Why do I rate Shinrone? Because I have seen them do incredible things. Trouble for them is that those incredible things come in group games and not when knockout comes around. Which is usually quarter-finals.
It’s actually frustrating, because there’s some great volunteers there. I came to the conclusion a long time ago that their issue is a psychological one, as opposed to anything to do with their hurling. And if this can be addressed, Shinrone will be successful.
I wouldn’t agree they haven’t won a huge amount at underage. U21 winners in 2013, 2014 and 2016, finalists last year, Minor winners in 2013, finalists in 2005, 2009 and 2012, U16 winners in 2008 and 2017, finalists in 2006, 2011, 2012 and last year (U15), U14 winners in 2010, 2014, 2015 & 2019 (U13). So they’ve been prominent, and probably more prominent than any other club in south and west Offaly, certainly more than any other rural club.
That their second team has won Junior A championships in 2009, 2012 and 2018, and won Intermediate in 2020 suggests interest and participation levels are strong, and they have consistently fielded a third team too.
Their performance against Coolderry in 2019 was a superbly dominant display of modern hurling, their touch and movement sublime, and when they play like that, you think they should be challenging Ballyhale for Leinster club honours. Which is why the manner of their subsequent quarter-final flop against Birr was such a disappointment. And the manner of 2016’s quarter-final collapse against Kinnitty was just bizarre
I haven’t seen much of them since Covid, but they were marvellous for 15 minutes against Coolderry in the group game last year, before losing their way. And 15 minutes will win you nothing.
Looking at their team so far this year, Éamonn Cleary is a good ball player in goals, Darren Crean, Joe Cleary, Dan Doughan, Darren O’Meara and Michael Cleary are all leaders in their own right, all with a decade of experience in defence, while Dara Maher is a former Offaly U20 with a Fitzgibbon medal. I haven’t seen Luke Watkins, but he’s played underage for Offaly. Seán Cleary, Dónal Morkan and Jason Sampson have played in attack for over a decade now, while Killian Sampson is a hurler I’ve huge admiration for. Adrian Cleary’s mobility is a huge asset in attack. I wonder why Conor Doughan hasn't been lining out though - they won't win anything without him on the field.
Coolderry have had a huge Indian sign over them for, well, a hundred years or more, so it’s a massive thing for Shinrone to have got the win over the men in green, even if they relied on good fortune with a referee missing a Coolderry ‘advantage’ and the ball ending up in the net. It’s just Shinrone’s fourth time to beat Coolderry in Senior championship hurling (1960 semi-final, 2000 and 2019 are the others).
I'm not sure I've mentioned them as potential winners, but I certainly am guilty of over-rating them at times. Which is why quarter-final defeats in 2016 and 2019 were such a let down. At the moment it’s very much in Shinrone’s hands. Their final group game against Belmont will be the ‘tie of the round’, even if Birr v Kinnitty is effectively an ‘eighth-final’. You couldn't depend on them. We’ll wait and see.
hamstrings wrote: ↑Wed Aug 10, 2022 8:45 pm
Genuine question here , why does a lot of people rate shinrone so highly? Yet year on year they never look close to winning it.
I can't remember them winning a huge amount underage compared to kk for example.
Yes they have nice hurlers but like all the other teams but what are people seeing that has them talked about so much as potential winners every year on this forum?
Not a dig btw