Antrim Hurling

[Milltown Row2]

Yeah they have done great work and while Carryduff took a big hammering they did well to win Down and break the monopoly of the Ards lads.

Bredagh have done great work also, we have had them over the past 8/9 years at tournaments and they have improved greatly and winning everything along the way. A good club man has a son their (lives over that direction) and is working with them, a fella steeped in Galls hurling no doubt, he has told me about the great work they are doing of late. 

But as already has been said only if the standard is raised in the city and dropped in Down will that happen. I would want Belfast teams up there just for the sake of it. Even though i believe we would be a better hurling team if we were playing at a higher standard every week as a club, Skull

[saffronog]

Bredagh senior hurlers wouldn't share the enthusiasm, reckon very few young lads to make break through, its team for oul fellas.  Mr2 did your ears prickly up there.  Some good teams in div 2, think its from galls, rossa, and glenariffe.  Sneaky suspicion for da rassa.  Put much depends on personal retiring etc.

[theskull1]

I for one would miss the down clubs from the Antrim leagues. Theres an honesty and passion in the way they play league matches that is rarely matched by the mid to lower placed antrim teams in division1. As tommy has said there's been benifits both ways.

It's not a foregone conclusion that playing at a higher standard will improve your game (ask Sarsfields how they got on about 10-12 years ago) To improve in standards milltown players need to respect the game. To me that means spending the right amount of time working on skill improvement in training and then going out and playing the game at as high an intensity that they can and stay focused on learning and improving rather than letting demotivation take over. Teams that do that will improve

[Seamroga in exile]

Loughgiel and cushendall are competitive year on year btdtgtt. Not sure how dunloy are going at underage.

St Johns have had a number of exceptional underage teams in the not that distant past and seem to struggle to bring them through to senior so most people will reserve judgement for a while.

It would be good if st johns and rossa stepped it up though. At the minute it's beginning to look like even the strongest down teams may struggle in antrim division 1 so maybe we'll see a day with no down teams there if the city teams step it up - who knows.

I don't think that this would be a bad thing at all. I'm all for progress in ulster hurling but being an Antrim man, I'd prefer Antrim teams in the top division. It can only be good for the county team.

[Caveat]: As long as a drop in standards isn't the reason why those additonal Antrim team make it into Div1

Well, if the Down teams end up not in div. 1. their standards have dropped. I'd prefer to have Antrim teams of a similar quality to the Down teams in Division 1.

[btdtgtt]

Yes it will be interesting to see if bredagh & carryduff develop into senior hurling - do St brigids play hurling?

I also fancy Rossa to make moves from div2 - they need the older lads but haven't heard retirements and a load of young guys Altho they will have to get full team out for a change. Lamh dearg will also Continue strong Belfast representation and I suspect so many trips to the big smoke will take toll on oisins. Div2 is a great league - Altho when the caravan is open I still like a div1 trip up the glens!

[Seamroga in exile]

Yes it will be interesting to see if bredagh & carryduff develop into senior hurling - do St brigids play hurling?

I also fancy Rossa to make moves from div2 - they need the older lads but haven't heard retirements and a load of young guys Altho they will have to get full team out for a change. Lamh dearg will also Continue strong Belfast representation and I suspect so many trips to the big smoke will take toll on oisins. Div2 is a great league - Altho when the caravan is open I still like a div1 trip up the glens!

I know St Brigids had a hurling team a couple of years ago. I haven't heard much since then though.

[Milltown Row2]

Bredagh senior hurlers wouldn't share the enthusiasm, reckon very few young lads to make break through, its team for oul fellas.  Mr2 did your ears prickly up there.  Some good teams in div 2, think its from galls, rossa, and glenariffe.  Sneaky suspicion for da rassa.  Put much depends on personal retiring etc.

As I'm sure you are aware saff, Bredagh hammered your club and won their div and the Down intermediate title along the way, their enthusiasm is far Superior to a lot of Antrim teams. Your knowledge in that respect is crap.

So i take it that Dunloy failed to respect the game this year when soundly beaten Skull by a team that only pays hurling lip service?

[theskull1]

So i take it that Dunloy failed to respect the game this year when soundly beaten Skull by a team that only pays hurling lip service?

Poor attitude in some areas and poor basic technique in others played a part in our performaces in the championship this year so I'd have to say yes.

[Sleeping giant]

Maybe taking a team for granted 1st day out, but then 2nd day again,   id say Dunloy were beaten by a far better team.  only for a goal keeper fumble, Galls would of been contesting two Antrim finals in the one year.  Don't think this has ever been done, if Galls improve half as much this year as they did last year, will cause problems again this year!  Galls and Rossa for sure on up but i don't see St Johns doing anything IMO

[theskull1]

  FFS  ...I was answering a specific question asked by MR.

What in my reply just now or indeed my comments prior to and just after the games with St Galls ever suggested that I didn't believe we were beat by a better team? The answer of course is NOTHING. In fact I have openly stated that I believe we were beaten by the better team. 
I get youse are enjoying your new status as the best team in Antrim but have a bit of class and quit trying to twist and stir at every fecking opertunity to get it into your nearest and dearest . Maybe you haven't the wit to do so.

[Sleeping giant]

uckkkk poor baby!!  put the toys back in pram!!  not as if we didnt have to listen to jabs at every chance, so dry them!!

[the waffler]

That's  not the case if they have been underperforming Skull. Carryduff have won the Down minor championship this year so ther has been a steady decline of the Down teams, but Portaferry have always managed to beat us handy every year, decent team to.

I don't understand what youre saying there milltown

It could be argued that Carryduff winning minor is a sign that the south belfast clubs with the numbers they have are making good progress as much as I'm not saying that the ards clubs may have dipped. I fully expect Bredagh and/or Carryduff to be competing for senior titles in the next 10 years. Lots of kids and lots of interested coaches will bring this about.

none of the two belfast teams will compete in down  shc in 10 yrs time both nowhere near or likely to be senior in that time having watched them both portaferry and ballygalget rebuilding with ypunger guys the crans young but year or two on down the line

[Seamroga in exile]

That's  not the case if they have been underperforming Skull. Carryduff have won the Down minor championship this year so ther has been a steady decline of the Down teams, but Portaferry have always managed to beat us handy every year, decent team to.

I don't understand what youre saying there milltown

It could be argued that Carryduff winning minor is a sign that the south belfast clubs with the numbers they have are making good progress as much as I'm not saying that the ards clubs may have dipped. I fully expect Bredagh and/or Carryduff to be competing for senior titles in the next 10 years. Lots of kids and lots of interested coaches will bring this about.

none of the two belfast teams will compete in down  shc in 10 yrs time both nowhere near or likely to be senior in that time having watched them both portaferry and ballygalget rebuilding with ypunger guys the crans young but year or two on down the line

Going by Ballycran's performance in the Ulster final this year and Ballygalget's in the semi last year there's a fair bit of rebuilding needed yet. I don't really buy into this 'rebuilding' fad'. it seems to be the mantra of poor teams (in any sport) who are basically admitting that they've been ignoring their youth development, club facilities etc. We were as guilty of it as anyone in the last 15 years or so until the last 7 -8 years. Dunloy are going through the same at the minute.

Surely all this 'rebuilding' is a get out clause for clubs indolence and poor management.

[Seamroga in exile]

FFS  ...I was answering a specific question asked by MR.

What in my reply just now or indeed my comments prior to and just after the games with St Galls ever suggested that I didn't believe we were beat by a better team? The answer of course is NOTHING. In fact I have openly stated that I believe we were beaten by the better team. 
I get youse are enjoying your new status as the best team in Antrim but have a bit of class and quit trying to twist and stir at every fecking opertunity to get it into your nearest and dearest . Maybe you haven't the wit to do so.

Now, now Skull. We've had plenty to listen to from your lot and the others over the mountain for the last 20 odd years. Don't be coming on here trying to take any moral high ground in that regard. Yous are no saints when it comes to stirring. Remember the banner in Casement a few years back? We don't! So as SG says, dry 'em!

[theskull1]

FFS  ...I was answering a specific question asked by MR.

What in my reply just now or indeed my comments prior to and just after the games with St Galls ever suggested that I didn't believe we were beat by a better team? The answer of course is NOTHING. In fact I have openly stated that I believe we were beaten by the better team. 
I get youse are enjoying your new status as the best team in Antrim but have a bit of class and quit trying to twist and stir at every fecking opertunity to get it into your nearest and dearest . Maybe you haven't the wit to do so.

Now, now Skull. We've had plenty to listen to from your lot and the others over the mountain for the last 20 odd years. Don't be coming on here trying to take any moral high ground in that regard. Yous are no saints when it comes to stirring. Remember the banner in Casement a few years back? We don't! So as SG says, dry 'em!

Well that is the justification of a childish fool right there. The lack of reasoning is astonishing.