Moran at odds with bookies as Limerick made favourites

FOR those who like a bet, 2/1 are the odds being offered in some quarters on Offaly for tomorrow evening’s All-Ireland senior hurling qualifier against Limerick in Thurles.

That price, reckons Limerick’s Ollie Moran is generous; very generous. “Sometimes I think the bookies aren’t from this planet at all, because that just doesn’t add up,” Moran says. “If there’s any form guide at all, it would surely point towards Offaly, if anyone.”

Not necessarily so. While the Faithful did put up a good show against Wexford, Kilkenny subsequently trounced the Model men in the Leinster final, albeit after a troublesome opening half. Limerick could have dethroned Munster champions Waterford in their semi-final and also performed well in the replay defeat. Despite losing their crown to Cork in the Munster final, Waterford held their form, and could probably have won that game. Still, Moran is adamant.

“I don’t think there’s anything at all between us, ask anyone on the Limerick panel and they’ll tell you it’s a 50/50 game. The two teams are very similar, both trying to build for the future, on successful underage teams. Our biggest problem is trying to get a consistent pattern going.

“In Kilkenny, Tipperary, Cork and Waterford also, the main framework of the team has been in place for a few years now, whereas we’re trying to blend in the new guys with the more experienced fellas, and I’m sure it’s the same in Offaly. They’ve been getting in a lot of new players this year, losing some of the older guys through retirement or whatever.”

That, and well documented now, has also led to similar problems, with friction, defections, rumours of dissent emanating from both camps. Ciaran Carey, Barry Foley, Mike O’Brien are gone from Limerick, then this weekend the three Whelehan brothers threatened to do the same in Offaly At the time, these problems can be disruptive but they can also galvanise.

“They can, but they’ve had their problems this week, we’ve had ours over the last few weeks, and in the long run, it doesn’t matter a damn. If we win on Thursday, that will solve everything, people will be saying it was the best thing that ever happened, and the same thing for them. Winning solves everything. Hopefully we’ve sorted out most of our problems but Thursday will be the proof. I know that might seem like I’m avoiding the question but honestly we don’t even think about it. You can’t let things like that affect you and I don’t think it will.

As for that Thursday evening start, Moran isn’t overly impressed.

“I don’t like it. It doesn’t suit a lot of people, not the fans who have to make their way to Thurles in time for a 7pm start, and certainly not the players. You’ll have to do a day’s work, then try and tune into the game. I know there were problems with Limerick footballers playing this weekend, but surely something else could have been worked out.

“This is just as important as a Munster championship game, perhaps even more so now, because if we lose this one we’re gone, but the timing sort of demeans it in a way.”