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Was he there as much for his free taking ability as anything? Something largely unnecessary with Canning around?

He was deadly with the frees and never missed. This would have left Canning to concentrate on winning ball coming in instead of running round the pitch taking frees.

I'd respectfully disagree Milltown. There was a period when Far ragher was there taking the frees and Canning didn't play well. Taking frees is a part of Joe's game and something he's always done brilliantly at club and county level and IMO it hasn't affected his performances from play. I thought Joe was excellent this year, even in yesterday's game he did a lot of great things while carrying an injury. A lot of people would have him as player of the year. I'm not sure how much some people expect Joe to do sometimes.

Did you think he wasn't playing well because he wasn't hitting the frees? I know players grow in confidence when knocking over frees but it fairly takes it outta you even when you are fit to run up settle yourself and take the frees all the time, big Joe on the square receiving a well placed ball will get you scores or close in frees when he gets pulled down running in. Again you Galway lads will know a bit more on the senior lads, though to be fair I have a wee bit of knowledge on the TAD team
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Joe has been brilliant this year and is one of the best free takers around. but there was one league campaign for galway when Farragher was popping them over from every where. ill never forget it sideline cuts, 8o yards ,tight angles from both sides it was unreal the stuff he was doing. but he disappeared apart from dead balls. Funny thing is i think last year he was putting in more effort from play.

while we are on galway players what the hell happened to keryl wade, he was the best minor i ever seen, dare i say it better than Joe

You can nit pick through a whole game if you want. He should have blown the whistle and given a 21 yard free when TJ Reid was slapped in the head. Instead of a certain point for KK, Galway broke and got their second goal. Six of one, half a dozen...

You're right you can. Is that the way we should look at incidents then? Sure if they cancel each other out it's ok then? The old 'balance themselves out over the course of the season' argument?? How will refereeing standards ever improve if you take that view?

The awarding of that free was a crucial decision. It was blatantly wrong. I have said earlier as a Galway fan that I did not think we would have won the game had it stood.  However that is only an opinion I could be wrong. Arguably it indirectly contributed to the sending off. It's a point worth debating.

I understand your point about certain incidents and watched the TJ Reid incident there and it did look on tv like a slap on the head. Watching it live yesterday from the Davin Collins didnt make contact with Reid but Id see how that would be given from the angle the cameras picked it up. Reid was straight up again too which indicated no contact. That may have been the refs view too.

No, it's not, but you can't simply turn round with an attitude of "let's focus on our misfortune and ignore theirs". From a Galway point of view, the decision was crucial. Do you think Kilkenny conceding a second goal wasn't crucial to them?

It indirectly contributed to the sending off? Are you having a laugh? Donnellan was so incensed with the referee he decided to do a Benny and try and take JJ's head off?!

You're definitely kidding yourself if you think TJ wasn't slapped - Collins' flapped at him and it 100% made contact. I was sitting in the lower Hogan almost directly in line with it. It wasn't a flick of the wrist but a one-handed swing. Richie Hogan got sent-off (deservedly) for something similar earlier in the year against Limerick. It absolutely should have been a free.

He clearly swung the hurley across from looking at it here. I felt there was no contact yesterday and that TJ's reaction bore that out. If he got a blow to the head similar to the the strike Richie Hogan gave the Limerick player as you have suggested then you would imagine he would have been in a lot of distress?


No I am not having a laugh regarding Donnellan. He deserved a straight red no question. But are you realistically suggesting that frustration had no part to play?? And that the disallowed goal didn't contribute to this?? He was then pulled back chasing down a ball and lashed out wrongly. I think its a perfectly reasonable connection.

Put it this way had that goal stood I don't think Donnellan would have lashed out.

From a neutral stance I think Galway can feel aggrieved. The only negative thing about this Kilkenny team(so many positive's) are that referees don't treat them the same. Shefflin has been getting lippy for two years now and gets different reactions from refs than most players. I still cant believe the soft penalty they got v tipp in 09 when kirwan was letting worse things go for the whole match.I suppose kilkenny would argue that holding hurls, slapping fingers with the stick and so on is ok as long as the man in black doesn't see it. Benny Dunne reacted the same as Donnellan but know one said anything about Tommy rubbing the butt of his hurl in his ear just before he lashed out. Croke park and the media don't seem to perturbed about the whole thing even if other counties have issues with it. As for Cody and its a man's game stuff, the treatment of young Seamus Hickey by Tyrrell of the ball  in the 07 final v limerick was far from manly. All this made codys pre-final rant about micheal rice's treatment laughable,
they are bigger than the sport it seems in this regard. Still some team though, the best I ever seen

[what happened the dub minors, couldn't watch it was that bad]

yeah lights didn't help anyone, better using the daylight.  game was tense but dunloy missed some shocking chances, very unlike paddy richmond.  have to take my hat off to the dunloy panel as they improved greatly throughout the year.  if they keep this goin who knows.

Shams out infront now, fair play.  timed their run to perfection this past years for there have been better championship winning teams

think the true test will come against galway winners, can't wait.

hope they strike another blow of antrim hurling

Galway fell away badly after the silly pull by Cyril.  sooner cats are dethroned the better, they are super, but aren't currently helping hurling to a degree

what happened the dub minors, couldn't watch it was that bad

Dubs have been punching above their weight, this was always on the cards.

completely  agree, Clare where beating them hands down in the semi's and they conceded two very soft goals at the death. tipp showed up the first day thinking it was a formality but they made amends yesterday, a joy to watch

As for Cyril, Delaney was holding his stick the whole match and he reacted badly. That's the thing about Kilkenny they are masters of the dark arts as well. You cant take away from there achievement's though. I feel for Galway after the ref blew instead of playing advantage for the goal the whole match blew up in there face.

I don't care hs, they know who I am. Sitting here right beside them.big men.

The chances are if your sitting beside them and your half cut they are winding you up. it could be worse if we would have popped over half our frees and a couple of scores you would be getting worse than that.

I'm with HS to on last night, LG boys on here saying we where only in 2nd gear(wtf does that mean) if there was only two points in it with 2 minutes to go what where you doing in 2nd. my view is youse where in top gear(I don't know if that's 5th or 6th I'm not familiar with loughgeil transmissions). bottom line is you need watson to hit top form again and get more space than he got last night. Like him or hate him there will be no cups without him

so basically you agree with me. You have to play him.

Mushy is a gentleman btw, I have loads of respect for him. and I've said all year that Dunloy would be the team to beat.

But sure, what do I know.

In fairness you did say dunloy from the start when some of your brethren where saying we are finished. Anyway good luck in your all Ireland campaign and remember if you have pop at dunloy ill be here to put you in your box.

Well if LG don't win cups,there's a poor chance of any other Antrim team winning any.The team that won the All- Ireland would have beaten Dunloy last night by about 20 pts. Antrim finals are always close ,scrappy affairs,it's where we go afterwards that matter.

Sorry I thought that was the team that won the all Ireland. who didn't start. Imm replying to SIE anyway.

I don't care hs, they know who I am. Sitting here right beside them.big men.

The chances are if your sitting beside them and your half cut they are winding you up. it could be worse if we would have popped over half our frees and a couple of scores you would be getting worse than that.

I'm with HS to on last night, LG boys on here saying we where only in 2nd gear(wtf does that mean) if there was only two points in it with 2 minutes to go what where you doing in 2nd. my view is youse where in top gear(I don't know if that's 5th or 6th I'm not familiar with loughgeil transmissions). bottom line is you need watson to hit top form again and get more space than he got last night. Like him or hate him there will be no cups without him

Why do they not win more club titles?

agh aye, Loughgiel.   

hmmmmmm think you might find KK have 10 club titles Ballyhale (5) James stephens (3) Glenmore & St Martins :-)

btw well done to the Shams, 3 in a row and now 18 all together.

hard luck Dunloy. worked like dogs and mebbe coulda/shoulda but .........

Crap match but result all that matters.

if we had brought our shooting boots would have won no probs but we didnt so LG desreved it

fizz out of the game now

thats it ruined. kelly seen that but he wouldnt see tommy breaking his stick on someones legs. game over

It's a simple game. Keep your shape, win the game.

I hope Galway come out all guns blazing.

That's tactical from Galway, playing the extra man outfield and Kilkenny have the extra defender, it's about making the space outfield and taking the long range scores

ah jayus ref play advantage,

skehill going off holding his arm, surely their sub goalie isn't that bad they cant put him on

hit the ball first time and it would have been another goal

galway have hurl a bit in first ten min. 2nd half or its over

Crucially kk are all sticking to their positions this game. Different class.

on top of them all over field. the backs coming out with everything. galway need to try scores further out

Class game now

kilkenny on top now, galway giving the ball away

make that two