Offaly Senior Football 2026

[Fairplayalways]

As far as The senior footballers are concerned, it seems to be one bad story after another with now Lee and David injured. It seems like we're constantly chasing our tails in terms of just getting bodies on the field. The task has nearly become a mission impossible and the negativity around the county is palpable. It's the talk of the county. Everyone is descending on the mount. I've never seen negativity like it. It's everywhere. People are, in many respects, voting with their feet. There's small crowds at both our home games and I'd imagine even basically no one at our away games. So people are starting to vote with their feet, which is really, really worrying. But I suppose all we can do is, as a county, rally behind the guys now because it's tough from where the players are at and the management. We need to get behind the management and the players. Declan Kelly has given a lot to Offaly and whatever people's views are, he's still, he's trying his best and the same with Mickey Harte, a GAA legend. It might be not working out for the boys at the moment, but they're trying their best and the players are definitely trying their best. So we just need to rally behind them more than ever now, more than ever these next three games, especially our last two home games. We need to just try and get behind the guys and give them a bit of something to try and help them along this really, really difficult patch. And hopefully we get bodies back and we, we win the Tailteann Cup. I think if we don't win the Taikttean Cup this year, it's been a really bad year. But if we win it, it salvages something. So that's kind of where the focus is probably at now.

I agree with supporting the lads more than ever, yes, lets get them over these last 3 games, two at home...now, again, where does this hope of winning the Tailteann Cup spring from, this is threw out on here as if all our woes are only temporary, all will be well, all other teams a peg (or two) above us (and maybe a division below us) are going to shut up shop after championship elimination and leave the coast clear foe Offaly, coming with literally zero form, and terrible scoring starts to just rock up and win the Tailteann, now I know we have to be positive and hope for the best, but this idea we can win the Tailteann???..Ime hearing it every year, there are teams streets ahead of us that will win it..hate saying that but its fact..no disrespect to any current players, its just the way it is..win the Tailteann and teams below us in Div 3 scoring trebble our tallies against similar teams of ability...Down, Westmeath to name two...Fermanagh wouldnt fear us either, Division 4, Laois, Wexford, all would potentially beat us, nor saying they are that much better, but they would probably score more than us..0-19 against Cork, Cork pulled up early and we did get back into it, but no goals..

[ah lethimoutwithit]

I think there is a level of toxicity out there that has filtered through to the team and management at this point. To be honest, most supporters would have felt that with the injuries we would really struggle. However, you would have some grounds for optimism after the first game, but after that there are signs that some players are operating at a lower level than they are capable of. To me there are a few lads with a few years experience that are not putting in a shift durig games and we could have lost by alot more against Kildare and Cork. Management are coming in for criticism and there is argument for that. But whether its the case that some of the established players feel that they can up the ante when the rest of the lads come back is not serving the progression of the group well at all.
So as has been stated in more recent posts, all we can do is show up and offer our support to any of these lads and hope that a corner can be turned. What happens at the end of the year with Mgt is for another day and for them and the county board. But all should be supported and given the opportunity to turn things around for the TC.
Its heading for the end of Feb, I'm sick of reading here about these guys who could make a marginal difference, many are not there for valid reasons, some down to mgt. But we can only work with what we have available and its for the next mgt to look at the full pool again.
Regardsless of anything, my sympathies lie with all parties involved as we can only assume that all are doing their best.

[Thegreatgangman]

I actually think we overachieved massively in last year’s National Football League and that success may have papered over some real cracks.

Yes, we beat Kildare GAA in the league final and were very good on the day. But we also had a fully fit panel, momentum behind us, and everything seemed to click at once. Add to that the arrival of Mickey Harte there was definitely a feel good boost factor around the county. A new high profile manager, fresh energy, big crowds that kind of lift can carry a team a long way in a league campaign.

The problem is, feel good momentum only takes you so far.

Championship football exposed the reality. Losing to Meath GAA in the first round of the Leinster Senior Football Championship was a setback, but the bigger concern was losing again to Kildare in the quarter final of the Tailteann Cup. When it came to knockout football, we couldn’t reproduce that league level.

I don’t think we’re anywhere near good enough for Division 2 right now and if we’re honest, we’re closer to the bottom of Division 3 standard than we are to being a solid Division 2 side. One strong league run doesn’t suddenly make you a Division 2 team. Consistency, depth, physicality and game management do and we haven’t shown that in championship football.

What really concerns me is the volume of injuries. It feels like every year we’re talking about key players missing at crucial stages. That points to something bigger than bad luck. Modern intercounty football demands top level strength & conditioning, load management, recovery protocols, and proper sports science integration. If we’re serious about competing especially if we think we belong anywhere near Division 2 we need to be operating at that standard off the pitch as well as on it.

Right now, I don’t think we are.

A fresh managerial voice combined with a modern, professional S&C and sports science structure could make a huge difference. Without that, we risk repeating the same cycle, a bit of momentum, followed by injuries, inconsistency, and championship disappointment.

Just my view, but I think that’s the conversation we need to have.

[biffinbanner]

surprising to hear people saying we could win the tc if we"bothered" taking it seriously? id say we will be 6 or 7th favs when the pairings are known.

[jimbob17]

I actually think we overachieved massively in last year’s National Football League and that success may have papered over some real cracks.

Yes, we beat Kildare GAA in the league final and were very good on the day. But we also had a fully fit panel, momentum behind us, and everything seemed to click at once. Add to that the arrival of Mickey Harte there was definitely a feel good boost factor around the county. A new high profile manager, fresh energy, big crowds that kind of lift can carry a team a long way in a league campaign.

The problem is, feel good momentum only takes you so far.

Championship football exposed the reality. Losing to Meath GAA in the first round of the Leinster Senior Football Championship was a setback, but the bigger concern was losing again to Kildare in the quarter final of the Tailteann Cup. When it came to knockout football, we couldn’t reproduce that league level.

I don’t think we’re anywhere near good enough for Division 2 right now and if we’re honest, we’re closer to the bottom of Division 3 standard than we are to being a solid Division 2 side. One strong league run doesn’t suddenly make you a Division 2 team. Consistency, depth, physicality and game management do and we haven’t shown that in championship football.

What really concerns me is the volume of injuries. It feels like every year we’re talking about key players missing at crucial stages. That points to something bigger than bad luck. Modern intercounty football demands top level strength & conditioning, load management, recovery protocols, and proper sports science integration. If we’re serious about competing especially if we think we belong anywhere near Division 2 we need to be operating at that standard off the pitch as well as on it.

Right now, I don’t think we are.

A fresh managerial voice combined with a modern, professional S&C and sports science structure could make a huge difference. Without that, we risk repeating the same cycle, a bit of momentum, followed by injuries, inconsistency, and championship disappointment.

Just my view, but I think that’s the conversation we need to have.

Would have to concur with a lot of this TGGM. Our biggest issue at the moment are the injuries, many of which were preventable with effective load management and high quality S&C as you say. From what I can gather there has been issues around this for a good while. Now I stand to be corrected, but I believe that the S&C coach in year 1 of DK reign walked away from role after 2024, while it has been said in other posts here that the head physio in the MH/DK management walked away after 2025 because his instructions were not being adhered to.

Now if you take into account if the info in last paragraph is true, then you are down to whether the players were managed right by management from an injury prevention perspective. Recovery, S&C and sport science are central to injury prevention, and performing well. Now there will always be bits and pieces of injuries generally, but not to the level we seem to have currently and the recent ones to Dempsey and Pearson only emphasise the problem - with both injuries coming from non contact muscle pulls/strains if what I am told is correct.

A poster above questions some of the senior players and their effort levels. I think that's grossly unfair given some of the team selections so far. Given all that is going on with injuries etc, maybe it is time to question the type of training they are doing and the resultant effects of that. I'd see the leaders as likes of Lee Pearson, Dempsey, Jordan Hayes, Leavy, McEvoy, Cormac Egan and and maybe Keith O Neill - of the current players starting in league. I certainly don't think any of those lads are wanting for effort when they take to the field.

Beyond that, I think TGGM is right on where we are. I'd have Westmeath and Down ahead of us 7 times out of 10. On a good day, a mid Div 3 team could top a Div 2 team, but on law of averages, it doesn't happen too much. I think at full strength, we are somewhere between 16 and 21 in the rankings. I do think however that we have a decent young squad with good potential if managed well and we had everyone that is good enough available to the panel. There is a marked difference between the mood music around the hurlers and mood around the footballers currently, with both having lost their league games which is quite telling.

The general thought is that the best hurlers generally (bar perhaps one or two) are in with the county squad whereas that wouldn't be thought of the footballers at all. PG, these injuries will not be so bad so that we can have some hope of respectability in the championship. The idea we are anywhere near winning a TC is a bit unrealistic I think.

[Barnes]

If by a miracle we got to a leinster final, beaten laois and possibly meath do we still go into taligan cup? Laois are definitely well beatable

[oneshot]

might not beat laois if we did we wouldn't keep it kicked out to meath for gods sake they have gone up another level since we beat them a few years ago in tullamore.

[jimbob17]

If by a miracle we got to a leinster final, beaten laois and possibly meath do we still go into taligan cup? Laois are definitely well beatable

Every team that reaches a provincial final in 2026 is in the Sam Maguire competition in 2026

[biffinbanner]

do lads not be following the league results etc? meath are a top 8 team and getting better. id fear a trimming if we do beat laois(who are not bad. i seen them last sunday in ennis. unlucky not to bear clare. they have a bog full forward e o carroll. a handful for anyone. )

[Barnes]

do lads not be following the league results etc? meath are a top 8 team and getting better. id fear a trimming if we do beat laois(who are not bad. i seen them last sunday in ennis. unlucky not to bear clare. they have a bog full forward e o carroll. a handful for anyone. )

I'm only asking the question, I don't expect us to beat meath, I would expect us to beat laois however, they are very poor. It's a while since laois competive even at under age, would be now regarded as 1 of the very weakest in leinster... anyway forward to Saturday, if another hammering is on the cards fo we need to look at management change sooner rather than later? A fresh voice could make a bit of difference to the lads

[Anon11]

Hard to know what Saturday night will bring. You’d imagine Tyrone could come out swinging, but things don’t look great up their way either. Canavan heading off is a curious one as well. If they lose Saturday’s game, they’re suddenly right up against it with relegation.

From our side, if we take another hiding like last week, there may have to be a serious look at things. The players are low enough already, and another heavy defeat could really knock the life out of them.

[Fairplayalways]

Laois are not way behind (if even behind) Offaly..put the two teams out next weekend and Ide put a few bob on it being a close game, and ide guess we would possibly lose..where are the scores going to come from to win??..Laois may not be world beaters but they are scoring more than we are, regardless of opposition..

[Snotser123]

Judging off a game against Tyrone in Tyrone , never change anon never change

[Anon11]

Judging off a game against Tyrone in Tyrone , never change anon never change

Ah yeah, I suppose we never went up to Tyrone and beat them up there.

[DurrowBoy17]

Sure what are we supposed to judge off so Snotser? Go to Kilcormac and watch a training match?