"This lockdown will cost Offaly the Sam Maguire" claims local football guru Peadar Nail

Post date: Aug 08, 2020 1:17:13 PM

Former Edenderry junior league winning manager Peadar Nail believes the current two week lock-down imposed on Offaly, Laois & Kildare could well cost Offaly a chance to win the Sam Maguire in 2020.

"No f'ing doubt about it" Mr Nail said when asked if the lack of sport over the next two weeks could impact the counties chances lifting Sam in December.

"While our lads are all locked up at home it's given the smaller counties like Dublin, Kerry, Mayo and Tyrone a much better chance to catch up on us and maybe even pass us out. Same goes for the hurlers.

Following a Government announcement on Friday which suspended all sport in the county for the next two weeks, the Offaly senior football championship has been plunged into chaos with round 2 and 3 now postponed. It also means that for the next two weeks they players cannot train and Mr Nail, a former Sunday Game analyst on RTE, has stated that this could be the difference between John Maughan's men winning and losing the All-Ireland.

"It's a huge decision with major consequences" Mr Nail said. "Never mind Laois or Kildare, they're solid useless anyway, but Maughan had Offaly flying and Daniel 'Red' Ryan was due home from the Lebanon in time for the Carlow match and I heard he was getting the call up" the popular barman stated.

Mr Ryan hit the headlines back in February when he declared how much he would love to be representing Offaly seniors but despite impressing for Edenderry's junior 'C' team in 2019, he surprisingly failed to get a call up to the Offaly panel and never even received a courtesy phone call. Dan Ryan comes from a family steeped in GAA history and his Uncle Henry once scored a goal on Offaly All-Star goalkeeper Martin Furlong.

With the Dublin championship proceeding as scheduled, Mr Nail firmly believes this makes Dublin slight favourites to win their 58th Leinster title in a row. "Ah they have the edge now over Offaly. Their players might not be as good but that extra two weeks fitness will be crucial".