offaly hurling team 210 the team

[leinsterman]

1 jame's dempsey (kinnitty)
2 david frank's (carrickshock)
3 paul cleary (birr)
4 stephen egan (tullamore)
5 kevin brady (coolderry)
6 dave kenny (belmont)
7 Diarmuim horan (st. rynagh's)
8 dylan hayden (birr)
9 connor mahon (kk)
10 daniel curram's (kk)
11 rory hanniffy (birr)
12 brendan murphy (ballyskenach)
13 shane dooley (tullamore)
14 joe bergin (seir kieran's)
15 derek molloy (shamrock's)
(sub's)16 eoin kelly (lusmagh) 17 micheal verney (birr) 18 james rigney (kinnitty) 19 ger oakley (carrig riv) 20 stephen wynne (st. rynagh's)
21 brian carroll (coolderry) 22 shane kelly (tullamore) 23 jame's keane (tullamore) 24 joe brady (coolderry)

that's not a bad panel of player's should get offaly to a leinster final if picked right.

[GreatDayForTheParish]

I think the most important thing for Offaly hurlers in 2010 is to play Dairmuid Horan in the forwards. He's one of the most talented forwards in the county, a natural scorer with lightening pace (as evidenced my his using said pace to score a fine point against Wexford in this year's championship while on as blood sub). As pointed out by LS on another thread, Offaly have plenty of big men to 'break up the play' and 'stop the centre back from hurling' in the forwards but who aren't much use for taking a score (this defensive, negative mindset of playing such patently limited players infuriates me but perhaps thats for another thread!).

Granted Horan is a talented wing back but that's because he's a talented hurler full stop. He could probably play anywhere well. He's at his best though in the forwards, playing nearly all of his club hurling there. Given our well highlighted deficiencies in the forwards it would be nothing short of absolute maddness if we did not play him there. Options in the backs we have, with a few players able to slot in anywhere along the back 6. Thus Horan at wing back is by no means a necessity. Options in the forwards we are short on and with a pick such as Offaly's we have to make the best of what we have. Horan must be played in the forwards.


And Hanniffy at midfield.

[Lone Shark]

Agree completely. For a long time we've been choosing between nice forwards who struggle to win their own ball, and good hardy hurlers who lack the craft to take a score. Horan can field a ball and can still create the space and convert a score when he gets the ball into his hand. His defensive skill would also be handy in preventing opposition backs from walking out unimpeded.

[leinsterman]

young horan played in the foward's at under 21 took off in the final in 07 against dublin. midfield in 08 didn't set the world on
fire there. half back is his best poistion i think. had a good year there in 08 good game against laois and kilkenny but got hurt after
that and missed the waterford game. brian coady had to take martin comerford off horan that day he was that much on top of him.
had a great game again galway in the league that year as well. dairmuid horan is better facing the ball coming out with it. rather than
winning it having to turn around and go foward. he can play as a foward as well i know. i think he is a better half back. plus has a great
strike of a ball.

[GreatDayForTheParish]

Most people will agree that he was harshly taken off in the 2007 U-21 Leinster Final. Offaly were routed that day by a much better perpared Dublin team, after 20 minutes at least 10 of the Offaly players could have been substituted. Anyway it's maddness to base one's assertion on a player after one game.
As for when he was midfield in 2008, he was good along with the rest of the team against a woeful Wexford and he should never have started the final as he was still injured from the senior Limerick game.

Look, I agree he is a fine wing-back and had Offaly six or seven class forwards along with a weakness at half back then I would have no problem playing him there. Instead however we have a number of players who can play half back and play well there but very few natural scorers in the forwards.
Too often Offaly supporters have looked at Offaly forward lines over the last 2 or 3 years and wondered where the scores were going to come from. When was the last time we scored over 20 points in a game against decent opposition (ie not Laois)? The performance of our front six in both second half's against Wexford in May (League final and Championship) were galling and while we 'competed' ok with the Cork half back line in the air, we had too few players to finish the move and put the ball over the bar. Changes must be made thus our needs for players are much much greater in the forwards.

I and most others have seen enough of Horan at club level to realise he is most naturally a forward. A gifted forward at that. His pace could would be a great asset in attack. We know he can play well at wing back so as a compromise for the few doubters Joe Dooley should play him in the forwards for the Walsh Cup and the League, give him plenty of games to stake a claim (ie more than one game). If it doesn't work (it will though) then slot him back to defence for Championship.