Offaly Senior Hurlers 2025

[faithfulfanatic]

The word around Birr is that there are plenty of brave punters throughout the county hoping for a big result today, to land the Offaly league double bet.

Fair play to anyone with that on.

Hopefully the lads can get over the line.

A few lads still missing but this cohort have shown they’re capable of hurling to Waterford’s level.
My only worry would be the number of certain goals Mark Troy kept out the last day, hard to see Waterford missing as many chances again.
That means we will need to take our own when they come.

Offaly by 2…

[JimBwobb]

Best of luck to the lads today.

I hope I'm wrong but think the big pitch will suit Waterford.

Cmon The Faithful!!!

[frankthetank]

A reality check for us all currently in process in PUC.

[private joker]

4 point defeat but in reality it was a lot more.

[G91]

Got our act together eventually, but the the way Waterford pulled us apart so easy was concerning, left few scores behind us

Some sloppy balls ,

All the same Offaly have improved massively
Since the Joe mcdonagh

Thought the ref definitely was in favour of Waterford Digan was denied a penalty

Again the Waterford player made great dramatics trying to get the ref to give a red card

[private joker]

Duignan definitely should have had a penalty.
Bourke lucky it was not a red. Dont think it was a red but the way refs are doing matches nowadays he was lucky. Why was his hurl so high when the ball is low going out over the sideline? Waterford far better and took the foot of the gas. Offaly rallied well in fairness and its sets up things nicely vs Dublin.

[Faithful Future]

A rude awakening that will focus the minds ahead of Parnell Park in 13 days.

Some positives to take from today include Duignan's contribution from general play, he really is a handful. Oisin Kelly with more goals, good to see his eye for the onion bag is back in ahead of championship. I thought Cathal King put in a good 70 minutes in midfield. Mark Troy also with some good saves.

Negatives include but not limited to our puckout strategy not clicking at all, first touch very poor, hooked/blocked several times, missing dead balls/65s (unforgivable at this level), not winning dirty ball, fumbling the ball, countless turnovers, ball to hand not sticking....

Most worryingly, aside from Duignan and Oisin to an extent, our forwards are struggling and the pace of things isn't going to slow down.

Big two weeks ahead and as the ground gets harder, I've no doubt Mitchell, Ravenhill et al will come into their own. It was good to get more minutes into Eoghan Cahill which will stand to him.

[G91]

Every god foresakin game

Adam screeney, what’s the story when’s he back , big miss, Adam screeney what’s the story,

Don’t get me wrong great player but he was not the reason nor the main player on a team last year for joe mcdonagh

Had a cameo v Meath and laois , came on ruffled feathers v Kerry and started the Joe mc final got great score

But this constant beating the drum about him is completely unnecessary yea he is up and coming but let’s wait until he actually does make the step up officially

[Plain of the Herbs]

Because he's the only Offaly hurler those soccer heads who write in the national media have heard of.

And don't get me started on the lad on RTE.ie with his 'Ben' Duignan.

Every god foresakin game

Adam screeney, what’s the story when’s he back , big miss, Adam screeney what’s the story,

Don’t get me wrong great player but he was not the reason nor the main player on a team last year for joe mcdonagh

Had a cameo v Meath and laois , came on ruffled feathers v Kerry and started the Joe mc final got great score

But this constant beating the drum about him is completely unnecessary yea he is up and coming but let’s wait until he actually does make the step up officially

[SearingDrive]

Because he's the only Offaly hurler those soccer heads who write in the national media have heard of.

And don't get me started on the lad on RTE.ie with his 'Ben' Duignan.

Every god foresakin game

Adam screeney, what’s the story when’s he back , big miss, Adam screeney what’s the story,

Don’t get me wrong great player but he was not the reason nor the main player on a team last year for joe mcdonagh

Had a cameo v Meath and laois , came on ruffled feathers v Kerry and started the Joe mc final got great score

But this constant beating the drum about him is completely unnecessary yea he is up and coming but let’s wait until he actually does make the step up officially

I read that report, a bit lazy to say Ben Duignan, just as easy to quote the players correct name. The first half was all Waterford, just ran at Offaly.
Offaly improved in the second period, Oisin Kelly took his goals well.
Waterford probably deserved to win. Parnell Park next on the horizon.

[Superhans75]

Waterford deserved the win great spirit in the second half but we have our limitations
Cork look seriously good this year ( backed them at 20/1 last year still let me down )
I don't think Waterford are in the same Class as Cork .
Look we have done a lot better than majority of fans would have dreamed off at the start of league.
Let's enjoy Leinster going to be tough.
But hope springs eternal.

[Wing Back]

I have to admit I was slightly concerned at HT as we were possibly in danger of taking a bit of a beating. But when I watched the game back, we did try to do a lot right in the 1st half, despite things going against us. The 1st 10 minutes we were very lackluster and got off to a very slow start, a lot of dropped balls, missed passes and were out battled. Waterford on the other hand were extremely clinical. We hit some poor wides in the first half with Duignan placed balls, Sampson tap over and Bourke mishit one that dropped one short. There were other aswell....but those ones really stuck out. And while Brian Duignan was absolutely fantastic for the whole match from play, even he will be the 1st to admit that he prob should have scored that goal chance, if he hits anywhere else on target, it's in. It wouldn't have taken an awful lot for those scores to give us an extra 1-2 or 1-3 on the board, and that was with Offaly playing well below what they are capable of, and Waterford running very slick.

But slowly but surely we got to grips with the game. It probably took a fortuitous goal to really ignite us. Although Waterford got in for their own goal.....It was one way traffic for the last 20 mins of play. (circa last 15 plus stoppage time.). If our comeback had started earlier, or if we didn't get off to such a bad start in the 1st half, who knows.

Other things I noted, Kelly is getting better and better everyday I see him. Duignan was excellent throughout, he possibly could have taken his man on again a few times in 2nd half, but opted for the point. Similar story with Sampson where a clear path opened up for goal but he opted to take the safer option. Throw in the penalty that wasn't. Offaly have lots of positives to take from yesterday.

There prob was an element of Waterford lifting the foot off the gas a touch I'll admit, but it was only an element. Waterford needed the full time whistle and wouldn't have been able for much more, whereas our lads were really only hitting full stride I felt. Overall I'm happy. Lots of lessons can be learned from the match clearly, but also confidence can be taken aswell. We ran the bench who all made an impact I felt. Mahon to come back in, possibly some other options like Kiely and a few more too. Although it was a loss, It's not a bad position to be in going into Leinster.

[Wingbackassassin]

Every god foresakin game

Adam screeney, what’s the story when’s he back , big miss, Adam screeney what’s the story,

Don’t get me wrong great player but he was not the reason nor the main player on a team last year for joe mcdonagh

Had a cameo v Meath and laois , came on ruffled feathers v Kerry and started the Joe mc final got great score

But this constant beating the drum about him is completely unnecessary yea he is up and coming but let’s wait until he actually does make the step up officially

Agreed. Very strange obsession people have with him. Media seem to focus on one player and run with it every time. Honestly if he were playing now I don't think he improves the team that much. However I'd probably start him ahead of Charlie Mitchell as Mitchell rarely wins his own ball.

[Lone Shark]

For me, Screeney definitely improves the team, but it's a moot point because he's not ready to go, and the absolute worst thing that could possibly happen now is for him to be rushed back into action when he's not ready. And I mean that for Offaly U20s, for Offaly seniors, and for Kilcormac-Killoughey if it comes to that. I was at the Leinster SHC launch today in Nowlan Park, and Cianán Fahy talked about the injury, and how he got it once, came back, thought he was fine, and then missed another massive chunk of time when he realised he wasn't. Letting that happen here would be criminal.

As for Charlie Mitchell, he's another lad that I hope plays for Offaly for the next ten years at least, and he's clearly one of the six most talented scorers in the county - but he's also painfully off form and lacking confidence, and that goes right back to hurling with UG in the Fitzgibbon earlier this year. I don't know the man and I don't know what needs to happen for him to get his mojo back, but whether it's a rest, a different role, or whatever, we're gone past the point where it's acceptable to constantly try the same thing (starting him at 14) and hope for different results.

Brian Duignan has taken his game to a completely different level this year, Oisín Kelly is beginning to find his feet after a horrendous run of injuries and Daniel Bourke contributes a lot more than just his scores. I would say those three are the most reliable contributors. Killian Sampson and Dan Ravenhill have had good days and quiet days this year, and I would start them every time but ideally would be ready with a plan B if it's not happening for them too. But most importantly, there clearly needs to be more options, whether that's Cahill, David Nally, maybe Cillian Kiely at 11 or 12, or whoever.

[Superhans75]

Offaly Have a challenge game against tip this weekend not too sure where .