odds courtesy of Pablo Power
An Rod 4/5
Na Seamroga 7/2
An Cloirtheach 4/1
Pairc Gras 12/1
Inis na mBreatnach 16/1
An Fear Ban 16/1
Beal Atha Chomair 20/1
An Tobar 20/1
Tulach Mhor 20/1
Fánaithe na h-Eireann 25/1
Eadan Doire 50/1
Naomh Brid 50/1
anyone fancy a flutter?
If you don’t stand for something you fall for anything
I presume the bookie office in Tullamore has had a queue out the door this morning.
True Red wrote:odds courtesy of Pablo Power
Tulach Mhor 20/1
Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.
"Offaly's hurling is exact and abrasive: full of assurance on the ball, devoid of fumbling and slicing and sod-busting". Kevin Cashman RIP (September 1994).
Queue out the door my arse. A few small bets and they absolutely hammered into the odds. I don't know what they thought was going to happen going 20/1 about a town team with a large following and huge track record of self confidence. As for the 4/1 about Clara, well all I can say about that is that they obviously didn't lose enough on the county final last year. In fairness to them they weren't to know that Shamrocks have hit the rocks in such a bad way, but other than that it was still strange pricing.
If I was to price it now I'd say 6/4 Rhode, 2/1 Clara, 10/1 each D'Island and Tullamore and big enough prices after that. I'd say our lads would be getting into very interesting country at 25/1, but that's subject to players being fit and being able to work the hurling and football side by side - which is far from a given.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.
Hey lone shark maby u can touch base with sumone in PPs, given ur bookmaker connections, : to get an explaination on why they have both Walsh island and Tullamore at the same price @ 12/1.
tacmot wrote:Hey lone shark maby u can touch base with sumone in PPs, given ur bookmaker connections, : to get an explaination on why they have both Walsh island and Tullamore at the same price @ 12/1.
I could ask, but just out of curiosity, which would you pick to be favoured out of those two? I would have thought that there were a few potential booboos in there but rating Tullamore and d'Island as level wouldn't have been one of them. You'd always fancy the town to take any half chance they got so that's why they're 12/1 when other teams with similar ability are longer, but this new system makes it very hard for any dual club and with every good dual player siding with hurling in Tullamore, you'd have to say that their footballers look a fair bit short of the standard being set by Rhode and Clara.
If push came to shove, I'd probably take the Island over Tullamore myself. Settled team, no dual player problems (people the far side of the county have no idea how big a factor that is) and the one thing which will bring you a very long way in domestic Offaly football - a fielding midfielder. For the last couple of years two of the best fielding midfielders in the county have been John Ryan and James Grennan, because they've had little or no opposition. They've destroyed all opponents even though they're well past their best days - which goes to show you how poor we are in Offaly for midfielders. Brian Connor is not one of the best three or four footballers in Offaly, but he is certainly one of the three or four most valuable to a club.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.
Iv been listening to people on this and other sites constantly pick Walsh Island as there outsiders for the championship for some time now and quiet frankly i cant understand why. Ok they walked the intermediate championship last year but in all honest its not the strongest level of football and Walsh island were able to get away with many of there shortcomings as a result. I think people are also forgetting how st brigids beat basically the same walsh island team rather easily in the final the year before. Also in years previous Edenderry strolled through the intermediate championship with similiar ease to which walsh island did last year but since been promoted they have been involved in relegation battles not contesting in the business end of the championship. I think Lone Sharks point that Brian Connor is one of very few men in offaly who can get up and field clean ball but I think it is a bit much to ask of a 20 year old to drag a senior club to senior success all on his own. It may be argued that he has talented players like his two brothers Ross and Rory along with Comerford and willie Mullhal around him but honestly how many of these would make the Rhode team. Id say Mullhall and Rory Connor would have a chance but thats it in my opinion. I hope im not been to harsh on Walsh Island here as there a club i have alot of respect and there history is one that cant be argued with but I think its a bit much to be tipping them for championships. Id say getting out of there group and avoiding relegation is a more relistic expectation.
I used to think it was great being a wee nippy corner forward, but it's better now being a big, fat one.
Personally I think they have the ability to at least challenge. They're riding on the crest of a wave at the minute and are full of confidence. Good players, good work ethic and great confidence are a winning formula. The only worry I'd have for them is if they got a bad beating in a game or lost their first two group games or something. The doubts could creep in and they could find it hard then to get the wins they need.
I suppose what I'm saying is I wouldn't be too surprised if they won it or too surprised if they get relegated. It'll be very interesting to see what happens.
TheManFromFerbane wrote:I suppose what I'm saying is I wouldn't be too surprised if they won it or too surprised if they get relegated. It'll be very interesting to see what happens.
TheManFromFerbane wrote:I suppose what I'm saying is I wouldn't be too surprised if they won it or too surprised if they get relegated. It'll be very interesting to see what happens.
Superb fence sitting!!
Thank You I didn't want to say anything that could be stuck to a dressing room door
Lone Shark wrote: For the last couple of years two of the best fielding midfielders in the county have been John Ryan and James Grennan, because they've had little or no opposition. They've destroyed all opponents even though they're well past their best days - which goes to show you how poor we are in Offaly for midfielders.
You've hit the nail on the head here. Midfield was the rock we perished on last year against Kildare and we have nothing in that department again this year. I've seen Jim Grennan play a few times in the last 4-5 years and he's still the best fielder of a ball in the county by a mile. It says a lot for the man himself but also says a lot for badly off we are in certain positions. I know its a mad thing to say but I feel Jim should have been asked into the Offaly panel this year.....even if we got 25mins out of him surely he would catch 4 or 5 balls which is more than we won at midfield in the entire 2 championship games last year!! Many thought that Connor Carroll would be the answer at midfield but it never materialised.