Offaly v Dublin fixed

[Plain of the Herbs]

From gaa.ie

Guinness Hurling Championship Round 1 Qualifiers


-- Saturday June 17th --


Group A

Portlaoise 7.00: Laois v Galway

Group B

Parnell Park 7.00: Dublin v Offaly


Sunday June 18th

Group A

Mullingar 4.00: Westmeath v Waterford

Group B

Ennis 4.00: Clare v Limerick


So, its at 7 on the Saturday evening. I thought they might fix it for Sunday, given that theres no other match in Croke Park on the Sunday, and it would give our lads another day to prepare. Traffic shouldn't be a major issue on a Saturday evening (though when is it not in that city?) and we should be back home for closing time.

Worrying that the Kildare v Cavan qualifier id deferred for another week and is listed as Newbridge/Tullamore 7.00: Kildare/Offaly v Cavan seeing as the "cluichí le teacht" page in yesterday's programme had Offaly v Wexford listed for 2pm on Sunday 25th. [/i]

[Treasurer]

Offaly Make four Changes as Brian Whelahan returns
14/06/2006

(1) Brian Mullins (Birr)

(2) Barry Teehan (Coolderry) (3) Paul Cleary (Birr) (4) David Franks (Carrick Shock)

(5) Kevin Brady (Coolderry) (6) Rory Hanniffy (Birr) (7) Ger Oakley (Carrig & Riverstown)

(8) Daniel Hoctor (Shinrone) (9) Declan Tanner (St Rynagh's)

(10) Dylan Hayden (Birr) (11) Gary Hanniffy (Birr) 12 Brian Whelahan (Birr)

(13) Brian Carroll (Coolderry) (14) Joe Bergin (Seir Kieran) (15) Alan Egan (Belmont)

Subs: 16 Shane O'Connor (Coolderry), 17 Brendan O'Meara (Coolderry), 18 Niall Claffey (Birr), 19 Simon Whelahan (Birr), 20 Peter Healion (Kilcormac/Killoughey), 21 James Rigney (Kinnitty), 22 Aidan Hanrahan (Lusmagh), 23 Michael Cordial (Shinrone), 24 Mick O'Hara (Ballyskenagh), 25 Joe brady (Coolderry), 26 Eddie Bevans (Shinrone), 27 Paul Molloy (Birr), 28 Stephen Brown (Birr), 29 Damien Murray (Coolderry)

(Murphy out for three weeks or so, ligament damage)

[Lone Shark]

Last week we played four backs. This week we play eight. Tis all a bit confusing.

I'm quite surprised with Sid at wing forward - an odd place to put him I suspect, as certainly you couldn't see him being placed there on Moran or Quinn in the coming games, but one would assume he might swap with Bergin, or even drop in around midfield, maybe let Tanner contest puck outs.

You have to ask yourself though - if we had won 9-8 instead of lost by that score - which could very easily have happened - would we really be making all these changes? (Albeit one enforced)

[Bord na Mona man]

We're still chopping and changing at midfield!
This has been going on for a few years now.
I used to get the feeling under the Mike Mac regime, that they picked the backs and forwards first and then put two leftover players in the centre.
Getting selected at midfield was the next step to being cut from the panel.
Well it seemed to be for Willy Comerford, Aidan Hanrahan, Nigel Mannion and Neville Coughlan.

For such a pivotal area of the field, we are no nearer finding one bona fide midfielder, never mind a partnership. This is certainly no reflection on Hoctor and Tanner, as they are certainly worth including in a starting 15, but are we changing too many things at once?
The half forward line will probably be better at scrapping for possession. We were filleted here on Sunday (though some of the clearances weren't that hot either).

I'm not sure what to expect from Sid?
Is he picked there to fight for ball being cleared and pucked out?
Will he drop back towards the middle and mop up the loose.

It was harrowing to watch how so much of the ball we sent into the Wexford half being caught or convincingly won by the Wexford men. Maybe Gary Hanniffy at c-forward could have at least lessened the Wexford dominance here, without necessarily swinging it completely in our favour.

Have we over reacted, or does the lameness of last Sunday's display warrant such a spring clean?

[Bord na Mona man]

You have to ask yourself though - if we had won 9-8 instead of lost by that score - which could very easily have happened - would we really be making all these changes? (Albeit one enforced)

I think we would probably have had to, as it was still a very poor show.

[Lone Shark]

I'm not saying we wouldn't have had to - I just wonder would we have?


The question has to be what do we want from our midfield? Traditionally you would say one scrapping defensive player and one attacking threat with pace and the ability to score from range. Ideally a bit of ground hurling in both. For a long time Diggy looked to be the second, although he hasn't been on form. It's been the first role we've struggled to fill - maybe Tanner is just the job?

Haven't seen Hoctor hurl this year yet - I'm not loving such a one sided midfielder though.

[azoffaly]

I think there's a real danger of throwing the baby out with the bath water here, and what Brian Whelehan is going to contribute at wing forward, other than experience and leadership, is beyond me. I'll never hear a word said against Sid, but Jaysus, the young lads have to start winning championship games on their own. Gary Hanniffy, Rory Hanniffy and co need to be encouraged to become leaders on the pitch, not followers of Brian Whelehan.

Gary Hanniffy is not a centre forward. He's played there before and his striking is simply too laboured. He is the most hooked/blocked player in Ireland when he is being marked by somebody. Aidan Hanrahan did well when he came out the field last Sunday, only to be blackguarded and shoved into full forward before getting the curly finger.

I'd have Gary Hannify and Tanner in midfield. Aidan Hanrahan at Centre Forward and Cordial at wing forward. Then if you need to bring Sid in, bring him in later.

[Bogman]

I can see both sides of this argument.

In his preview on Sunday Enda McEvoy of the Tribune said that Offaly were Middleweights in the Heavyweight Division, neat and sharp but incapable of winning hard ball in the half forwards. He said that this had been Offaly's only problem against Tipp in the League quarter-final but because of it he was going for Wexford to win on Sunday. McEvoy called it 100% right.

So McIntyre is staying with 1 to 7, putting in two battlers in midfield and ringing the changes at half forward in a desperate attempt to win some ball. I agree with those who say that Gary Hanniffy is not best placed there and that Diggy & Aidan Hanrahan are unlucky but I think McIntyre is rolling the dice hoping to hit on the right combination, maybe after some further changes on the day.

There should be some thought given to the puckouts - we don't win very many of them.

I think the changes might help us to grind out a win against Dublin and with a bit of luck we might learn something. Good luck to Sid!!

[Lone Shark]

In the greater scheme of things we should probably wait to see what way the team actually lines out before judging. The more I think about it, the more I'd expect Sid to be in around midfield. You'd prefer to see Tanner or Hoctor under the puck outs anyway.

I do tend to agree that in the same way as with Quinn for the football, surely he'd do best coming into the game late, when there's a bit more space and less frantic charging around the place?

[Rynaghs Biffo]

[quote="azoffaly"]I'll never hear a word said against Sid, but Jaysus, the young lads have to start winning championship games on their own. Gary Hanniffy, Rory Hanniffy and co need to be encouraged to become leaders on the pitch, not followers of Brian Whelehan.[quote]

I agree strongly here, i think the only time for sid to feature is as a sub to lift the team when he's needed.

For saturday, i can see sid going full forward, bergin going into the corner and brian carroll moving out onto the wing, but who knows? should be a win, good thing we're playing the "weaker" team now rather a team like waterford last year!

By the way, who's captain now that Benny was dropped?

[Loughers]

Rory is captain now. Syd is still injured and did not want to start. He would make more of an impact coming on as a sub.

[Mighty Pair O' Hands]

Where will the shark be on Sat evening ????

[Lone Shark]

Yours truly is tied into working over here on Saturday, (lousy World Cup ) so I won't be back until the two games on the first weekend in July.

I'd say chances are you'll catch a good few of the usual suspects on the terrace opposite the stand though.

[Bogman]

Big few weeks against the Dubs with three games:

Hurling Qualifier Saturday June 17th - Parnell Park
Hurling U-21 Match Wednesday June 21st - Parnell Park
Football Minor Leinster Semi-Final Wednesday July 5th

Add in the matches against other opposition and there's a lot going on:

Minor Hurling Semi-Final V Carlow Sat June 24th
Hurling Round 2 July 1st. Home (Tullamore/Birr/Portlaoise) v Limerick
Football Leinster Semi-Final July 2nd (and possible Minor Hurling Final)
Hurling Qualifier Round 3 Sat July 8th, Away (Ennis) v Clare


That's 7 matches (8 if the minor hurlers win the semi-final) in the next 3 weeks or so.

[The Rover]

Just read the RTE report on the game which indicates that Offaly scraped through against Dublin. I had expected a bit more comfortable of a margin but a win is a win and that's what counts.
Brian Whelahan scored the winning goal but I agree with the posts above- he is one of the best players of all time but we can't and shouldn't be depending on him to play 70 minutes for us to win games.
The real test will come against Clare, a team that's over the hill and should be easy prey for a young Offaly team. If we don't beat Clare then it's back to the drawing board - big time.