Hurling 2024

[Milltown Row2]

An exhibition of how to officiate by the Tyrone referee in the Dublin v Monaghan game.

It's a pity he doesn't do both

[keep her low this half]

All Ireland Final this weekend. Same two as last year and last year was a classic. Limerick will rightly be hot favourites, their record in finals under Kiely is exceptional.
Looking back on last years final Limerick have got Cian Lynch back to some degree but have lost Finn and Hannon which is a bad blow. The Cats have a new manager and slightly modified style. I think the Cats are fractionally better than last year but I don't think a fractional improvement will beat limerick who are still the best team in the country by some distance when they put their mind to it.

[NAG1]

All Ireland Final this weekend. Same two as last year and last year was a classic. Limerick will rightly be hot favourites, their record in finals under Kiely is exceptional.
Looking back on last years final Limerick have got Cian Lynch back to some degree but have lost Finn and Hannon which is a bad blow. The Cats have a new manager and slightly modified style. I think the Cats are fractionally better than last year but I don't think a fractional improvement will beat limerick who are still the best team in the country by some distance when they put their mind to it.

Can't argue with much of that. Only chink I could find really is that Cian Lynch still isn't firing like he can, as of yet. Think teams have realised the middle 3rd is where the battle is with Limerick and have flooded this zone with bodies which has limited his effectiveness. That being said he could still rock up on Sunday with a storming performance, he is the type for it.

[imtommygunn]

Is Hannon definitely missing?

[NAG1]

Is Hannon definitely missing?

I thought I'd read after the semi-final that they were giving him every chance of being ready, might just have been paper talk.

[johnnycool]

All Ireland Final this weekend. Same two as last year and last year was a classic. Limerick will rightly be hot favourites, their record in finals under Kiely is exceptional.
Looking back on last years final Limerick have got Cian Lynch back to some degree but have lost Finn and Hannon which is a bad blow. The Cats have a new manager and slightly modified style. I think the Cats are fractionally better than last year but I don't think a fractional improvement will beat limerick who are still the best team in the country by some distance when they put their mind to it.

Can't argue with much of that. Only chink I could find really is that Cian Lynch still isn't firing like he can, as of yet. Think teams have realised the middle 3rd is where the battle is with Limerick and have flooded this zone with bodies which has limited his effectiveness. That being said he could still rock up on Sunday with a storming performance, he is the type for it.

Lynch just isn't motoring full pelt at all, he thrives in the close confines and when on song, sees the better option and has the ability to get the ball to them, no zip to him as yet for me, he finds that on Sunday and he'll cause problems. Cathal O'Neill is some backup all the same, he's start all day, every day in every other team in the country.

who picks up Flanaghan and Guillane? Lawlor probably on Guillane and that'll be a battle royal, but as much as Butler is a wee sticky bollox I think Flanaghan may have too much power for him, horse of a man also. I like big rangy Blanchfield but he'll be needed further out the field on any of the bastes Limerick to put in there, so it could be on hands on deck in there.

Richie Reid won't be allowed to play as a quarterback and if he does sit deep in the pocket then expect Limerick to create overlaps out the field and pop over the points.
It's a conundrum how to outplay Limerick and whilst I do think Kilkenny may be able to match them mostly for physicality in the middle part of the park I think Limericks experience will see this out UNLESS Eoin Cody can bag a few goals if he's getting a good supply of ball and I'm not so sure Limerick will make the same mistakes as Clare..

[Capt Pat]

A lot will depend on whether Hannon will play. I have been calling for Limericks downfall so far this year as well as Lynch Hegarty hasn't been as dominant as he has in previous years. So I am tipping Kilkenny.

[NAG1]

A lot will depend on whether Hannon will play. I have been calling for Limericks downfall so far this year as well as Lynch Hegarty hasn't been as dominant as he has in previous years. So I am tipping Kilkenny.

Hegarty showing signs he is coming to the boil the last day out.

KK will have to have a wonder day IMO. Limerick just have so many game winners all over the field.

[Hurler on the Bitch]

Folks, any inkling that the GAA might put some unsold tickets on Ticketmaster like last year?

[johnnycool]

Folks, any inkling that the GAA might put some unsold tickets on Ticketmaster like last year?

Give Frankie Quinn a shout, you being an Antrim man and all

[Bord na Mona man]

It's Limerick's to lose, they've more match winners and can still win if a couple of them are quiet. Kilkenny have no such luxury, everyone will need to play the game of their lives to have a chance.

Limerick's only black mark in the last 5 years was surprisingly losing to Kilkenny in 2019. They'll surely still be sore about that.

While Kilkenny ran them to 2 points last year, it never felt like there was going to be an upset. I also think that Cody felt that this was a good time to go as they'd probably overachieved with the talent to hand.

Kilkenny would need more goals, or a ref who gets strict on Limerick's physicality to cause a shock.

[marty34]

It's Limerick's to lose, they've more match winners and can still win if a couple of them are quiet. Kilkenny have no such luxury, everyone will need to play the game of their lives to have a chance.

Limerick's only black mark in the last 5 years was surprisingly losing to Kilkenny in 2019. They'll surely still be sore about that.

While Kilkenny ran them to 2 points last year, it never felt like there was going to be an upset. I also think that Cody felt that this was a good time to go as they'd probably overachieved with the talent to hand.

Kilkenny would need more goals, or a r

And their hand passes.

[johnnycool]

It's Limerick's to lose, they've more match winners and can still win if a couple of them are quiet. Kilkenny have no such luxury, everyone will need to play the game of their lives to have a chance.

Limerick's only black mark in the last 5 years was surprisingly losing to Kilkenny in 2019. They'll surely still be sore about that.

While Kilkenny ran them to 2 points last year, it never felt like there was going to be an upset. I also think that Cody felt that this was a good time to go as they'd probably overachieved with the talent to hand.

Kilkenny would need more goals, or a r

And their hand passes.

Are they any worse in relation to hand passing than anyone else?

They have improved upon it IMO, but I've seen plenty of Clare,Galway,KK, Cork, Waterford lads hand passing being dubious as well!

[johnnycool]

It's Limerick's to lose, they've more match winners and can still win if a couple of them are quiet. Kilkenny have no such luxury, everyone will need to play the game of their lives to have a chance.

Limerick's only black mark in the last 5 years was surprisingly losing to Kilkenny in 2019. They'll surely still be sore about that.

While Kilkenny ran them to 2 points last year, it never felt like there was going to be an upset. I also think that Cody felt that this was a good time to go as they'd probably overachieved with the talent to hand.

Kilkenny would need more goals, or a ref who gets strict on Limerick's physicality to cause a shock.

Kilkenny hurling has prided itself in it's physicality and they won't be found wanting in that regard either when it comes to it on Sunday, I just think Limerick have that bit more "Grace under pressure" all over the park when it gets close.

Hoping for a humdinger on Sunday but it doesn't always bear out like that, Limerick going for 4-in-a-row (and 5 out of 6) and Kilkenny looking to get their first since 2015, that's almost famine like times down on the Noreside, let alone the prospect of losing 2 AI finals in a row against Limerick will add it's own pressures to this particular set of Kilkenny players still living in the shadow of their great teams of the 00's and 10's.

[Blowitupref]