Antrim Hurling

[All seeing I]

Waterford away will be tougher than anything we have had this year. They destroyed Laois on sat night. They scored at ease against them.

As NAH says a single digit defeat would be a good result at this stage. If we can get away from the tankings against the top teams it will help us close the gap a lot quicker.

When players confidences take a battering it can work it way though a whole team.

The relentless hammering's we have taken over the years, I would suggest have done considerable damage, not just to the players, but supporters, back room staff and county administrators as well.  All in all, nobody really expects us to win, we merely fulfil the fixture and make up the numbers.  GAA HQ and national/local media all so discard us.    Should such hammerings not effect the confidence levels of each and every player on a team and subs, I would question should they be there in the first place???  Heavy defeats in some respects would be a motivator to some, but others just cannot pick themselves up, dust themselves down and aspire or endeavour to improve. Persistent defeats are sure to have a demoralising impact, thats fact! 

But it is what we have all come to expect over the years.  Despite all the talk about coaching, underage structures, physicality, speed, tackling, conditioning, use of space,  out the 70 minutes, we have not even begun to address the psychology deficit? 

I have been admonished for my radical and open views many times by siblings, club mates and friends, but I would love to see Antrim compete, beat and live with the big boys, that goes for football as well.    Remember, this has been happening for decades, not just this past few years under Ryan. Certainly the lads have improved, recent results/performances bear testament to that.    Just mindful of psychological impact the perennial defeats decade upon decade have had? 

Ive been lucky like others here to see antrim compete at the highest level in the all ireland. Way back to 87 against KK in dundalk (granted i was very wee then! lol) but i was there in 89 v Offaly and Tipp, 90 v Cork, 91 agianst KK etc etc. We had the same teams then as we do now in fact we have more kids now playing hurling now that we did back then.

Then came the hammerings in 93 & 94 against KK and Limerick where shipped 6-41 and scored 1-20 in the 2 games. People in the game started to moan about a one side semi final for one team. Down won it in 95 and in 96 we had a decent game v Limerick and lost by 8/9 points. Down then won in 97 and got beat heavy by Tipp in the first ever quarter finals.

Since then we havent come close.

We just didnt get 'crap' over night at county level. This was a stage where my own club and the Dall were at their peaks had some outstanding players who would walk onto most teams. There was ample players to pick from.

The support for the county had declined big time for hurling and football and club players sick of hammering at minor and U21 all decided not to keep it on at county level.

It also doesnt help when the Ulster council has zero interest in hurling whatsoever. They pay it lip service, nothing more. Its football in Ulster and thats it. who cares about hurling when we have this great championship with good teams who bring great gates, tv money, sponsorship!

I admire KR for what hes done this past 2 years. He said he would get antrim in an all ireland final and he did. we ddnt win it but christ it was serious progress. It gave belief back to players again. Years gone by we would have ended up losing to Limerick by 20 odd points or wexford by 20 as well. Now were putting it up to them.

The players deserve a lot of credit for the training they have put in over the winter. sure we wont win jack sh1t this season but we might just progress a bit farther than last season. If we do thats major progress.

Class! Well said

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

we did for while against wexford in the quarters where we were robbed and tipp where we put up a decent challenge but rhen followed the 05 embarrassment when he said brian corcoran was over the hill and we got dumped on. Following year Limerick & Galway dusted us by a cricket score in the qualifiers and we were back to square 1 again

Following year we were Christy Ring.

Wexford and Tipp were high points but we went badly down hill after that. We did have this great white hope of a minor team that ran limerick and Galway close but thats all it was. Since then its been hammering after hammering.

I admire KR for what hes done this past 2 years. He said he would get antrim in an all ireland final and he did ? All Ireland U21 final slip your mind??

Just cant argue with that DR.   Dont get me wrong, I am not knocking KR for one moment, progress has been made alright and we dont have a full deck to choose from. 

Conscious though, the U21's did indeed reach the All Ireland final and thats not to be sniffed at, but again came out the wrong side of a devastating thumping by Clare.  Just mindful of the impact on young lads at minor, U21 and Senior and how demoralising these defeats can have upon ones confidence? Onwards and upwards, as they say. 

I am still of the opinion all the same, our hurling development interests are best served by Managers/Coaches/Gurus outside of the county.  Dinny and KR are proof of that. 

Clare are an unreal machine at U21 level. no one has touched them nor come close to them. Had we got to the final against someone who wasnt as unbeatable as them would we have had a chance? maybe, but i think we were all just happy just to be there.

Now we have been there we need to wanting more than just being there.

Watching the game on sunday i said to my aul boy, would it not be interesting to have a few of them young Rossa lads to throw on for 15-20mins to see how they would cope in that?

As much as i like to see my own club win i also like to see a competitive championship and having strong teams from Belfast are a necessity.

[johnneycool]

we did for while against wexford in the quarters where we were robbed and tipp where we put up a decent challenge but rhen followed the 05 embarrassment when he said brian corcoran was over the hill and we got dumped on. Following year Limerick & Galway dusted us by a cricket score in the qualifiers and we were back to square 1 again

Following year we were Christy Ring.

Wexford and Tipp were high points but we went badly down hill after that. We did have this great white hope of a minor team that ran limerick and Galway close but thats all it was. Since then its been hammering after hammering.

I admire KR for what hes done this past 2 years. He said he would get antrim in an all ireland final and he did ? All Ireland U21 final slip your mind??

Just cant argue with that DR.   Dont get me wrong, I am not knocking KR for one moment, progress has been made alright and we dont have a full deck to choose from. 

Conscious though, the U21's did indeed reach the All Ireland final and thats not to be sniffed at, but again came out the wrong side of a devastating thumping by Clare.  Just mindful of the impact on young lads at minor, U21 and Senior and how demoralising these defeats can have upon ones confidence? Onwards and upwards, as they say. 

I am still of the opinion all the same, our hurling development interests are best served by Managers/Coaches/Gurus outside of the county.  Dinny and KR are proof of that. 

Two things,

Kevin Ryan was shocked at getting there and even made a comment after beating Wexford about the lack of collective training they had. At the time I pointed out that a lot of these lads would be playing club hurling with their clubs at senior level and it wasn't as if they were standing with their thumbs up their holes for the summer.
IMO hard, competitive club hurling will bring on Antrim the county team, a lot more than 25 boys training their balls off three, four nights a week on their own.

Secondly,
That Clare team gave more than Antrim a thumping on their way to that AI. They stuffed Cork and Tipp in Munster, Galway put on a bit of a show, but the result was never in doubt. The only game they got was against Waterford in the first round. There was no shame in that defeat IMO.

[bannside]

Sometimes a manager can go into a club or a county team, and do his stuff really well- without actually winning anything. In the case of KR, he seems to have held the respect of the vast majority of players and supporters that I have talked to.

[Bonamargy]

I see the master fixture list of dates for all Antrim competitions is up on the home page of the county website. Senior hurling leagues start on Easter Sunday 5th April at 6pm. Not long now 😊

[hurlingstick]

Happy days. Something to look forward to and will make that weekend even more enjoyable.

[Unlaoised]

What's the feeling about taking on Laois on sunday week its a massive game for both counties who are on a the same sort of level!

[hurlingstick]

We're going to win. We beat you in Portlaoise last year and we've kicked on this year. We are stronger at the back and up front than last year. Is Plunkett still in charge?

[north_antrim_hound]

What's the feeling about taking on Laois on sunday week its a massive game for both counties who are on a the same sort of level!

I see it as a 50/50 game, you guys are like ourselves we desperately need some points and have to target  bottom table teams
You where matching Waterford to you went a man down so antrim will be treating  laois with same respect as wexford or Limerick
Cheddar will have your lads pumped up for some points

[btdtgtt]

What's the feeling about taking on Laois on sunday week its a massive game for both counties who are on a the same sort of level!

A 50/50 game in Portlaiose - a home banker for us!
As it sits should be fiercely competitive given what's at stake but I just think we have the edge at the moment. If initial results are anything to go by we should be taking the 2points and looking to double them against Offaly.

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

honestly i would be expecting us to win. had it been in laois i would of said it was 50/50.

Both teams need the points but in the 2 games so far this season Antrim would be marginally better in terms of current form. Last weekend hammering to Waterford will have not done them any favours at all.

[hurlingstick]

Hoganstand.com have finally went mobile

[All seeing I]

BTD; DR and Hurlingstick are right.
2015 Antrim are in a better place than previous yrs. It'll be a tough ol match. I'd fancy us to pull away though - and the same against Offally

[Jeepers Creepers]

Both Antrim & Laois would have put this game down as a banker, so who knows. Offaly I'm not so sure, another Team we always fancy our chances against but never quite goes to plan. Agree that KR has put some pride back in the yellow Jersey though. Start to compete and the luck will come.

[imtommygunn]

I made a comment before that we have no right to beat these teams and I would still say the same.

I would hope we beat Laois and Offaly and think we can however both games will be tight and could go either way. Laois and Offaly will also think they can beat us too. Offaly have gone backwards a lot from where they used to be but they still have some fine hurlers and the current Laois manager has them going well. People talk about waterford hammering Laois but they could do the same to us down there so I don't think we have any reason yet to make that put Laois behind us.

They're two games we need to win though and they will ask the right questions of Ryan and panel. Hopefully we'll get the right answers...