Padraig Kelly, Alan McNamee, Conor Evans, Ger Rafferty and Neville Coughlan could have all played their last games for Offaly as manager Tom Cribben attempts to build a new team. The Clane native commenced his rebuilding programme during last year's championship and that is set to continue in the coming season. While Cribben stressed that no-one has been ruled out of his plans yet, the highly experienced quintet of Kelly, McNamee, Evans, Rafferty and Coughlan haven't been included in his O'Byrne Cup squad and are unlikely to feature at all this year. Long-serving goalkeeper Kelly, who along with Ciaran McManus is the only remaining link with the Faithful County's 1997 Leinster SFC winning side, has remained part of the set-up, but only as a coach to the other three goalkeepers on the panel at the moment - Walsh Island's Alan Mulhall, Brian Quinlan of Edenderry and Tullamore's Eoin Brennan. Cribben explained: "Padraig is going to come in and coach with the other keepers for a few months. He is happy to step aside from the league and let other lads get experience. If one of the other lads is good enough, he is happy with that and if we need to use him, we will. He will be doing all the training." Conor Evans has been monitored in club league games in Dublin but it is looking increasingly unlikely that he, Alan McNamee and Neville Coughlan will not feature in the National League. Explaining that former captain McNamee is struggling with injuries, the manager added: "He is undecided himself. He is not fresh enough at the moment." Cribben also revealed that Coughlan is doing marathon running at the moment and may also be going to Chad on army duty at the end of May which would rule him out of championship, while another former captain, Ger Rafferty, is also currently out of the equation. The Offaly boss was disappointed to note to all of the dual players considered good enough for inter-county level, with the exception of Birr's Sean Ryan, have opted to concentrate on hurling this year. Tullamore's James Keane and the Kilcormac/Killoughey pair of Conor Mahon and Daniel Currams will be devoting all their energies to Joe Dooley's hurling panel in the season ahead. "Some of them would have liked to have come in but it is really not feasible with where we are and where the hurlers are in terms of development," he added. Cribben is currently working with a panel of 31 players which includes Scott Brady who has agreed to return to the fold after a year-long absence after captaining Clara to senior championship glory last year. Tweet

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