MARTIN SHEEN
New Offaly boss has put a smile back on faces of Faithful county fans
FORMER star Joe Errity has credited Kevin Martin with banishing Offaly’s losing mentality as they prepare to tackle All-ireland champions Galway.
Micheal Donoghue’s side come to Tullamore tomorrow evening in the first game of their title defence facing opposition that they swept past by 19 points in last year’s Leinster semi-final.
Offaly have improved in the meantime however following the appointment of Martin, alongside whom Errity won Allirelands in 1994 and ‘98.
“They were nearly resigned to being beaten going into matches last year, they had that resignation about them,” said Errity (right).
“I don’t believe they’ll have it EOIN MURPHY says that TJ Reid still has some way to travel before he emulates Henry Shefflin.
Favourable comparisons have been made between Reid and his 10-time All-ireland winning Ballyhale Shamrocks clubmate in light of his sensational form through the spring as Kilkenny claimed an unlikely League title.
“He’s probably going that route,” this year so that’s a huge plus, and they shouldn’t either.
“If they get a performance that’s all people want and look, they probably still should be behind Galway but the performance against Kilkenny [in the League quarter-final] might suggest that they’re not that far away.”
Last year Offaly set up with two sweepers against Galway and while they didn’t concede any goals, they still shipped a huge tally of 0-33.
Martin has moved away from the defensive template and has been rewarded with some encouraging performances.
“I think it’s the right way to go,” said Errity, who excelled in both defence and attack in his playing days.
“If you go out and line out with one sweeper or two sweepers you’re sending a signal straight away to the opposition that you don’t believe you’re good enough to compete with them man on man. “I think we have to develop a belief in players where they are good enough to compete man on man and they’re good enough to beat their man and if they lose the ball there’ll be another one said Cats keeper Murphy (right) of the Shefflin comparison.
“But then, Henry is one of the most decorated hurlers of all time too. So if you’re comparing like for like in terms of medals won, TJ has a long way to go.
“Henry was there for 13, 14 years. Done it at such a consistent level. TJ has done it through the League, we’ll remind him that he needs to do it again for Championship.” coming and not to be getting into this defensive mode.
“Look, we’re probably far away from competing in Leinster finals or All-ireland finals but the teams that are up there, if you’re going to be good enough to win an Allireland you have to be brave enough to take on the good teams, 15 aside.”
Although sweepers weren’t in vogue when Offaly were in their pomp during the 90s, they were laden down with quality defenders in any event.
“They were well able to defend. Like Martin Hanamy, best corner-back in the business back around that time, you’d a half-back line of Kevin, Hubert Rigney and Brian Whelahan. How lucky could you be?
“Kevin Kinahan and Shane Mcguckin back there, that unit that even myself found very
Kilkenny will look to Reid to inspire them at Parnell Park on Sunday as they open their campaign against Dublin after their earliest Championship exit on Brian Cody’s watch in 2017.
Murphy added: “Last year we weren’t at the races at all. We trained hard and all of that. And there is an element of luck to it, you need your main spine of the team playing. hard to break was savage.
“We would have prided ourselves on our defence back then and conceding very little.
“It seems to have gone the opposite way and the more people we put back in defence, nobody seems to know who’s responsible for anything.”
Offaly’s 1998 All-ireland winning side will be guests of honour at Club Faithful’s pre-match event, which will include a Q&A with past stars, at Tullamore GAA Centre, across from Bord Na Mona O’connor Park.
“It’s 20 years,” reflected Errity. “We would try to have golf outings and stuff like that. Maybe at funerals and stuff like that you’d meet but that’d be it.
“Looking forward to seeing them, a bit of banter, a bit of craic and hopefully there’ll be a nice little stir of people there.”
“This year we had a settled team. Spine of the team mostly settled. We didn’t have that last year. Lads getting knocks and stuff.
“You see Waterford, people might have questioned them after the Munster.
“It is momentum. The way we did finish up, it was probably a fair point that things weren’t going well. But there is a good crop of players there.” into, so that