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Tipperary can afford to rest the likes of mcarthy because they have the numbers and also have a huge amount of options. Tipperary also know they'll will win matches without their top players. Offaly are on the other end of the spectrum.

Liam cahill not happy with not having a full hand either. He still played mcarthy and could easily have got injured in those ten minutes.

Kikdare with a big win vs Antrim. Come the summer that match will be a huge game as both teams will be without a win when they meet.

Ye do realise Liam Cahill didn’t mind starting Oisin O’Donoghue last night, who is also playing on Friday?

We were too slow to make the changes after half time when Waterford had a run on us - game was over by the time we moved

It wouldn’t be the league in February without way over the top negative reactions to defeat and it seems that this year is no different. It’s worth remembering that these are losses (two competitive, one not) in division 1A. It’s hardly like we’re being hammered in division 2.

I’m not too worried.
Our defence is missing four guaranteed starters in Ciaran Burke, James Mahon, Killian Sampson and Donal Shirley. Our attack is missing Charlie Mitchell. All those players make a huge difference to the composition and quality of this young team.

Now all those injuries have allowed a lot of players to be trialled and it’s been very useful to see who is up to this unforgiving standard and who isn’t. Every cloud etc.

Our year will be judged on those final three championship games of Dublin, Wexford and Kildare in May. Three months away. I’m hopeful.

And leo o Connor would have them lads playing and training every single minute if he was in charge.

Johmny kelly isnt the man for the job but confident leo isnt either okay performance.

The same Leo O Connor who left Screeney on against Dublin in the U20 loss after he done serious damage to his ankle.

I would be encouraged by our performances so far, we have been without 5 or more players for every game so far, blooded a lot of players and been in the hunt for 45-50 mins of each game.

I don’t understand how much better could be expected, if we can compete in the last few matches particularly the match vs. Galway in Birr has to be a target to have a lash at, I think it will have been a credible league campaign.

Killian Sampson & Charlie Mitchell were the two standout performers in last years club championship, they will make a difference if we can get them back.

Wexford & Kildare can be targeted along with Dublin for championship.

Offaly Hero wrote: ↑Sun Feb 08, 2026 5:15 pm I’m not too worried.
Our defence is missing four guaranteed starters in Ciaran Burke, James Mahon, Killian Sampson and Donal Shirley. Our attack is missing Charlie Mitchell. All those players make a huge difference to the composition and quality of this young team.

Sampson, Shirley and Mitchell on his day would definitely improve the team. Not sure if Burke or Mahon are any better than what was playing today. Heavily reliant on young players just look at the age profile difference between us and Tipp etc they're way more spread out Offalys best players and most of the panel are predominantly early twenties playing against seasoned inter county hurlers from top counties.

That 20 minutes or so in the second half where we didn’t score was a killer, but I think we could be in for a few of those spells this year unless lads come back from injury. I think D Ravenhill has to go back up to the forwards, just for the simple reason that we need as many potential scorers closer to goal. Screeney showed well, thought he was unlucky not to get a few more frees but was the best. Quiet games from the others, we really need Duignan to step up. If we had our full strength panel available, he would definitely be dropped from the 15, we need him to start chipping in more from play more reliably. Johnny Kelly has done a very good job, but why does it always seem that our forwards never get a ‘handy’ ball or so. Almost every ball that goes in his high and it’s breaking, which we also don’t seem to winning much of. Don’t know if it’s a delivery or space issue.

A lot of positives to take from today for sure, but the same old problems coming to the fore....not being able to win our own puckouts, fading out of games and a lack of goals.

The positives:

- the two Ben's in the full back line were excellent. Miller is really holding his own at this level which is great and Conneely has been an outstanding defender for years now.
- Brecon Kavanagh definitely deserves another look at centre back.
- Cathal King consistently puts in a great effort at midfield. He's a real leader already.
- I thought Ross Ravenhill looked more comfortable at wing back - he will likely move to the bench when we have a full squad to choose from but he brings great honesty and physicality.
- Screeney is well able for it at this level, even on days when conditions don't favour him.

On the flip side:
- I think the Dan Ravenhill wing back experiment should be stopped, not because I can't see it working but because we need him further up the field where he poses a scoring threat.
- For several years now we don't seem to have any sort of a tactic for sidelines. We hit it as far as we can, typically into the bread basket of the loose opposition man. How have management not identified this and put a plan in place to retain possession....?
- 2nd half fade out. Not much more to say other than we've seen this before...
- Dan Bourke doesn't seem to have pushed on, he lacks power to break tackles and his shooting let him down again today with a 25% success rate from shots when he was largely under no pressure from the opposition. We really need a more direct powerful runner at centre forward who can put defenses on the back foot.
- Aerially we were cleaned out in the second half. I heard Johnny Kelly complaining about not being able to get messages onto the players at half time.... We've been getting cleaned out in the air for the last few years, not sure what sending messages onto the players was going to do it he hasn't done much about it in 3 years...
- overall, it doesn't look like we're physically up to scratch. With the exception of King and Watkins, our younger players are miles off it. Of course this will take a couple of years but would have expected this to have been addressed further over the winter.
- 3 games, 1 goal. Enough said.
- 6 points from play today I make it, well off what's required. Time to try other options in the forward line?
- while it's great to have two solid goalkeeping options, I think today confirmed that Liam Hoare holds the keys to the number 1 jersey.
- We need more out of Duignan and I think he really needs to work on his passing. Too often he takes the wrong option. Hopefully he can rediscover his form of 2025.

It's not all doom and gloom, it was heartening that the team showed great fight and bright intensity that we wouldn't have shown in other years. With the injury crisis, we have been able to get minutes into the wider squad. Hopefully come championship we will have a fully fit squad with multiple options in each position.

We could really do with getting Sampson, Shirley, Burke, Rigney, James Mahon and if possible Mitchell back please god soon.

Nothing to fear from Galway up next.

Esto Fidelis

I agree here with a lot of what Faithful Future has to say. We have guys to come back in come championship and hopefully they will be available. Donal Shirley, Killian Sampson and Charlie Mitchell improve that starting 15 dramatically. (Just as a point to the poster who suggested Killian will strengthen the back line - not a chance JK plays him there. He'll be either midfield or in the half forward line). Whether they make it back is another story. Highly doubtful in Charlie's case by all accounts.

I thought Adam really showed up well today. Scored 0-02 (the second one should have been a goal) and missed a sitter of a point after a beautiful piece of footwork. He was fouled numerous times and should have been given at least another 3 frees. The Waterford defender was constantly fouling him as they were attacking the ball. It was if the referee said I can't keep giving frees against the corner back. He will be a serious handful come championship as the ground hardens up.

Eoghan Cahill had a really good first half but faded as the game wore on. Dan Bourke's shooting just hasn't improved in 2 years now and is a serious work on for him. Ter Guinan a lot of honest endeavor but I feel his natural home is at wing back. A direct swap between him and Dan has to be under consideration. The less said about Oisin and Brian the better to be honest. Shane Rigney is someone who could really aid our forward line but his hamstring injury is seemingly pretty severe.

Cathal King is a pure workhorse in midfield and gets through some amount of hard graft but along with plenty of others today, some our tackling was terrible. Brecon gave away 3 frees in the tackle alone. Another huge area to work on.

All in all though this league campaign is going to be of massive benefit to Offaly. Unbelievable preparation for the Dublin game in Round 1. And make no mistake that game is what it all comes down to. We win that and anything is possible (In Leinster). I know I'd rather be playing these games than be up to what Clare are at and scoring 3-35 against Down and learning nothing. And then entering a Munster Championship untested.

Finally to the poster who says bring in Leo. Jesus Christ man. Cop on.

The physical difference between offaly and the other counties is very noticeable. It's an area that dramatically needs to improve in the next 3-4 years.

private joker wrote: ↑Sun Feb 08, 2026 11:23 pm The physical difference between offaly and the other counties is very noticeable. It's an area that dramatically needs to improve in the next 3-4 years.

How do you improve that in the younger players at this stage of there lives. Lack of height is a big problem for a lot of the younger lads. Oisin kelly is taller and more physical than a lot of them and he never put up his hand for 1 puckout today. Tried to break them all down with his hurl

How do you improve it? Smart answer is to pick a team of lads who are over 25.

As it is, I make it today's team has seven who would be U21 this year if such a grade existed, and another three are a year older. I'd wager there isn't a team in the whole league with an age profile like that.

But as Frankthetank says, this leage will be a huge benefit. As the saying goes, nothing added but time.

Drumcullen man wrote: ↑Sun Feb 08, 2026 11:45 pm

private joker wrote: ↑Sun Feb 08, 2026 11:23 pm The physical difference between offaly and the other counties is very noticeable. It's an area that dramatically needs to improve in the next 3-4 years.

How do you improve that in the younger players at this stage of there lives. Lack of height is a big problem for a lot of the younger lads. Oisin kelly is taller and more physical than a lot of them and he never put up his hand for 1 puckout today. Tried to break them all down with his hurl

The big issue so far in the league, in my opinion, is the use of our subs bench! Kelly seems to have his favourites that almost seem untouchable regardless of their performance! There wasn't many 'Faithful' supporters in Waterford yesterday, but anyone who was there can say that bar Screeney and Cahill in the first 35", we got very little return from the rest of our forwards. And yet, Duignan, Kelly and Bourke remained on the field for the full 70+ minutes of play.
What kind of confidence does that give lads sitting in the stand who are training just as hard as everyone else but seeing no game time.
Sam Bourke had a fine game from where I was sitting, yet seemed the easy choice to whip off rather than upset a more senior player. That wont do us any favours come Leinster Championship.