Offaly Senior Football 2026

A forum to air your views on Offaly GAA matters and beyond.
Snotser123
County player
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Re: Offaly Senior Football 2026

Post by Snotser123 »

I do think management haven't helped themselves with the vagueness around injuries and possible return dates etc

Anonymous1
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Re: Offaly Senior Football 2026

Post by Anonymous1 »

DurrowBoy17 wrote: Sun Mar 22, 2026 3:54 pm 7/7 Losses. Can’t remember that happening us or to too many before.

You’ll still have Corrigan and the likes saying “injuries”. What injuries now? We’ve nearly everyone back bar Flynn, Furlong and Bryant. What county doesn’t have a few injuries.
Consolation scores and teams easing off when the game was well over have absolutely blessed us too. Anyone that watched the games know we were embarrassed in nearly all games bar the Cavan game.

I don’t blame the lads in there. They’re giving their best, and some lads have even punched above their weights respectively, so hat tip to them.

There were murmurs in the crowd Johnson was to start today but pulled out before throw in for whatever reason. Still Plunkett didn’t get the nod. Actually laughable and embarrassing how Declan Kelly is treating him in there.

No Rhode men in there is a disgrace too and needs to be questioned. They’re one of the best teams in the county.
Compared to Meath were like a team of midgets.
And again, not a shot at the lads there but on management who have for one reason or another ran lads away from the team.
Johnson picked up a groin injury before throw in so was replaced by Furlong.

How many groins is that for this squad now? 5?6?…

Superhans75
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Re: Offaly Senior Football 2026

Post by Superhans75 »

Injuries aside we were beaten by a
Not a great Meath team
Players out of position and borderline silly mistakes
That's Offaly.

Anon444
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Re: Offaly Senior Football 2026

Post by Anon444 »

I think the injuries excuse is irrelevant at this stage, as I don’t feel that the team are playing for the management. Every team has been able to walk through during the league and we have not really grafted a dogged performance at all, bar one half against Cavan. Today, our full back gave away the ball under the stand when Meath got on top in the second half and walked back while they got a score. And it wasn’t just him so I’m not trying to blame him at all for the team performance. But there isn’t really anyone dogging it out, getting into the opposition’s face, how many scores are got against us with zero pressure on? Maybe it’s all speculation and I am completely wrong and if I am, I apologise in advance to all. But that’s the overriding feeling for me and it’s hard for a management team to turn that tide when it goes against you.

On the supporters issue, there’s a disconnect there. Teams travel with decent support when playing us, especially when they sense a bit of a trimming. And I wouldn’t blame supporters, I think if the product was better from our flagship team the support would follow. It was the same with the hurlers in the Christy Ring and it has been this way for a while with our footballers. The only way to draw supporters back in is to show serious fight.

Laois will travel up sensing a win. I hope that there will be decent support, but when another heavy beating is expected if we were to win and play a top 4 team, I’m not sure supporters rush to OCP.

oneshot
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Re: Offaly Senior Football 2026

Post by oneshot »

be a short summer that offaly team won't beat leix and they are shite .

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Bord na Mona man
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Re: Offaly Senior Football 2026

Post by Bord na Mona man »

It's hard judge today.
Had Offaly held on for one more minute against Cavan, then amazingly Offaly could have beaten the drop with victory today.
Could Offaly have won if survival was a possibility? I don't think so, but the game would have been tighter.

For more than a decade now, Offaly have been mainly surviving Division 3 courtesy of Houdini escapes.
Surviving Division 2 would have needed every tail wind possible in our favour. Nothing close to that happened.

All is not lost. There's a long way to go this year. Leinster and then Tailteann/Sam Maguire. For too many years, the momentum has tailed off too early. Other counties have developed with extended runs later into the summer while Offaly players were heading for the sun loungers. Management need to dig in now and make sure everyone is fired up to make an impact in championship.

Some of Offaly's problems are mendable. Players potentially coming back from injury should help. Some fixing up could be done on set pieces like the kick out. Melia is fresh in the door and today on many occasions he was a different wavelength than his outfielders. Possible targets were moving into space, at the just the moment he was changing his mind, or backing off the ball.

In 7 games Offaly have conceded 13 goals - almost 2 per game. Meath could have added more goals today, barring some frantic, goalmouth firefighting. The intensity of the work rate needs to be cranked up, to stop teams slicing through easily. Mickey Harte's Tyrone teams lit upon ball carriers like piranhas on meat. He needs to serve more of that secret sauce in Offaly.

Tmacmahon
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Re: Offaly Senior Football 2026

Post by Tmacmahon »

The small crowds attending our senior football matches is mind blowing. Was there a 100 offaly supporters in o connor Park yesterday? Meath as expected brought a big crowd,
There is a disconnect somewhere and I have stated previously maybe an all offaly fresh management would rejuvenated that side of things, although I do wonder if even that would make a difference.
Offaly did well at times but I don't know if its a coaching issue or an ability issue but some of the play seems naive , is the management team declan kelly, mickey harte and Luke bree? Its just them 3 I think which is light at this level of football.
All down to the laois game now

jonsey
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Re: Offaly Senior Football 2026

Post by jonsey »

was at the match, meath out numbered the Offaly crowd 10 to 1, Offaly are a poor outfit, badly managed and poorly picked. Injuries alone they don't pick the best available, its laughable, Kelly should be shown the door before the championship, if not we will not win a match this year.

NewEra
County player
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Re: Offaly Senior Football 2026

Post by NewEra »

Amazing statistic. If you were to believe Snotser, it’s not possible to keep a panel of players committed and motivated over a few seasons. You can only keep 15 players happy with game time it seems.

Alas, we have a manager who has alienated a plethora of players, clubs, fans, and medical professionals.
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Snotser123
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Re: Offaly Senior Football 2026

Post by Snotser123 »

Did some players not leave over lack of game time ? Because they weren't willing to be part of a squad , even players who were first sub in like roo mc refused to be part of a squad ....is that not true ....correct me if I'm wrong.....please you have brought me up there so correct me if on wrong on that ....not one person in the county was complaining about the forward selection when we were hopping off meath and Kildare this time last year......so yes it's hard build a squad in a small county when your best /first sub walks away because of lack of game time....it's a full commitment so he's dead right to walk away if he wants to but yes it's hard build a quality squad when subs won't stick at it ..and that no dig at them....

Snotser123
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Re: Offaly Senior Football 2026

Post by Snotser123 »

Let's see how wexford get on in division 2 😏😏😏 I'm not sure if mostly kids on here but if can't realize the difference between playing sligo , westmeath , fermanagh and then going up against derry and Tyrone ....come on lads be fair to the lads who are giving so much of their lives....just constant negativity ..it will be the same people no doubt running the hurlers into the ground in two years when they haven't turned into a limerick or a cork 😏😏

Superhans75
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Re: Offaly Senior Football 2026

Post by Superhans75 »

O

jimbob17
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Re: Offaly Senior Football 2026

Post by jimbob17 »

Snotser123 wrote: Tue Mar 24, 2026 11:53 am Did some players not leave over lack of game time ? Because they weren't willing to be part of a squad , even players who were first sub in like roo mc refused to be part of a squad ....is that not true ....correct me if I'm wrong.....please you have brought me up there so correct me if on wrong on that ....not one person in the county was complaining about the forward selection when we were hopping off meath and Kildare this time last year......so yes it's hard build a squad in a small county when your best /first sub walks away because of lack of game time....it's a full commitment so he's dead right to walk away if he wants to but yes it's hard build a quality squad when subs won't stick at it ..and that no dig at them....
Snotser, you need to inform yourself on the reality of why some of these players are not involved before coming on here with patronising comments about lads who gave years of service as players to the county - and a hell of a lot more than you ever did. The treatment of some by current management has been absolutely shocking and horrendous, and that is an understatement to say the least.
jimbob

Fairplayalways
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Re: Offaly Senior Football 2026

Post by Fairplayalways »

Wexford are an attacking side, they may not survive in Division 2, but I will bet now they wont be bottom with a massive minus scoring difference..Westmeath had -19 and relegated as bottom team last year from Div 2..we wete tribble that this year..thats a serious minus scoring difference over 7 games and averages tell their own story.. if I recall Wexford have beaten us in recent times..and they put abit effort in to the Tailteann..
Last edited by Fairplayalways on Tue Mar 24, 2026 2:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

DurrowBoy17
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Re: Offaly Senior Football 2026

Post by DurrowBoy17 »

Correct Jimbob,

Also Snotser, Fermanagh were relegated to Division 4... so shows how much you know.
Wexford got back to back promotions, we got the complete opposite to that so no comparing them even if they do come down again next year. I guarantee they won't be absolutely bullied in every game like we were.

Corrigan writing in the paper how everyone online is on Kelly's back and not Mickey's. Does he not remember how Kelly's first year went (without Harte) and how the players around the county that are not in there not because of Mickey Harte, but because of Kelly. It's not Harte that rubs people up the wrong way constantly either.

So Corrigan, I know youre reading, Wake up and smell the coffee.

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