Cork v Clare All Ireland SHC Final Sunday 8th September 3.30pm

[theskull1]

I spotetd this tweet on the Antrim website

Nuacht is déanaí - Antrim appeal to O'Neill as Saffron anger over U-21 final venue grows


... the hurling population of Antrim is not jumping up and down about this. I'm assuming there's noise being made as extra monies are being sought to cover accommodation and traveling..its the only thing I can think of

[johnneycool]

I spotetd this tweet on the Antrim website

Nuacht is déanaí - Antrim appeal to O'Neill as Saffron anger over U-21 final venue grows


... the hurling population of Antrim is not jumping up and down about this. I'm assuming there's noise being made as extra monies are being sought to cover accommodation and traveling..its the only thing I can think of

Might need to get another set of white jerseys as well while they're at it...

[Rossa]

I've 2 hurling final tickets in Lower Cusack to go to genuine follower. PM for details

[CitySlicker11]

Lets get back to discussing this threads correct title.

What are the views with 7 days to go?

Cork by 2.

[johnneycool]

Clare looked the most impressive of the two in the semi-finals, but its hard to compare teams in two separate games. McInerny in the fullback line looks to have come of age in there and grown as the year continues, he is sheltered a bit with the deep cover in front of him though, Horgan will have his work cut out to get on enough ball to do damage. I think Cork will need to pick off plenty of long range points in a hope to draw out the Clare team who if behind, may need to go chasing the game which they haven't needed to do since their first encounter with Cork.

Davy's team are set up to get a lead and hold it, I think he'll need plan B on Sunday as I think Cork will get scores, maybe not goals as Cork didn't create too many goal chances vrs the Dubs, Clare don't create many either so it'll be points most of the way. I wonder if Davy will put Conlon in on Ciaran Joyce who struggled badly in the semi-final on big men strong in the air in both O'Dwyer before he got the line and then Keaney after that. Cork and Joyce got away with it to live another day, Davy mightn't be so generous.

It's a tough one to call, both young, inexperienced teams and whoever settles best could prevail, Davy got it right for the semi-final whereas the Limerick lads just didn't get to the game at all. I'd expect Cork to not make Limericks mistakes and be sharp from the start as well.

TBH, I don't expect it to be a classic encounter, maybe a nervy affair with point taking the order of the day.

I'm going for Cork by 2 but would love Clare to do it.

[CitySlicker11]

I think you may be right in that it will be a battle of the points, with not many goal scoring chances.

Both teams have been putting up huge scores.

Cork have always down through the years even when they weren't going so well during the last few, put up big scores in terms of points.

Christopher Joyce has been fine this year, JBM moves him in to midfield a lot, he played there against Limerick in the Munster final with Lorcan McLoughlin moving to centre half back. However with McLoughlin doing so well in the semi final at midfield I can't see this move being replicated.

Tom Kenny will need to get back to the performances he gave up until the semi final where he struggled against Danny Sutcliffe.

Cork will need to keep an eye on Tony Kelly, although Paudge Collins has had a great year, if he plays in the corner, O'Sullivan or O'Neill who are both having great seasons should get the better of him.

[Minder]

Why can Gardiner and Sean Og not just let it go, especially in the week leading up to the All Ireland, when all eyes should be on the players competing?





Gardiner feels harshly treated

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/hurling/gardiner-feels-harshly-treated-241804.html


Tuesday, September 03, 2013
John Gardiner believes he was harshly treated by All-Ireland final Cork boss Jimmy Barry-Murphy, suggesting his axing was linked to his reputation as a central figure in the last strike crisis.

By Niall Feerick
The two-time All-Ireland medallist has been a regular at Cork games all year and will attend Sunday's final at Croke Park. But he believes he could still be playing a significant role and that Barry-Murphy's decision last winter to drop him was premature.

Gardiner, 30, said that after the decision was explained to him, he ''came away as wise from the conversation'' and was frustrated to be pushed out instead of afforded the opportunity to quit himself after 11 seasons.

Asked if he privately believed his key role in the winter strike of 2008/2009, which eventually forced the removal of Gerald McCarthy as manager, was behind Barry-Murphy's decision, he agreed.

"Probably, I'd say so," said Gardiner. "We were the front runners in the whole thing even though the panel was unanimous and agreed all the time. We were seen as the front runners. I happened to be captain of the team when all that stuff was going on so my name is probably out there a lot more than other guys because of that.

"Look, I asked him the question, straight up, 'Was there anything in it?' and he said there wasn't. He said it wasn't anything like that and that's the way it was."

Gardiner's suspicion doesn't tally with the fact that Barry-Murphy made Donal Óg Cusack his team captain in 2012 — though he later axed him too — and brought Sean Óg Ó hAilpín out of retirement. Both of those players were also central to the strike of four years ago.

What Gardiner believes to be certain is that Barry-Murphy is a ruthless figure despite his mild-mannered public persona.

"Yeah, I'd say so, the way he operates like," continued Gardiner. "He's a nice guy, comes across as a nice guy but when he wants to make a decision, he just makes the decision."

Gardiner was a key part of a Cork half-back line rated as one of the greatest they have ever produced when they won All-Ireland titles in 2004 and 2005. But, inevitably, supporters will come down on Barry-Murphy's side on the issue of team personnel after defying the odds to lead the Rebels to Sunday's final.

"Exactly, they're in the final, there's nobody in Cork complaining," said Gardiner. "You get people coming up to you every single day saying, 'You should still be involved'. But look, they're the guys that are in the All-Ireland final, they've done a great job."

As for himself, he said he felt hard done by.

"Maybe a little bit hard done by," he continued. "We have given our life to the thing really since I broke onto the panel at 19, given our life to the thing for 10 years or 11 seasons. I would have liked if it was my own decision. It just didn't work out that way.

[Bord na Mona man]

Like it was during some of the strikes, the REAL Cork team of Gardiner and the Ogs should have been training away amongst themselves.
So when the current bunch, from mickey mouse clubs, were discovered to be imposters, it would be a seamless switch back to the real team.

[theskull1]

Maybe its easy to say it after the events has transpired, but I'd say that JBM has taken the long view and played a blinder in reasserting the authority of the manager in Cork. Who knows if revenge was on his mind after the way Ger McCarthy was treated. He couldn't have diminished their power in a better way.

[Minder]

Maybe its easy to say it after the events has transpired, but I'd say that JBM has taken the long view and played a blinder in reasserting the authority of the manager in Cork. Who knows if revenge was on his mind after the way Ger McCarthy was treated. He couldn't have diminished their power in a better way.

Though JBM comes across as a nice fella, and I am sure he is, I would say the softest thing about him is his teeth.

[Milltown Row2]

How much are the tickets this year?

£70

[CitySlicker11]

John Gardiner ‏@JohnGaa5 6h
I spent 45 mins yday talking about how well cork have done this year. To wake and read some of that stuff today was #disappointing#AIfinal

[johnneycool]

John Gardiner ‏@JohnGaa5 6h
I spent 45 mins yday talking about how well cork have done this year. To wake and read some of that stuff today was #disappointing#AIfinal

I think that the three lads in Donal O'g, O'Hailpin and now Gardiner have been asked umpteen times by journalists about the current Cork team, their disappointment in not being part of it and the journalists involved have all led with the old shite rather than anything positive about the new team.

O'Hailpin gave them a bit of controversial column inches at the start of the summer when he made comments disparaging to some of the current team and not even knowing where they were from, he's been made to look a fool out of it, Donal O'g has handled it well and deflected any blame from the current management, but Gardiner has been suckered in a bit, he should have known better in all fairness.

Maybe its easy to say it after the events has transpired, but I'd say that JBM has taken the long view and played a blinder in reasserting the authority of the manager in Cork. Who knows if revenge was on his mind after the way Ger McCarthy was treated. He couldn't have diminished their power in a better way.

Father time and the way the game has went this summer has diminished their powers as much as any great grand scheme from JBM.
Gardiners lack of pace would have found him out as Ronan Curran alluded to in an earlier article this summer when asked why he stepped down when he did. Only the likes of Tom Kenny, Shane O'Neill and Brian Murphy who are blessed with pace are still in the frame and even then Kenny is looking a bit out of sorts once in a while.

[Asal Mor]

Father time and the way the game has went this summer has diminished their powers as much as any great grand scheme from JBM.
Gardiners lack of pace would have found him out as Ronan Curran alluded to in an earlier article this summer when asked why he stepped down when he did. Only the likes of Tom Kenny, Shane O'Neill and Brian Murphy who are blessed with pace are still in the frame and even then Kenny is looking a bit out of sorts once in a while.

Agree 100%. Gardiner would have been a liability with his lack of pace. More sensationalist, sneaky journalism though and the kind of writing that will send teams further into their shells. You can't blame Davy for sidestepping the press night when you read sleazy stitch-ups like this.

[Premier Emperor]

Cork's new style is all about running and speed.
Gardiner and Sean Og have no place anywhere near the squad.