Hurling Qualifier Draw

[Lone Shark]

Almost certainly away to Cork on the 25th of June.

This will certainly be a great chance for the hurlers to take on a good team and get some positive momentum going again. It's a pity to have to go away from home and it's certainly possible that they could play well and still not win, but nothing I've seen from Cork so far this year has suggested that they are anything special. They aren't good goalscorers certainly and we should be well capable of giving them plenty of it, if what we saw in Croke Park was Offaly playing well and not just Dublin being complacent.

[faithfullad]

Yes, but still one of the worst draws we could have gotten.

[black and red exile]

That's three trips to Leeside in 16 months, talk about the rough end of the stick And no matter where the footballers are playing on the same day it will be nearly impossible to make one to the other even if the times are well apart, anywhere the footballers will be in action will be a journey from Cork

[kingscounty]

is the game definitely an away game?we played tipp and galway in portlaoise last year,just wondering why this one wont be a neutral venue?

[walshisland]

Cork away
we could pull off a shock,its hard to see,but cork are know world beaters.

god only knows where the footballers will be playing on the same day.

going to be hard to make both of them

[Hyper]

Lads in all fairness, where would you see the like? you get knocked out of a competition, then you have a preliminary phase, then a phase 1 and then all going well your in a quarter final? some load of pooh pooh!

[SearingDrive]

Maybe Laois will pull off a shock, they are at home!. What have the Gods against Offaly, if it is Cork, we are travelling to Pairc Ui Chaoimh, for a difficult game, maybe it will be on a Saturday.
The footballers could play in the back garden, and I'd close the curtains!

[Plain of the Herbs]

Might be a good job Offaly didn’t draw Westmeath. Quoted after the Galwaqy match, Westmeath manager and Athenry club man Brian Hanley said “we had different plans with different players and the big advantage you have in Westmeath is that they are very strong in the air and it is a huge bonus” (italics mine).

He went on “and I said it to John McIntyre in their dressing room, that hasn’t been a strength of Galway hurling in recent years. We exposed that and I hope that will bring on Galway and help them get over the line.”

Another interesting nugget is that, in their 4-17 to 2-14 defeat, Westmeath hit 15 wides. In other words, Galway had four goals, seventeen points and ten wides, Westmeath had two goals, fourteen points and fifteen wides. Compare ‘em. Both crossed their opponents’ end line 31 times.

In the first half alone, Gawaly scored 2-7 with four wides, crossing the end line thirteen times; Westmeath got one goal, seven points and ten wides, crossing the line eighteen times, five more than Galway.

[Thereorthereabouts]

Hmmmm ..... You could be on to something--

Maybe the GAA should remove the goalposts altogether and just see who can hit the ball over eachother's end line the most times!!
We wouldnt need them men in the white coats .....
....Youd never have that controversial decision about the square ball
..... or that point that went over the top of the posts..
Macmanus free conversion rate would increase by about 500%!

I like it!!

[old yellar]

In the words of a former player, I think your chances v cork are, good luck, safe home, and god bless!

[Lone Shark]

Hmmmm ..... You could be on to something--

Maybe the GAA should remove the goalposts altogether and just see who can hit the ball over eachother's end line the most times!!
We wouldnt need them men in the white coats .....
....Youd never have that controversial decision about the square ball
..... or that point that went over the top of the posts..
Macmanus free conversion rate would increase by about 500%!

I like it!!

I'm guessing that the point POTH was making, and if so I would agree, is that if Westmeath are capable of matching Galway in terms of winning ball and creating scoring chances, then there is every possibility that they could have enjoyed superiority over us by the same measures.

Of course the ability to convert those chances is part of the game, but you don't want to be in a situation where if they have a good day in front of the posts they force us to have an 80% strike rate just to match them.

[Phoenix]

I suspected that Galway were poor in the air, purely because we nearly beat them twice last year in the championship. Westmeath are going the right way developing hurlers who can win possession. I noticed these managerial quotes myself and it is fascinating to see a Galway man targeting this Galway weakness in a championship match. John McIntyre should take careful note because he is getting the benefit of good advice from the manager of Liam Mellowes who has 3 of the best Galway players on his club team.

One of the positives from the Dublin-Offaly game is that we won a reasonable share of possession against a good team, especially when Joe Bergin moved to the half forwards. We'd have won more if Healion hadn't been half-strangled every time the ball came down on top of him. Some of the 2nd choice players, who were there in place of our injured stars, showed a good ability to get possession or at least spoil the opposition attempts to catch the ball.

[puzzled]

Yes, but still one of the worst draws we could have gotten.

Totally agree 'faithfullad' no doubt the toughest draw we could get,but Offaly teams seem to perform better when they go into matches as underdogs,when the pressure is on the oppisition to perform and that will certainly be the case in Cork!

All we can do is hope the lads come up with the goods on the day,give a great performance and shock the Rebels in their own backyard!

[Bord na Mona man]

We shouldn't be giving Cork all this respect purely on past reputation.
They are rebuilding at the moment and are very beatable with such an inexperienced side.

I haven't seen any recent evidence to suggest that Cork are stronger than say Dublin for example.
Instead of bowing to tradition, we should be playing the 15 that line against us. The colour of the jersey and the deeds of players who use to wear them should count for naught.

This game will be a test of the Offaly mindset. Against Dublin it was about not being put to the sword. Offaly dug in hardest when failing to achieve this mission was becoming a possibility.
This time is "win or bust". What would happen if Cork built up a similar cushion to Dublin at a similar stage? Potentially there could be less emphasis on trying to save face this time.

Offaly's two recent championship performances against Cork were ultimately disappointing. This time its important that the team put in a credible 70 minutes.
We need to start and continue to play like the finish to the Dublin game. With the backs bursting out to attack the ball and forwards chasing after everything.
Offaly need to import a bit of Munster Championship lunacy into their play from the throw in.

[kingscounty]

i echo all you said bord na mona,bang on the money.