Kilkenny v Waterford AI semi final 9th August - can Waterford exact revenge ?

[Reillers]

Are you trying to compare the KK and the Cork teams ?

In a way I was I suppose, and so what if I was. For a few years Cork were better then the KK team. And as I've clearly pointed out, all I'm saying is that what I see in KK now, is how the Cork team were in 05/06 how they lost the hunger which was key to them going down hill (though I do think KK will be able to replace players easier then Cork.) I was using it as an example. I'm not sure what else I could have used seeing as it's been Cork/KK with the AI's for almost the last 10 years. If you like I could use Kerry footballers if you like. They lacked hunger and that led to them being beaten by the better team, who were more hungry and had a point to prove.

There wasn't much in the teams for a while I'll grant you that - now Cork have fallen apart. KK are still there - going for 4 in a orw.

Cork "have fallen apart" after going for a 3 in a row. About the same timing if you ask me.

What's different now from when Cork were on top and now is, well KK are a dstance apart now, when Cork we winning teams were more competitive. Now it's just KK, and it has been for about 2 seasons, and while they've gone forward others seem to, for one reason or another fallen back in progress, obviously that's to take nothing away from KK, they are an incredibly special team.

But it happens to every team, it's called time. Teams go stale. Even the best of teams. This current KK team have a lot of mileage on the clock, and it doesn't matter who you're manager is or how good you're players are. You can't stop the affect that time has on a team.

I agree with you. Time catches up with everybody and every team. But Cork didn't seem to realise this as past while. I always said that it was no shame for the Crok team of 2008 that they no longer at the top of their game. Father time caught them up as well. But they didn't realise it at the time. Maybe they do now.

Please lets not go into this again, lets not ruin a perfectly good topic when all we're going to do is I say one thing and you say the extreme opposite and nobody comprimises.
I could say how I heard a certain player was retiring, (a rumour from a rumour really) or how if I'd to pick a team, and it'd be the same from most people from Cork, for the season next season it'd have very little names on it that you would know.
But it's not the right topic, and I really don't want to turn this into one.

So lets just stay on topic, please.

[orangeman]

I still think that your comparison of the Cork and KK teams is not a fair one. KK are still going - into another final - raging hot favourites - ok they might get bet in the final but I don't think so. This KK is fairly special. Cork had a great team as well but the appeal of the KK team is its longevity and its ability to recreate themselves.

[Reillers]

I still think that your comparison of the Cork and KK teams is not a fair one. KK are still going - into another final - raging hot favourites - ok they might get bet in the final but I don't think so. This KK is fairly special. Cork had a great team as well but the appeal of the KK team is its longevity and its ability to recreate themselves.

I didn't say they'd be beaten in the final, but I do think the hunger seems to be going from them. It doesn't really have anything to do with Cork. Like I said, KK have the ability to remake their team. It might be the end of the road for a few players soon enough, but KK being KK can probably produce another 10 stars.
I said they looked to be lacking that intensity this season that they had in the past few, that's all. Hunger's one thing, ability is another. KK are the best team in the country by a mile, but they seem to be lacking that bite and fire that we saw clearly last season.

[sligeach]

Jesus Reillers is it possible for to to talk about hurling without sticking 'Cork' into every second sentence ?

You sound like those evangelist christians who can't have a conversation without mentioning Jesus and how he loves us all.

I didn't say they'd be beaten in the final, but I do think the hunger seems to be going from them. It doesn't really have anything to do with Cork. Like I said, KK have the ability to remake their team. It might be the end of the road for a few players soon enough, but KK being KK can probably produce another 10 stars.
I said they looked to be lacking that intensity this season that they had in the past few, that's all. Hunger's one thing, ability is another. KK are the best team in the country by a mile, but they seem to be lacking that bite and fire that we saw clearly last season.

[SLIGONIAN]

Was disappointed yday, thought KK got there scores too easily, one quick turn into 10 yards of space seemed order of the day..WD had to work alot harder for scores. Like some posters couldnt understand the great game comments, I never thought WD would win at any stage in 2nd half, but for lucky goal, would of been more in it. KK won pulling up. Was glad WD didnt collapse but thought WD could of played better, KK werent at peak performance yday IMO. Disappointed as id have alot of time for WD hurling.

[Bud Wiser]

But I can't see them winning the AI next year, they've too much milage on that clock, it's got nothing to do with age or ability, they're just going stale.
They're lucky in a sense, they put all their efforts into hurling, no football, or other sports like rugby or soccer, even looking at Cork, our team could be massively improved if we could take Cussen and Aidan Walsh from the footballers, they don't have the pressure of the dual codes. They put all their efforts into hurling, and clearly it shows. But this team has been going for a long time, and I know KK people like to tell themselves that every player on the team is replaceable and the lads on the bench, even their "second string" team is as good as the starting team, but they're not. And IF they win it this year, I think it'll be the end of this current KK team. Whether they win it again next season with a new fresh team is another question completley. But the team looks tired and lacks hunger. KK have a lot of gears, and today (this season really) they looked like they could go up another gear if they needed to. But the KK team of last season would just go up the gears as high as they could every game. They look to be getting stale. The only ones that can stop this Kilkenny side, is Kilkenny themselves. And I think that might be the case next season. They look tired. They look like they're forcing it a bit, just doing enough each time, when last season and a few before that, they'd hit up as big a score as they could

   
Nothing like a good laugh to start my Monday morning.  Can you remind me Reillers who won the minor game yesterday. Can you remind me who won last years All-Ireland Minor and U21 Hurling Finals? 

they put all their efforts into hurling, no football,

Well at least they don't go on strike.

[johnneycool]

What tells kilkenny apart from other teams is that they play as a team even when the pressure comes on. They don't normally shoot from mad angles like some of the Waterford lads did yesterday plus they don't miss sitters. Eoin Kelly and Kevin Moran missed good chances in the first half to close the Gap to two or three points, Mullane does wile silly things and runs down blind alleys often with no  return. Very very seldom you'll see a KK forward do that.

Thought Barry Kelly caught some of the quick tugs, pulls, pushes and holding that Kilkenny seem to get away with normally as it's very subtle, enough to slow a man down but normally not enough for a free. They're not the only ones at it but they are the masters at it and I suppose its only a free if you're caught. Eoin Larkin was winning free's by going in low in the tackle which meant the mans hurley/hand was around his neck, cute hoorism, but fair play to him. I wonder if big Dan had tried to take a step or two forward instead of trying to kick it would he have got a penalty as JJ Delaney was hanging out of him at that stage?

All is not lost for Waterford as every now and then they unearth a good young player, the likes of Kearney, Molumpy and now Conners and Walsh, who'll have learned a lot yesterday, need to get a dog of a fullback though.

[INDIANA]

Kilkenny will win the 4 in a row but not the 5 in a row. Looks to me like the edge is going from the current team but people thinking kilkenny are going to enter a slump are codding themselves. Super minor team as was seen yesterday- practically in the all-ireland u21 hurling final. Lads like richie hogan to come in. They may not be as strong as the current unit for a couple of seasons but they aren't going to go away anytime soon.

[Reillers]

Jesus Reillers is it possible for to to talk about hurling without sticking 'Cork' into every second sentence ?

You sound like those evangelist christians who can't have a conversation without mentioning Jesus and how he loves us all.

I didn't say they'd be beaten in the final, but I do think the hunger seems to be going from them. It doesn't really have anything to do with Cork. Like I said, KK have the ability to remake their team. It might be the end of the road for a few players soon enough, but KK being KK can probably produce another 10 stars.
I said they looked to be lacking that intensity this season that they had in the past few, that's all. Hunger's one thing, ability is another. KK are the best team in the country by a mile, but they seem to be lacking that bite and fire that we saw clearly last season.

Now it just proves to me that you don't read my posts at all. I've said twice now in my last posts not to talk Cork. I just said right there that it has nothing to do with Cork. Yet you come along and start complaining all over again without reading a single thing I wrote.

[heffo]

Jesus Reillers is it possible for to to talk about hurling without sticking 'Cork' into every second sentence ?

You sound like those evangelist christians who can't have a conversation without mentioning Jesus and how he loves us all.

I didn't say they'd be beaten in the final, but I do think the hunger seems to be going from them. It doesn't really have anything to do with Cork. Like I said, KK have the ability to remake their team. It might be the end of the road for a few players soon enough, but KK being KK can probably produce another 10 stars.
I said they looked to be lacking that intensity this season that they had in the past few, that's all. Hunger's one thing, ability is another. KK are the best team in the country by a mile, but they seem to be lacking that bite and fire that we saw clearly last season.

Now it just proves to me that you don't read my posts at all. I've said twice now in my last posts not to talk Cork. I just said right there that it has nothing to do with Cork. Yet you come along and start complaining all over again without reading a single thing I wrote.

Your argument would have more credence if you didn't use Cork hurling as a reference point for every post you make.

[EddieMerx]

Hickey back full back and Cha back to fitness will see Kilkenny win this year, add Hogan to the team next year and I think 5 in a row is probable.

[INDIANA]

Hickey back full back and Cha back to fitness will see Kilkenny win this year, add Hogan to the team next year and I think 5 in a row is probable.

Michael Kavanagh can't keep going forever- JJ not happy at full back. Comerford is struggling. If henry has a bad day kilkenny are vunerable. Its just tiredness in my view. Its impossible to keep this going every year.

[Reillers]

Hickey back full back and Cha back to fitness will see Kilkenny win this year, add Hogan to the team next year and I think 5 in a row is probable.

Michael Kavanagh can't keep going forever- JJ not happy at full back. Comerford is struggling. If henry has a bad day kilkenny are vunerable. Its just tiredness in my view. Its impossible to keep this going every year.

And no team can, like I said, it doesn't matter that Cody's their manager or just how good those players are. This KK team has been on the road for God only knows how many years at this stage. Their hunger is lacking this year, and they're doing just enough each game, but that for me is the first sign that they're getting tired, the first sign that they lack the intensity and fight they had the years before. They peaked last season in the AI final, they were the closest thing to perfection, and you can't go anywhere but down from there. It could be the end for this KK team, probably next season, that said obviously Kilkenny being Kilkenny they could just put in another 15 stars and carry on winning the AI with them, but for this KK team, it's almsot near the end of the road. Times catching up on them, they've a lot of mileage on the clock and they've been on this, what seems like, never ending winning streak, but it has to end somewhere.
IMO the best thing that could have happened KK this season was to loose to Galway in the Leinster Championship, because that would give them something to prove or something to improve on. But they didn't, and this streak has to end somewhere. It can't keep going on forever, and either can their players. You can't keep going from year to year. It has to end somewhere, and for this current KK team, it seems that their time could be up some time in the near future.

[orangeman]

Hickey is a major loss at the moment. If JJ was able to play at 7, KK would be a different outfit. The KK underage system is continually producing good players who find it very difficult to get into the senior set up.

KK should win the final. As Indiana says, they mightn't win 5 in a row ( although they might ), but they are not about to enter terminal decline.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Jesus Reillers is it possible for to to talk about hurling without sticking 'Cork' into every second sentence ?

I'm going to take a wild guess and say no. Reillers could turn the discussion of the African nations cup final around to Cork.