2017 O'Byrne Cup campaign

[Bord na Mona man]

All roads lead to Geashill this Sunday for Offaly vs. Carlow IT. They're temporarily reopening the railway station for the match day specials.

Any word on ins and outs on the Offaly panel?

[kaiserchief]

Can expect to see a team of experience with some new faces.

Under 21s are still in Hastings cup and Rhode players have yet to return. I'd expect not to see any of these lads yet. The league will poster their return.

Flanagan has added a few to his panel but it's mostly made up of last year's squad. Lads that where on the fridges last year such as David Brady, Nigel Bracken, Jason Getting, Leon Fox and Sean Doyle deserve will surely get game time.

I heard Niall Smith didn't return to the panel.

[Abercrombie Fitch]

Pat won't have learnt a whole lot today. Carlow I.T. were very weak. Probably shouldn't be at this level in the first place. Onwards and upwards for Wednesday.

[Bord na Mona man]

Dunne leads way in Offaly cruise
Offaly 5-18 Carlow IT 0-4

Offaly opened their 2017 account with a facile 29-point win over a dismal Carlow IT outfit. Offaly used 25 players in total as they put the College side to the sword - and all that without the Rhode contingent.

The game was over by half-time, with Offaly leading 3-11 to 0-2. Nigel Dunne accounted for 1-7 of that total before being replaced, with the other goals coming from Johnny Brickland and Declan Hogan.
Offaly continued to push on in the second-half and goals from Eoin Carroll and substitute Peter Cunningham completed the rout.

Scorers: Offaly: N Dunne 1-7 (0-2f), D Hogan, E Carroll and P Cunningham 1-1 each, J Brickland 1-0, S Tierney 0-3 (0-2f), S Doyle 0-2, L Fox, J O'Connor and W Mulhall 0-1 each. Carlow IT: M Russell 0-2, K Ryan (free) and J Walsh 0-1 each.
Offaly: B Rohan; D Brady, J Lalor, L Colgan; S Nally, D Hanlon; E Carroll, J Gethings; L Fox, W Mullhall, J Brickland, N Dunne, M Brazil, S Doyle. Subs: D Carroll for Hogan (h/t), J O'Connor for Mulhall (h/t), K Dunne for Brickland (h/t), P Cunningham for Dunne (h/t), D Dempsey for Brazil (h/t), S Tierney for Doyle (49m), A Mahon for Fox (49m), C Horan for Colgan (51m), J Egan for Brady (51m), C Clancy for Rohan (54m).

Carlow IT: R Sanson; C Brangan, T O'Connell, G Smyth; C Ward, J Logue, D O'Sullivan; M Russell, S Maughan; K Ryan, C O'Toole, E Buggie; Ross Ryan, L Flynn, P O'Connor. Subs: Ronan Ryan for Smyth (18m), J Walsh for O'Connor (h/t), J Casey for Brangan (49m), S McGraynor for Buggie (58m), M O'Connor for K Ryan (67m).
Ref: S Murphy (Louth).

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic- ... 51061.html

[Bord na Mona man]

The unlimited subs rule is a double edge sword. More players get to play, but then the manager nearly has to give everyone a run and the last part of the game turns raggedy.

[SearingDrive]

What happened to Offaly last night. 5 points in the first half,and 4 in the second half doesn't sound like a great return.

[greenairfield]

Offaly had there 2nd team out, it was cold and wet in January aswel would not take a single thing from it. Anyone that does is reading way too much into it.

[kaiserchief]

they had an excellent start and just showed the reason some lads are not on first 15 and are second team members.

I agree greenairfield, flanagan is giving lads game time.

Can see him using his a starting 15 on Sunday against Kildare similiar to Carlow IT game, that will start the league game in two weeks against longford.

Promotion in the league and win against westmeath in first round is flanagans goal.

[jimbob17]

Would be little or no crossover between last night team and the actual team that will play in championship. Think Joseph O Connor was only regular starter that played and a lot that played wont even be on the panel when the Rhode lads return so bit of perspective needed. From what I heard, Longford werent too far off full strength.

[kaiserchief]

O Connor was @ 6 and Chunningham was @ 8. Sean Doyle will be a contender this year I think.

Rhode lads to return this weekend. Under 21s are out Saturday so I wouldn't expect to see many if them Sunday.

[SearingDrive]

O Connor was @ 6 and Chunningham was @ 8. Sean Doyle will be a contender this year I think.

Rhode lads to return this weekend. Under 21s are out Saturday so I wouldn't expect to see many if them Sunday.

Who are the U-21s playing tomorrow?

[bracknaghboy]

Its hard not to be concerned for the senior footballers. The discipline of the players and management is appalling under Flanagan. Another game yesterday played with 14 men for 60 mins whilst yet again management spent the entire match giving out to officials (as he and ginger Stewart seem to do every single match now). The lads are setting a brutal example for the players. Over the last 2 seasons you'd loose count of the amount of opposition frees that get marched forward for lip or throwing the ball away. Plenty of Offaly frees reversed and ball thrown up.

Last year with the Leinster 1/4 final there for the taking in the last 5 mins Dunne got himself a needless black card and free then thrown up and Offaly allowed Westmeath to kill the game. Then fast forward a few weeks later to Newbridge and with 15 mins left with the wind its a draw match and the boys start acting the maggot and play into into Kildares hands. Carroll gets the line for needlessly getting involved. In fact the lads were more intent on agro at that end of that match than they were about trying to win the game.
Flanagan in the paper today claiming the officials were against Offaly because they are were from Longford. The man needs a reality check. All involved need to man up and stop looking for excuses and go out keep the mouths shut and show a bit of respect for the officials and get on with playing football. Its amazing when you do that you tend to find that the world against us mentality doesn't actually exist.

Is it just me or does anyone else thing its gone to the dogs lately with them?

[jimbob17]

Wouldnt say it is a general thing run by management but discipline can be an issue that could be addressed and improved. I think that there are a few players - Dunne included that have issues with discipline. There is one particular Rhode chap that could do with curtailing his temper too. Some of these players are very prone to yellow and even red cards. I'd have no problem with genuine errors or an aggressive foul (we need them) that picks up a yellow but the needless backchat where a ball is moved forward is absolutely undefendable.

in fairness, under Flanagan i think we have seen significant improvements in our fortunes. We have gone from Div 4 also runs to back to being very competitive in Leinster and competing for div 3 promotion. Lets not forget where we are coming from. The team yesterday was shy of a lot of our regulars and better lads. We were missing Rigney and Pender in full back line - both definites for me, Maloney is injured from centre back and Niall and Brian Darby also at the back. This suggests only O Connor from last years backs played yesterday.

Our midfield looked okay yesterday, thought Gethings was quite good and Carroll is a definite with Conor McNamee (also a contender) unavailable.

Forwards missed likes of Niall Mc, Graham Guilfoyle and Bernard Allen while Nigel Dunne played for 10 minutes before getting sent off. Anton Sullivan, Doyle and Mulhall will be contenders but might not be room for both or either if playing a withdrawn inside player like Brazil did yesterday. Few younger lads in Rory McNamee, Shane Tierney and Jack Walsh could also feature somewhere along the league with McPadden from Rhode also being an option. Cunningham is a definite to start and is the star in our pack while I also like the look of Shane Nally if he gets a run in half forward line.

We should bare in mind that we havent seen anything close to an Offaly team just yet this year and I'd be very confident we can have a good year - with promotion a live prospect.

For me, here is our best team or at least what I reckon Flanagan would see as our best 15.

Alan Mulhall
Brian Darby Eoin Rigney/Paul McConway Sean Pender
Joe O Connor John Moloney Niall Darby
Eoin Carroll and Jason Gethings
Graham Guilfoyle Peter Cunningham Shane Nally
Bernard Allen Michael Brazil and Niall McNamee

Nigel Dunne Willie Mulhall Sean Doyle Anton Sullivan Shane Tierney Jack Walshe for forwards and Cian Donoghue, David Brady Declan Hogan Nigel Bracken and one of full backs listed first in along backline, Light in midfield with Conor McNamee only other option and 50 50 between him and Gethings for slot.

[kaiserchief]

It was the O Byrne cup in January and lads are getting carried away..
Both sending off's where ridiculous for both Offaly and Kildare. Loosind Dunne after 10 mins was a huge loss and definitely changed the game, although I would think Kildare looked like a much bigger unit than Offaly in general.

jimbob17 just listed the backbone of our team there would didnt play yet for whatever reasons.

Mulhal is a definite this year, but Barry Rohan will get game time.

Darby Rigney and Pender is the full back line for cert. Jack Clancy, James Lawlor and David Brady will contest for places. I didnt think McConway was back in. Also Jake Kavanagh will get a go @ it when he returns from duty.

I think Chunningham is our best baller and has to play @ 6 like last year. O Connor and Niall Darby on the wings. Declan Hogan, Adam Mahon and David Hanlon also have a strong case for a jersey.

For me Midfield has to be Maloney and Carroll. Smith is a huge loss this year and think Maloney has an engine for midfield. Gethings is getting there but not a starter quite yet and Conor McNamee went back a little last year and needs to step it up this year. Brickland and Fox could also be men for the midfield or even the half forward line.

Half forward line, MCnamee plays at 11 all day. His influence on a game @ 11 is far greater than coner forward. Guilfoyle and Brazil offer two good wing forwards with strength pace and work rate.

Full forward line has been the issue i think.. Small men, too small (Panda, Sean Doyle, Willie Mulllhal, McPaddens, Shane Tierney).. Dunne is not the biggest but offers the best @ 14.. Taught joe maher would get a run out this year. Ruari Mcnamee might make the break through this year. I see Patrick Dunican is playing with the u21's, a big man in the full forward line who can also play.

[jimbob17]

Didn't list Rodge hanlon but he is huge addition this year. Would be on my team somewhere in the backs so huge competition for places. Could even do job midfield. Would love to see Joe maher and Darragh Corbett in there too but not sure if they are.