Offaly

Manager: Pat Fleury

Club: Drumcullen

Selector: Ger Coughlan

Club: Kinnitty

Selector: Pat Cleary

Club: Tullamore

Inside view:

Pat Fleury

"We have been mixing in some new players this year, which is very important. It takes time to blend them in but for us it's always a question of numbers. We don't have a huge population of hurlers so inevitably our pool will be smaller. But we do have some tremendous hurlers coming through and the success this year for the minors and under-21s have shown that. But our aim is always to have the strongest panel of players available.

"When I came in, there was a tremendous bunch of players here who knew what they were about. It was a matter of coming in and trying to build on what already existed. We are applying the same style of game as Offaly traditionally employed, not that it's unique to Offaly.

"Of course we had to make some changes after the Derry match. Our performance there would have been nowhere near enough to beat Cork, but it would have been foolish to expect Offaly to win easily that day. The introduction of Joe Dooley and Joe Errity helped us settle that day and but we were written off by everyone against Cork. That just helps concentrate the players because it does injure their pride."

Overview: Eamonn Cregan

Irish Times analyst

"I think it was a very difficult year for Pat Fleury to come in. People were saying he came in at the wrong time and that the team were in decline. But now they're in an All-Ireland final and they have a number of promising under-21 and minor players coming through as well.

"It's something of a gamble for the management by putting Kevin Kinahan at full back, and especially leaving him on in the match against Cork. But Fleury is very shrewd and very astute, and has proven that a number of times, not least when he was in charge of Limerick CBS in winning the Dr Harty Cup in 1993. There is no doubt in my mind that himself and his selectors know their game."

Opposition view:

Kevin McNaughton

(Derry Manager)

"I suppose Offaly have always made use of the back door and they knew exactly what they were doing this year. They came back strongly against us but then they always do that. But I do think the management team have to be credited in getting the team back into another All-Ireland.

"Still, I think Offaly were beatable when we played them and they can't afford to make any mistakes against Kilkenny. We just had no one to mark Johnny Dooley. I don't know much about the selectors Ger Coughlan and Pat Cleary except from what I remember from their playing days. From that point of view, they won't be lacking any experience."