Offaly Hurling 2021

A forum to air your views on Offaly GAA matters and beyond.
kingscounty
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Re: Offaly Hurling 2021

Post by kingscounty »

bracknaghboy wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 9:24 pm It's rare you get to say it but there isn't much more these lads could have done over the 4 games. The towel would have been thrown in at half time in all games were they boxing matches. 4 non-contests.
From watching the streams the following look notable:

Fitness
Seems to have improved massively. For the first time in 15 years an Offaly hurling team has the legs to go the distance. Some feat considering the lack of collective training. Clearly great discipline shown by the panel over the last 6 months.

Options
It's been said that Offaly teams for years weren't comfortable in possession and prone to blasting it away aimlessly. Theres some truth in that but the problem is that players found themselves in trouble with no supporting team mates nearby. That would make anyone look uncomfortable on the ball!
This year there is nearly always a player there in support of a player surrounded. Or when a player looks down the pitch there are options and movement.... Langton tormenting defences. Fennelly has clearly instilled this.

Unselfishness
Getting a forward to look out for a player in a better position before having a go himself is one of the hardest things to coach. They inevitably go back to their old habits usually within 20 minutes. It's again clear this has been worked on and it's noticeable better options are been taken. I'm impressed by this.

Workrate
The forwards are fighting the moment the ball is lost. For years there have been lads happy to finish the scores but in terms of making honest efforts to fight when the ball was lost or fight for dirty ball......nah forget about it.

Mixing up the play
Really nice of mix hurling, short, running, long, diagonal whatever is required. Actually enjoyable to watch not like the D1 puke.

The above is not just some modern phenomenon, the senior hurlers should have had the above attributes for the last 15 years. They are the minimum required just to compete whether 10 years ago or this week.

The bad news is that the step up next year is huge. It's like a soccer team from League 2 going up to the Premier League.
I hope they they at least try to stay at the way there are playing and not just revert to 13 lads behind the ball and get suckered into the non-stop handpassing (well throwing) game. They shouldn't be afraid next year at least not to start with.
Christy Ring this year is just a case of being careful but baring something extraordinary they should win the 3 games by 20+ points.

It looks good and fair play to players and management. Duignan and CB deserve credit too, there is a positive vibe at the moment and thats priceless when you are at a low ebb.
Very good read and break down of what we have lacked for a long time.

private joker
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Re: Offaly Hurling 2021

Post by private joker »

Huge win. 1 32 to 10 points.
Similar scoreline to be expected come christy ring time

llkj
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Re: Offaly Hurling 2021

Post by llkj »

While delighted to gain promotion to D1 I have a feeling that 2A was just so weak this year that it is hard to tell how much we have progressed. Carlow and Kerry seem to be a few steps below what they were in recent years and the other teams in the division are just not very good in general. Teams at our level can ride a wave for a couple Of seasons which can pretty easily take them to D1 and Liam Mc, simply by being the best of the rest - especially when D1 is 12 teams. In fact, I would fancy offaly to beat both Laois and Westmeath if they played them
In championship this year, such is the power of Momentum. Unfortunately this season will be a wash due to the debacle that was last season but hopefully we can keep our momentum going through next year and stabilize ourselves in D1 and win Joe Mc too.

Tar Man
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Re: Offaly Hurling 2021

Post by Tar Man »

"The GAA have confirmed the tables for next year's Allianz Hurling League.

Division 1, Group A: Galway, Limerick, Cork, Wexford, Clare, Offaly.

Division 1, Group B: Waterford, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Antrim, Dublin and either Laois/Westmeath*

*The pair will be play the relegation play-off later in the summer on the undercard of one of the All-Ireland hurling semi-finals."


Above is from the RTE Website - we'll really know where we stand after next year's league!!

SearingDrive
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Re: Offaly Hurling 2021

Post by SearingDrive »

Tar Man wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 10:26 am "The GAA have confirmed the tables for next year's Allianz Hurling League.

Division 1, Group A: Galway, Limerick, Cork, Wexford, Clare, Offaly.

Division 1, Group B: Waterford, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Antrim, Dublin and either Laois/Westmeath*

*The pair will be play the relegation play-off later in the summer on the undercard of one of the All-Ireland hurling semi-finals."


Above is from the RTE Website - we'll really know where we stand after next year's league!!
We sure will. Big step up from Div.2A

private joker
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Re: Offaly Hurling 2021

Post by private joker »

Basically beat either laois or westmeath next year to stay in Div 1.

Fairplayalways
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Re: Offaly Hurling 2021

Post by Fairplayalways »

With work and fine weather I havent been on here much..Offaly promoted in both hurling in football...I posted some weeks ago Offaly won a hurling league and a football league the same day, and its a good few years since even that feat was achieved. In both codes I see alot of postives and rightly so from this league, our fitness, mentality, and work rate and all that type of things were spot on from the games I watched Offaly in, there was no "soft spot" where Offaly self doubted and ultimately self destructed like in other years.

Hurling wise, we won every match and won them well, I see posters saying teams in this division were poor etc. maybe this year yes, but Kerry, Meath and Carlow have matched and beaten Offaly in recent years, and I was one of those who assumed them teams would be as strong this year. Offaly have improved, no doubt, and the where Offaly really are is somewhere in the middle of the playing very well and those teams regressing a tad this this year. We could only beat what was in our division and we did and did so comprehensively. I and many did worry about the Kerry and Carlow and Down games in particular. Remember how some of us felt when Cillian Kiely announced he was taking a year out, I was worried for one.

We are back inn Div 1 now, I seen the teams, how we fare against them is a bit of a worry, we will be a year on I suppose, and hopefully have the CR won in the interim. Well done all, and isnt it great to be looking forward with a bit of hope compared to other seasons, in both codes..Well done all concerned, and Michael Duignan and his co. board set up do deserve credit for whatever work they obviously have put in behind the scenes...

Sur lookit
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Re: Offaly Hurling 2021

Post by Sur lookit »

I saw no one on here confident about us getting promotion from the league, so its credit to the management and the players.
Lot of new players with very little group preparation behind them hit the ground running and dispensed with the ground hurling!

Well done to the team and management and especially when you see what the second 15 (without being disrespectful to any hurler there) did in the Wicklow game.

We are where we are and these guys have dug us out of it.
Look at what Antrim have done and even Laois have given a reasonable account of themselves also.

Yes Division 1 will be tough but the prize next year will be to continue to learn, build panel strength and compete to win Joe Mc, (assuming we keep the focus and win CRing)

Toxicity234
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Re: Offaly Hurling 2021

Post by Toxicity234 »

I enjoyed watching us win in the league but the standard apart from Carlow game was Poor.

I think bracknaghboy had a point about mixing up the game which I thought was the big change this year.
We worked the ball well.

Last year it was so frustrating watching us run around until we ran into trouble and gave away the ball.
Teams could pack their half-forward line cause they knew we were going to running the ball this year They tried it and we went over the top and ran straight at their full backline.
also, this year when we broke the tackle we moved the ball into the forward line and this gave our forward loads of space.

The other big improvement was our puckout.
About 80% of Offaly won and this wasn't just a stat, It wasn't just our goalkeeper constantly picking out our cornerbacks.
They went long short, fast, and slow, Normally ended up in the hands of an Offaly player.

Next years league at worst is a one-game shot out to stay in the division.
At best we can have a rattle off the 2 best teams in the county in Limerick and Galway.

Let's hope we all in the stands watch the games next year.
“Common sense is not so common.”

private joker
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Re: Offaly Hurling 2021

Post by private joker »

The defeats of Antrim and laois show just how far offaly have to go before they are back contesting in the liam mcarthy. Hopefully an easy and comprehensive winning of the Christy Ring will lead to a competitive joe mcdonagh outing in 2022.

Fairplayalways
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Re: Offaly Hurling 2021

Post by Fairplayalways »

I think the defeats of Antrim and Laois are part of a wider issue...Laois are not the team for sure they were under Eddie Brennan, Cheddar is a gentleman and delighted to see him back over Laois, however, Laois have gone back a bit from what I see because Eddie Brennan had them firing well and while they lost the big games they had to play the were never really hammered like the other day..I will say as mentioned above, the wider debate, Laois scored 1-23 on Saturday and still lost by 20 points...it was like a ping pong match, I was driving and got out of the car and went into a shop for 2/3 minutes and 5 or 6 points were scored while I was in the shop..Antrim got was it 23 or 24 points also and were soundly beaten by similar margin. Antrim probably have not gone back as much as Laois to be fair to them. Offaly are probably up now somewhere Laois and Antrim are right now, I wouldnt be too cocky of Offaly beating either of these teams on any given day just yet..one man the other day told me they would beat "the likes" (his words) of Antrim and Dublin and Laois...I beg to differ...Division 2A was a great League to win our games, most of us feared, Down, Carlow and Meath or Kerry in some way or other, they have beaten us in recent years...interesting now how they go in the CR..

Sur lookit
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Re: Offaly Hurling 2021

Post by Sur lookit »

Any word on Sligo team, should we be worried?

greenairfield
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Re: Offaly Hurling 2021

Post by greenairfield »

:lol: :lol: Offaly by 30 +

private joker
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Re: Offaly Hurling 2021

Post by private joker »

Best of luck to minor hurlers!!

Kevin
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Re: Offaly Hurling 2021

Post by Kevin »

Fairplayalways wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 11:49 pm
..one man the other day told me they would beat "the likes" (his words) of Antrim and Dublin and Laois...I beg to differ...
This is short memory talk of the highest order. We have no business assuming we'd beat any of them. We'll have to wait til next year to get a clearer picture. In the meantime we just keep pushing ahead.

Best wishes to the team v Sligo tomorrow.
Kevin Clancey. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

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