Wins unlikely but Offaly have the chance to reach higher level
Unlike last week, when we went through Offaly’s opponents in the Allianz Football League on a game by game basis, we’re not going to do the same for the hurlers this time around.
That’s not because of any disregarding of the importance of the league for Michael Fennelly and his players, but because realistically, for this group to step up in class like this and go from hurling in Division Two and the Christy Ring Cup to suddenly taking on teams like Limerick, Galway and Cork is a the type of gear change that would break the clutch of any vehicle.
Surviving in Division One would be great, but of the five games that lie ahead over the next month and half, realistically, it’s hard to see any opportunity for a win, except possibly the visit of Clare to Tullamore.
Galway, who Offaly face on Sunday at Pearse Stadium (throw-in 2pm), are still struggling to find their rhythm as a county setup. But this reporter was in Dangan for the Fitzgibbon Cup clash between NUIG and UCC on Wednesday night, and the quality that is available to Henry Shefflin is undeniable.
Darren Morrissey and Brian Concannon were the only players with NUI Galway who started the Tribesmen’s 2021 championship exit to Waterford, but it would be a huge surprise if Jack Fitzpatrick and Evan Niland don’t join them in the first XV this year, while Conor Caulfield, Conor Walsh and Ian McGlynn are just some of the others that would be nailed on starters for any county team outside the top four or five.
It's the perfect time to get Galway as they will improve as the year goes on, while Shefflin may decide to rest these hurlers in advance of their Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final against Waterford IT next week. And if this game was at home, we’d actually give Offaly a slight chance of keeping the game competitive into the last ten minutes and maybe sneaking something out of the game.
The form that the team showed against Dublin in the Walsh Cup was hugely encouraging, and while Dublin were able to kick on a little when they brought key players like Chris Crummie and Donal Burke off the bench in the latter stages, that group went on to prove against Wexford that they are just hurling really well at the moment. Therefore, Offaly should take a lot of satisfaction from that contest in Birr, even if it did finish in a six-point win for the Dubs.
Wexford are another team that have traditionally struggled when they come to the midlands, but equally, Offaly’s record in Wexford is not great, with just one win out of nine competitive games in the county since 1995.
Cork at home is a good game to get in that the Rebel hurlers bring a big travelling support with them and there will be a great atmosphere in Tullamore that day, but there is just too much depth and too much sharpness in Cork hurling for Offaly to turn them over. Other teams might be able to unsettle Cork physically, but that’s not really the style of the Faithful County right now, even if the days of Offaly teams being packed with light, ‘wristy’ hurlers is long gone.
The less said about going to Limerick to take on the All-Ireland champions the better, except to point out the saving grace that the contest will be played in the final round, when presumably Limerick will have already secured their place in the knockout stages. There’s every chance that Offaly could find themselves taking on a second string Limerick team as opposed to a full deck with Cian Lynch, Gearóid Hegarty, Declan Hannon and all the rest on board, but Clare’s experience in the Munster Cup recently says all that needs to be said about the depth that exists in Limerick hurling right now.
All of that leaves the Clare game, where Offaly’s ideal scenario would be to sneak a win here against a Clare side that isn’t sure of its identity and is likely to still be without Tony Kelly. If that happened, then it’s entirely possible that Clare wouldn’t take any more than two points from their other four games, and Offaly could stay out of the relegation final by virtue of their head to head record.
If Clare come to Tullamore fully tuned in and ready to hurl, they’ll almost certainly have too much for Offaly in this one, but if they open the door and Offaly hurl to their potential, this is a contest where an upset is possible.
Even if that doesn’t happen, and form holds so Offaly end the group stages with five defeats, that’s where managing mindsets and expectations will be crucial. A relegation play-off against Laois or Antrim is no crisis, as long as Offaly have sharpened their hurling throughout the spring and are ready to put their best foot forward in a game like that.
Moreover, Westmeath went through a traumatic spring league last year, taking some very heavy beatings – albeit also producing some very good performances, most notably against Waterford – and while they were disappointed to slip through the relegation trapdoor, they were in good shape by the time the Joe McDonagh Cup came around, and ultimately, that remains Offaly’s main target in 2022 as well.
So, a spring of opportunity beckons. Maybe not a lot of opportunities to pick up wins, but opportunities to take the standard of hurling to another level, to really ask questions and forge a new identity in the white heat of games against elite counties, and to carry that experience through the summer after that.
- Kevin Egan