NHL 2016

[seafoid]

Waterford look like the future of Munster hurling. Cork are in a deep sleep , tipp not good enough, Clare disjointed and Limerick are Limerick.

[deiseach]

Dublin were well worth their win yesterday. But I'm still optimistic it was just a bad day at the office (famous last words).

[johnneycool]

Dublin were well worth their win yesterday. But I'm still optimistic it was just a bad day at the office (famous last words).

Its all part of McGraths master plan, dampens expectation in a county inclined to lose the run of themselves a defeat like that. Keeps the players heads right as well 

That was a good game on TG4, Tipp look to have unearthed a few good forwards who can win their own ball, plus defenders who use the ball well. If they can get a bit of confidence (strange thing to say about a Tipp hurler!!) and a few wins under their belt, they'll be there or there abouts in August.
Galway weren't all that impressive TBH. They relied very heavily on Joe coming from deep to get the scores, Tannions goal was a mare for Gleeson who'd pulled off a great save a few minutes earlier, but you always got the impression that Tipp would always get back on terms and looked the most likely to get the win. The rest of the Galway forwards need to start weighing in their fair share of scores, although the ball out of defence was poor at times!!

[Asal Mor]

Yeah, the Galway forwards are a big concern Johnny. Donnellan and Glynn are really missed both as ball winners and tacklers. And even if Glynn doesn't catch the ball, he'd make sure Ronan Maher wasn't fielding them the way he did yesterday. The Tipp half-back line were allowed to dominate and I was impressed at the skill and link-up play of their forwards. If they'd taken their chances it would have been over at half-time.

Apart from Joe we look a bit lightweight up front. Well, Niall Burke is a decent size and a nice hurler - he scored a few lovely points that Glynn wouldn't have scored, but I'd take Glynn ahead of him any day. Mannion is low on confidence but he's class and will come good. Whelan was destroyed by Cathal Barrett. We're really struggling when we go long with our own puck outs (Skehill picked out his man a few times on the short ones but all the crowd seemed to notice is the one he gave away). Like yourself I felt that Tipp were always likely to get back on terms because of the way they were dominating that sector. So it turned out with Brendan Maher's great catch leading to the equaliser.

David Burke is in excellent form and Moore, Glennon and Harte were impressive too. Maybe Donnellan can be patched up for another year, he's badly needed. All reports are that Johnny Glynn won't be back this year.

Joe looks in phenomenal shape and it sounds strange to say but he seems faster, every time he got it he was soloing away from the Tipp defence and I think his goal and point from play in the second half would rank as two of the greatest scores of all-time.

Tipp look quite good to me. They let Galway off the hook yesterday but with a fully-fit Bubbles and Callanan that wouldn't happen. John McGrath is top notch.

Great win for Offaly yesterday, good to see.

[johnneycool]

Niall Burkes hurling (stick work) was terrible yesterday, in that I mean he struggled with the ball in and around his feet, very few clean lifts and smothered all the time, granted he took two great points in the second half one after the other, but as you say Ronan Maher had a field day and you'd need someone doing the donkey work, stopping Tipp launching attacks from that area and Niall wasn't doing that.

I would still consider the Galway fullback line a bit weak in the aerial exchanges and that's something they need to sort out when it comes to meeting the Tipps and Kilkenny's during the summer months.

On that, the Cork lad who took a mad lash at the overhead pull as TJ Reid went to catch in the Saturday night game in all probably was the cause of the goal that won Kilkenny the game. He'd no chance of getting the ball, TJ's too cute for that and TJ was already turned and on his way with your man off balance, granted a miss-hit shot made its way back to TJ, but he should have done better in the initial aerial battle.
Cork are now reliant on Harnedy and Lehane and Harnedy in particular exposed the aerial weakness of Holden when left one and one in and around the house..

[Asal Mor]

Niall Burkes hurling (stick work) was terrible yesterday, in that I mean he struggled with the ball in and around his feet, very few clean lifts and smothered all the time, granted he took two great points in the second half one after the other, but as you say Ronan Maher had a field day and you'd need someone doing the donkey work, stopping Tipp launching attacks from that area and Niall wasn't doing that.

I would still consider the Galway fullback line a bit weak in the aerial exchanges and that's something they need to sort out when it comes to meeting the Tipps and Kilkenny's during the summer months.

On that, the Cork lad who took a mad lash at the overhead pull as TJ Reid went to catch in the Saturday night game in all probably was the cause of the goal that won Kilkenny the game. He'd no chance of getting the ball, TJ's too cute for that and TJ was already turned and on his way with your man off balance, granted a miss-hit shot made its way back to TJ, but he should have done better in the initial aerial battle.
Cork are now reliant on Harnedy and Lehane and Harnedy in particular exposed the aerial weakness of Holden when left one and one in and around the house..

I wouldn't agree with that Johnny. I remember one instance where Niall Burke let the ball run past him but not much else in terms of sloppiness. Imo the problem was that he was repeatedly beaten in the air(tho he can be quite good in the air on his day) and lacked work-rate, but I thought he showed a lot of class and some tidy stickwork for his four points. He seems to be able to get his shot off, even when surrounded as he was a couple of times. I always think if he had a bit more aggression and work-rate, he could be a superstar. As the yanks would say, he has all the tools.
Some of our hurling was fairly sloppy though and it was a series of mistakes that let Tipp back into it at the end, as much as anything Tipp did.

[seafoid]

I don't think Tipp will do much this year.

[AZOffaly]

I don't think Tipp will do much this year.

You have a blind spot about them. I see some promising signs. They won't be far away, there's little between a lot of the chasing pack, and I think they are all closing on Kilkenny.

[Asal Mor]

I don't think Tipp will do much this year.

You have a blind spot about them. I see some promising signs. They won't be far away, there's little between a lot of the chasing pack, and I think they are all closing on Kilkenny.

They have five of the 2012 winning minors there now - Hamill, Heffernan, Breen, R Maher and John McGrath- and they look like very good players. With Seamie and Bubbles added to yesterday's starters I'd have them as the number one contender, but whether anyone can stop Kilkenny is doubtful.

[seafoid]

I don't think Tipp will do much this year.

You have a blind spot about them. I see some promising signs. They won't be far away, there's little between a lot of the chasing pack, and I think they are all closing on Kilkenny.

I dunno AZ. They should be way better in terms of putting it up to Kilkenny but all they have to show for the last 7 or 8 years of effort is that one win that killed the drive for 5. I thought they would kick on after that and they didn't, which was a real pity.
Last year they were very disappointing.  And hurling needs them to be better.
The game is not in great shape tbh. Offaly and Cork are badly missed.

[deiseach]

I dunno AZ. They should be way better in terms of putting it up to Kilkenny but all they have to show for the last 7 or 8 years of effort is that one win that killed the drive for 5. I thought they would kick on after that and they didn't, which was a real pity.
Last year they were very disappointing.  And hurling needs them to be better.
The game is not in great shape tbh. Offaly and Cork are badly missed.

Tipperary/Kilkenny/Cork delenda est.

[AZOffaly]

I don't think Tipp will do much this year.

You have a blind spot about them. I see some promising signs. They won't be far away, there's little between a lot of the chasing pack, and I think they are all closing on Kilkenny.

I dunno AZ. They should be way better in terms of putting it up to Kilkenny but all they have to show for the last 7 or 8 years of effort is that one win that killed the drive for 5. I thought they would kick on after that and they didn't, which was a real pity.
Last year they were very disappointing.  And hurling needs them to be better.
The game is not in great shape tbh. Offaly and Cork are badly missed.

I'm just talking about this year. They have had issues winning ball, and that has really hurt them in past couple of years. They are trying to address it. In terms of hurling ability and stickwork, they are right up there with anyone. If that steel comes into their game, they'll be there or thereabouts.

[mouview]

I don't think Tipp will do much this year.

You have a blind spot about them. I see some promising signs. They won't be far away, there's little between a lot of the chasing pack, and I think they are all closing on Kilkenny.

I dunno AZ. They should be way better in terms of putting it up to Kilkenny but all they have to show for the last 7 or 8 years of effort is that one win that killed the drive for 5. I thought they would kick on after that and they didn't, which was a real pity.
Last year they were very disappointing.  And hurling needs them to be better.
The game is not in great shape tbh. Offaly and Cork are badly missed.

I'm just talking about this year. They have had issues winning ball, and that has really hurt them in past couple of years. They are trying to address it. In terms of hurling ability and stickwork, they are right up there with anyone. If that steel comes into their game, they'll be there or thereabouts.

Exact same problems as Galway so.

[AZOffaly]

Similar, yeah, except Galway sometimes lose the hurling. Galway would be more physical than Tipp, certainly last year they bullied them in the semi final. I would put Galway and Tipp in roughly the same spot, yes. But then again, I'd put Waterford, Clare, Limerick in and around the same as well. Cork have fallen off a bit, but are probably around the level of Dublin, and Offaly, Wexford, Antrim and Laois are probably next up.

[seafoid]

I don't think Tipp will do much this year.

You have a blind spot about them. I see some promising signs. They won't be far away, there's little between a lot of the chasing pack, and I think they are all closing on Kilkenny.

I dunno AZ. They should be way better in terms of putting it up to Kilkenny but all they have to show for the last 7 or 8 years of effort is that one win that killed the drive for 5. I thought they would kick on after that and they didn't, which was a real pity.
Last year they were very disappointing.  And hurling needs them to be better.
The game is not in great shape tbh. Offaly and Cork are badly missed.

I'm just talking about this year. They have had issues winning ball, and that has really hurt them in past couple of years. They are trying to address it. In terms of hurling ability and stickwork, they are right up there with anyone. If that steel comes into their game, they'll be there or thereabouts.

Exact same problems as Galway so.

Galway's problem is intinsity whin Kilkenny ratchet it up . That is te challenge this year. How to stay with them in the heat with 20 mins left