NFL Div 3 predictions 2023

[Anonymous1]

Some names above have opted out for various reasons..could of, should of, might be, is irrelevant really..

That’s why I said “are either not on the panel, travelling, injured or have opted out”

[Fairplayalways]

But then you sort of made another statement in same comment naming more players asking "where are they".. I suppose the answer is the same as you suggested opted out for one reason or another etc..

[ah lethimoutwithit]

My thoughts before the game were that if we could stay within 4 points of Westmeath we would have done well, and if we could keep it as tight as the other league games maybe we could get something out of it.

As it happened, despite a terrible start we could have easily gone in 6 pts up at half time. Their kick out was all over the place and they were well frustrated up front, plus we should have had composure to work a goal from the short K/o in the first half that we won back.

As said we kicked on and continued to frustrate them at the start of the second half to go 4 up.
Then melt down, our handing, tackling and lack of movement on kickouts cost us four quick scores.
Plus the bench, Martin came in looking heavier than ....well whoever and caused mayhem. Ultimately, 2 moments of madness cost us 2 poor goals.
We had the ball in our hands on 3 occasions and were dispossessed to easy coming out of defence to create 3 more scores for Westmeath.
Composure and experience and persistent fouling saw Westmeath canter home.

So my thoughts are frustration at not being able to retian that lead for a little longer in the second half, and the complete lack of composure during the third quarter.
Unfortunatley, we have too many who were starting to make an impact on the panel opting out and some players are not up to the top end of Div 3. They are working hard but there are some strange decisions going on in relation to the composition of the panel. There is no doubt that the top clubs are getting the nod for panel places.
re the commentary here on U20 players. John Furlong and Keith O'Neill have barely featured due to injury with Cormac Egan having misssed last year he is not an option at senior level yet so rule them out.
We need more guys in the 23 to 26 bracket getting a chance. Carl Stewart and James Lawlor are 2 that stand out as guys that need a period of time trainign and challenge games at this level and could add something , so hopefully they come back to the fold. I assume they will be back next year, as will Jordan Hayes. Continuity is a big thing and it takes time to settle into senior intercounty football.
Rory and Lee should offer more going forward in support but struggled as did Cian Donoghue. Joe Maher caught our only lick out and should have been used more on that side. Our full back line was decent. Ruairi , Bill struggled but Dylan Hyland worked really hard and again is an example of a guy who drifted away for a while but has come back in and is in good shape to continue his progression. Midfield worked hard, but we got no breaks at all in the second half and that is something that will be addressed as any team worth its salt will push up on both those teams after what I saw.
Can't understand situation with Cian Farrell, if he was carrying an injury then why bring him on in the final few mins, and if not WTF?
Is Cian Johnson on the panel still, 3 lads were dropped during the week.

But in fairness, if we were offered 4 points after first 3 games we'd have taken it, it is clear that the lads are working hard and there was a lot to take from the first half including a super performance from Anton Sullivan who is on fire at the moment.
4 from should be the case as Cavan appear to be ahead of all at this point but I think that we should be able to threaten them also with a few tweaks to the team.
Lots to do but there is progress. Keep the Faith!

[Superhans75]

Yesterday our weaknesses were exposed just need not give very silly balls away and be weary of big men .!
Look Cavan will be quite physical as well so we have to hold on to the ball .???
Have a good week peep's

[Hyper]

Cian Johnson, Adam Bolger and Ruairi o' Neill were the 3 who were released

[Anonymous1]

But then you sort of made another statement in same comment naming more players asking "where are they".. I suppose the answer is the same as you suggested opted out for one reason or another etc..

No because I know for a fact that at least 5 of those other players I mentioned have been on the panel as recently as last week yet none have even been given a chance in the match day 26 and when you look at how weak our bench is, the mind boggles.

[Fairplayalways]

gottcha...not sure either..we dont know what goes on behind the scenes I suppose..I am a manager in anoter sport and its aint easy I can tell ya:(

[pigeon house biffo]

Just wondering

Out of nothing more than rank interest

What is the strongest 15 that offaly footballers could field? Only qualification criteria is that they would have had to have had played club championship last year.

[pigeon house biffo]

Johnny Moloney - probably retired
Jordan Hayes - will be back this year
Eoin Carroll - I believe he’ll be back this year
Carl Stewart - no idea, I would be a fan. Think he could be a fixture at 6 long term
Eoin Rigney - opted out, undisputed #1 full back in the county
James Lalor - big fan, physical player, time is on his side
Niall Darby - likely retired, the two corner backs starting currently are better long term options
Niall Mac - likely retired
Cathal Mangan - good club player but don’t remember many standout performances at intercounty level
Cathal Donoghue - no idea, thought he’d be back after colleges finished up

Colm Doyle, Aaron Leavy and Joeseph O’Connor - all honest players that have been around awhile without ever cementing their spot in the strongest 15 over the course of consecutive seasons


Keenan-Martin - any update?

, Aaron Kellaghan - needs to establish himself at club level but is currently the 4th best forward coming out of that current rhode team. Time very much on his side.


Mark Abbott - honest as the day is long but never been a starter under any management team

Cormac Egan - in danger of ruining him, needs to be minded and managed, what he can provide is not the most urgent need if this current team.

? Cathal Flynn, Shane Tierney and Cian Johnson - opted out, not sure and probably needs to establish himself as the marquee forward in the county before he can be considered again

All just my opinion, huge respect for anyone who puts themselves forward for their county.

[pigeon house biffo]

While i would share in the disappointment in regards to yesterday’s result, i do think a bit of context is needed. Less than a year ago we we’re absolutely annihilated by this same team. It was borderline embarrassing seeing the differences between both teams in Croke Park last year.

We’ve had a raft of lads unavailable for one reason or another. We’ve new lads in key positions. New management team. At the end of the day westmeath have a couple of things we don’t. Continuity from one year to another in terms of playing personnel. Physically well developed athletes. Numerous scoring threats. And a bit of experience off the bench. No one can argue we have any of those things. But for a cock up with the black card, I’d contest we’d have been even further ahead. We did kick 6 wides in the first half with the wind which you can’t do knowing the wmeath forwards would have the wind in the second half. Ultimately the lack of goal scoring threat kills us. I can’t fault the defense. The midfield is underpowered but willing, up front outside if hyland and anton we have very little to offer and 0 physical threat.

[Anonymous1]

Johnny Moloney - probably retired
Jordan Hayes - will be back this year
Eoin Carroll - I believe he’ll be back this year
Carl Stewart - no idea, I would be a fan. Think he could be a fixture at 6 long term
Eoin Rigney - opted out, undisputed #1 full back in the county
James Lalor - big fan, physical player, time is on his side
Niall Darby - likely retired, the two corner backs starting currently are better long term options
Niall Mac - likely retired
Cathal Mangan - good club player but don’t remember many standout performances at intercounty level
Cathal Donoghue - no idea, thought he’d be back after colleges finished up

Colm Doyle, Aaron Leavy and Joeseph O’Connor - all honest players that have been around awhile without ever cementing their spot in the strongest 15 over the course of consecutive seasons


Keenan-Martin - any update?

, Aaron Kellaghan - needs to establish himself at club level but is currently the 4th best forward coming out of that current rhode team. Time very much on his side.


Mark Abbott - honest as the day is long but never been a starter under any management team

Cormac Egan - in danger of ruining him, needs to be minded and managed, what he can provide is not the most urgent need if this current team.

? Cathal Flynn, Shane Tierney and Cian Johnson - opted out, not sure and probably needs to establish himself as the marquee forward in the county before he can be considered again

All just my opinion, huge respect for anyone who puts themselves forward for their county.

You can’t fault either Niall Mac or Moloney for opting out, they’ve given years and years of unbroken service to Offaly football so all we can do is wish them well.

However, It’s worrying that we don’t know where the likes of Stewart, Rigney, Lalor and Donoghue have gone this year. These are all young physical players that we seriously lack on yesterday’s evidence.

As for Mangan, Doyle, Leavy, O’Connor and Abbott. Nobody ever said any of them would set the world alight but at the same time, they’re the type of players you need on the bench who can come in and do a job, we currently have very few of them.

On Kellaghan, being the 4th best forward at Rhode when the three above you are Niall Mac, Ruairi Mac and Anton should surely mean you’re one of the 14 best forwards in Offaly?

Agree Cormac needs to be managed but we could certainly use him when he’s available.

Cathal Flynn has opted out because he was been given such little amount of game time last year when he was clearly better than some of what was playing.

Shane Tierney is on the panel I believe but apparently isn’t good enough for our bench.

The same goes for Cian Johnson, had been on the panel but somehow isn’t even good enough for our bench? You say he needs to establish himself as the marquee forward again before being considered,

Can you honestly tell me some of our subs from yesterday, Shane O’Toole Greene, Cormac Delaney, Aaron Brazil, Luke Egan, Ed Cullen, Jamie Evans and Jack O’Brien have ever been marquee players in the county? I’ll be honest and say I’ve never heard of a couple of them and the others are average at best.

[Bord na Mona man]

Can you honestly tell me some of our subs from yesterday, Shane O’Toole Greene, Cormac Delaney, Aaron Brazil, Luke Egan, Ed Cullen, Jamie Evans and Jack O’Brien have ever been marquee players in the county? I’ll be honest and say I’ve never heard of a couple of them and the others are average at best.

You're expecting fellas aged 21 and 22 to be marquee players already?

[Anonymous1]

Can you honestly tell me some of our subs from yesterday, Shane O’Toole Greene, Cormac Delaney, Aaron Brazil, Luke Egan, Ed Cullen, Jamie Evans and Jack O’Brien have ever been marquee players in the county? I’ll be honest and say I’ve never heard of a couple of them and the others are average at best.

You're expecting fellas aged 21 and 22 to be marquee players already?

I’m certainly not, it was Pigeon House Biffo who said above that Cian needs to become Offaly’s marquee forward again before being considered. He’s 23 so why does he need to become a “marque forward” again to get a chance whereas some of the lads I named are 24 and haven’t exactly pulled up any trees in their careers so far?

Back to your point though Bord na Mona man, at 21 or 22, these players should certainly be standing out as some of the best players we have in the county whether it be with their clubs or with colleges etc. Could you point me to where any of the aforementioned players have done anything of significance in last year’s club championship?

[pigeon house biffo]

The point im making is that cian was a prodigious talent. It hasn’t quite worked out for him so far due to injuries etc. he was a huge clutch player the year ferbane won their championship. I think it would be best that be goes again and establishs himself as ferbanes main man over the course of a season or two before turning his attention to the county team. Feel personally he may be rushing himself back into it when time is clearly on his side.

Shane O’Toole Greene, Cormac Delaney, Aaron Brazil, Luke Egan, Ed Cullen, Jamie Evans and Jack O’Brien ; some of those lads are u20 all ireland winners, one was a starter for his university team in this years siggerson final, another is a big player for tullamore and o toole greene won a championship with his uni in the past week. Evans is a rare example of a physical player we have produced. No record breakers there but they’re inclusion has merit and most if not all are worth their place in this and future offaly panels.

[Anonymous1]

The point im making is that cian was a prodigious talent. It hasn’t quite worked out for him so far due to injuries etc. he was a huge clutch player the year ferbane won their championship. I think it would be best that be goes again and establishs himself as ferbanes main man over the course of a season or two before turning his attention to the county team. Feel personally he may be rushing himself back into it when time is clearly on his side.

Shane O’Toole Greene, Cormac Delaney, Aaron Brazil, Luke Egan, Ed Cullen, Jamie Evans and Jack O’Brien ; some of those lads are u20 all ireland winners, one was a starter for his university team in this years siggerson final, another is a big player for tullamore and o toole greene won a championship with his uni in the past week. Evans is a rare example of a physical player we have produced. No record breakers there but they’re inclusion has merit and most if not all are worth their place in this and future offaly panels.

I’m not really disagreeing with what you’re saying about Cian tbh, he’s been dealing with injuries for the past 2 years plus and I’ve no doubt if he plays solely for Ferbane this year with no county commitments, he’ll absolutely prove himself to be their main man but even last year while it was clear he wasn’t fully fit, I’d still have had him down as one of the 6, 8, 10 best forwards in the club championship which is why it baffles me that some of the names above are deemed good enough to be on the bench but not him.

As for the list of players there, having an u20 all Ireland medal is great but unless it translates into senior level then I’m not sure what the relevance of that is to this discussion, plus I might add that one of those was an unused sub on that u20 team.

You’re saying one of those was a starter for his university team in the Sigerson final but we didn’t have any players start or get subbed on in the Sigerson final?

You say another is a big player for Tullamore but there’s a fair argument to be made that Cormac Egan, Diarmuid Egan, Harry and Luke Plunkett are all ahead of him in the pecking order.

O’Toole Greene was part of the TUS Trench cup team but would anybody have ever picked him as a standout player for Shamrocks who merits inclusion in an Offaly panel. Nigel Dunne, Jack Bryant and Kieran Dolan have at different points but I can’t say OTG ever has.

Evans is about 27 or 28 I believe and has had a few goes on Offaly panels, has he ever been a marquee player for us?

To put a bow on all of this, if some of these players are as good as you say then why did we not turn to them on Sunday when we needed impact from the bench with 10-15 minutes to go. Three games into the league and we’ve only used 19 players, doesn’t say much for the confidence Kearns has in his bench.