Antrim Hurling

[Milltown Row2]

Does this back up my statement a while back, that a competitive Div 2 doesnt necessarily mean a better Div 2?

If Loughgiel hammer Dunloy by 15 points, will that make div 1 more competitive? Don't see your point NAG1

[imtommygunn]

The reality is though - teams are in division 2 for a reason. Of course the standard won't be as good - that's why it's division 2.

Loughgiel are all ireland champions so are quite clearly a very good team. Rossa don't qualify as being the best x(5 is it?) teams in antrim so are obviously off that pace. I wouldn't be sure playing a lower standard of hurling would have that big a bearing.

[saffron89]

think Dim Dim does get quite well looked after from PJ but you have to consider the following:

he puts in a massive effort and has by the look of him got himself into good shape
has potential though hard to get it out of him, when he gets going he can be a handful and move and break alot of ball
he brings a physical presence that the shamrock forward unit needs with some of their nippy men ie Casey and mcGarry in the corner.
In saying that he needs to start delivering but i suppose PJ left him as long as he could to try and build that confidence.  Dim Dim got fair abuse form Bell who was lucky to stay on at times with some of the high pulls, and shams full back i hear was pretty rusty

[NAG1]

MR2 my point was that we had a debate a while back and everyone was saying what a great league it was and I said just because it was competitive didnt make it a good league. That was it. Also there was follow up debate questioning the value of have the 3 down teams in the league at the expense of some Antrim teams and I argued that until the Div 2 teams were up to the standard of the Down teams then there was no argument about their inclusion.

Going by the results of the big three this year and the scoring in their games there hasnt been much in it, granted LG will kick on now that they are back into full swing.

[winker3716]

Well, that's us over the first hurdle with relative ease. Not much of a test really once we got going.  I certainly thought Rossa hurled well in patches but no major threat to our lads.

[Milltown Row2]

MR2 my point was that we had a debate a while back and everyone was saying what a great league it was and I said just because it was competitive didnt make it a good league. That was it. Also there was follow up debate questioning the value of have the 3 down teams in the league at the expense of some Antrim teams and I argued that until the Div 2 teams were up to the standard of the Down teams then there was no argument about their inclusion.

Going by the results of the big three this year and the scoring in their games there hasnt been much in it, granted LG will kick on now that they are back into full swing.

Check the Down teams results this year, they have not been great, Ballygalget are on -69 Points score difference Ballycran on -35 Not great, so to finish up, a while back the Down teams did fair well in the league they haven't been great of late.

[NAG1]

No arguments on that one MR2, but Im talking over a period of time when it was being argued that they were detrimental to the Antrim teams. My point being that unless the Antrim teams can get to their level and passed it then they deserve to be where they are.

[Milltown Row2]

No arguments on that one MR2, but Im talking over a period of time when it was being argued that they were detrimental to the Antrim teams. My point being that unless the Antrim teams can get to their level and passed it then they deserve to be where they are.

I believe If we played in div 1 now we wouldn't be bottom, attitudes for training differ when teams are in Div 1, whilst being a dual club it would be just as important to train hard for hurling as football, this is due to the fact that players would be raising their game against better opposition.

[imtommygunn]

Do you think the down teams should be in division 1 MR??

[NAG1]

No arguments on that one MR2, but Im talking over a period of time when it was being argued that they were detrimental to the Antrim teams. My point being that unless the Antrim teams can get to their level and passed it then they deserve to be where they are.

I believe If we played in div 1 now we wouldn't be bottom, attitudes for training differ when teams are in Div 1, whilst being a dual club it would be just as important to train hard for hurling as football, this is due to the fact that players would be raising their game against better opposition.

But what would happen then, when it came to holiday season and then after that when the football started to get up and running properly? would you still be competitive and able to run both teams as a Div one team should be?

[Milltown Row2]

Do you think the down teams should be in division 1 MR??

Yes I've no problem with the Down teams. We've never beaten Portaferry and only once were we close to them, the other teams? we've been very competitive with.

No arguments on that one MR2, but Im talking over a period of time when it was being argued that they were detrimental to the Antrim teams. My point being that unless the Antrim teams can get to their level and passed it then they deserve to be where they are.

I believe If we played in div 1 now we wouldn't be bottom, attitudes for training differ when teams are in Div 1, whilst being a dual club it would be just as important to train hard for hurling as football, this is due to the fact that players would be raising their game against better opposition.

But what would happen then, when it came to holiday season and then after that when the football started to get up and running properly? would you still be competitive and able to run both teams as a Div one team should be?

All clubs have players away on hols or main players out with injuries, we've struggled this year with our two main scoring players out with injury. That's the form for every club. It's about maximizing your team when playing teams of similar standard and gaining points off them, the better teams you need your full team no doubt.

We won't be winning football championships for ever......

[samboswig]

No shame.

Disappointing scoreline but a fair reflection on where the two teams are. Will give more later but have to say, Kettle hurled his ballix off for us.

Well done Loch gCaol by the way. Upped it and we couldn't cope.

Seen these on the Rossa twitter feed of Kettle - some boyo still

http://www.flickr.com/photos/herbrm/7718328676/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/herbrm/7718324750/in/photostream/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/herbrm/7718365496/in/set-72157630915788110/

Johnny McGuinness

http://www.flickr.com/photos/herbrm/7718337080/in/set-72157630915788110

[north_antrim_hound]

No arguments on that one MR2, but Im talking over a period of time when it was being argued that they were detrimental to the Antrim teams. My point being that unless the Antrim teams can get to their level and passed it then they deserve to be where they are.

I believe If we played in div 1 now we wouldn't be bottom, attitudes for training differ when teams are in Div 1, whilst being a dual club it would be just as important to train hard for hurling as football, this is due to the fact that players would be raising their game against better opposition.
[/quote

If St Galls where a single code hurling club with the player talent they have at the minute they would have as much chance as LG of a senior title. its been said on here before that the dual thing is more detrimental now than ever and i agree.

[imtommygunn]

NAH there's nothing to back-up what you say there at all in my view. Yes St Galls have done well in the hurling in that they got a good run last year and got to the AI intermediate the other year but a lot of what they have is just potential. They have the potential to do really well but so do rossa and so do st johns and the like. If they hadn't the football they would be unlikely to be just as fit and play at the intensity that nearly got them to a final last year.

Someone said St Johns had won 2 minor titles which wans't that many but st galls haven't won any to the best of my knowledge?

I don't want to knock them but there are a lot of what ifs about them. What if they were in division 1, what if they were a one code clud etc etc . Doesn't really matter though does it.

[Milltown Row2]

NAH there's nothing to back-up what you say there at all in my view. Yes St Galls have done well in the hurling in that they got a good run last year and got to the AI intermediate the other year but a lot of what they have is just potential. They have the potential to do really well but so do rossa and so do st johns and the like. If they hadn't the football they would be unlikely to be just as fit and play at the intensity that nearly got them to a final last year.

Someone said St Johns had won 2 minor titles which wans't that many but st galls haven't won any to the best of my knowledge?

I don't want to knock them but there are a lot of what ifs about them. What if they were in division 1, what if they were a one code clud etc etc . Doesn't really matter though does it.

We can debate this all day, a lot of chat on these things is what if, over the past 8 years we have managed two semi finals, beat by Loughgiel by 3 points one year and Cushendall by a point last year, means nowt really. Rossa have won a championship a few years ago and they always have potential to gather a team up to win Championship some year.

St Johns, well they have plenty talent at juvenile level but very rarely makes it to senior. Football believe it or not still the dominate force at Corrigan as it is at our club. Rossa have a great record at football but would be the opposite to us and the Johnnies.

If our club/players had have said after the All Ireland success that we will concentrate on hurling for a while then it could have paid dividends, but that's unfair on a lot of players, the pain of a dual club. If we played one code (hurling) then I really believe we would be consistently challenging for honours. No guarantee that we'd win but challenging all the same.

Karl Stewarts team won Minor championship, hurling and fooking football one year