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joe123 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 11, 2025 11:16 am Not being good enough to beat Clare or kildare this year does not mean we will not improve enough to compete in division 2 next year after competing in the all ireland series and players and new management a further year on etc.

100%, it could happen - but I'd feel a lot better about it if we did win one of the next two games against a competitive opponent.

Plus there is absolutely no guarantee that we'll be in the Sam Maguire, even if we do get into the top two - in fact if we were to go up alongside Kildare and lose the final, we couldn't get into it, since one of Clare/Tipp/Waterford will reach the Munster final, most likely Clare.

And even we win on Sunday and win the final, or if it's ourselves and Clare who end up going up, then we'd still need Louth to reach the Leinster final, to prevent Kildare/Westmeath/Laois/Wexford from taking the 16th spot.

All in all, the chances of us making the All-Ireland series are very slim right now. And we all know how Offaly players tend to feel about the Tailteann Cup - so I have very little faith that we'll bounce into the 2026 League on the back of a strong Summer campaign.

Lone Shark wrote: ↑Tue Mar 11, 2025 12:09 pm

joe123 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 11, 2025 11:16 am Not being good enough to beat Clare or kildare this year does not mean we will not improve enough to compete in division 2 next year after competing in the all ireland series and players and new management a further year on etc.

Plus there is absolutely no guarantee that we'll be in the Sam Maguire, even if we do get into the top two - in fact if we were to go up alongside Kildare and lose the final, we couldn't get into it, since one of Clare/Tipp/Waterford will reach the Munster final, most likely Clare.

And even we win on Sunday and win the final, or if it's ourselves and Clare who end up going up, then we'd still need Louth to reach the Leinster final, to prevent Kildare/Westmeath/Laois/Wexford from taking the 16th spot.

In addition to that, there's a decent chance that Down get relegated to division 3. They'd be ranked below the top 2 in division 3 based on league standings.

Yet on account of them winning the Tailteann Cup they are guaranteed a spot in the All Ireland.

To put it simply, even if we do everything right, get promoted AND win the league final to secure the 15th ranking spot, we would still 99% be playing Tailteann Cup. It must be taken seriously this year.

I'd forgotten about Down - good point. Very hard to see them escaping the drop at the moment.

So yeah, it's looking more and more like we're in the Tailteann Cup, barring we get to a Leinster final ourselves.

As for Offaly taking it seriously, I hope that happens, but I still remember that first press briefing with Mickey Harte, where the question was put to him about Offaly's dreadful track record in second chance competitions, and how he was going to tackle that. His response was that Offaly had two chances to avoid it, through the league and the Leinster championship, and that the best way to tackle the Tailteann Cup was to not be in it.

Now on the one hand, I remember thinking that I admired the positivity, and how I thought that approach would resonate with the players (as it appears to have done). On the other hand, it doesn't suggest to me that Harte's view of the TC is any different to the traditional one here in Offaly.

Darragh Kirwan had a set back with his hamstring injury apparently. Can’t state how big a loss he is to Kildare.
David Dempsey still some weeks away. Roo Mac and Diarmuid Egan not fully recovered yet either.
Huge chance on Sunday to gaining promotion and a win isn’t beyond us especially with Kirwan out.
The big battle is going to be Furlong and Beirne. Looking forward to that one.

Cillian Bourke out for a few weeks will be a huge loss to Offaly u 20s if he dosent make it back in time. Mickey Cunningham has also left the panel. Kieran Dolan I believe sustained a serious hamstring injury
Whoever thought bringing him in before he at least had a season back playing senior football needs a serious dose of cop on. The poor lad has gone through enough now looks like he will miss most of this year too.
Darragh Kirwan is a massive loss to Kildare would have been nice to have a few of our injured players back to at least strengthen the bench which looks weak enough the last few games
I think Offaly have a chance vs Kildare and hopefully get the win. It’s been a positive league so far which I never saw coming. Hopefully a decent crowd turn up with it been a bank holiday Sunday I’d say people will travel to this

del wrote: ↑Tue Mar 11, 2025 6:57 pm Cillian Bourke out for a few weeks will be a huge loss to Offaly u 20s if he dosent make it back in time. Mickey Cunningham has also left the panel. Kieran Dolan I believe sustained a serious hamstring injury
Whoever thought bringing him in before he at least had a season back playing senior football needs a serious dose of cop on. The poor lad has gone through enough now looks like he will miss most of this year too.
Darragh Kirwan is a massive loss to Kildare would have been nice to have a few of our injured players back to at least strengthen the bench which looks weak enough the last few games
I think Offaly have a chance vs Kildare and hopefully get the win. It’s been a positive league so far which I never saw coming. Hopefully a decent crowd turn up with it been a bank holiday Sunday I’d say people will travel to this

Cillian Bourke a huge loss. Ryan Kenny and Ross Keelaghan are in a race against time too by the looks of it. Beaten well at the weekend by Cork and playing Kerry this weekend. Challenge matches haven’t gone well.

I’d said that a few weeks back about Dolan. Has to get an operation on his hamstring now the poor lad. What in gods name were they thinking.

What were they thinking is right, Kieran Dolan should not have been in there. I'd love to know on what form in the last 3 years was he picked and he's suffered the consequences.

How do we think we're going to get on against Kildare at the weekend lads?

Fear Uibh wrote: ↑Fri Mar 14, 2025 12:56 pm How do we think we're going to get on against Kildare at the weekend lads?

It will be an important game for both counties, as neither team want to lose again.
Offaly are away to Clare after this fixture, and will need to get a point at least on Sunday. A draw for me, and it comes down to the final league game in Ennis.

Clare are away to Laois this weekend, I am sure Offaly management will have an eye on O’Moore Park. What do you think?

Kildare are rightfully favourites. But I’m confident. I hope we can bring a big game performance at home like Meath in 2023. Local rivals, everything to play for. Kildare are without Darragh Kirwan.

I’ve suffered enough defeats to know not to be arrogant. We’ve hopefully had our dips in performance in Fermanagh and Leitrim. After two poor enough performances to come away with an unlucky 1 point defeat and a scrappy win, isn’t the worst. We’ve had a break and surely we’ve learned our lessons about giving a team an early head start.

Head says Kildare by 5 points. Heart says a scrappy 2 point win. Would be delighted with a draw.

Cheddar wrote: ↑Sat Mar 15, 2025 12:01 am Kildare are rightfully favourites. But I’m confident. I hope we can bring a big game performance at home like Meath in 2023. Local rivals, everything to play for. Kildare are without Darragh Kirwan.

I’ve suffered enough defeats to know not to be arrogant. We’ve hopefully had our dips in performance in Fermanagh and Leitrim. After two poor enough performances to come away with an unlucky 1 point defeat and a scrappy win, isn’t the worst. We’ve had a break and surely we’ve learned our lessons about giving a team an early head start.

Head says Kildare by 5 points. Heart says a scrappy 2 point win. Would be delighted with a draw.

I would say that Offaly football need to reach Div.2 this year, as if Down and Westmeath are relegated, promotion will be harder to achieve.
It will improve the Offaly team by playing better teams. A draw would be a good result. A win would be ideal.

That must be one of the youngest teams we’ve fielded in a good while.
None of the backs are older than 23/24

Leitrim have given Fermanagh a bye due to not having enough fit outfield players and an u20 match midweek.

I know it was head to head if 2 teams were joint and scoring difference if there were 3 or more. Will it go to score difference between only the teams affected now and basically scrap all games Leitrim were involved in now. A draw in either the Offaly game or laois vs Clare and it could get messy.

If it comes down to scoring difference with everyone’s games against Leitrim removed, that would work in Offaly’s favour as we had the closest game with them

Really does put an asterisk on the league if that happens. Obviously it benefits Offaly which is great for us. To do the maths on how it affects each team;

Kildare -23pts now on +31 points difference
Offaly -4pts now on +27 points difference
Clare -13pts now on -1 points difference
Laois -23pts now on -8 points difference

Really makes it very very hard for Clare and Laois to come near us if we end up winning one of the final two games.

Let’s win them anyway and have no complaints from other teams.

Also the Leitrim thing has to be a massive worry for the GAA as a whole. Yes it’s the smallest population in the country, but really sums up rural Ireland and how club teams are in big trouble.