Offaly vs Limerick All-Ireland SHC Qualifier Phase 2 10/7/10

[backofthenet]

A Win is a win i suppose,

First on Cathal Parlon, in fairness he done well when he came in the replay against Galway, he may have made one or two errors but that is the type of player he is, he can do some great things and he can do some bad things. I understand why healion and kealey may feel hard done by, but Id say Parlon got the chance because Bergin and Healion might not be mobile enough on the full forward line. Parlon has not really started that often for Offaly and I think lads need to give him a chance, he played very well on saturday and with a bit of confidence he will get scores.

On the game, it was tough, we always knew it would be. No matter what that Limerick team has been training as hard and as long as any other intercounty team, they had the confidence after only being a point off us during the league and a lot of those players knew, if they wanted to stay hurling for Limerick they had to do it last saturday.

On Rory Hanniffy playing centre back, he is actually by far the best centre back in the county and possibly one of the best in the country, If I had a choice I would play him there every day but in the past we havent had any other viable options to partner brendan murphy at midfield (possibly still dont). David Kenny is a good centre back also but again due to no other options full back is where he should be hurling.

Its great that we can actually discuss 15 - 20 offaly players as it means we actually have options for different positions, which we havent had for the past decade at least!! You can give out about Joe Dooley for some things but in fairness he has brought some new players (eg Rigney & Morkan) onto the team and panel that werent there under other managers. Certainly he gets things wrong but I think for the first time in a long time I can see real improvement in Offaly

[GreatDayForTheParish]

On Rory Hanniffy playing centre back, he is actually by far the best centre back in the county and possibly one of the best in the country, If I had a choice I would play him there every day but in the past we havent had any other viable options to partner brendan murphy at midfield (possibly still dont). David Kenny is a good centre back also but again due to no other options full back is where he should be hurling.

''By far the best centre back in the county and possibly one of the best in the country'' - Now that's a good one.

How exactly did you come to this opinion? It would be actually very interesting to find out what could have possibly drawn you to this conclusion. It certainly couldn't be evidence based. Could you point me towards the series of games in which Hanniffy has consistently played well at centre back for either club or county?

Birr haven't played him centre back since at least 2004 and even then it was only flittingly. So it certainly isn't from the club championship that you're basing your opinion on him being ' by far the best centre back in the county and possibly the country'.

So with no club hurling at centre back it must be his county performances at number six that have formed your opinion. That's right, his grand total of 8 appearances at centre back for Offaly with none of those occuring in the last number of years.
So, for you, it only takes eight stints in a jersey (none of them in a club jersey don't forget) for a player to suddenly become 'by far the best centre back in the county and possibly country'. Strange.

So what exactly have you based your opinion on? Anything relevant at all or just the odd good appearance from years ago thrown in with 20 minutes in Portlaoise? And what of all the brilliant hurling he's done at midfield for both club and county in the last number of years? Does that somehow not count? Why is that conveniently forgotten?



And as for David Kenny being full back, see Galway game two this year, Cork 2009 and Wexford 2009 as to how natural a full back David Kenny is. Gifted hurler and centre back he is, natural full back he ain't.

[Offaly2010]

Can anyone confirm where,when and what time Offaly vs Tipp will be next weekend?

If it's in Portlaoise on Saturday night as bracknaghboy has said I presume Offaly vs Down will be at 2:00 in Tullamore and Offaly vs Tipp will be at 7:00.
Same situation we had a fortnight ago when we had Offaly vs Clare at 2:00 in Tullamore and Offaly vs Galway replay in Portlaoise at 7:00.

[backofthenet]

Jesus Great Day for the Parish my opinion is as valid as yours. In my opinion based on his performances both for club and county in the number six jersey he has been top notch.

He has 8 championship appearences for offaly at No 6 and was one of the highlights for offaly in 05/06. By the way David Kenny has 5 appearences at No 6...so i could surely ask you the same questions!!!

Birr havent played him there in six years....sure look it, players especially stand out players get moved all the time as you have to try and make the best of the 15 you have available. For example this year Joe Brady has been playing well at centre back at club level this year and has lined out at number 11 for county so just because a player plays in a different position doesnt neccesarily mean its his best one!

He has played well at midfield also, for sure he has been one of the most consistent performers over the last number of years, but I think centre back is a more important and pivotal role for him to play

On David Kenny playing full back, I dont ever remember saying that David Kenny was a natural full back, We have 3 viable options for full back at this moment in time, Paul Cleary...who is never going to make an intercounty full back, Ger Oakley who we have played there for a while but again just wasnt up to it. David Kenny is the best option at this moment in time. If someone else comes onto the panel in the next year or two fair enough.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Joseph Bergin not mobile enough What the fluck do people be looking at

. . . because Bergin and Healion might not be mobile enough on the full forward line. . .

[GreatDayForTheParish]

So a few performances from 5/4 years ago and nothing since were the reasons behind your thinking of Hanniffy as the best centre back in Offaly. Good to know.

By the way David Kenny has 5 appearences at No 6...so i could surely ask you the same questions!!!

A weak argument. Poor management decisions, Kenny being 4/5 years younger and saddled with the full back role accounts for his lack of centre back appearances for the county. His club appearances at centre back for Belmont however are many and by some distance he is the finest centre back in Offaly hurling. Anybody who suggests otherwise is just wrong.
If allowed to to play centre back for the county on a consistent basis there is no doubt that he would be infinitely better than Hanniffy, or anybody else for that matter, in the role

Hanniffy is a gifted hurler, the kind who could play anywhere well. There is a reason however why Birr have always played him from midfield up.
His best hurling is always, always done at midfield. Himself and Murphy were the partnership that that made 2008 tick. The folly of playing him wing back last year was one of the reasons 2009 was so disappointing.

Best players in best positions and all that.

[Lone Shark]

Joseph Bergin not mobile enough What the fluck do people be looking at

. . . because Bergin and Healion might not be mobile enough on the full forward line. . .

Funny you should say that, more than a few people have said to me that he's the fastest lad in the entire squad. Not sure if that's true or not but he certainly has no mobility issues in terms of playing full forward or anywhere else.

[GreatDayForTheParish]

Joseph Bergin not mobile enough What the fluck do people be looking at

. . . because Bergin and Healion might not be mobile enough on the full forward line. . .

Funny you should say that, more than a few people have said to me that he's the fastest lad in the entire squad. Not sure if that's true or not but he certainly has no mobility issues in terms of playing full forward or anywhere else.

It's true alright. Sprint tests prove it.
'Not mobile enough' - thats a good one!

[Bord na Mona man]

His reaction times could improve though.
Very often the back is a heartbeat quicker in anticipating where a stray ball is going to land and gets the jump on him.

[backofthenet]

Lads if ye are trying to say Joe Bergin is faster than Shane Dooley ye are having a right laugh! If he is the fastest player on the panel why over the last 4-5 years have we never seen him burn a player for speed in any position??!!!

He is mobile enough to play full forward or centre forward yes, but I dont think he is mobile enough for corner or wing and we have better options there anyway.