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We don't even know who our right footed free taker is yet, so I wouldn't go worrying about the left. The truth is that no player in the county is taking frees so well that they are worth picking on those grounds alone. I'd say wait till it's narrowed down to a panel of twenty or so and go from there - we all know it's not like there's a Brian Stafford or Colin Corkery style freetaker playing club football in Offaly that's being overlooked.

I see that PJ Ward from Westmeath has declared for Offaly. Is he worth a run? Another of their players, David Mitchell, has transferred to Longford. Must be getting sick of the Kerry trianing regime.

He's an inside forward, which we're not short of, and supposedly he's not the most easygoing chap in the world. I'm loathe to expand on what is gossip after all, but I'll restrict it to saying there are those who suggest that he's not the easiest chap in the world to fit into a team environment. I'd say management will have an open mind myself, but if you were to ask me will he be starting against Carlow next May - almost certainly not.

Could Ward possibly be used further out the field due to his size? He is bigger than most of our forwards and can kick points from distance. Otherwise I would be reluctant to see him bench one of our established full forwards.
He is talented and might do better in a more fluid attacking unit than Westmeath's, where they've traditionally been very defensive minded and tried to channel everything through Dolan.

However he might be suspect in the temperament department. No doubting that he has talent, but given that he was touted by Westmeath experts as the new Dessie Dolan as a minor, back in 2000 and only made his senior championship debut this year, his progression graph is not what it should have been.

The elephant in the room has to be - why has he left Westmeath? The man has transferred to Shamrocks (if rumour is to be believed) from Kilbeggan - hardly a huge commute for training or matches, likewise with the county. If he was coming from Kerry or Sligo, then fair enough, but this has the overwhelming smell of rat about it.

I think generally he's not a lover of the kind of workrate needed from the modern intercounty half forward either. Al in all he has a long way to go. Obviously if he was a towering midfielder I'd be more inclined to forgive these things.

(Up to a point - Rory O'Connell if you're reading this, no thanks!!)

I could think of lots of reasons why a player would leave Westmeath! However a mid-season walkout on the Westmeath panel and then jumping clubs is a little strange.
Ideally he should prove himself at Shamrocks first before he is tried out for Offaly.
How he performs in the gaudy Shamrocks colours should be a pointer as to how serious he is about his footballing future.

Speaking of Rory O'Connell, who was it back on hoganstand used to say that Rory O'Connell used to go about in a van with his auld lad - when this was mentioned back then it caused the westmeath contingent to foam at the mouth with rage -- ?

Did someone not suggest that the van was owned by a Biffo?
It caused consternation when it was mentioned.
The person who brought it up occasionally wondered what all the fuss was about, but each time met with an even angrier response from the mob.

Yes, i think it was the terminator, or one of those fellows!

Any word on how Skinny is getting on with the Offaly team so far?
Any games? Reports from training?

Laois's new man Kearns has them back training about 3 weeks and they beat Wexford and Cavan in challenge games...

Is Conor Evans back from his travels? Havent heard his name mentioned here or on any panel yet...

On the subject of players taking a year or two out from the game in order to spread their seeds on foreign shores, not too many have ever returned and reached the standard or form that they had before the left.

Whay is that?

E.g.
Barry Malone
John Kenny
Jimmy Grennan - to a certain degree.
Barry Mooney - Took him a year or two to get the form back

IS PJ Ward a reliable free taker ?

Not sure if Ward is a good free taker.. but Jason Kelly who was recently called into the panel is a very good free taker, and excellent taker out of his hands from distance. He'll be a very useful member of the panel if he keeps his head right...
If he doesn't work with the frees you'll always have the mad lad (Mac) shooting from all angles all over the field!!!