NFL Division 4 Title

[Croí na hÉireann]

Would tip Offaly to come good here. Flanagan doesn't hold back during the league and will want to get them moving early.

[stevecw]

Reckon Offaly will certainly go up. The 2nd spot is up for grabs, and impossible to call.
I see people are writing Carlow off as no hopers, but for once I feel we actually might have a bit of hope.

We finished bottom of Div 4 last year, despite as was said above somehow beating Antrim...no idea how. Most games we got well beaten in, conceding huge scores all along. Anthony Rainbow was our clueless manager & a lot of the better players stayed away. Come championship we lost to Meath by 28 points conceding 7 goals at home!

Thankfully Rainbow is gone, the best club manager in Carlow over the last few years Turlough O'Brien is in charge. Most of the best players are back in, the O'Byrne cup went fairly well. Only lost to Kildare by a point due to a last minute goal & we beat Louth. That was without Brendan Murphy who will be back for Sunday.

I don't expect us to get promoted, a year too soon for that but we definitely won't finish last this year and should be competitive in all games.

[Billys Boots]

The Shamrock Shore family in depression is usually a precursor to the Larries getting with the scheme - the standard has been so low recently that an improvement is inevitable (surely?).  Not convinced at al by the Biffos - Larries and Blahs to progress. 

[Zulu]

Yeah, not sure where the confidence in Offaly is coming from, no doubt as capable as most teams in the division, but not sure there's much evidence they are any better than most of them. Division 4 is always very hard to call and literally any team could get promoted or end up in the bottom two.

[AZOffaly]

Yeah, not sure where the confidence in Offaly is coming from, no doubt as capable as most teams in the division, but not sure there's much evidence they are any better than most of them. Division 4 is always very hard to call and literally any team could get promoted or end up in the bottom two.

I agree with that, and I wouldn't be as bullish about Offaly as some seem to be, but I do think they'll give it a right rattle. Primarily because a) I know there are footballers in Offaly despite all appearances to the contrary and b) I think Pat Flanagan is a coach who understands and values league performances. He knows that to really bring Offaly on, they need to be operating up at division 2 at least, not in division 4. Obviously Division 4 is the correct level for them right now, but Flanagan will make it top priority to get up. I believe he will prioritise this over the game with Longford in May. If Offaly get promoted, and lose to Longford, and a first round Qualifier, he will consider that a successful season. If they fail to get promoted, but beat Longford, and then get mauled by Dublin, even if they then win a qualifier or two, he will see that as an unsuccessful season, in the context of long term progression.

[twohands!!!]

I suppose Rhode did do okish in the club championship.

By comparison I don't think any of the other Division 4 teams had a team do much (if anything) in the club championship. Don't think any of the other sides in Division 4 won a game in the club championships? (not 100% of that though)

Not really much to go on but better than nothing.

[AZOffaly]

There are a few decent clubs in Offaly, Rhode, Tullamore, Clara, Edenderry but they are not good enough to challenge the big boys. However they have decent footballers, and a lot of Offaly's problems the past several years is between the two ears. If they got that sorted out, they'd be a lot more competitive.

They are years behind the Kildares, Kerrys, Dublins, Tyrones and Mayos of the world in terms of their base core S%C, but I think in terms of football they have a few lads that are well able to play, and if they could get themselves prepared mentally first, and then physically over the next 3-5 years, we could be back heading towards really competing again. Remember Offaly were winning Leinsters in the late 90s, and were beating Meath and Kildare in the 00s.

[AZOffaly]

Offaly safely navigate Ruislip and horrible conditions to win 0-9 to 1-2. It was 0-2 to 0-1 at half time but the chairman tweeted that if the game was in ireland, it would have been postponed.

[SaffronHeart]

Division 4 wide open with this weekends results. Was impressed with Carlow and Broderick in particular. I believe Antrim have too many big players missing for numerous reasons to make promotion but really open.

[Catch and Kick]

Carlow unlucky not to take the two points. Thought they had the better of exchanges and unlucky to have a goal disallowed. Saying that Antrim sideline ball clipped the post and fell wide near the end to deny the Saffrons a win too!

[rodney trotter]

I suppose Rhode did do okish in the club championship.

By comparison I don't think any of the other Division 4 teams had a team do much (if anything) in the club championship. Don't think any of the other sides in Division 4 won a game in the club championships? (not 100% of that though)

Not really much to go on but better than nothing.

The Nire of Waterford were in the Munster Club final, had enough chances to win that game,  goalie didnt help matters either

It's more then what any of the Div 3 County , club sides managed in their province, since your using it as a barometer

[imtommygunn]

Well st galls were all ireland champions and are always hard to beat in ulster. Though it doesn't help there's only about two or three of them in the antrim team.

[Catch and Kick]

A fair sprinkling of Div 4 teams have had clubs competing/winning at the highest level
Antrim - St Galls; Ulster & All Ireland Champs
Waterford - The Nire Munster Finalists
Offaly - Rhode - Leinster Finalists
Carlow - Eire Og - Leinster Champs (5) & All ireland Finalists. O Hanrahans Leinster Champs
Wicklow - Baltinglass Leinster & All Ireland Champs
Every county has players and potential but don't always have the organisational and coaching structures in place that they should have.

[imtommygunn]

Reading this thread is interesting in that it indicates a lot of the teams at this level seem to struggle to get their best players out. It's maybe the commitment required and the reward / return for it. I think quite a few couldbe antrim players are playing irish league soccer too.

[AZOffaly]

In Offaly's case, I don't think we struggle to get our best players out to be honest. Where we fell down in the last 10-15 years is the assumption that we'd always be able to come with a good team every few years, just by osmosis. The preparation of other counties just passed us out and we've never recovered, at least yet. There are tentative signs that things are turning around, but it will be a long road.