Club Football

[jimbob17]

Offaly football is at low ebb there's no doubt.

Rhode beating Shamrocks tonight at HT in league game by 1-10 to 0-00 says so much about football in the county. Reports say Rhode are in decline and then this? Could not believe my eyes. That is embarrassing for Shamrocks. Shamrocks would be seen generally as a top 6 or 7 team and rightly so given their size and population and wouldnt like to be seen as a laughing stock!.

Shamrocks are one of biggest clubs in the county population and area wise. What the hell is going on there? They are a proud club - once contenders and should be genuinely challenging at senior level! Who is managing them? What is chairman at? How can they stand over that?

The club championship structure this year doesn't help but if we have huge clubs like Shamrocks falling so far off and so uncompetitive with population resources, we really need to send knowledgeable football people into those places to advise and help sort their decline.

[Behindthegoal]

Standard of club football in Offaly has been awful for a long time. Tullamore Ferbane and Rhode should play a tri nations tournament everyone else hasn’t a hope of winning it

[pigeon house biffo]

How are edenderry so far off the pace with the size of pick they have, only really focused on one code too

[ruletheroost]

How are edenderry so far off the pace with the size of pick they have, only really focused on one code too

I would'nt say they are so far off the pace, they almost beat Tullamore last year in the semi final. Probably should have beaten them?

[frankthetank]

The town of Edenderry is not what you would describe as a hotbed of GAA a la Rhode or Coolderry. They have a large population but a substantial amount of that is made up of foreign nationals who have zero interest in GAA and as soon as their kids turn 14 or 15 they too drift away from it.

With 2 soccer clubs in the town I would argue that soccer is more popular than Gaelic Football and that is what the people who have moved to the town have naturally gravitated towards.

[jimbob17]

Big nos in Edenderry but as you say, hard to get connection sometimes with some families. But that is often easier challenge than dealing with low or no numbers. Tullamore have got their stuff together at underage and results are there to see. If Edenderry were to really go after underage dev (and not saying they aren't), they'd be a superpower in few years. They have good talent in young adult bracket but prob missing a few leaders in 28-33 age bracket that are often crucial in winning a senior championship.

[TownieInOz]

How are edenderry so far off the pace with the size of pick they have, only really focused on one code too

I would'nt say they are so far off the pace, they almost beat Tullamore last year in the semi final. Probably should have beaten them?

Yeah I have to agree, there definitely isn't as big of a gap between Edenderry and the top as some believe.

[Behindthegoal]

They are capable of a performance on any given day but putting them back to back and beating two of the big three is extremely unlikely. They haven’t been in a final since 2015? All of their current players have won next to nothing at underage level too. Anyone backing them to win the championship needs their head examined

[TownieInOz]

Oh I wouldn’t fancy them over rhode, ferbane or tullamore and definitely wouldn’t be backing them to win the championship I just don’t think there is that big of a gap between them.

[del]

Consistency is probably Edenderry’s biggest problem . Their back line is ageing but have a few exciting players in the forwards and can cause teams trouble . Rodge Hanlon is a big loss he has transferred out of the club
They are probably short 2/3 players but are still ahead of most of the senior teams bar Rhode Tullamore and Ferbane and could make a county final I don’t think their younger players coming through would be near the standard of the players coming thru in Tullamore as was evidenced in the U 20 final a couple of yrs ago Edenderry are doing a lot things right and are a well ran club from the outside looking in anyway

[joey1001]

Kevin Corrigan had wrote an article every year since 2001 about how rhode are in decline!

[heman]

Kevin Corrigan had wrote an article every year since 2001 about how rhode are in decline!

Kevin would know

[Offaly1234]

Predictions for this weekends games?

Bracknagh v Rhode- Rhode by 2
Durrow v Edenderry- Edenderry by 4
Ballycommon v Tullamore- Tullamore by 10
Shamrocks v Ferbane- Ferbane by 5

[pigeon house biffo]

Just reading the express senior b preview

Whats the story with Ed Cullen, Clara. Part of the report says he’s not available this year and then further down it says he is available, anyone any idea?

[del]

Looking at the first rd games with not really much at stake

Shamrocks vs Ferbane Ferbane will have way too much for shamrocks who are still short a host of regulars .Ferbane by 8

Ballycommon vs Tullamore
This match will be a lot tighter than people expect . A tight pitch with will defo suit Ballycommon who will go all out defensively. I know Ballycommon are missing a few thru injury . Tullamore by 5

Durrow vs Edenderry
Real chance of an upset here. Edenderry were scandalous bad in the league final vs Tullamore didn’t look fit attitude was terrible. Durrow by 2

Bracknagh vs Rhode
I’d imagine Rhode are just planning for the quarter finals and the word is thst they reckon just need to peak for 3 games in September to win another Dowling cup. Easier said than done but if any team can do it . It’s Rhode
Rhode by 5