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Yeah I would be happy enough for them to get game time with cushendall, playing in these games with the poly and the county only can teach them bad habits. They will need to be in the mindset of playng faster and harder than they ever have before not playing these tippy tappy games at this time of the year which all these friendlies turn into.

However rest assured if one of those players gets injured not playing for cushendall and has to miss the semi final there will be hell to pay in cushendall and questions would be asked of the manager as to why his prized assest were pissing around in friendlies at this time of the year.

Its just fact lads

FROM WHAT I HEAR A NUMBER OF THE CUSHENDALL TEAM ARE ALREADY INJURED, AND KEVIN ELLIOTT MAY NOT PLAY AGAIN.
THE CUSHENDALL FORWARDS APART FROM SHANE MC NAUGHTON ARE NOT A SCORING TREAT. 
THE FORWARDS ARE PRACTICALLY THE SAME THAT FAILED V LOUGHREA 2 YRS AGO.
 

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My own club Ruairi Ogs didn't treat the competition with contemp i can assure you we fought in club all year about our performances, but we have injury's that we haven't had before any many at once hindering our team and as we are constantly told our panel isn't that big or strong. Mc Manus , Elliott, McKillop, Kearney, Scullion, Monty and Shane weren't playing in the league, we were playing kids. No league performances mean no gates mean club in large debt which in Cushendall as all over NA is not acceptable.
The leagues will work but need time and not self intrest for the greater good.

One of my main points is-league games do NOT have the same "intensity" as championship!  Like i said IF the league was so important-can any one name you won the league from say 1980-1999?  ( I am very certain-nobody will be able to, BTW-the league was unfinished on a few times.)
Regarding Cushendall's long injury list: all, I think, were available for every championship game (all 3 games+ 2 in Ulster).  II take your point regarding gate receipts-but why not play the championship off -on a league format?
I feel there needs to be more CHAMPIONSHIP games; games with "intensity". 

The Antrim hurling league is a shambles.  Cushendall treat it with contempt, as too did Ballycastle in the 1980s.  (Can anyone name who won the league betwenn 1980 and say 2000??  I can not.  Yet I know who won and lost every Co. championship final in those years. )

Antrim club players need more meaningful games, ie championship games!  Games with "intensity".
play the league off in jan + feb -like the waterford crystal/ or Leinster league that antrim won in 2008.   
Then play the championship off: as a round robin/ league format-ONLY with Antrim teams.   The Ards teams are good, however, they DO NOT help Antrim hurling!  Do you see Kilkenny being accomodating to say Carlow teams? 
The Ards teams can look to Down or the Ulster league......

Also we need an outsider as manager.  We are too bitter at club level!  Dinny Cahill did okay in 2002+2003.  Sambo was a great player, but is a hopeless manager!  We need an outsider.  In the early 1980s Offaly got - Healy from Kilkenny, reorganised the club championship, started afresh-with players who did not hate each other........
If Antrim have ambition-which i doubt!  We should approach Ger Loughnane or Tony Considine.

2 weeks ago i posted a query re Antrim V Kerry 1946.  No replies.
Does any one connected with Antrim football remember details relating to this?

As a refresher: Antrim with Kevin Armstrong etc... has developed the short hand pass.  Due to play Kerry in All ireland semi.  Kerry resort to violence.
Can anyone "add some more details to?"  Thanks.

I was taking to a former Munster interpro footballer recently:  I seemed to annoy him when I mentioned Antrim 1946.
Can any one confirm re -1/ Antrim invented the hand pass,
                                   2/Kerry banned the hand pass....?mid season?
                                     3/ The thuggery of Kerry v this great Antrim side.   Can anyone shed-exact details please?  Thanks.