Hurling Team Named

Offalys Future · Post by **Offalys Future** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 12:45 am

Offaly have made one change from the side that defeated Laois for their Leinster SHC semi final clash with reigning All-Ireland champions Kilkenny at Portlaoise on Sunday.

David Franks replaces Brendan O’Meara at left corner back.

Kilkenny, who are due to name their team on Friday night, have an injury doubt surrounding versatile forward Ritchie Power, who is currently carrying a hamstring injury. Manager Brian Cody has introduced last season’s outstanding minor Ritchie Hogan to the squad.

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OFFALY (SHC v Kilkenny): B. Mullins; C. Hernon, P. Cleary, D. Franks; G. Oakley, D. Kennedy, K. Brady; B. Teehan, B. Murphy; G. Hannify, R. Hannify, D. Molloy; B. Carroll, J. Bergin, D. Murray.

Archangel · Post by **Archangel** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 11:01 am

The whole full-back line was dodgy the last day, so I am surprised at just one change. Brian Mullins needs a more sure display, only thing is they can't be as bad............well hopefully anyway.

Rynaghs Biffo · Post by **Rynaghs Biffo** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 3:18 pm

Looks like a decent team, but does it look like enough to limit the kilkenny forwards to under 20 points, i hate to say it but I don't think so. But on the day, the lads need to hit them hard and don't stand back. We'll take anything to beat these boys, and i think we need to play our best cards right from the off!

I like the look of the front 6, on their day, each player can score 5+ scores in 70 mintutes. The pressure is on Damian Murray and his freetaking. He is well able to score anywhere from 20-60 yards out, he just needs to be on form.

Im looking forward to it, as should everyone else in the county, we need to get behind the lads and never give up hope.

Bord na Mona man · Post by **Bord na Mona man** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 6:38 pm

The concession of sloppy giveaway goals are what kills us. I'll be willing our back line to defend and clear every ball that drops in.
Hopefully they'll win a couple of early balls and get the confidence going!

black and red exile · Post by **black and red exile** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 7:50 pm

Not too keen on Franks at corner back, he would'nt exactly be blessed with man marking skills. Unless Brendan O' Meara is injured I can't understand the reason in dropping him to the bench.

Offalys Future · Post by **Offalys Future** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 9:10 pm

black and red exile wrote:Not too keen on Franks at corner back, he would'nt exactly be blessed with man marking skills. Unless Brendan O' Meara is injured I can't understand the reason in dropping him to the bench.

Can you give an example of why you think the above?

Rynaghs Biffo · Post by **Rynaghs Biffo** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 10:29 pm

Although Brendan had a reasonably good league campaign and excelled in both county finals, I must confess that I still prefer to see Franks starting. His track record over the years has been excellent.

I wonder his hurling in Kilkenny will aid him on Sunday? or perhaps give him more of an incentive.

sin01 · Post by **sin01** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:48 am

mmmmmmm............hopefully more incentive! i know if was me and i was playing club hurling/football in another county i would be more than happy to beat 2nd home.....

Lone Shark · Post by **Lone Shark** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 11:34 am

To be fair, whatever question marks might hang over our hurlers right now, lack of incentive is not an issue.

While I wouldn't go so far as to say that I wouldn't pick him myself, I can understand the source of Black & Red Exile's concern. Franks was our best hurler throughout the early nineties, but his recent form hasn't been inspiring, and he has a tendency not to mark as tightly as he could. Looking at the league campaign, his performance against Clare was particularly worrying. Bernard Gaffney - albeit a fine young hurler with a big future - absolutely took him to the cleaners, and it doesn't bode well for what Shefflin could do to him.

I have to say that O'Meara would be one of the first names on my teamsheet as well. He's aggressive, tight and has been the best out and out defender in the Offaly club championship for a couple of years now in my humble opinion. All that said, I've no idea how the lads are shaping up in training, so I wouldn't like to say that I disagree with the selection without that knowledge.

Offalys Future · Post by **Offalys Future** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 12:08 pm

have to say that O'Meara would be one of the first names on my teamsheet as well. He's aggressive, tight and has been the best out and out defender in the Offaly club championship for a couple of years now in my humble opinion. All that said, I've no idea how the lads are shaping up in training, so I wouldn't like to say that I disagree with the selection without that knowledge.

Lads
Offaly Club Hurling ------------> Intercounty Hurling
League -------------------> Championship

There is such a huge difference between both, do people not realise that club hurling in Offaly is so poor at present, so that a player that has been the so called "best defender in offaly club hurling for the last few years". That does not mean he is entitled to play on the championship team.
One word for you - SLOW.

The closest Offaly came to hurling proper championship this year was against Lmerick in the play off.
What happened that day
O'connor - poor
hernon - poor
cleary - poor
horan - poor
murray - poor
molloy - poor
bevans - poor

This is what i keep going back to, the best hurlers in the county arent on the panel. In order to give your self a chance aganst the likes of Kilkenny
1 - you need your best hurlers playing
2 - you need them prepared the best they can be
3 - you need a game plan in place
4 - you need everone working together and playing as a team

Offaly have none of the above.

Against laois under no pressure the back line constantly fouled, what would happen if that back line played against kilkenny? - franks had to be brought in and there should have been other changes too.

You dont judge players on club championship performances, you judge players on what they have to offer and what you can get out of them.

The problem with some of the offaly 15 is:

that you cant get out of a player what a player doesnt have.

Lone Shark · Post by **Lone Shark** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 1:19 pm

You say all this as if we have proven top class intercounty players coming out of our ears. Much and all as we'd all like to play Rory Hanniffy and Joe Bergin in all fifteen positions on the field, it doesn't work that way. The club championship is where Offaly hurlers prove themselves, and a lot of lads have got a good run in the county team with a lot less form in the book than O'Meara.

If you don't mind me asking - who are all these players that aren't on the panel that would make all the difference?

Offalys Future · Post by **Offalys Future** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 2:35 pm

The club championship is where Offaly hurlers prove themselves

Birr have been the dominant force in club hurling for the last decade, so , why isnt the best hurlers on the panel?

The way half of this years Offaly panel was picked was by 30 lads coming in and playing 3 practice games and a few training session games.

Better hurlers
Now i am going to list players that are better hurlers and have more potential if they were man managed correctly.

Dylan Hayden, Barry Whelehan, Colm Cassidy, stephen browne, niall claffey, mathew mcredmond, mick o hara.
This is just a few of the players that should be involved.

Just because you are a good club hurler that doesnt make you good enough to be an intercounty hurler.
Brendan o Meara is a good club defender, he was brought into the offaly panel but because no coaching of any sort takes place he is the same hurler he was a year ago, maybe a little fitter.
This is the problem these players arent getting any better by been part of the county panel.

Its great to say ah we are changing things and bringing in young players but its simple they just arent good enough.
These players have been tested once this year against Limerick and they failed.
The second test comes this Sunday.

It goes back to what i have already said they arent been coached at underage level properly so when they come to senior they just arent good enough. It doesnt matter who ya have training them if they havent the basic skills and the correct attitude they wil never succeed.

kinnittyman · Post by **kinnittyman** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 2:41 pm

The only absentee that i could see making a telling contribution is Dylan Hayden.

Anyways back to the game-Who would have thought that walking out of Croke Park after that terrific Leinster Fianl victory over Kilkenny in 1995 that we would still be waiting our next victory over them. In fact since them we have only beaten them once in any of the three main grades in the leinster championship. For me that was the day that Offaly team reached hurling Nirvana and not in Thurles in 98 as many would have you believe. It would be hard to argue against the fact that was the greatest performance ever by an Offaly team against the reigning league champions and the all ireland champions of only two years previous. How sad it is to think that only ten years later Kilkenny would hand out the mother and father of all beatings to Offaly and as LS quite rightly pointed out that was the day we ceased to be relevant. Quite simply a competitve performance keeping the score to a single digit defeat is a what any realistic supporter is hoping for. An Offaly win is simply not going to happen but we just dont need another 30 point massacre particularly with the tougher qualifying group ahead of us.
As for the team that has been picked i cant see any better with the exception of Damien Murray. Being blunt he doesnt have the stomach for championship hurling and this has been proved time and time again. He wont win a 50/50 ball and if our backs are under serious pressure and they just need the ball to stick in the forward line if only for a breather they wouldnt want to be hitting Murrays corner. Other than that the team is as good as we have and i am glad to see Breeder back between the sticks. Anyone who was at the Limerick game in Nenagh will see why. Anyways im a bit busy at the mo so cant write any more but needless to say il be there sunday cheering on both teams. UIBH FHAILI ABU!!!!

Bord na Mona man · Post by **Bord na Mona man** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 3:08 pm

I'm sure if Hayden was available this year, he would be in the team.
While there would be harm with some of those players "being involved", realistically how many of them would improve the side if they made the starting 15?

We've all seen most of the named hurlers get plenty of time wearing the county jersey. It's not as if these lads are being badly wronged by not being in the current set up.
If we are taking club performances with a pinch of salt, how many of the named players have excelled on the inter county stage?

Offalys Future · Post by **Offalys Future** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 3:24 pm

they would make no difference in the current set up, but any of the players that i have mentioned at their full potentail are better than most players on the present panel at their full potential.
As for the current team the following have proved at some stage over the last 5 years that at senior intercounty championship - not league - championship that they are good enough.

Rory haniffy
gary haniffy
joe bergin
brian carroll
kevin brady
brendan murphy
david franks
barry teehn
brian mullins
ger oakley

we have hurlers good enough with the above players and the lads that arent on the panel.
but its about been able to get the full potential out of these players.

this is easier said than done but with right structures at minor under 21 and senior this would be achieved