Rhode are Flying

[redser]

Very impressed with Rhode at the weekend. They absolutely demolished Tullamore all over the park and make no mistake about it that Tullamore team is quiet strong. Rhode have great strenght in depth also. I hear Kelleghan is back for the final, whats the story with that, i thought that a straight red for striking always merited a 3 month suspension. Its frightening to see how far ahead of the rest Rhode are. They have a decent chance of winning a leinster which was there main objective at the beginning of this year. Has anybody noticed that Rhode and Jody Gunning have been compiling a video of all there games so far. It shows that this bunch are full of confidence. I know for a fact that they got in a professional coach from another sporting code to work on some areas of their game. Last year they had a very easy win in the county final and its looking like the same this time round. They certainly have the belief and on the evidence of sunday evening they have the quality to do very well in Leinster.

[duboffaly]

There was the same talk last year that Rhode would do damage in Leinster after an easy campaign in the Offaly championship. They were destroyed however. While it would be greta to see them win a leinster, I cant see where your confidence is coming from.

[Barracuda]

For what its worth i would subscribe to the theory that Rhode are a better outfit this time round.
Last year perhaps they could take very little for granted and had to work harder from the start in case they were caught. Remember last year was the first win, in a while for them, so Stephen had to make sure of a win and see how leinster went after that.

This year appears different- not tested unitl the semi and Tullamore suffered as a reslut of Rhode getting their run to the final fence and around the last corner bang on.

With so little work done for most of the year they should be fresh enough this time around to go further in Leinster than last year.

But then we will see.........

LS: I see you keep harping on about Niall Mac's groin strain and the need for an operation. When will it happen, remember for what its worth I dont think he will have or need that operation for the foreseeable future. Have you fresh info for us ?

[HairyHole]

I think its rather harsh to say Rhode were destroyed last year against Portlaoise , if you were at the game you would have seen that Rhode probably had the better of the 1st half and Murphy's Law came into the equation as we conced to of the softest goals ever both sides of half time .Couple that with l Roy Malones sending off with 20 or so minutes left then it was easy to see how the Leix boys ran away with it in the end.

I'll not count any chickens yet and just concentrate on Shamrocks for the next two weeks before I even think about any lenghty run in Leinster.....

[Lone Shark]

That match against Portlaoise turned on an incident near the end of the first half, when Bannon got the punch to the "area". The Portlaoise guy got off with a yellow - wrong - and Bannon had to go off - Rhode ended up suffering more than Portlaoise did. If he was there, there would have been nothing like that margin in it in the end.

Two mistakes by the Rhode keeper cost goals, and the team fell apart. and this against a side that was within a kick of a ball of the AI club Championship, so they're not far off.

I think their defence has come on, and that full back line is now very strong for club level. Joe Kilmurray and Bannon were very impressive last time out, and with Barry Malone to come back in along the line, their HB line could be very capable too.

Padraig Sullivan had a good game up front last Sunday as well - I like that switch, and if Paschal is as good as he should be coming in next year, then they still have a decent forward line.

Overall they're not too far off the pace. Certainly with a Dublin team possibly going to be absent, and Portlaoise still sans Parkinson, and the favourites dropping one by one in Kildare, it's a very winnable Leinster title. But as you say, Shamrocks could be as tough a challenge as any of those teams yet.

Regarding Niall's injury, I'm not a medical expert by any stretch of the imagination - however he is not at full capacity - anyone can see that. He can't track, runs of 30m or more at full pace take a lot out of him, and he's relying on a jink or two to give himself the room to shoot instead of being able to beat someone. Either he needs rest or an operation, but right now he's no further on than he was on Paddy's day when Caoimhin King ran through him at will at was the reason our decent u-21 team went west. At the highest level he's not sharp enough, and for a lad of 20 or 21 he obviously needs something.

[BUFFALO]

Well lads,I must say that when I last saw Rhode against them boyos from Maryborough I wasn't the least bit impressed and to say that ''the match turned on one incident'' is wholly untrue, as much as I hate to say it.but Portlaoise were without a doubt the superior team that day.I subsequently went to see that team beat Crossmaglen and narrowly lose to Ballina(who were knocked out recently by Charlestown in the Mayo C/C),and I can honestly say that Rhode were certainly not up to that standard last year.Now I admire the trickery and skills of Niall McNamee,but had he come up against 'Big' Francie Bellew I would have been very concerned,as stated by LS,Niall Mc isn't ''sharp enough''.I better stop ranting, raving and criticising the reiging Offaly champions,as it indicates pessimism and bitterness within the county(and I can assure ye that I am an eternal optimist).I have given my two cents but I really do hope that Rhode prove me wrong and go all the way to win in Crokers on Paddys Day.

[Lone Shark]

I never meant that it turned from being a likely Rhode win to a Portlaoise one. It did turn from being a difficult assignment for the Village to being a nigh on impossible one. Roy's bout of childishness and a poor day at the office for Masterson merely added a lot of gloss to a scoreline that was a hardly a real reflection of the difference between the two teams.

I'd say there was 4 points between them in terms of ability, 8 between them on the day that was in it. The huge gulf at the end was a lot down to the absence of Bannon and the Portlaoise guy - who went on to score 1-2 after that if I'm not mistaken - staying on the pitch.

I don't think Rhode are going to be hugely better than last year if they do advance - however with Dublin almost certainly without a representative, and Portleix being still without Parky, as well as looking dodgy to even qualify for the knockouts in Laois after losing to Stradbally, I don't think they've a lot to fear. The first round trip to Wicklow for the winners will be very awkward, but would be a great game to set them up for a home tie in the quarters against a Laois team as well.

[True Red]

Have to correct you there LS............It was actually Mark kavanagh who had the bad day at the office against Portlaoise and not Masterson.

Kavanagh has since retired at the tender age of 21 due to his one man blooper show that day.

[Lone Shark]

My apologies to Colm if he's reading - did not intend to malign. It was just one of those things written without really thinking.

I assume Kavanagh gave up the ghost for more reasons than that - a horror show it was, but it was one day, and I think pretty much every goalie has a 'mare at some stage in their development - comes with the territory. It just shows up so much more in goal than if you have 12 or 13 on your back. Plus it's difficult making a mistake and then spending the next 30 minutes doing nothing but taking kickouts getting annoyed at the lack of opportunity to redeem yourself. I'd hate to think that one bad day haunted him that much.

[Hyper]

I'd be inclining to agree with you their LS, Kavanagh not that he is a heavy drinker but he didn't like to abstain whilst training although I believe he is back in preparation for the U21's ( I think he is going for 4 medals now)

[Barracuda]

Regarding Niall's injury, I'm not a medical expert by any stretch of the imagination - however he is not at full capacity - anyone can see that. He can't track, runs of 30m or more at full pace take a lot out of him, and he's relying on a jink or two to give himself the room to shoot instead of being able to beat someone. Either he needs rest or an operation, but right now he's no further on than he was on Paddy's day when Caoimhin King ran through him at will at was the reason our decent u-21 team went west. At the highest level he's not sharp enough, and for a lad of 20 or 21 he obviously needs something.

I'm not an MD either i'm afraid, but i think another word to describe most of the above comment would be.................... Lazy!
Sorry chaps but Niall is a tad lazy, and presently because of continous football his interest levels are very very low. Rest might bring back the interest.
LS - he doesent track runs cause its too much like work , not because of an injury.
Lets rationalise this a bit- most guys play at 100% or as close as they can to it. Even when things are not going their way they still work hard.If they have injuries no matter how they try to mind them they (Injuries) will let you down and you limp off, unless of course you are a full forward on the local Junior B team where just standing under a high ball in the square might suffice.
I suggest he is playing well within himself but not for reason of injury.
And if he does not have an operation in the coming year then how else can you explain it. If he does- please accept my humble apppoligies. And lets not start making excuses about not having time for an operation in 2006! That would be bull- like what good is anyone at 30 to 50% percent !.So if he needs one I do not understand for a moment that Rhode/Killmurray and Co are not already be on top of it !.

No more excuses- he needs to start delivering and not playing on his own terms - when it suits

[Lone Shark]

I suggest he is playing well within himself but not for reason of injury. And if he does not have an operation in the coming year then how else can you explain it. If he does- please accept my humble apologies. And lets not start making excuses about not having time for an operation in 2006! That would be bull- like what good is anyone at 30 to 50% percent !.So if he needs one I do not understand for a moment that Rhode/Killmurray and Co are not already be on top of it !.

No more excuses- he needs to start delivering and not playing on his own terms - when it suits

Like a barefoot man in a cowfield, I tread warily here, not being furnished with as many facts as I'd like. If he has the Gilmore's Groin injury that I believe he has been diagnosed with, then his displays on the field are consistent with that. It is degenerative due to overuse, and it doesn't inhibit you hugely, it just robs you of that extra 10% of speed or slows your turning time etc. If someone wants to tell me that I'm misinformed on this, then fair enough. From what I've seen though Niall at the moment does not have the sharpness on the ball of a man at his peak.

Ironically the problem with this injury is that it doesn't reduce you to 30% - it reduces you to 75%. And Niall at 75% is still more dangerous than most of the alternatives within the county, not to mention way more dangerous than the next best Rhode have to offer. However if it were to get operated on, it then needs 6-8 weeks recuperation and rehabilitation. Football managers are selfish creatures - Stephen Darby is not going to agree to this as long as Rhode are involved in either the Offaly or Leinster Championship, and if Rhode aren't out by mid November, it starts to affect the beginning of Offaly's league campaign, which allows Kilmurray to engage in short-term-ism.

I've no idea regarding his mental state, but I'd be amazed if he didn't need a break from football. The danger is that there'll never be a time when it won't require some manager to look at the greater good in order for that to happen - not something they're famed for.

[Barracuda]

If he has the Gilmore's Groin injury that I believe he has been diagnosed with, then his displays on the field are consistent with that

And if he hasnt - then what ???.
Think it might be best not to dig too deep a hole for yerself on this one.

Of course you may be right, but after giving us so many instances and back up reasons why this "injury" is inhibiting him, All these instances etc would be very difficult to explain if he continues on as normal (no op).

Ill repeat what i said many times before on this subject.
Not all or anything near all of Nialls performances are down to a groin injury. This is the way the chap plays. Going as far back as the Ferbane game this year we were lead to believe that he was hampered by this injury.
Someone ask the lad is he suffering and restricted from this injury- please. Cause if he aint then all the reasons and examples of not being at his best would make him out to be only an average player - or ??

[Lone Shark]

An average player was not what we saw in the county championship last summer or playing for the county in 2003, when he was playing where he belonged and not in the bizarre role of wing forward. He was absolutely devastating, and hasn't come next, nigh, or near that form since. Perhaps disinterest is the reason, however it looks otherwise to this untrained eye.

I can't for the life of me find the story where it first broke that he was postponing surgery - it was reported in the national media though.

[Hyper]

The chap has The Gilmore's Groin and if you care to do a google search you will find out more..... you can play in sufference and to less than your ability with this type of injury but eventually you will have to succumb to the knife if you want to continue playing at your peak. I believe that Niall will be undergoing surgery and my guess would be as soon after Rhode's exit from this years club championship.