If it was just a one off then you might have a point but there’s been 4 games this year and they’ve shown very little in any. Anton, Ruairi and Hyland have been doing all of the scoring so far but we can’t keep relying on those 3.jimbob17 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 07, 2023 7:00 pm If it wasn't the type of game it was in first half, would it have been different for Maher and Dunne to be fair? I think so. If Dunne was there for last 20 mins when ball was coming into forwards, then he probably gets a few scores. Is he lacking mobility? Probably, if playing as a withdrawn corner forward. But as an inside forward, and scorer, Dunne, Bernard Allen and Farrell are the best we have . Maybe not room for all 3 in the one team but I wouldnt write off Dunne. Best inside forward in county championship over last few years. Agree that is lower level, but he still offers more than Jack Bryant has shown. No doubt Bryant has skills but the physicality isnt there just yet and that takes time, especially if you are small and slight naturally. He needs to stay with it though as he is still very young for senior at only 21. In 3 years time he will still be a young player at 24. Perspective needed with these young lads. Cant be expecting too much too soon.
Re Maher, id probably prefer to see him in more central role at either 11, 14 or a withdrawn corner forward role. Not sure running up and down wing supporting wing backs as a wing forward gets best use of his ability. It is horses for courses, and you cant just throw in the best 6 forwards to forward division. You have to get balance between work ethic, scoring ability etc right. Have we got that right now? Probably not but solid defensive displays (mainly) have seen us not concede a whole lot which saw us scrape the two wins.
We need to be mindful that we still have a lot to do, and it may be the case that we only get one more win in the competition - and we will need to get to 6 pts to guarantee safety.
On what evidence are you basing your claim that Dunne has been one of our best 3 inside forwards in recent years? He hasn’t been on the Offaly panel in 4 years. To say he’s been the best inside forward in the county championship in the last few years is also way off. I’d take Niall Mac and the two Cian’s any day of the week. I agree he’s shown more than Jack Bryant but there’s 10 years in the age difference and one can only improve with time whereas the other is on the decline.
As I said in a previous post saying you’d prefer to see Joe at 11 is pointless because Ruairi is nailed on there. He’s never played in the full forward line for Ferbane so why would he be playing there for Offaly?
I think we would have the balance right at the minute with our 6 best forwards. Bill Carroll, Ruairi Mac, Anton, Panda, Farrell, Hyland. I’d be quite disappointed if that isn’t the starting 6 against Westmeath, as you’ve said our defensive unit has been winning us games so far and not our forwards, that can’t and won’t last much longer.
I think we’ll win atleast two more games away at Tipperary and away at Longford with three games close to 50-50s away to Westmeath and home to Cavan and Down. Promotion is within reach and it may well come down to the final week in OCP against Down to decide our fate.