Offaly Hurling team for championship v Dublin

[townman]

its a few week's away yet but i would like to know what other lad's think would be our best team to put out
again Dublin in may if all are fit that's on the panel here's mind.

1.James Dempsey
2.David Franks
3.Paul Cleary(if fit)
4.Stephen Egan
5.James Rigney
6.David Kenny
7.Derek Morkam
8.Rory Hanniffy
9.Connor Mahon
10.Colin Egan
11.Joe Bergin
12.Derek Molloy
13.Shane Dooley
14.Dylan Hayden
15.Brian Carroll
(Bench)
16. Eoin Kelly (goalie)
17.Mick Verney
18.Peter Healion
19.Brian Mulrooney
20 Micheal Cordial
21.Ger Healion
22.Daniel Currams
23.Kevin Connolly
24.Cathal Parlon
25.Orhan Kealey
26.Tommy Carroll

Don't know the story with Joe Brady and Brendan Murphy if both are fit they should make the panel.
plus i hope Joe keeps the door open as there are 3 or 4 hurlers that are not in the panel and should be
not named names we know who they are it would be great if they came aboard for the championship we need them.

[atomic]

Don't think i'd move Kenny out of FB. Think hannify is very solid at CB also. I'd like to see cordial get a run in midfield probably with Mahon. The problem is joe bergin and whee to play him. If only we had 2 of him to play CF and FF. Ger healion had done well enough breaks up a lot of ball but could be a bit of the pace. If brady is back in time maybe he could fill the gap. I'd lik to start with.
James Dempsey
David Franks
David Kenny
Paul Cleary/ Stephen Egan
James Rigney/ Verney
Rory hannify
Del Morkan
Conor Mahon/ Dylan Hayden
Michael Cordial
Colin Egan
Joe Bergin/ Ger Healion/Brady
Derek Molloy
Shane Dooley
Joe Bergin/Daniel Currams
Carroll

I think if did have Rigney,brady and cleary back we would have a lot stronger panel

[kinnittyman]

1. James Dempsey
2. David Franks
3. Paul Cleary
4.Stephen Egan
5. James Rigney
6. David Kenny
7. Del Morkam
8. Conor Mahon
9. Rory Hannify
10. Dylan Hayden
11. Ger Halion
12. Colin Egan
13. Shane Dooley
14. Joe Bergin
15. Derek Molloy

[townman]

1. James Dempsey
2. David Franks
3. Paul Cleary
4.Stephen Egan
5. James Rigney
6. David Kenny
7. Del Morkam
8. Conor Mahon
9. Rory Hannify
10. Dylan Hayden
11. Ger Halion
12. Colin Egan
13. Shane Dooley
14. Joe Bergin
15. Derek Molloy

No Brian Carroll i know he blows hot and cold but i think he is a better forward than Healion,Hayden,Molloy,or Egan on his day
plus he is a better man to get a score plus if Dooley has a off day at frees or is hurt he is the next best at them

[townblue]

1 jim troy
2
3 kev kinahan
4 m hanamy
5 syd whelehan
6 hubie rigney
7 kev martin
8 jonny pilkington
9 mick connelly
10 jonny dooley
11 john troy
12
13 joe dooley
14 mark corrigan
15
lads if all fit !!!!!!!!! should just about win .................. not sure who to play at 2,12 or 15 any ideas ??

[the bare biffo]

2. Brendan Keeshan
12. Paddy Corrigan
15. Johnny Flaherty

[townman]

2. Brendan Keeshan
12. Paddy Corrigan
15. Johnny Flaherty

but sure Keeshan was always the sub

[Kevin]

Paddy Molloy will be happy enough to spring off the bench and pitch in a goal and a few points when called upon towards the end...

[kinnittyman]

1. James Dempsey
2. David Franks
3. Paul Cleary
4.Stephen Egan
5. James Rigney
6. David Kenny
7. Del Morkam
8. Conor Mahon
9. Rory Hannify
10. Dylan Hayden
11. Ger Halion
12. Colin Egan
13. Shane Dooley
14. Joe Bergin
15. Derek Molloy

No Brian Carroll i know he blows hot and cold but i think he is a better forward than Healion,Hayden,Molloy,or Egan on his day
plus he is a better man to get a score plus if Dooley has a off day at frees or is hurt he is the next best at them

Ya, no Brian Carroll. Just don't think he has the required workrate for modern inter-county hurling. He may have more natural ability than probably 4 of those forwards I picked but his body language could really drag a team down. The modern game is all about defending from the front, putting the defender under pressure and not allowing easy clearances. In Joe Bergin and Shane Dooley we already have two guys who don't meet this criteria, I don't think we can afford a third.

In picking Ger Healion I'm just hoping he could do a job at 11, win a bit a ball and have no other intention but to shovel it into the inside line.

As regards the frees I don't think many know it but Derek Molloy is a very good freetaker and an excellent taker of penalties and 21 yard frees. How many of these have we converted in the last few years. A small precentage.

[Plain of the Herbs]

That's a very interesting point - as Kinnitty found out to their cost one wet Sunday in Rath a few years ago. And penalties and 20m frees have been a disaster zone for Offaly.

As regards the frees I don't think many know it but Derek Molloy is a very good freetaker and an excellent taker of penalties and 21 yard frees. How many of these have we converted in the last few years. A small precentage.

[Bord na Mona man]

That's a very interesting point - as Kinnitty found out to their cost one wet Sunday in Rath a few years ago. And penalties and 20m frees have been a disaster zone for Offaly.

As regards the frees I don't think many know it but Derek Molloy is a very good freetaker and an excellent taker of penalties and 21 yard frees. How many of these have we converted in the last few years. A small precentage.

Could anyone have a guess at what Offaly's conversion rate of these sort of frees is? I would roughly guess for every one that gets scored, two are saved.
How would James Dempsey get on hitting them?

[townman]

1. James Dempsey
2. David Franks
3. Paul Cleary
4.Stephen Egan
5. James Rigney
6. David Kenny
7. Del Morkam
8. Conor Mahon
9. Rory Hannify
10. Dylan Hayden
11. Ger Halion
12. Colin Egan
13. Shane Dooley
14. Joe Bergin
15. Derek Molloy

No Brian Carroll i know he blows hot and cold but i think he is a better forward than Healion,Hayden,Molloy,or Egan on his day
plus he is a better man to get a score plus if Dooley has a off day at frees or is hurt he is the next best at them

Ya, no Brian Carroll. Just don't think he has the required workrate for modern inter-county hurling. He may have more natural ability than probably 4 of those forwards I picked but his body language could really drag a team down. The modern game is all about defending from the front, putting the defender under pressure and not allowing easy clearances. In Joe Bergin and Shane Dooley we already have two guys who don't meet this criteria, I don't think we can afford a third.

In picking Ger Healion I'm just hoping he could do a job at 11, win a bit a ball and have no other intention but to shovel it into the inside line.

As regards the frees I don't think many know it but Derek Molloy is a very good freetaker and an excellent taker of penalties and 21 yard frees. How many of these have we converted in the last few years. A small precentage.

i think Healion is better coming off the bench like last year in tullamore again Galway, i don't think he is fit enough to last 70 minutes plus
another thing about Ger if he is beaten to the first few ball's that come in he goes out of the game very quickley.

i rather bring him in when we need a goal or for the last 20 minutes of a game, as for penalties i don't know who will take them
we have miss them over the last few years wexford park two years ago was brutal this year again Dublin we missed two
Micheal Cordial has a good record at the pens got a good goal again NUIG in the walsh cup from a free early on in the year.

yes Molloy has a good shot but is he missing them in training or is he not let take any i don't this, i still think Joe Bergin could be the
one to take them Dooley is a fine free taker but lacks power for the penalty, you always need one or two players that can take them
in the 90's we had johnny Dooley also Joe Erritty score a great one again Clare in 1998 John Troy another that could hit the hen run...

[kinnittyman]

Ya, Molloy took some rockets that day. They gave us a fair hiding. Disaster.

As regards Dempsey, Kinnitty actually had him taking a few in challenge matches and league matches last year and I don't think he scored any. I think he got it hard keep them low.

With Offaly though it's an issue that needs to be addressed. We do get a fair amount of them cos lads like Joe Bergin and Derek Molloy are good in the air and can gain possession and the inevitable tussle ensues in the square and the attacker usally gets the benefit of the doubt from the referee if he has gained possession and the free will be awarded to him. We then need to be a position to have an 80% conversion rate of these chances. I think that that "score one miss two" estimate is being a bit generous to us.

[bracknaghboy]

Could anyone have a guess at what Offaly's conversion rate of these sort of frees is? I would roughly guess for every one that gets scored, two are saved.

Wouldn't be shocked if its less than that. The last good penalty I remember was Murrays against Kilkenny in Portlaoise '07.
As for the footballers...........the return rate from the spot kick is poor too I'd imagine. When I see Niall Mc standing over one I just expect it to be saved.

[alltheway]

Conor Gath...