Antrim Hurling

[theskull1]

Nice paraphrasing there milltown 

Listen.....I hear what yourself and hatchet have said re our HDO. You call it slating. I would prefer to call it a NA perspective of role the HDO has played in his all county position. I am open to critisism if you have any but don't deny me stating my perspective. Hatchet is right that clubs need to step up but you need drivers of change to get into those clubs to effect that change needed (help/support developing structures/recruiting volunteers/coaching courses etc etc) . That is the job of a HDO IMO.

So when there is rumour of the person who has been an intrumental part in developing and actually driving a change in the level of coaching within the NA area being forced out whilst the someone we never see maintains his position by what appears to be purely aping NA's successful initiatives then it is very difficult to see the sense in that. Can any of you understand where I'm coming from if it is true? I'm all for SA getting their house in order but is NA paying the price for that. From what I hear regarding the monies available to NA & SA regarding hurling development it is certainly the case.

Found out that Seamus Elliott was "retired" by our administration even though he wanted to continue in the role. Well done Frankie.

[JamesH]

This Shite about Tosh is being our saviour is a load of crap, when in a big match outside Ulster did he put a tackle in, No never, he thinks tackle is bought in a fishing shop. When he was there he was constantly doing his own thing a bit like McFaul, neither team players, neither pass the ball, Lads get real, When he plays against us all he needs is one of our half backs or big sculy to rub up against his and he turns green.

[Minder]

This Shite about Tosh is being our saviour is a load of crap, when in a big match outside Ulster did he put a tackle in, No never, he thinks tackle is bought in a fishing shop. When he was there he was constantly doing his own thing a bit like McFaul, neither team players, neither pass the ball, Lads get real, When he plays against us all he needs is one of our half backs or big sculy to rub up against his and he turns green.

Who said he was our "saviour" ? The bitterness is spewing out of you, but i know your sort. Maybe we should just put the whole Cushendall team out for Antrim as you suggested ealier this year. Did Tosh not take about 1-4 off Scullion in the first half of the Championship last year before being shifted out the field by our management for some reason. Speak to any of the Dall HURLERS and they will tell you Toshs worth, not the gobshites that sit in the Lurig and wouldnt know what end of a hurl to use..............I wonder what bracket you fall into.......

I dont think i have ever heard you say a good word about a player from outside Cushendall. Its fellas like you that then find it strange when not everyone in the county is cheering for Cushendall when they are playing in the All Ireland series. Maybe the penny will drop one day.

[the colonel]

This Shite about Tosh is being our saviour is a load of crap, when in a big match outside Ulster did he put a tackle in, No never, he thinks tackle is bought in a fishing shop. When he was there he was constantly doing his own thing a bit like McFaul, neither team players, neither pass the ball, Lads get real, When he plays against us all he needs is one of our half backs or big sculy to rub up against his and he turns green.

Who said he was our "saviour" ? The bitterness is spewing out of you, but i know your sort. Maybe we should just put the whole Cushendall team out for Antrim as you suggested ealier this year. Did Tosh not take about 1-4 off Scullion in the first half of the Championship last year before being shifted out the field by our management for some reason. Speak to any of the Dall HURLERS and they will tell you Toshs worth, not the gobshites that sit in the Lurig and wouldnt know what end of a hurl to use..............I wonder what bracket you fall into.......

I dont think i have ever heard you say a good word about a player from outside Cushendall. Its fellas like you that then find it strange when not everyone in the county is cheering for Cushendall when they are playing in the All Ireland series. Maybe the penny will drop one day.

minder i think thats maybe a bit over the top..........

[Tony Baloney]

Oh God, look what i have started!!  Just you's two meet up half way between Cushendall and Waterfoot and have a good owl scrap to sort it out!!

Seriously but lads, when i mentioned Tosh, i wasn't suggesting that he was our knight in shining armour.  JamesH, i'm sure Tosh has been marked well in the past by a lot of players maybe including the one's you have mentioned.  That's fair enough, tell me a player who hasn't been marked well in the lives or a player that doesn't have a bogey team etc.  Anyone with a bit of knowledge about hurling will tell you that Tosh is a class act and a loss to Antrim.  Over the last few years of his county hurling days, he was excellent inside and outside of Ulster.  However my point about him wasn't that Antrim are donald ducked without him, it was that he was the type of ball winning forward that we didn't have v Dublin on Sunday.  That's all.  You don't need to get your back up, it certainly seems like a parochial thing that you can't see his talent (that is of course if you are from the Dall).  But play Tosh up front and he'll give any full back a run for his money, he's strong, quick, has a good hurling brain and has great stickwork.  You can't deny that and players like him don't come around very often.  And again, v Dublin we just didn't have that type of player. We had CJ (an overrated waif more interested in getting in the papers), Delargy who was poor, Micko who was also very poor!! The other two forwards put in a good enough shift but it just didn't happen for them.  Now bar Paddy Richmond on the edge of the square and possibly winker, who else would you pick in the county that would be a better option than Johnny?

Good post.

[NAG1]

Shrek

Cant agree more, we need to get back to a situation where the players are playing regularly and in a competition of value.
Question is any ideas of how to make the league meaningful again after years of neglect?

Also I would be looking at the structures all the way down the ladder because if we dont get that right then we are going to be continually having this debate in years to come. (And to that end Skulls last post is certainly not a step in the right direction)

[theskull1]

Oh God, look what i have started!!  Just you's two meet up half way between Cushendall and Waterfoot and have a good owl scrap to sort it out!!

Seriously but lads, when i mentioned Tosh, i wasn't suggesting that he was our knight in shining armour.  JamesH, i'm sure Tosh has been marked well in the past by a lot of players maybe including the one's you have mentioned.  That's fair enough, tell me a player who hasn't been marked well in the lives or a player that doesn't have a bogey team etc.  Anyone with a bit of knowledge about hurling will tell you that Tosh is a class act and a loss to Antrim.  Over the last few years of his county hurling days, he was excellent inside and outside of Ulster.  However my point about him wasn't that Antrim are donald ducked without him, it was that he was the type of ball winning forward that we didn't have v Dublin on Sunday.  That's all.  You don't need to get your back up, it certainly seems like a parochial thing that you can't see his talent (that is of course if you are from the Dall).  But play Tosh up front and he'll give any full back a run for his money, he's strong, quick, has a good hurling brain and has great stickwork.  You can't deny that and players like him don't come around very often.  And again, v Dublin we just didn't have that type of player. We had CJ (an overrated waif more interested in getting in the papers), Delargy who was poor, Micko who was also very poor!! The other two forwards put in a good enough shift but it just didn't happen for them.  Now bar Paddy Richmond on the edge of the square and possibly winker, who else would you pick in the county that would be a better option than Johnny?

Good post.

Yeah good post hatchet.....but this further explaination of your comments on Johnny Tosh weren't need IMO. I certainly knew what you were saying as I think others did. Although Minder took to it like a red rag, JamesH had no reason to conclude that ANYBODY was saying he was "our saviour". Minder mightn't be that far away

[NAG1]

Would be interesting to see a break down of the number of injuries picked up by the county squad during county training as opposed to club league games? Just as a tol for comparing.

[Two Hands FFS]

I agree with most of what you were saying Shrek.  The sooner the senior management realise (like Mickey Harte has done) that players need to be playing in their leagues the better.  Not only does it bring value to the league, it will raise standards, invigorate the club scene once again and renew interest in hurling.

Remember the Sunday days out (the weather always seemed to be better too ) when the reserves played first, then the seniors.  They weren't just hurling matches, they were family and community days out.  We lost all of that in the refix culture.  Mnay are to blame for this of course but i think that the county managers have nothing to lose by allowing our stars to be playing in the leagues for their clubs.  We won't have that all of the time and there will be times (i.e. two weeks before championship) that they will be needed but regular match fitness is better than training any day of the week.

Another good point was made though that this needs to be sustainable.  South Antrim needs to get its act together in terms of hurling.  There are some positive signs coming our of the last few years but its still nowhere near on a par with NA which is the standard of hurling interest we need to create.

Everyone agrees that we need to have sustained meaningful matches..but what is the solution??How do we achieve a league where matches are important & not played just to get them over & done with??

Dont know where the idea that the county managers stop players playing league matches(OK..One weekend the matches were moved to the Saturday cos of the Clare friendly). It is the clubs that stop the matches because they dont want to do without their county players during the summer when all the county matches are on.

[theskull1]

Very niave Two Hands. You don't think that the fixture list (with all it's gaps between games)  is constructed in a way to suit county preparations? And tell me when the U21 championship is again?

Cannot understand why we put all our eggs in the one basket every year. League matches coming in fits and starts is no way to run things from a player perspective. Of course it'll all go off in August as it always does.

[NAG1]

There would be nothing wrong IMO with playing the leagues right up to the weekend before a county game with those fixtures scheduled for that week put back to the Wednesday night following the game. Play all the way through May June July August and if your lucky enough Sept, that is when hurling was intended to be played not in October Nov or even March most years.

What better preparation for a big game than say a Dunloy Loughgiel match the week before or any game with the co down teams, better than all the training that you could do.

[Two Hands FFS]

if you were county manager would you not want to see your players as much as possible? What i'm saying is it that is too simple to blame county managers? Was it the county managers faults for the poor league matches that were played 3/4 weeks ago? Was it f**k!

[north aontroim gael]

There would be nothing wrong IMO with playing the leagues right up to the weekend before a county game with those fixtures scheduled for that week put back to the Wednesday night following the game. Play all the way through May June July August and if your lucky enough Sept, that is when hurling was intended to be played not in October Nov or even March most years.

What better preparation for a big game than say a Dunloy Loughgiel match the week before or any game with the co down teams, better than all the training that you could do.

Couldn't agree more.

[Two Hands FFS]

Brian Cody knows it's ok to play league matches as the standard in Kilkenny is good,but the standard up here in league matches are shite.boys turn up hungover,using injury as an excuse,going through the motions....can anyone really remember a cracking league match in the last year or so?the leagues are crap cos generally the effort & standards are crap.

[NAG1]

Yes two hands I agree but thats my point how do we incentivise the league to make it worthwhile to compete in?

I would say if the clubs had something to go for in the league you would soon see a change of attitude and especially if the games were coming thick and fast throughout the summer months.

Anyone any ideas on how to incentivise the league for clubs?