Hurling 2024

[imtommygunn]

I doubt they will fear them SF.

[full moon]

What is the level of the Dublin hurling support, didn't notice as many jerseys in Limerick yesterday on TV. Is it a bit like the Cork footballers?

[johnnycool]

Whichever of the Portumna neighbours has the better backs will win. If Shefflin doesn't sort out the Galway backs he will never get the Kilkenny job. I mo thuairim

Tipp v Galway too close to call but I'm going to plump for Tipp, but they'll need to stop Conor Whelan whose hitting a bit of form after a few underpar performances.

Going for the Clare men in the other game by about 5 or so, but in modern terms that's a tight game also.

I'd say Barrett's the man for Whelan. Good battle there.

He definitely wasn't

Don't think he started on him. It was Mc Cormack and he could've had a couple of goals. Then Barrett went on him.

Whelan was excellent today. A real leader and focal point for their attack. Wouldn't have mattered who Tipp put on him.

Big result for Shefflin.  Lads were doubting themselves I'd say coming down the final straight after the Leinster Final.  But they hung in there.

Tipp were poor. None of the ff line scored and they looked out of joints, as what normally happens after hammering Offaly in the last game.  It would've better to have beat Offaly by 1 pt.

Tipp slipped up against Waterford too with a place in the Munster Final up for grabs. Galway seem to have their number recently in championship. Cahill will be wondering where it all went wrong.

Plenty for Galway to work on and that'll suit Henry perfectly.

First 15 minutes Whelan never saw the ball, Tipp then allowed C Mannion in particular the time and space to hit diagonal balls in front of Whelan, taking out the sweeper and that's a hoor of a ball for any corner back or defender, and Whelans touch at times let him down or he'd have a few more scores to his name.
Whilst Galway were the better team they went almost 10 minutes in the second half without a score and that gave Tipp a sniff of a game they'd no right to be in and that is Galways Achilles heel, they don't put teams away, they got the jitters so to speak.
Tipp were disappointing, I was expecting a full on contest and whilst it started out like it might be that the game went flat, not all Tipps fault, but neither team wanted to lose the game rather than go out and win it with the usual deep lying defenders pucking the ball back and forth until Galway started finding the spaces for Kevin Cooney and Whelan to operate in.
Tipp lumped some amount of ball on top of the Galway half back line with little return, no real powerful runs from defence making the Galway lads come out and take them on, all too predictable from Tipp who were reliant on wee pockets of brilliance from the McGraths or Forde, but nothing sustained.
They can thank their keeper and poor shooting from Galway for the closeness at the end as that scoreline flattered them.


Only got the second half of the Dub/Clare game and it was over at that stage, Clare will want a few more of their injuries to clear up before meeting Kilkenny who also will be wanting a healthier panel to chose from.

[NAG1]

Couldn't see that performance from Tipp coming at all, thought they were building nicely, be serious questions for the Management team to look at all year now.

Despite Tipp playing so badly Galway still nearly managed to mess it up, consistently inconsistent.

Clare will definitely need their injuries cleared up for the next including Conlon, I fear that might be a longer term one he looked pretty shook going off.

[imtommygunn]

That was the thing though it wasn't great play from Tipp to get back into it. Galway let them back into it between missing so many chances and then that mess up for the goal. Very surprised Tipp were so bad.

Could very well be a repeat of last year's final. I hope not tbh and it's Galway Clare but I'd be surprised.

[seafoid]

Galway are improving. The defence was very solid compared to the Leinster final. The forwards created a lot of chances compared to Tipp.
They play well together . Tipp will probably be a lot  better next year.

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2023/06/27/how-all-ireland-hurling-quarter-finals-influence-the-battle-of-the-provinces/

Coincidence or not, Limerick and Clare have more serious injury concerns than Galway or Kilkenny going into this year's last four.

The provincial demands have escalated since the round-robin format was introduced. Playing four competitive matches in just over five weeks maximises the potential disruption of injury and suspension, never mind fatigue.

[johnnycool]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2023/06/27/how-all-ireland-hurling-quarter-finals-influence-the-battle-of-the-provinces/

Coincidence or not, Limerick and Clare have more serious injury concerns than Galway or Kilkenny going into this year's last four.

The provincial demands have escalated since the round-robin format was introduced. Playing four competitive matches in just over five weeks maximises the potential disruption of injury and suspension, never mind fatigue.

I'd say if you looked at the player churn in each of the last four teams you'd see that more or less Clare and Limerick had to stick with their first 15-18 lads most games as they were all important whereas Galway and KK could try out new blood, rest some of the lads carrying knocks in a few of the other games against WM or Antrim (no offence intended), if anything the run out Galway got against Tipp will do them a bit of good as it allowed them to sort out a few positional issues they'd against KK, a few lads getting into form and all that for a one off go at Limerick when the tank can be really emptied from now on in.

Clare, really need to turn up against KK, I'd expect Conlon to start, less sure about Cleary who would be more suited to playing against KK by his sheer physicality he brings to them, they lacked that against Dublin who caught quite a bit of high ball in there, KK will make Clare pay dearly if that happens again.
Kelly will want to really turn it on, Mikey Butler or no Mikey Butler, Duggan hasn't impressed me at all this year, glimpses of good play, but not sustained enough for my liking and he'll need to be on form for Lawlor who's one of the best defenders out there.
David Fitzgerald is the most improved, consistent hurler on this Clare team, big man who powers through the game and put over points from anywhere, I think Clare will dominate midfield and that could give them the platform to win out this game, I hope they do but you always have it in the back of your mind that Kilkenny will not be easy beat and will be in with a shout going into the last 5 minutes and they normally handle those situations better than other teams, so it'll be two very interesting games for me.

[marty34]

I think the way it pans out for the winner is:

We had games week on week and our lads are road tested against high quality opposition

OR

We had a good break/recovery between games to focus on the next game.

The winner writes the history and all that!

KK will bring what KK bring. They'll miss Adrian Mullan who was one of their beat players in the knock out series last year, especially from open play. Richie Reid missed the Leinster Final so he'll be a big addition sitting in the pocket, reading the game and delivering decent ball to the forwards.  T.J. got 3 points from play and seems to be coming into form in general play.

I suppose it's really all about Clare, after last years poor performance.  Will the scars still be there or have they pushed on. We'll not know until the final whistle. Be interesting to see how they line up re: injuries. Hogan is still very young and Croke Park could prove that.  TK coming into form also.  KK no doubt will man mark him but he needs to have a big influence on the game. Rogers is going well inside and could be dangerous if he gets good ball.

I think it'll all come down to how KK handle TK.

[johnnycool]

I think the way it pans out for the winner is:

We had games week on week and our lads are road tested against high quality opposition

OR

We had a good break/recovery between games to focus on the next game.

The winner writes the history and all that!

KK will bring what KK bring. They'll miss Adrian Mullan who was one of their beat players in the knock out series last year, especially from open play. Richie Reid missed the Leinster Final so he'll be a big addition sitting in the pocket, reading the game and delivering decent ball to the forwards.  T.J. got 3 points from play and seems to be coming into form in general play.

I suppose it's really all about Clare, after last years poor performance.  Will the scars still be there or have they pushed on. We'll not know until the final whistle. Be interesting to see how they line up re: injuries. Hogan is still very young and Croke Park could prove that.  TK coming into form also.  KK no doubt will man mark him but he needs to have a big influence on the game. Rogers is going well inside and could be dangerous if he gets good ball.

I think it'll all come down to how KK handle TK.

If Clare allow that to be the deciding factor then they'll lose and will deserve to lose.

O'Donnell, Duggan, Rodgers all need to be winning their own battles or at least in Duggans case parity with Lawlor.

[seafoid]

Clare shipped less psychological damage losing the Munster final this year but they need everyone available and playing on song to beat the jammy Leinster champions.
It could be close.

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2023/07/04/galway-forward-jason-flynn-ruled-out-for-the-rest-of-the-championship-with-hamstring-injury/

Galway forward Jason Flynn ruled out for the rest of the championship with hamstring injury
Flynn picked up the injury during a training session following the win over Tipperary

Galway's Jason Flynn will miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Gordon Manning
Tue Jul 4 2023 - 19:57

Galway forward Jason Flynn will miss the rest of the All-Ireland senior hurling championship because of a hamstring injury.

Henry Shefflin confirmed Flynn will not be available for this weekend's semi-final against Limerick, or the All-Ireland decider should Galway advance.

Flynn, who scored a goal when he came on in the Leinster final, also featured off the bench in the Tribesmen's victory over Tipperary last time out.

Speaking to Galway Bay FM, Shefflin said: "Jason came back on the Tuesday after the Tipperary match and lit it up in training.


Gordon Manning
Gordon Manning

[NAG1]

Always baffled me as to how Flynn didn't kick on and fulfil the huge potential he had..

Various managers just didn't seem to trust or rate him, when it looked like he would be the man to build a forward line around.

Serious power and pace and well able to hurl just never seemed to kick on to that next level that he looked like he could have had.

Maybe slightly sore on and not fully aware of other circumstances, but just how it appears from the outside looking in.

[johnnycool]

Always baffled me as to how Flynn didn't kick on and fulfil the huge potential he had..

Various managers just didn't seem to trust or rate him, when it looked like he would be the man to build a forward line around.

Serious power and pace and well able to hurl just never seemed to kick on to that next level that he looked like he could have had.

Maybe slightly sore on and not fully aware of other circumstances, but just how it appears from the outside looking in.

A strange one alright.

I think he was travelling between the US and home so training was probably on the light side and hard for a manager to start or even put on ahead of other lads who are training full tilt, but I thought he was home full time the last few years.

He more often than not has an impact from the bench so was always a strange one that he never really started much.

[seafoid]

At least he won his all Ireland.
A fabulous player.