McManus Out

[bart]

lads does anyone know, if Mcmanus is out of the westmeath game,
he did hes ligaments at the weekend against Roscommon.

[stupid like a fox]

yes apparently he's out I heard Offaly were very poor at the weekend against the Rossers, looks like were going into the westmeath game as underdogs.. I heard Dessie Dolan might be injured too any word on that?

[minor]

no he didn't i was at the match, don't no how you heard that, it was a brutal effort of a game we lost, chop was only player who looked good, raff wasn't bad but to be honest it wasn't anyway good for a team out in championship in 2 weeks, i'd be very worried if dessie dolan wasn't out, well i hear that anyway, anyone else here?

[Bord na Mona man]

They're all claiming he's injured on the Wastemeath section of hoganstand.
If you believed everything you read on hoganstand, then Shannonbridge would be county champions elect.

[stupid like a fox]

I heard Damian Hunt got called back to the panel.. did he play at the weekend? westmeath are being very quiet about this game..

[Mighty Pair O' Hands]

Big Mac is fine - Shane Sullivan did pick up a knock and had to go off early in the second half.

[far from croghan hill]

heard the offaly panel is being finalised tonight, is it 30 were allowed have on championship day? by my reckoning there are 34 lads in the panel at the moment and if damien hunt is there thats 35, god knows how many times now he's been in and out of the panel. having gone through the list its scary...we have feck all options on the sideline. we have about 17/ 18 players up to championship standard. theres four or five lads there that wouldnt make a top club side

[Bogman]

I wasn't at the friendly game in Roscommon. I was told by someone (Black & Red Exile) who was at the match that Sean Casey had injured himself in training and was doubtful for the championship. Anybody know the score?

Also it was rumoured that Cathal Daly had been approached and might be coming back for the Westmeath match? Anybody know anything?

According to the media Dessie Dolan appears to be out with the operation on Gilmore's Groin going ahead.

So if some of this is true they (Westmeath) have lost one of their best forwards and we (the Faithful) have no backs - minus Conor Evans (or could he parachute in from his travels), Barry Mooney, Karol Slattery (maybe posted as a half forward), Shane O'Sullivan (got the knock against Roscommon) Sean Casey, Cathal Daly??

Anybody got any info,

[far from croghan hill]

Casey will be grand for sunday week provided he's picked!not sure if bringing in cathal daly is a good move, maybe if we got over westmeath and he got a few sessions under his belt..i reckon that evans would still be as fit as the day he embarked on his travels though!

[Lone Shark]

There's no way we have three better full back line players than Sean Casey. He'll be picked if he's fit. I think the reason for this Cathal Daly speculation is that he played so well for Tullamore in his last two outings. By all accounts he's lean and fit, which is something that couldn't have been said about him for some years now. That begs the question that if he's that fit now and obviously was willing to put the work in to get to that level, why did he opt out of the county panel in the first place? It reeks of a personality clash, whish one would assume still exists.

As for Evans, Conor got a raw deal off the county for years as far as I'm concerned - we never really replaced Barry Malone and all the while stop gap after stop gap was given the number 3 shirt while he continued to play well for UCD. He got an odd game here and there, but was never given a chance to settle into the role at all. He should be left travel for the year in peace, and with any luck he'll be back and eager to go for 2007.

[Ron]

Any truth in the rumour that McManus strained his ankle against Clare in a challenge earlier in the week?
It sounds like a recurrance of the ankle injury that he picked up during the league in Tullamore (Cork match maybe??). Lets hope it won't hinder him Sunday week.

[stupid like a fox]

Any Insight into how we can expect the team to line up? Will James Coughlin be started or is he out of the running? Surprising that Hunt is being called up he's played more rugby than football this year. Still a good footballer though.

[The Biff]

The Examiner's Breaking News suggests that Ciaran is now nursing an injury alright.

http://www.examiner.ie/breaking/story.a ... 7948348&x=

McMAnus doubtful for Offaly opener

Talismanic half-forward Ciaran McManus has emerged as a doubt for Offaly's Leinster SFC first round meeting with Westmeath on Sunday week.

An ankle injury forced the 29-year-old Tubber man to cut short his involvement in a challenge match against Clare in Birr on Wednesday night.

On medical advice, McManus, an electrical engineer by profession, took a day off work to rest his swollen ankle.

A scan revealed no bone breakage, but there is the possibility of ligament damage so Offaly manager Kevin Kilmurray will adopt a "wait and see" policy.

[Kevin]

...but it doesn't sound so great.

It will be tough going without him.

Any news as the day draws forward would be appreciated.

Have a nice w/e.