Offaly Senior Hurlers 2025

[G91]

If Johnny Kelly goes,
Who is the alternative?

Davy wants the job

Too think back before he Johnny got it there was among rumour about Davy

It’s hard to envisage another manager, who would you get that’s going to make a difference that’s not a big name

Eddie Brennan , Henry Sheff

[Faithful Future]

The dust has settled on the season, one that we can look back on with great positivity. Promotion in the league and consolidation of our Leinster championship position. Fantastic.

On the management situation, I think Johnny Kelly has taken the team as far as he can, not sure how many years exactly he has been involved but I think a fresh change would be welcome. I felt at times our sideline was very slow to make obvious changes over the past couple of years but we have made progress. I think a change in structure just wouldn't be any harm overall.

We really need a few more players to put themselves into the mix over the upcoming championship.
It was evident that there just wasn't trust in the wider squad this year and although we're a small county with a small player pool, we need 26 lads with exposure to high level games.

Areas I think we need to improve:

1. Overall strength - an obvious one with a largely youthful panel with the u20 infusion...but it was notable how every team had the physical upper hand on us this year.

2. Bring a bit more aggression to proceedings - with the exception of the Dublin championship game, I felt like lads were not fighting like terriers for each ball. Of course, its a massive change in pace playing big games week in week out, but sometimes we just seemed a bit passive... Happy to be there almost. Harsh perhaps, but hopefully next year we can up things a peg.

3. Puckout strategy - we looked devoid of puckout strategies, not least when twice in the championship we had an extra player than the opposition. Does Hoare have an extra 10 or 15 yards in his puckout? What's his accuracy like in comparison to Troys? The answers I don't know but id like to see both given opportunities in next years league campaign. Goalkeepers are only as good as the movement as the lads they're passing to but we need to up this part of our game.

4. Middle third contribution - if we are to push on, our middle third will need to get more of a foot hold in the games and start contributing with a couple of scores. We need a couple of scores coming from our half back line and midfield combo in each game to keep the score board ticking over.

5. Free taking - it goes without saying that Brian D had his best year yet in the green white and gold. Credit where credit is due, he really pushed on hurling-wise, aerially, physically and even seemed to have a yard more acceleration. However, I don't believe he is consistent enough on the frees. Perhaps with the return of The Magician next year, the free taking reigns will be handed over. We need a 90%+ man on the placed balls.

6. Goals - if we are going to push onto the next level in the coming year(s) we're going to need to score more goals. I don't see us as a team who are going to break 30 points without scoring 3 goals in a game and that's the direction the game is going. Looking at the year, we scored 9 goals... Above us in the table (i.e. where we're trying to get to), Wexford and Dublin were a bit ahead of this on 12 and 13 respectively. Oisin K, our most natural goal scorer spent most of the season playing deep on the wing... Robbing Peter to pay Paul?

7. Free Donie! Shirley had an incredible year, but for point number 7, I think we need to free up Donal to play in his natural position on the left wing. We all saw his darting runs and scores at u20 level and in the Fitzgibbon. We have a real gem on our hands here who can really hurt teams, but his impact was curtailed having to sit back as a #6. Who are the alternatives at #6, I don't know. Possibly the most difficult position on the pitch on account of your responsibility to protect the full back line, yet often on a marquee forward.
Kiely? Burke? Conneely? Ravenhill? I don't know the answer to that.

8. With the new structure, between injuries and form the year passed by a couple of our players. Hopefully Eoghan Cahill and Nally can rediscover their form and push on in the championship and come into 2026 with a point to prove. Two of our stalwarts over the barren years and both have plenty more to offer.

9. Can our golden generation continue their physical development over the next 6 months? Dan R, Donal Shirley, Cathal King seem well cut out for the intercounty level already. We really need Screeney, Ter Guinan, Brecon Kavanagh, Ruairi Kelly, Colin Spain, Ben Miller to be live options from the league.

10. Finally, first touch and rucks. With the new possession based game, we simply cannot afford to be losing possession due to a bad first touch and we need to improve in ruck situations. Certainly a blight on the game, but they're here to stay and all too often we didn't come out with the ball. In the Antrim game, when the pace was notably slower, we fumbled several balls and lost majority of the rucks. Big improvement needed here as well up the levels.

All in all, a good year and hopefully we have a strong championship ahead over the next few months. Esto Fidelis

[private joker]

Johnny Kelly will be manager in 2026 unless he doesn't want it.

[faithfulfanatic]

No need to free Donal Shirley from anything.
He is a natural centre back and that’s where he should play.
He should have been there for the 20s too.

Back to the Hoare/Troy argument again?
Mark Troy made 2-3 point blank saves in almost every game this year.

[faithfulfanatic]

look johnny has took this team as far as he can. i wouldn't say his doing well we were poxty to beat laois last year 8 points up and then just left charlie mitchell up front for the last 20 minutes. lucky laois hit 19 wides and miss two goal's. the last game again Antrim top the lot. a extra man wind behind us and he had charlie mitchell up in our half back line osin oneill hitting in balls where he should have been. his no plan B and the Antrim game it looked like the players didn't know what to do. thanks johnny for the last few years but i think theres alot more hurling in that squad and his not getting it out of them.
[/quote]

Some great points made , we got out of jail v Laois but would have never been in the position if changes were made earlier we also made hard work playing Meath in trim Adam screeney masterclass changed the game

The Antrim game was terrible to watch yea great got the win job done but with an extra man and Oisin Kelly and Dan bourke playing in our half back line , Jason Sampson was injured clearly,
But nothing really changed the hole game

We need to look further a field other than that under 20 team aswell can’t put all the eggs in the one basket

I don’t believe Leo has interest in the senior Offaly job , but where does he go if he does leave , can’t see Lohan leaving Clare or kiely leaving limerick, cork are going well , Waterford maybe but they’ll be hurling 1A next year can’t see any changes anywhere around the country except for maybe Antrim or some other Joe McDonagh teams
[/quote]

Not in a month of Sundays would Leo O’Connor ever get the Limerick or Clare job

[private joker]

No need to free Donal Shirley from anything.
He is a natural centre back and that’s where he should play.
He should have been there for the 20s too.

Back to the Hoare/Troy argument again?
Mark Troy made 2-3 point blank saves in almost every game this year.

Leave Donal at 6, good to have two goalkeeper s to battle it out. Mark troy made some top class saves. I think mgt next year will be quicker on the line with regards to subs if they have better options. Screeney, Kelly and hopefully gunian to name but 3. Pity kiely walked as the year was practically over and he should have just stuck it out. Could be the end of the road for 2-3 lads also who were there in the bad days. They don't seem to be up to liam mcarthy hurling. Next year wexford and probably laois are the two big games as offaly will be relegated in the league.

[Anon44]

I think there needs to be some personnel and positional changes to keep up the progress we are making. Hopefully Kelly and Mahon can stay fit and in the team, maybe Connelly pushes to 6 and Shirley can go to wing back or midfield. I think King in the corner is slightly wasted, while I think we lose a lot of Shirley’s driving forward when he’s at 6 as he has to protect the full back line. Definitely need more legs around the middle, that’s for certain.

[chimbonda]

Wouldn't be surprised if connelly, kiely, j.sampson and d.king didn't commit for next year. A lot of milage in their legs and they struggled at times this year with the pace of the game.

[faithfulfanatic]

Wouldn't be surprised if connelly, kiely, j.sampson and d.king didn't commit for next year. A lot of milage in their legs and they struggled at times this year with the pace of the game.

Ah lads
You wouldn’t be surprised if Ben Conneely doesn’t commit?
He’s turning 29 this year and kept Lee Chin to 1-1 from play against us, which was probably his lowest score from play all year.

[private joker]

It's his injuries not his current form or ability. He was injured vs antrim also

[Wingbackassassin]

Wouldn't be surprised if connelly, kiely, j.sampson and d.king didn't commit for next year. A lot of milage in their legs and they struggled at times this year with the pace of the game.

Conneely and Kiely are two of our best players when they get going. Albeit they were both poor/injured this year. Would be disaster if both of them opt out. Management need to get the best out of them

[JohnnyBoy24]

Appreciate we will be looking to relegate them next year but..

Hats off to kildare on the Joe mc victory. Savage for hurling in the county.
Think this was the first year they won a game in it after yo-yo'ing between the christy ring ?

[G91]

Brilliant for hurling couldn’t be more happy for Kildare actually played really well and trusted the forward line let the ball in

They were ruthless and to say they were going to get stage fright ,

This is why we need to have finals in croke park Kildare and Laois deserve croke park regardless of attendance

[bracknaghboy]

Kildare were probably the most convincing winners of the Joe McDonagh in its 8 year existence (Laois were convincing in 2019 as well but not as convincing as Kildare were this year). They ran out easy winners against Laois in both the final and the group stage and saw off the relegated Liam MacCarthy team Carlow by 6 points. Were comfortable winners against Westmeath and hammered Down.
Bizarrely, their only loss was the first day against Kerry who would be relegated in the end.
It's an extraordinary story when you think of it.

Offaly surviving 2 weeks ago is all the more important now.......next years Joe McDonagh will be the most cut throat to date with Antrim, Carlow, Laois and Westmeath all looking to get their act together after a very poor 2025 for them all. Down will as always win a game or two up in Ballycran.

Offaly have Wexford and Dublin at home next year and will be targeting wins surely and if all else fails will have a chance to go to Newbridge on the last day to save their bacon again (assuming fixtures schedule stay the same as previous years) but make no mistake about it Kildare are a decent outfit and all of a sudden look to be that bit ahead of Carlow and Laois so you'd be taking nothing for granted against them on the last day.
Fair play to them and it's no harm to see the hurling order shaken up a small bit by them.
By the way they are at home to Dublin next weekend in the All Ireland Preliminary 1/4 final...........surely not, they wouldn't would they????

[private joker]

Really think kildare will become a really good hurling county. Probably get relegated in 2026 but have the numbers to come back up. Naas are such a huge club and massively progressive with their u8 to u12 hurling in Dublin and u15 up hurling in kilkenny.