Hurling Championship 2017

[lurganblue]

Went to my 1st hurling game in Croke Park with my son.  I absolutely loved it.  The atmosphere was great and the game was nip and tuck until the sending off.  I was in the upper Davin and i must say it was a joy to watch the performance of Darragh Fives, especially in the 2nd half.

I didnt even get much abuse wearing my armagh top.

[johnneycool]

Austin Gleeson produced about 5 minutes of sublime hurling yesterday, and was the main reason Waterford kicked on and won, but for the other 65 minutes he was fairly anonymous and a frustrated figure I felt. When he gets frustrated he has a relatively short fuse.

Couldn't agree more on Gleeson
Was at the match and he was a passenger to cork lost there full back and off he went
Prior to that he was brutal he even dropped his hurl on one occasion and fluffed an easy hand pass which led to a cork score
The goal looked great but if brick wasn't standing there Nash would have come out to meet him
I have no dislike for him but can't understand why he got hurler of the year when he got cleaned out in a Munster final last year

Give me a Jamie Barron any day
As my dad use to say
"If you get a reputation for getting up early then you can sleep in to lunch time unnoticed "

It's a bit like Joe Canning the previous week, unnoticed for 50 odd minutes barring giving Tipp soft frees but comes up with the goods for 15 minutes to get Galway over the line.
Thought Barron, Kevin Moran, Brick, Darragh Fives, the other Gleeson who hounded Lehane all day and Noel Connors were fantastic yesterday. They're the body and soul of this team with Austin and Maurice the creamy bit on top ,nice but won't sustain you when there's work to be done.

[north_antrim_hound]

Went to my 1st hurling game in Croke Park with my son.  I absolutely loved it.  The atmosphere was great and the game was nip and tuck until the sending off.  I was in the upper Davin and i must say it was a joy to watch the performance of Darragh Fives, especially in the 2nd half.

I didnt even get much abuse wearing my armagh top.

Gonna be interesting to see who gets the sweeper role for the final
Fives was outstanding
One observation from yesterday was the disappearance of corks pace
They thrive on space but could not get away from their men yesterday and are to small for a dogfight
Enda Mc Avoy summed it up perfect " cork are designed to flow but Waterford are designed to stop floods"
I am starting to have more respect for Derick Mc Grath as I think Waterford are in good fettle
The runs Barron made after 70 minutes hurling was unreal
I'm starting to think the final will be a closer affair than predicted
Galway depend on a lot of scores in the pocket where Connor whelan and Cooney operates and this is where Waterford have their foxholes
It's all set up for an ambush

[north_antrim_hound]

Austin Gleeson produced about 5 minutes of sublime hurling yesterday, and was the main reason Waterford kicked on and won, but for the other 65 minutes he was fairly anonymous and a frustrated figure I felt. When he gets frustrated he has a relatively short fuse.

Couldn't agree more on Gleeson
Was at the match and he was a passenger to cork lost there full back and off he went
Prior to that he was brutal he even dropped his hurl on one occasion and fluffed an easy hand pass which led to a cork score
The goal looked great but if brick wasn't standing there Nash would have come out to meet him
I have no dislike for him but can't understand why he got hurler of the year when he got cleaned out in a Munster final last year

Give me a Jamie Barron any day
As my dad use to say
"If you get a reputation for getting up early then you can sleep in to lunch time unnoticed "

It's a bit like Joe Canning the previous week, unnoticed for 50 odd minutes barring giving Tipp soft frees but comes up with the goods for 15 minutes to get Galway over the line.
Thought Barron, Kevin Moran, Brick, Darragh Fives, the other Gleeson who hounded Lehane all day and Noel Connors were fantastic yesterday. They're the body and soul of this team with Austin and Maurice the creamy bit on top ,nice but won't sustain you when there's work to be done.

Exactly
Canning is similar to Gleeson
I can imagine a scenario where Barron plays a blinder for another hour this year and still won't get HOTY if Waterford don't win
If canning pulls off a wonder score after being awol for 65 minutes to close the deal for Galway then he's HOTY
the press are obsessed with some players

[From the Bunker]

Well it's the underdog final!

Hope Galway do it. Will do a lot strangely for Mayo Hurling especially our own club. Many from our club (in Mayo) have gone to Galway League and Championship games. And there is a fair chance that Liam would visit the club if it crosses the Shannon. Numbers have been falling off and this could give it a boost!

[Franko]

Austin Gleeson produced about 5 minutes of sublime hurling yesterday, and was the main reason Waterford kicked on and won, but for the other 65 minutes he was fairly anonymous and a frustrated figure I felt. When he gets frustrated he has a relatively short fuse.

Couldn't agree more on Gleeson
Was at the match and he was a passenger to cork lost there full back and off he went
Prior to that he was brutal he even dropped his hurl on one occasion and fluffed an easy hand pass which led to a cork score
The goal looked great but if brick wasn't standing there Nash would have come out to meet him
I have no dislike for him but can't understand why he got hurler of the year when he got cleaned out in a Munster final last year

Give me a Jamie Barron any day
As my dad use to say
"If you get a reputation for getting up early then you can sleep in to lunch time unnoticed "

It's a bit like Joe Canning the previous week, unnoticed for 50 odd minutes barring giving Tipp soft frees but comes up with the goods for 15 minutes to get Galway over the line.
Thought Barron, Kevin Moran, Brick, Darragh Fives, the other Gleeson who hounded Lehane all day and Noel Connors were fantastic yesterday. They're the body and soul of this team with Austin and Maurice the creamy bit on top ,nice but won't sustain you when there's work to be done.

I think boys are a bit sore on Gleeson.  Whilst he was definitely quiet for most of the game yesterday, he was trying hard.  He is the spark that ignites the rest of them.  He put in a block right in front of the Hogan at one stage that was one of those tackles that gets a team going.  He also created the second goal out of nothing by dispossessing the corner back and laying it on a plate from 35-40 yards for Barron.  Then there was his own goal.  People were saying he should have passed earlier but I think the defender in front of him played it well.  You could see Gleeson trying to draw him in so as he could lay the ball off.  But the Cork man was cute enough and wouldn't commit.  I think if he'd laid it off at that stage they would have bottled the receiver up.  At that stage Gleeson basically said 'f**k it' and went alone.  There's only 2-3 players in the game at the minute that could have made that goal from there. (Canning, Callanan, Bubbles maybe)  As for the helmet pulling incident - he deserves to miss the AIF for it.  Sheer stupidity.  But in his defence, he's only feckin 22 and will learn.  The hard way by the looks of it.

[AZOffaly]

I agree with a lot of that. He's definitely a talent. He does have a short fuse though. Ironically I think the block down you are talking about is when he did the helmet pull.

That 3 or 4 minute spell when he set up the goal, and scored the goal, was the winning of the game. His goal was brilliant, but the dispossession and vision for the first goal is indicative of what he brings to that team.

[johnneycool]

I agree with a lot of that. He's definitely a talent. He does have a short fuse though. Ironically I think the block down you are talking about is when he did the helmet pull.

That 3 or 4 minute spell when he set up the goal, and scored the goal, was the winning of the game. His goal was brilliant, but the dispossession and vision for the first goal is indicative of what he brings to that team.

For a good while in front of us in the first half he was being marked by both Ellis and Joyce (I think he was the spare man) and in instances like those space and time on the ball will be at a premium.  Waterford were also feeding the wings and shooting from midfield. If you're garnering that much attention from the opposition then there's more space for the rest I suppose.
Doesn't take away from the fact that the media are wile fond of trying to polish a turd when it comes to some players.

[Franko]

I agree with a lot of that. He's definitely a talent. He does have a short fuse though. Ironically I think the block down you are talking about is when he did the helmet pull.

That 3 or 4 minute spell when he set up the goal, and scored the goal, was the winning of the game. His goal was brilliant, but the dispossession and vision for the first goal is indicative of what he brings to that team.

For a good while in front of us in the first half he was being marked by both Ellis and Joyce (I think he was the spare man) and in instances like those space and time on the ball will be at a premium.  Waterford were also feeding the wings and shooting from midfield. If you're garnering that much attention from the opposition then there's more space for the rest I suppose.
Doesn't take away from the fact that the media are wile fond of trying to polish a turd when it comes to some players.

Agreed certainly.  But I don't think Gleeson's in that bracket.  No polishing required IMO.

There are plenty of players who you'd know after 5 minutes that are just never going to see the game out.  They miss the first couple of balls and that's it, they're gone.  Gleeson, on the other hand is one of those guys who you'd never take off because you just never know what bit of genius he could conjure at any stage.

[seafoid]

Aibhistín would be a huge loss for the final

[GaillimhIarthair]

Aibhistín would be a huge loss for the final

He would, but it was a real brain fart moment he had yesterday and with all the recent trouble Waterford have had recently with this type of issue!  I hope he is available for the final all the same. 

[imtommygunn]

Austin gleeson cleared apparently?

[Milltown Row2]

Seen that on social media, again could be fake... would want to see all the players available for the final, it's better to beat a team with its full complement, well the neutral supporter wants that..

[omaghjoe]

Bad decision opportunity for hurling to send a message is unacceptable. Gleeson's performance Sunday was a joy to watch but f**k me anybody messing with a face guard should receive a lengthy ban.
Probably take somebody to end up with a broken neck for zero tolerance

[Milltown Row2]

Bad decision opportunity for hurling to send a message is unacceptable. Gleeson's performance Sunday was a joy to watch but f**k me anybody messing with a face guard should receive a lengthy ban.
Probably take somebody to end up with a broken neck for zero tolerance

Agreed on the zero tolerance, he in my view pulled the face guard on purpose and should have been banned, thats the referee hat on..

but as a neutral heading to the final, I'd much prefer a full team available and going hell for leather for 70 plus minutes and the best team win, on this occasion I'll be cheering on Galway, their hurling at times is brilliant, I'm very impressed with the manager (which hasnt been mentined much) who has taken a potential team for many years to the top tree and maybe just maybe get over the line