Offaly Senior Football teams profiled ahead of start of Championship

The Offaly Senior Football Championship throws in this weekend with the first round of games. Here's our look at all the teams and their chances

GROUP 1

Tullamore

Manager – Niall Stack, Tullamore;

Selectors – Gary Heffernan, James Buckley and James Keane;

Captain – Michael Brazil and Johnny Moloney;

Star player – Johnny Moloney;

Last year – County champions;

Absentees from last year - Long term injuries are Cormac Egan, Patrick Robiliard, John Furlong, Oisin Keenan Martin, Aaron Hensey;

New players - Players turning 18 this year and new to the panel are Luke Bourke, Ben Heffernan and Daire McDaid

Prospects – They are without three of Offaly's brightest hopes in John Furlong, Oisin Keenan-Martin and Cormac Egan and this would cripple most clubs but not Tullamore. They remain the favourites and the team to beat but history is a problem as they haven't retained the title since 1926. They have a huge pick and loads of very good footballers. They play very steadily and to a system and will be very hard to beat. They will be concerned at the possibility of injuries and the loss of any other players could do them but they have a great chance of making history.

Ferbane

Manager – Declan Cryan, Naas;

Selectors -Ger Rafferty (coach/selector), Joe Butler and George Digan;

Captain – Leon Fox;

Star player – Cathal Flynn;

Last year – Beaten by Tullamore in the semi-final;

Absentees from last year - Oisin Kelly long term injury, Kyle Higgins currently out of the country, Ryan Heavin unavailable;

New players – None;

Prospects – Ferbane have very realistic title prospects. They have some outstanding forwards and while there are questions about their defence, there will be no surprise if they come out on top. They should get out of their group and it will take a good side to beat them.

Shamrocks

Manager - Brian Kelly, Carlow;

Selectors – Brian Kinnarney and John Monaghan;

Captain – Shane O'Toole;

Star player -Jack Bryant;

Last year – Lost to Rhode in the quarter-final;

Absentees from last year – Jack McNamara;

New players – None;

Prospects – Shamrocks are desperate to become a senior football force once again but have a lot of improving to do. They should be better than they were last year but getting out of the group is no guarantee. They will be favourites to beat Cappincur but this is near enough a 50-50 game. Shamrocks problem is they have 8 or 9 very good club senior footballers but their weaker players are worse than those in the strongest clubs. That suggests that they won't win the championship and getting to a quarter-final, seeing how that goes, is their target.

Cappincur

Manager – Vinny Henry, Clara;

Selectors – Ollie Minnock and Declan Farrell;

Captain – Brion Carroll and Sean Courtney;

Star player – Bill Carroll;

Last year – Beat Bracknagh in the relegation play off;

Absentees from last year – Eoin Carroll is touring Australia;

New players – None;

Prospects – Championship outsiders and retaining their senior football status is their main target. They have shocked Tullamore before and ran Ferbane close but Shamrocks is their big focus and a win here could put them in the quarter-final. Cappincur have a county star in Bill Carroll and a few excellent footballers but they are a small club and will always go through peaks and troughs. They have done well to survive at senior football level for a few years now but they won't stay up here indefinitely. The question is will this be the year they bow out. It could be but if they do, they will go down fighting and they will try and stay up with every ounce of their being.

GROUP 2

Rhode

Manager – Declan Gorman, Rhode;

Selectors – Stephen Darby and Anthony Murphy;

Captain – Niall McNamee;

Star player – Niall McNamee;

Last year – Beaten in the final;

Absentees from last year -Niall Darby is out with a cruciate injury while Eoin Rigney is recovering from one. Paul McPadden has a long term shoulder injury and Darren Garry underwent knee surgery recently;

New players – Rhode have a few players out of minor ranks who will be added to the panel

Prospects – It would take a very brave, foolish man to write Rhode off. They are in the rare position of not being the favourites at the start of the campaign and they won't mind that one bit. They have the forwards to win the championship – in Niall and Ruari McNamee and Anton Sullivan, they have three of the best in the county. They should ease out of their group, won't be far away and will be hard beaten but the impression that Rhode are entering transition is now unavoidable.

Durrow

Manager – Adrian Farrell, Edenderry;

Selectors – Kevin Ward, Gerry Murphy, Thomas Furey and Declan Meehan; Coach, Ryan Van Haeften; Stats and Analysis: Hugh Doran and Thomas Furey; Physio: Joseph Smith; Team Secretary: Tony Hensey; Kit and Logistics: Paul Fox, Colin Boland, Liam Fogarty, Tom Mc Dermott ;

Captain – David Magner;

Star player – Micheal Mooney;

Last year – Beaten in the semi-final;

Absentees from last year -Bobby O'Dea, Dan Wyer and Oisin Cusack are long term injuries, Alan Geoghegan has opted out, Billy Fogarty is gone travelling and Darragh Wyer has emigrated; O'Dea is a massive loss as he had been going well and only fractured his leg in a recent challenge against Tyrrellspass;

New players – Mark Troy, Gavin Hand and Oisin Boland;

Prospects – Durrow had a sensational 2021, shocking Rhode in the first round, drawing with Ferbane and losing to Rhode in the semi-final. They will be hungry for a repeat this year and no one will be taking them for granted. They have some very fine footballers and will be capable of upsets again. Managing their dual commitments with Ballinamere is a delicate balancing act and if Ballinamere go well, they could suffer. Durrow command respect but they are behind Rhode and Edenderry in the pecking order in this group. Them and Clara look to be 50-50 and it won't be a surprise if Durrow make the quarter-finals or are in the relegation play off.

Edenderry

Manager – Ken Robinson, Lucan;

Selectors – Robbie Glennon and John Mason;

Captain – Jordan Hayes;

Star player – Cian Farrell;

Last year – Lost to Ferbane in the quarter-final;

Absentees from last year – David Maloney, Richie Dalton and Stephen Guing;

New players – Jim Bergin, Dylan Byrne, Michael Brady and Cian Murphy;

Prospects – Edenderry's prospects depend to a large extent on getting Cian Farrell back into action. He is one of the outstanding forwards in Offaly and is recovering from a cruciate injury. They also have real quality in Jordan Hayes, Lee Pearson and Rory Egan and Edenderry are contenders. They should get out of the group and could get very good. It wouldn't be a surprise if they won but at the same time, they have improving to do and may be a little bit short of what is needed.

Clara

Manager – Kevin Meehan;

Selectors – Mark Deehan, Tony Egan and Brendan Lowry;

Captain – Not named;

Star player – Cormac Delaney;

Last year - Senior “B” champions;

Absentees from last year – Colm Doyle is going travelling while David Fleming is in the USA for the summer;

New players – None;

Prospects – Clara were glad to get back up out of senior “B” last year and are hungry to make an impact in the top flight. They are, however, not title contenders at the moment. They have a strong back bone and will improve but they have too many players at the tail end of their career, moving on or ready to move on. They don't have the same quality of young player emerging yet, though Cormac Delaney will develop into a real leader for them and players such as Alex Egan and Marcas Dalton are very much senior standard. Colm Doyle is a big loss but Carl Stewart will be expected to drive them on from centre half back. Clara will be targeting a quarter-final place but staying up is their first priority.