Waterford vs Limerick, Thurles

[GalwayBayBoy]

Why do people always say Galway are in the top 4??? seriously what have they done for nearly 20 years to be warranted as contenders?

While I wouldn't agree with putting us up there with the likes of Kilkenny, Cork and Tipp I think people tend to rate us a bit higher than your Limerick's, Offaly's and Wexford's, etc because Galway usually consistently produce good underage teams and good club teams. Plus they have been to two All-Ireland finals this decade. I think it's more an acknowledgment of the potential there more than anything else.

However we haven't beaten anyone of note in the championship in a couple of years so we don't really deserve to be mentioned as contending for anything at the moment. However with the Galway hurlers you never know what you're going to get. They can go from being abysmal to being able to hurl anyone up a stick within a couple of weeks.

[johnneycool]

I think I would be of the same opinion as Indy here. Limerick, Clare and Waterford I would have serious concerns for. I just can't remember them doing anything for a while now in underage. If KK give Galway a beating of 6 points or more then it could spell another shocking year in the hurling championship.

The standard of all the second tier counties has slipped at a level below what it has been for a longtime. I think the fact that Westmeath and Carlow are now challenging some of the bigger names is due to standards slipping back more so that Carlow and Westmeath becoming really good.

Were Clare U-21's not within a few seconds of winning the Munster championship against a much vaunted Tipp team, something about a keeper getting penalised for taking a puck out outside the square?

[EddieMerx]

They were, but you can't base your entire future on one decent team, they will be luckly to get 5 players off that team

[AZOffaly]

Japers lads, I think ye are being a bit previous in pronouncing hurling dead. It may be very predictable now in terms of Kilkenny's dominance, especially in relation to the mighty 90s, but in fairness there's been very few decades like the 90s. Maybe the biggest shame is that counties like Offaly, Wexford (until recently), Clare and Limerick have not kicked on from those days, and in fact have faded drastically in varying degrees since then. This allows the old reliables in Kilkenny, Cork and Tipp to dominate again.

However, over the past few years there have been good games, some very good games indeed, involving Waterford, Cork, Galway, Tipperary, Limerick etc etc, so one poor game on a wet day in Thurles in a provincial semi final is not a harbringer of hurling's demise.

I do take the points about the development of the game in counties outside the big 3, but that is still a remediable situation, if the nettle is grasped. So I don't think hurling is dead. I think Kilkenny are savage, I think Tipp are coming, Cork are hanging on and I think there's feck all between another 4 or 5 of them.

[An Laoch]

There have been 3 different winners of the Liam McCarthy in the last 10 years, coincidentally the same number of winners of the english premiership soccerthingy....but nobody writes an obituary for that particular tinpot every few weeks. Every sport has its dominant sides. It's called tradition. There's no problem here.

[AZOffaly]

There have been 3 different winners of the Liam McCarthy in the last 10 years, coincidentally the same number of winners of the english premiership soccerthingy....but nobody writes an obituary for that particular tinpot every few weeks. Every sport has its dominant sides. It's called tradition. There's no problem here.

Wouldn't be as blasé as that either An Laoch. There's definitely been a lack of planning in a good few counties since the 90s, and it's a real pity. Small counties like Offaly, Clare, Wexford, Laois etc etc can only rely on genetics and timing to produce good batches of hurlers every so often. That's not a sustainable strategy, but it seems to be what was followed in those counties. You need to invest in the proper coaching at those underage levels to ensure you get a decent level of new blood every couple of years.

Mól an oige agus tiocfaidh siad.

[INDIANA]

There have been 3 different winners of the Liam McCarthy in the last 10 years, coincidentally the same number of winners of the english premiership soccerthingy....but nobody writes an obituary for that particular tinpot every few weeks. Every sport has its dominant sides. It's called tradition. There's no problem here.

You just keep telling yourself that. Just go down to places like Laois and Antrim and see no problems. You're not part of Brian Cowen's Government are you?

[imtommygunn]

Yeah but was that not also the case about 5 - 10 years ago too. Only difference in strong counties is that maybe Dublin are on the up, though after the antrim performance they still have to prove that.

[EddieMerx]

Guys do you not think that the Wexford, Offaly, Laois, Clare, Limerick and Antrim teams of 10 years ago would beat their counterparts of this year?

[Reillers]

There have been 3 different winners of the Liam McCarthy in the last 10 years, coincidentally the same number of winners of the english premiership soccerthingy....but nobody writes an obituary for that particular tinpot every few weeks. Every sport has its dominant sides. It's called tradition. There's no problem here.

Wouldn't be as blasé as that either An Laoch. There's definitely been a lack of planning in a good few counties since the 90s, and it's a real pity. Small counties like Offaly, Clare, Wexford, Laois etc etc can only rely on genetics and timing to produce good batches of hurlers every so often. That's not a sustainable strategy, but it seems to be what was followed in those counties. You need to invest in the proper coaching at those underage levels to ensure you get a decent level of new blood every couple of years.

Mól an oige agus tiocfaidh siad.

The weak "strong" counties like Wexford and Antrim etc get little help from the GAA, but the likes of Cavan, Carlow..etc. get feck all help from the GAA, the GPA do better work with them then the men upstairs who are paid to do so, and that says a lot.

Nothing will function without structures, (with the exception of Cork, Cork will always be there unless or untill the CCB kill the game in Cork..which wouldn't surprise me. But they, especially the underage continue to do well despite no structures, and dictatorship in the CB, but anyway) and untill the mess at underage is sorted in the likes of Waterford and Clare etc then no one will go anywhere, get the mess at underage sorted out and the rest should sort itself out......Should.

[heffo]

There have been 3 different winners of the Liam McCarthy in the last 10 years, coincidentally the same number of winners of the english premiership soccerthingy....but nobody writes an obituary for that particular tinpot every few weeks. Every sport has its dominant sides. It's called tradition. There's no problem here.

Wouldn't be as blasé as that either An Laoch. There's definitely been a lack of planning in a good few counties since the 90s, and it's a real pity. Small counties like Offaly, Clare, Wexford, Laois etc etc can only rely on genetics and timing to produce good batches of hurlers every so often. That's not a sustainable strategy, but it seems to be what was followed in those counties. You need to invest in the proper coaching at those underage levels to ensure you get a decent level of new blood every couple of years.

Mól an oige agus tiocfaidh siad.

The weak "strong" counties like Wexford and Antrim etc get little help from the GAA, but the likes of Cavan, Carlow..etc. get feck all help from the GAA, the GPA do better work with them then the men upstairs who are paid to do so, and that says a lot.

Can you be more specific Reillers wrt your point above

[AZOffaly]

Jaysus heffo, if young Walsh could have man marked Mullane as well as you man mark Reillers Limerick would have bate the Deise out the gate on Sunday.

Seriously, every time he posts you are there to pick up the breaks quicker than a man could say 'Unhealthy obsession'.

[heffo]

Jaysus heffo, if young Walsh could have man marked Mullane as well as you man mark Reillers Limerick would have bate the Deise out the gate on Sunday.

Seriously, every time he posts you are there to pick up the breaks quicker than a man could say 'Unhealthy obsession'.

Nonsense AZ - I'm just looking for him to put a little flesh on the bones as it were - young Reillers seems to have fashioned a deep dislike for anyone in an administrative role in the GAA and I'm simply looking for clarification on what he means

[imtommygunn]

EddieMerx you make a fair point...

- Wexford of 10 years ago were significantly better than now as were Clare, Offaly, and Cork.
- Tipp are hard to assess. About ten years ago their good teams were coming to and end were they not? So they are potentially better now.
- Waterford are definitely better now though are on the way down.
- Antrim were definitely worse ten years ago as they could barely win ulster. Laois would be about the same now.
- Galway and Limerick are about on a level.
- Kilkenny are a lot better now.
- Dublin are definitely better though it remains to be seen how much.

That's 4 worse, 5 better and 3 the same by my reckoning. Not much of a difference in standard then

[INDIANA]

Laois are a lot worse now Tommy now than 10 years ago. Any Laois man will tell you that. back then camross were going well and they had the cuddys and rigneys hurling well for them. Now they have James Young, Willie Hyland, ZaC Keenan and not much else.