set-up since last November just like this Laois team who is to say what the result would have been. All the players who have turned there back on the current rabble would be firing on all cylinders and Sunday might not have happened.

For Offaly, it has happened and there next move is crucial. Underage has been touted as the route to success but the county needs a flagship team for young players to aspire to. Offaly need Anthony Daly, Donal Og Cusack or similar who could put a modern set-up in place with passionate Offaly men to back them.

Plain of the Herbs
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Re: Laois v Offaly – Leinster Hurling Quarter Final 7th Ju

Post by Plain of the Herbs »

You’ve raised some good points there, Fence.

The way hurling is coached in Offaly has become outdated and it doesn’t prepare hurlers for when they compete against other counties, where fetching, passing, developing the play, tackling (NOT hooking and blocking, but proper tackling) are second nature. Now, as much of that is down to a coaching deficit, where those who are willing to volunteer do not have the knowledge required.

Which points up the ladder to the way coaching is directed. We could ask who sets the standards, who coaches the coaches, who monitors them, to whom do they report and how often, and so on.

I suppose the first step towards developing coaches was Martin Fogarty’s three workshops which took place in Mountbolus before Christmas. Was anyone here at any of those? Did you learn anything? Was it worthwhile? I see Martin Fogarty is doing something similar in Wexford in the near future.

The S&C arrangement with Athlone IT is a step in the right drection too.

Good point on who picks the style. I would say the answer is – no-one. Now, I recall a debate taking place a few years ago and there was a buildup prior to a County Board meeting where the Offaly style was to be discussed and prescribed. That balloon was burst when Pat Cleary proudly announced a ground hurling tournament that would take place on Tuesday mornings at 10am or something, and all would be well with the world again.

I think what is needed is one single figurehead who will incessantly drive the required change. That won’t be a Board officer either. Rather, I’m thinking Séamus Plunkett and what he and a very small group in Laois (Pat Critchley, Niall Rigney, Jack Nolan) have done. I think the worst thing would be a large committee with so many varied opinions, because they would revert to the default position of the flat earth.

Is that person out there? If he was, he’d probably have come forward by now, so he probably isn’t. And for that reason, the recovery is not on the agenda.

Another problem now is that you have people saying things like – well, if Laois can recover then it must be easy, as if it was easy, and as if Laois commenced their recovery process after Cork battered them. Because the Setanta and Cúchulainn programmes have been on the go for a decade now.
onthefence wrote:That's some about of players over a short period of time, I also thinks think the likes of Gary Connelly and David Cox and a few more were brought in for training matches this year.
I think the volume of players gone through the county panel over the last few years shows that as a county we are mainly producing the same type and style of hurler,nice stick work and skill level but very few primary ball winners, very few with the ability to break a tackle. On any given day you could probably make a case for the 50 odd players to be on the panel.

Why are we so poor as a county at winning primary ball? Is it down to what is been coached and the way we are been coached or is the style of club hurling in Offaly, is the academies all been coached the same way? Is there any communication from a U13 coach to a U21 coach in the county set ups to say this is how we want to play?
Who picks each team style of play is it the manager of the team or coaching officer ie. John Leahy or Johnny Flaherty/Pat Cleary type of hurling committee?
As people have said here on this site start from scratch but what is scratch who now decides on styles, coaches, is it back to the county board? People give out about the county board so are they the first to go before any thing can happened who comes in in there place? Its a long way back to scratch :oops:
Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

Plain of the Herbs
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Re: Laois v Offaly – Leinster Hurling Quarter Final 7th Ju

Post by Plain of the Herbs »

I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and suggest you are quite young if you think the decline began since Joe Dooley was there.

And who are these passionate Offaly men you speak of who would bankroll Daly, Cusack etc?

Here’s a list of the wake up calls - ye can make a top 10 chart out of these –

1999 Minor – Westmeath 1-12 Offaly 0-10
2002 U21 – Dublin 3-12 Offaly 2-6
2004 NHL – Dublin 4-21 Offaly 2-6
2004 NHL – Laois 2-13 Offaly 2-12 (that was in Burrr, by the way)
2005 NHL – Carlow 3-12 Offaly 1-13
2005 Senior – Kilkenny 6-28 Offaly 0-15
2006 Minor – Carlow 2-15 Offaly 0-16 (Offaly had beaten them in the first round)
2006 Senior – Limerick 2-29 Offaly 2-19 (that was after Offaly led by about eight at one stage)
2007 NHL – Limerick 6-20 Offaly 1-18
2008 Minor – Carlow 2-13 Offaly 1-9
2009 Minor – Westmeath 1-10 Offaly 1-7
2010 U21 – Kilkenny 3-21 Offaly 0-8
2011 Minor – Westmeath 1-14 Offaly 0-9
2011 U21 - Dublin 0-21 Offaly 0-8
2012 Senior – Galway 5-23 Offaly 3-15
2013 Minor – Laois 4-16 Offaly 0-13
2014 Senior – Kilkenny 5-32 Offaly 1-18
2014 Senior – Tipperary 5-25 Offaly 1-20
2015 Senior – Laois 0-29 Offaly 0-21

And one final point – Offaly have conceded more than 20 white flags in each of their last eight Senior hurling championship matches. The last team not to post 20 points on Offaly was Wexford in Tullamore in 2012.
KeshaWantsTimber wrote:I have read and listened to the epitaphs of Offaly hurling being written for the past few days and wanted to share some thoughts. IMO the build up to and aftermath of Offaly's defeat and Laois' annihilation by Cork have a number of similarities. Both sets of players were poorly prepared by a succession of underwhelming set-ups by inter county standards. In Offaly's case they have continually traded down since Joe Dooley's modest reign. First with Ollie Baker and now with their current set-up. In the aftermath of both games the players have received a huge amount of criticism and currently many Offaly fans believe they have less than 5 players up to inter county standard, similar to the commentary after Laois lost to Cork.

In both cases the players had no belief in the set-up, the managers had lost their support and when that happens any scoreline is possible. I don't think the distance between the two COUNTIES is huge but the difference between the two TEAMS was last Sunday. The real problem for Offaly is the huge psychological blow this defeat has inflicted. If Offaly had a top class set-up since last November just like this Laois team who is to say what the result would have been. All the players who have turned there back on the current rabble would be firing on all cylinders and Sunday might not have happened.

For Offaly, it has happened and there next move is crucial. Underage has been touted as the route to success but the county needs a flagship team for young players to aspire to. Offaly need Anthony Daly, Donal Og Cusack or similar who could put a modern set-up in place with passionate Offaly men to back them.
Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

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