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must be serious benefit in getting a group like that together with no distractions for the best part of a week.
offaly got us when we were still dancing to the wrong the song, we should be greatly improved from that game

Are the hurlers heading off somewhere for their spring training camp as they did so the last few years?

I thought we were on top for most of this game, went a bit wayward at times in the second half but we found more space and took our chances

Conor Johnston was brilliant today

i agree he was well fed with the right ball, one of the biggest differences to previous games. as was james! the were afforded the right type of space for their games.

i thought laois were poor - some basics that didnt go well for them. and our boys took full advantage

the question is: why was it scheduled in Ballycastle in the first place?

Why was the game moved?

[Not sure what Davy's trying to say here. Does he think Waterford wanted to hammer Antrim because Davy was their manager?]

dont know how you are getting that from those comments... bizarre reading of the comments.

Piece from  sports outlet:

Antrim hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald says his squad's savage training sessions are not translating on to the field for matches at the moment.

Yesterday's 2-23 to 0-11 defeat to Waterford at Corrigan Park marks their third loss in four games in Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling League and, speaking to BBC Sport NI afterwards, Fitzgerald felt that the visitors were keen to send him a message.

"If you come and see us train, we are savage, so (in games) it is a psychological thing not a physical one," he stated

"I feel gutted for Antrim supporters and the people putting in hard work. How we play and how we train are completely different.

"You shouldn't be beat by that many points at home. Waterford were on song today and wanted to show me a message since I didn't go back down there, and they did."

Asked about his own future after just one win from four outings in the league, the Clare man added: "Don't think I don't look at myself, I'm looking at everything but that issue of not fighting hard enough was there before I was, but I'm not going to give up, I'm going to get that fight right.

"I thought it was going to get worse before it got better, I said that at the start, we need to show the people of Antrim that we do care and sort the inconsistencies out. If I can't do it, I will let someone else, I'm not here to glorify myself, I am here to help and see if I can make things better, that is the only reason I put myself through this."



Not sure what Davy's trying to say here. Does he think Waterford wanted to hammer Antrim because Davy was their manager?

I think it was more because they got beat by Carlow the last day out and they were going to tank whoever was in front on them the next day out.

Basically, Davy is so arrogant that he thinks players don't care or take pride in their own performance and only want to perform to annoy him.

honestly, i'll be surprised if we beat Laois or Carlow. doom and gloom here but there's nothing from the performances or set up suggesting otherwise. To add to that we'll not win a championship match - we've a stinking draw. the dubs and cats at home will be too tough and the other teams away will be real challenges. maybe we need to see performances and not necessarily the results at this stage under DF's tenure.
if we get the performances in the opening games we could sneak a something out of the offaly game - i think thats the last one towards end of May.

Travelled to the game today. Started off well (like first 5 mins) but we just couldn't contain them. A lot of comments about Antrim being poor but Offaly were very very good.

Our level is better than we performed today but Davy's focus has to be championship and thankfully he has some time to make changes and get the lads motoring.

You need to take your lickens, and today we got licked!

I'm going to trust in the process... 

it was a joke last year 1 group of 4 and a group of 3. the group of three all qualified without really having a competitive game and then each of them lost their next round! nobody benefited in that group. i think carey stepped up a few years ago (might have been Div 1, not champo) as did clooney after winning intermediate hopefully they do the same this year. creggan deservedly got some sh12 for their actions last year.

sure is dunloy not already a regional team - they have boys from ballymena and everything playing for them? maybe even one or two others

also if Coby not hitting the frees then it plays to Cushendall surely, Seann/ mcgarry can hit them but not like Coby. bookies favouring Dunloy and that shower rarely lose

Looking forward to it myself. I think Cushendall had an off day against St Johns. Thought St Johns were unlucky not to win in fairness but Cushendall's two main forwards were off to some degree - McLaughlin was tightly marked out of the game and mcmanus was off on the frees, think he missed 5 at least which is never easy on a poor day.

On another weekend those two would have scored a bucket load between them and that could have been the difference. but if your nanny had balls and all that! Weather due to be ok this sunday too. I just fancy cushendall to get it right. but im usually wrong. Cant wait

who's the likely 2 semis in down going to be?
cran v p'ferry
liatroim v b'galget

Extra game for the losers is it not? I can't remember if the semis are open draw or it's a winner of each group in each semi?

Semis are winner of group 1 v Winner of match B QF (which will likely be St Endas v Dunloy/Cdall)

And winner of group 2 v winner of match A QF (2nd in group 1 v 3 in group 2)

So yes the reward for winning Cdall/Dunloy is avoiding Loughgiel in semi

So if you are the loser of Cushendall v Dunloy game you would be placed second and play St Enda's as it stands, (Could be Ballycastle) in two weeks.
Assuming you win you would then have another two week break until playing Loughgiel who had a 4 week break from competitive action and came from a 'weaker group'.

If you win Cushendall v Dunloy you would wait 4 weeks with no competitive fixture and then play the winners of St John's/Rossa/Ballycastle (as it stands) who if you were to assume league standings would see the favourites to come through from the St John's/Rossa fixture.
They would potentially have 2 good games and victories under their belt while you have had a 4 week break.

Now from a Dunloy and Cushendall perspective must accept the main aim is to remove as many obstacles as possible to win the championship, which starts with a QF fixture if it can be avoided.
However on the other hand you can see benefits to how the fixtures could work out the other way should you finish second.

i'd say the management of both dunloy and cushendall are having that same conversation and at the same time planning a weekend or two away to get really competitive challenges game in the sth. it would benefit dunloy more so to have the gap as they have qf football to contend with and probably 9 dual players.

Galway team was up here in the glens the week of the all ireland final - no shortage of teams wanting to travel for serious competitive games either

[Wexford nearly beat Tipp in a semi one year]

its definitely exciting and getting a lot of chins wagging about back room teams and styles of play! we haven't had this much interest in our senior team in a life time. we should get some bounce from it over the next few years.

the optimist in me is excited, and i wish him all the best in the years ahead.

there's been a wee bit too much negativity for my liking with the appointment. I'm supporting Davy all the way!

Regardless of money and travel I hope he doesent revert back to some of the hurling we have seen from his teams in the last few years.

That's a very good comment.

What style will he play? Can he change his defensive template?

What style would you say we played under Gleeson?

Conventional full forward line with all lines moving forward or back according to possession.
Davy in the past has played a sweeper with other forwards dropping deep pulling opponents defense further away from goal. Derek mc grath set teams up the same. It does nullify gifted forwards but at the expense of being toothless up front. It Also brings defenders into play for attacking as they don't have to travel to far up the field to find space. Wexford nearly beat Tipp in a semi one year but all the energy expended deploying this system got them in the last ten minutes. Because of this his systems are deemed by the experts as to complicated and expend to much energy compared to conventional modern set up's were forwards and midfield assumes their natural positions apart from strategic match ups.

That's not to say he might asses our weaknesses and strengths and set up accordingly. Waterford did seem to playing a more conventional style last year.

Tipp went a man down with Wexford 5/6 points up with 20 mins to go in the 2019 semifinal and Davy the tactical genius played the extra man at corner back and let Tipp come onto them

He wouldn't have won the All Ireland with Clare in 2013 only for Kinnerk being there and he then ran him shortly afterwards out of jealousy

The Mourinho of Hurling with the same career trajectory

some jungle drums being banged today