2017 Walsh Cup

[Buttons]

Just about got over Meath with a 3-12 to 2-10 victory, team seemed very strong but first or second week in january wont tell us too much.

Team lined out as Dempsey, Rigney, Michael Cleary, Paddy Delaney, Conneely, Doughan, Gardiner, King, Ryan, Camon, Langton, Carroll, Dooley, Kelly and Cleary.

[Bord na Mona man]

You just can't tell. An Offaly team miles ahead of Meath in ability would still beat them by 5 points. An Offaly just barely better than them would probably win by 5 points as well.

[Plain of the Herbs]

I wasn't there, so any points I make are general in nature.

I like the defence as listed. I like the midfield too. God to see Paddy Delaney start. Good to see Michael Cleary at 3. Likewise Conor Doughan at 6. Ben Conneely is set for a good year too. And a midfield combination of Ryan and King has potential. So there is something to build on.

Media getting in knots regarding the 20 wides because they don't know any better. That Offaly hit 20 wides tells me they dominated territory and possession. The sharpness will come in time.

Other hand. disappointing that Offaly seemingly went through the gears, starting in first. When are Offaly going to take control of a game and dictate the pace from the start, as opposed to letting the opposition set the pace from the start.

Carlow IT are next on the list, in what will likely be a much more serious test. Which is no harm at all. A talented outfit, the Carlow IT team which beat Kildare yesterday was: Enda Rowland (Laois); Ross Brown (Waterford), Kevin Hannafin (Kerry), Dwane Palmer (Laois); Dale O'Hanlon (Tipperary), Damien Healy (Meath), William Young (Laois); T Marr, Colin Dunford (needs no introduction); Martin Kavanagh (Carlow), James Doyle (Carlow), Charlie Dwyer (Laois); Chris Bolger (Kilkenny), Stephen Maher (Laois), Jack Fagan (Meath). Subs used: Kevin Kelly (Kilkenny), Robert Moran (KIlkenny), Shane Phelan (Laois), S Casey, Michael O'Hanlon (Wexford), John Fitzpatrick (Kilkenny), J Cranny, Cathal Madden (Clare).

Hard to find a report of the Offaly match online - the Meath Chronicle one is the best I could find -
http://www.meathchronicle.ie/sport/gaa/ ... d-victory/

[sam88885a]

19 wides ,2 missed penalties and 3 missed goals so lots of chances created .
I like the half back line and midfield .
great to see M Cleary getting a chance .O Kelly has huge potental at full forward. Glad that C Molloy coming on.
I be worried about the half forward line and the full back line lack of physical strength.
I wasnt at the game but we seem to hurl better in the last 15 minutes so hopefull they can carry that into the next game.
Early days with guys to come back.

[Killeighman]

What players are to come back? I don't know who is available or unavailable for selection... What's the story with Joe Bergin, Colin Egan? I know Shane Kinsella is gone for a while with an injury. Anyone know what players are definitely coming back? I like the look of the backs we had on Sunday... Very young and there is room for them to grow and develop into a good unit

[keyboardwarrior]

I see Gary Longwell former Ulster professional rugby player is retained as a High Performance coach. He’s the Performance skills coach at the Sports Institute of Northern Ireland who presumably Ryan came in contact with during his time with Antrim.

Intriguing to think that Longwell would be involved with a team like Offaly who many performance gurus in the south would probably avoid for fear of blotting their CVs given the perennial negative publicity that we seem to attract . Dunno how many sessions he would be taking but it’s one I’d like to be a fly on a wall for.

Given his background I doubt Longwell was a hurling anorak in the 80s/90s so his perspective is bound to be fresh .. which is probably what we need given any southern coach would probably harp on about our past successes and tradition with is an irrelevance to the current crop.

Joe Brolly would probably slate Offaly for paying the likes of Longwell but I think it’s a promising addition to the set up … even if it’s just a few sessions.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 62404.html

[sam88885a]

I see Gary Longwell former Ulster professional rugby player is retained as a High Performance coach. He’s the Performance skills coach at the Sports Institute of Northern Ireland who presumably Ryan came in contact with during his time with Antrim.

Intriguing to think that Longwell would be involved with a team like Offaly who many performance gurus in the south would probably avoid for fear of blotting their CVs given the perennial negative publicity that we seem to attract . Dunno how many sessions he would be taking but it’s one I’d like to be a fly on a wall for.

Given his background I doubt Longwell was a hurling anorak in the 80s/90s so his perspective is bound to be fresh .. which is probably what we need given any southern coach would probably harp on about our past successes and tradition with is an irrelevance to the current crop.

Joe Brolly would probably slate Offaly for paying the likes of Longwell but I think it’s a promising addition to the set up … even if it’s just a few sessions.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 62404.html

I agree that Gary Longwell perspective should be fresh and that many other coachs would see offaly as a lost cause but to say that Offaly tradition is a negative for the current guys is rubbish.
The team of the 80s have to be an inspiration for any young hurlers to come from no where to play in every Leinster final in that decade and win All irelands .
That team was full of leaders .

It shows what can happen when a group of lads believe in each other, create a team spirit , dare to dream and die in their boots to make those dream come true .

Those guys created a tradition which so many counties dont have.
When Offaly hurlers become great again it will be that bit easier because of the tradition those great men created.

[private joker]

It's hard to know in regards to tradition and the effect it has on players. Recent success and tradition, say 10 years ago might have some sway or influence. But going back to the 80s, I'd wonder. My own club contested a final in 1984. It brought up at training as something to take inspiration from. It had opposite affect. May as well been talking about 1884 as 1984. Lads not even born etc. Last time offaly were a power to be reckoned with was nearly 20 years ago now. It's a long time and greatness fades in the memory.

[jimbob17]

I see Gary Longwell former Ulster professional rugby player is retained as a High Performance coach. He’s the Performance skills coach at the Sports Institute of Northern Ireland who presumably Ryan came in contact with during his time with Antrim.

Intriguing to think that Longwell would be involved with a team like Offaly who many performance gurus in the south would probably avoid for fear of blotting their CVs given the perennial negative publicity that we seem to attract . Dunno how many sessions he would be taking but it’s one I’d like to be a fly on a wall for.

Given his background I doubt Longwell was a hurling anorak in the 80s/90s so his perspective is bound to be fresh .. which is probably what we need given any southern coach would probably harp on about our past successes and tradition with is an irrelevance to the current crop.

Joe Brolly would probably slate Offaly for paying the likes of Longwell but I think it’s a promising addition to the set up … even if it’s just a few sessions.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 62404.html

I agree that Gary Longwell perspective should be fresh and that many other coachs would see offaly as a lost cause but to say that Offaly tradition is a negative for the current guys is rubbish.
The team of the 80s have to be an inspiration for any young hurlers to come from no where to play in every Leinster final in that decade and win All irelands .
That team was full of leaders .

It shows what can happen when a group of lads believe in each other, create a team spirit , dare to dream and die in their boots to make those dream come true .

Those guys created a tradition which so many counties dont have.
When Offaly hurlers become great again it will be that bit easier because of the tradition those great men created.

Assume Longwell's role would be fairly sporadic. Hearing Ryan interview previously he suggested that Longwell's role would be more around working with the manager in helping him to create the environment for players to do well.

I'd imagine his hurling knowledge would be fairly limited but that isnt a negative. Not too many Ulster rugby men would ever have picked up a hurley and Jimmy McGuinness is probably in a similar role with Celtic despite him having zero background in soccer.

My only concern with Kevin Ryan is that he is without 6 or eight of his best players for some reason - probably more down to previous managers than Ryan himself. We are too small not to have our best lads in playing. Would fear for us big time this year if the team that started the last day is going to be any way close to even our league team!

[keyboardwarrior]

Thanks Jimbob – that makes sense. It applies to any sport and any bunch of players but I had a vision on Longwell speaking to the squad and the invariable “whaddafukdoesthatladknow” sentiment simmering around the room.

Sam888885 – I never said that tradition was a negative – an irrelevance. You’d probably still disagree but I genuinely think the younger generation grow up in an instant gratification culture which pays damn all heed to the past and an outsider coming in harking back to that era would probably be seen as regressive … and irrelevant. Private Jokers experience supports that.

Look … I’m with you on the team of the 80s … on a slack night id stick on the 81 final on youtube and the sight of Pat Delaney soaring and charging up the field to point and pass to Bermingham for the goal would lift any offalymans spirits. You can pick anyone of 20 reasons but I feel that era should be treated by the current group as an irrelevance …. if we are to come to terms with where we are and where we could/can get to.

[sam88885a]

Thanks Jimbob – that makes sense. It applies to any sport and any bunch of players but I had a vision on Longwell speaking to the squad and the invariable “whaddafukdoesthatladknow” sentiment simmering around the room.

Sam888885 – I never said that tradition was a negative – an irrelevance. You’d probably still disagree but I genuinely think the younger generation grow up in an instant gratification culture which pays damn all heed to the past and an outsider coming in harking back to that era would probably be seen as regressive … and irrelevant. Private Jokers experience supports that.

Look … I’m with you on the team of the 80s … on a slack night id stick on the 81 final on youtube and the sight of Pat Delaney soaring and charging up the field to point and pass to Bermingham for the goal would lift any offalymans spirits. You can pick anyone of 20 reasons but I feel that era should be treated by the current group as an irrelevance …. if we are to come to terms with where we are and where we could/can get to.

I dont disagree with u that ,For today generation what happened in the 80 is irrelevent . it shouldnt be but some of current lads think that their better that those lads . Last year a current offaly hurler told me that offaly are at higher level physically game plan and skill wise than any Offaly teams of the past .

That where i think guys are mistaken ,its takes a really good team with everything going right to with 1 All Ireland but its take great men to do it again.
Physically is dont think anyone on the current panel would live with P Horan at his best.
I Honestly think if those guys did the training that todays guys do the would have even better.

We need to live in the present but dont disrespect the past either.

[kaiserchief]

Anyone know if the team for the weekend has been named yet?

[frankthetank]

At the moment it seems the team doesn't be announced to the players until an hour before throw in so if a team
is released I wouldn't pay much heeed to it.

[Killeighman]

Can't see the team changing to much from what lined up in the last two rounds. Anybody know of any recent challenge matches? I know they got beaten by Waterford 2 weeks ago or so but they surely got any other game under the belt since?

[the Untouchable]

Just as a matter of interest, why are Offaly playing challenge matches against teams like Waterford or Clare for example...every year we do this and come away having been given a huge beaten, so what do we think we learn from that? It can't do anything for team morale and certainly going to get lads who won't get involved in the hurling panel to suddenly commit because nothing say's "look how far away from competing" like getting your arse handed to you by a team that are genuine all Ireland title aspirations!!

Now I know people will say "what's the point of playing teams who are worse than us"...but what counties would that be...Westmeath, Laois, Meath, Antrim, Carlow, Kerry....all of these counties have beaten us over the past few years so why do we think that we're going to beat 1 of the elite hurling counties & your bound to learn a more in those competitive games than when your conceding a cricket score against a county that's just brought you down to use as target practice.