View From The Sideline: Rhode v Tullamore

Offaly's two most successful sides meet once again in the 2021 decider. millennium

The Offaly Senior Football Final is just days away and we've been taking a closer look at the meeting between the county's most successful teams, Rhode and Tullamore.

It's the 12th meeting between the two the showpiece match in the faithful footballing calendar, with Tullamore currently leading the head to head in finals 6-4. 

The two outfits met four times between 1930 and 1935 with Tullamore taking three victories.

They'd only meet on three further occasions between 1936 and 2008 in '44, 46' and 54' with Rhode only managing one win at the onset of the second world war. 

Another three meetings have occurred in finals since the turn of the millennium, with the North-East club having the upper-hand on their traditional rivals following wins in 2008 and 2020. 

But is that set to change? 

Tullamore are being touted as the next potential powerhouse in Offaly football after a fruitful period at underage level while Rhode are seen as being a wily experienced outfit that maybe coming to the end of a dynastic period. 

No one will want to right off a team who have won eleven titles since 2004 but every teams does have a lifespan and is a changing of the guard about to take place in O'Connor Park this weekend? 

Let's see what the managers think, starting off with Rhode's Malachy McNulty:

I've a great committed bunch there's no doubt about that. In my second year you get to know lads that little bit better and it has been an absolute pleasure thus far. 

It's a huge help when you have a group who are willing to try and do anything for the team that you ask of them.

They're very open. The word humility sums them up very well, they're always very open and willing to progress as footballers and that's right up to the oldest member of the panel from the youngest. 

It's in their blood up here, in their veins. They're just hungry for football and success and if success doesn't come then so be it.

They're just hungry for being the best they can be.

Tullamore have some excellent young players at the moment, especially in their forward line. That always bears fruit eventually whether you see it with a a spathe of U-20 titles. In the aftermath progression can take a long time or it can take a short time.

The experience of being in the final last year will stand to them. They've also had a couple of lads involved with Offaly's very positive U-20 run this year, so they're guys that can certainly play football and a side we will not be taking for granted this weekend. 

On the pressure of playing for a perennial success story such as Rhode: 

I've probably experienced it in my own home club from time to time when you go on long runs, countless appearances in county finals. There has to be a sort of subliminal pressure on everyone so that's where the challenge comes in keeping people grounded.

I've mentioned humility already and they're quite grounded to begin with. They do feel the pressure like everyone else from time to time and have the nervousness like everyone else going into the big games and even in the first round this year falling to Durrow, it allowed us to step back and keep our feet on the ground and put a couple of things in perspective in relation to the championship.

There was no wriggle room for mistakes, every game became a championship game and with a couple of setbacks injury wise on the pitch, we just ripped up the script and rook it game by game. 

By staying the moment these players showed great resolve,  so this time last week we were prepping for a semi final and nothing else, this week it's the final.

They're a very special group. 

Meanwhile the man overseeing Tullamore's challenge Niall Stack is excited to get another crack at Rhode:

'It's a shot at redemption for this team.

We were bitterly disappointed to lose to Rhode last year and just delighted at the moment to get over a really good team in Ferbane in the semi-final. 

Rhode are a serious bunch over the last number of years dominating the championship and we're looking forward to a crack at them and surprising them on Sunday. 

I say it with gritted teeth really that they are the bar for the rest of the county, history over the last 20-years would dictate that every since 98' they've racked up so many titles and are a credit top their village. 

While we admire it and look at them as setting the standard it does give us a target of knocking them off their perch so it's a big ask but it s a very realistic goal for this group that if we can perform ion the day we can trouble Rhode. 

On Tullamore being the envy of many clubs in Offaly for their upcoming young stars:

We've a good blend of youth and experience at the minute.

In recent times we've done very well at underage level but we probably have a distinct advantage in terms of U-20 which is making us look better than where we are at this stage. 

Other amalgamated clubs don't get the opportunity to train together and build the cohesion we do. They can be just thrown together on a given night and don't justify their group talents, so I wouldn't be getting carried away with how we're doing at underage. 

I certainly won't be taking it for granted anyways. 

Overall they're a very dedicated bunch and easy to manage and share my love for football so they're a very easy group to manage. 

On the 2021 Championship to date:

The Shamrocks and Edenderry games were very tight affairs. I just think we left a lot of scores behind us, especially goal chances in the Edenderry game. 

The Bracknagh game we got a couple of goals and thankfully in the semi-final with Ferbane we got goals at key moments so I was delighted with that. 

On the injury front we're okay I suppose.

We had a number of dual players out in the last couple of weeks and we've inevitably picked up a couple of knocks but I'm hoping to have almost 100% availability this weekend, but we will be missing a few unfortunately.

Rhode play so well as a group I would have felt they were quite comfortable against Durrow if I' m being honest and Durrow just didn't really perform in the day, in what is a very talented team. 

Getting your matchups is vital against any of the teams they've some top class players but to be honest, they're just such a cohesive bunch.

Rhode players don't tend to make mistakes so we wont just be targeting individuals, we will be targeting them as a group as well to hopefully get over the line.' 

It promising to be a ding-dong contest and we will have live commentary here on Midlands103 from 3pm.

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