Offaly youngbloods to progress as Lilywhites to miss Ryan inspiration

A GLEN RYAN type of Sunday at Croke Park tomorrow. An afternoon for leaders to instil belief in those around them, to rally colleagues in doubt to head trouble off at first sight.

Trouble for Kildare is that Ryan is likely to miss their titanic Leinster Championship quarter-final tussle with Offaly. And it will be a tussle. There is no county in the GAA (hurling and football) which belies its league form as completely as Offaly.

When I arrived in Kildare, they were downtrodden and choking on having Offaly’s 1982 All-Ireland shoved down their throat. The balance has tipped in the last decade, and from an even start, I’d favour Kildare to progress tomorrow.