Antrim Hurling

[btdtgtt]

Ah now Mr2 - I get accused of being anit-Rossa so ate my humble pie and now I'm jumping on a supposed bandwagon!

Well I will roll with the punches!

Look I understand you see everything from a Galls perspective but I'm able to stand back a bit - I'm not sure teams target games in the way you say. Also if thats what Galls would be doing its just not in the spirit of the league - becasue it affects other teams standing on when they play fixtures (ie) against a strong/weak side. While there will always be an element of this I think its not genuine if thats st galls intentions.

I understand your hope that div1 might encourage galls to commit more to hurling - but bog ball will always be the priority whilst that current side is successful. And you cannot dispute your div2 record this year is not worthy of elevation to div1 - thats just a fact!

Maybe you need to look in a mirror down milltown if you think galls are worthy of promotion at the minute.

[Milltown Row2]

Ah now Mr2 - I get accused of being anit-Rossa so ate my humble pie and now I'm jumping on a supposed bandwagon!

Well I will roll with the punches!

Look I understand you see everything from a Galls perspective but I'm able to stand back a bit - I'm not sure teams target games in the way you say. Also if thats what Galls would be doing its just not in the spirit of the league - becasue it affects other teams standing on when they play fixtures (ie) against a strong/weak side. While there will always be an element of this I think its not genuine if thats st galls intentions.

I understand your hope that div1 might encourage galls to commit more to hurling - but bog ball will always be the priority whilst that current side is successful. And you cannot dispute your div2 record this year is not worthy of elevation to div1 - thats just a fact!

Maybe you need to look in a mirror down milltown if you think galls are worthy of promotion at the minute.

I've already stated numerous times I hope it doesny go ahead, Ive been trying to get the leagues to go two up two down for years, but to no avail. Football has been doing that for years but those who vote in hurling circles prefer the one up one down method.

Why would I need a mirror?

As for not being sure teams target teams at home, well that's just bullshite, the Down teams (No offence Johnny) will win more games at home and this is where they generate the points to keep them up.

The tactic I was talking about, and at no point did I say we wouldn't travel with a team, was to stifle the tough teams away from home by filling defence and midfield with an extra player or two to close space down, not pretty and sacrifices your scoring, it's very disheartening coming away with 20 point defeats.

Any manager worth his salt looks at the fixture list at the start of the year and looks to see what teams they can beat with the squad available to them. He also sets his stall out for Championship.

[manballandall]

Have to totally agree with MR2 and its not very often i do that . I have no doubt that St Johns, Ballycastle, the Down teams, and possibly even Dunloy, the Dall and the shamrocks all field stronger teams at home. Playing at home has an advantage and teams try to strengthen this advantage by playing stronger teams at home...its no secret...have a look at this years results , everyone is at it.
Bally cran beat dunloy easy at home yet were beat easy away...

Portaferry drew with loughuile at home yet were beat easy away...
St Johns beat portaferry handy at home yet were beat handy away....

loughuile destroyed ballycran at home yet only by a few away

The list goes on and on...

As MR2 has already said, every team will target their home games as games where they will try and have the strongest team available....nobody travels with a full squad for one reason or another unless of course you can tell me different btdgtt ?

There has also been plenty of heavy defeats dished out in Div 1 this year too...does this mean that we should just restrict the Div 1 to the Top 4 ? bUt there has even been strange results amongst them too...maybe you btdtgtt can explain the following results other than teams not fielding full strength ?

Loughuile beat cran by 18
Dunloy beat castle by 13
Castle beat by 12 at home
Castle beat dunloy by 23
castle beat dall by 8

Interesting

[BlackandAmber]

explain the following results other than teams not fielding full strength ?

Loughuile beat cran by 18
Dunloy beat castle by 13
Castle beat by 12 at home
Castle beat dunloy by 23
castle beat dall by 8

Dunloy beat castle by 13 ----  that was the day after the u-21 final & the Town had 8/9 u-21s on

Castle beat by 12 at home --- that was Loughgeil and it was a dire performance tho we might have been missin 1 or 2

Castle beat dunloy by 23 ---- that was the week before the championship final and Dunloy put out subs and minors

castle beat dall by 8 ----- McManus & McNaughten were in america

[btdtgtt]

Thanks for the inside knowledge b&a - I really think u galls boys are reading too much into this targeting games thing. Probably because it fits in with milltown.

Now asides from B&A's points - poor results away from home can also be explained by home advantage, away teams sometimes get straight out of a car and on to a pitch - and let's face it some players are less committed with the game not on their doorstep.

Are we seriously debating why teams do better at home?! I mean look at any sport! You guys are over-thinking this!
I just don't see managers selectively telling players to stay at home because "we are not targeting this game".
Quite frankly it's nonsense.

If galls adopt this strategy it's because of their football situation - dont think for one minute that guys in one code clubs are declining much needed games!

[Seamroga in exile]

A lot of our games were fielded by weakened teams this season because of our all Ireland run. We were training non stop for basically 2 years. The team were given the option of resting from March until training started again in June. Some did, some didn't.

[Milltown Row2]

explain the following results other than teams not fielding full strength ?

Loughuile beat cran by 18
Dunloy beat castle by 13
Castle beat by 12 at home
Castle beat dunloy by 23
castle beat dall by 8

Dunloy beat castle by 13 ----  that was the day after the u-21 final & the Town had 8/9 u-21s on So you don't have a strong panel then?
 

Castle beat by 12 at home --- that was Loughgeil and it was a dire performance tho we might have been missin 1 or 2 so was it because your lads thought 'f**k it's Loughgiel don't bother' an so not take the league seriously

Castle beat dunloy by 23 ---- that was the week before the championship final and Dunloy put out subs and minors So didn't take it seriously?

castle beat dall by 8 ----- McManus & McNaughten were in america Cushendalls main players weren't taking prepartion seriously

All clubs have reasons for losing games, christ I could do that all day long. Means nowt really

[theskull1]

No one will be glad to see youse coming in the gate MR2 if youse intend to intentionally travel with a gather up for away games. Give me an ards team every time

[Milltown Row2]

No one will be glad to see youse coming in the gate MR2 if youse intend to intentionally travel with a gather up for away games. Give me an ards team every time

Yeah and I said we'd travel with an intentionally weakened team? Wouldn't need to take a weaken team to Dunloy sure

Your losing the point of the argument debate, First off I said that it wouldn't be good for us yet to move up to Div 1 secondly I said that playing the top 2 teams away is difficult and I said we'd need to employ different tactic, packed defence/midfield.

The Rossa poster (not HS) said that we'd be getting tankings from all the teams if we went up, It didn't happen too many times before and I doubt very much it would happen again, looking at the table some teams took a tanking and managed to get to a final.

So if you can find my post were I said we'd travel with a 'gather up' then fine, your post my stand

[theskull1]

I can't say that we would be able to ensure we have full squads available for the league campaign but there will certainly be a train of thought to target home games and make sure the strongest team is out. Away games a different tactic would need to be employed. Will the reserves get a game? I might get another run out 

[btdtgtt]

Firstly MR2 since u are searching thru posts can u find the one where I said galls would get tanked every time? I already corrected you that I said "sarsfields and others" which did not include galls because I had already dealt with them separately.

Secondly, I believe u spoke of targeting specific games so that else could u mean apart from this new smoke screen thing about packing midfield?! I think other posters have shown the contempt that exists for a team fielding weakend sides and de-valuing the whole league. Mandandball ur fellow galls man actually tried to build an argument that this already happens so its obviously on galls radar. (Loughiel situation in doin this was obviously unique and they nearly won league - congrats dall by the way)

And lastly, I did indeed eat humble pie HS and deservedly so! Rossa frustrate me but I am genuinely happy to see them back at the top table and thing look on the up. MR2 I never wore the jersey if the self-appointed premier club - but friends and a camogie niece let me hop on the div1 bandwagon (sarcasm wiith my man city top on)

[Seamroga in exile]

From the county site:

http://antrim.gaa.ie/news/details/?id=3591


Senior Hurling - players meeting


The following players are requested to attend a meeting with Kevin Ryan on Monday 17th October at 7pm sharp at the Dunsilly Hotel.

1   Kevin Barry McShane   Ballycastle   
2   Neal McAuley   Ballycastle   
3   Cormac Donnelly   Ballycastle   
4   Ryan McGarry Ballycastle   
5   Stephen Mc Afee   Ballycastle   
6   Mathew Donnelly   Ballycastle   
7   Sean McLaughlin   Carey Faughs   
8   James Black   Carey Faughs   
9   P J O'Connell   Clooney Gaels   
10   Paul Shiels   Dunloy   
11   Nigel Elliott   Dunloy   
12   James Mc Keague   Dunloy   
13   Kevin Mc Keague   Dunloy   
14   Conor Mc Kinley   Dunloy   
15   Kevin Molloy   Dunloy   
16   Desi Mc Lean   Gortnamona
17   Conor McCann   Kickhams Creggan   
18   Declan Lynch   Lamh Dhearg   
19   Michael Herron   Lamh Dhearg   
20   DD Quinn     Loughgiel   
21   Barney Mc Auley   Loughgiel   
22   Joey Scullion Loughgiel   
23   Eddie Mc Closkey   Loughgiel   
24   Liam Watson   Loughgiel   
25   Chris O Connell     Loughgiel   
26   Johnny Campbell Loughgiel   
27   James Campbell Loughgiel   
28   Ronan Mc Closkey   Loughgiel   
29   Michael Armstrong O Donovan Rossa   
30   Jonathon McGuiness   O Donovan Rossa   
31   Stevie Shannon   O Donovan Rossa   
32   Chris Mc Guinness O Donovan Rossa   
33   Seánán McToal Oisin's   
34   Mark Nulty   Oisin's   
35   Michael Gettens   Oisin's
36   Paddy Mc Naughton   Ruairi Og   
37   Shane McNaughton   Ruairi Og   
38   Neil McManus   Ruairi Og   
39   Arron Graffin   Ruairi Og   
40   Conor Carson   Ruairi Og   
41   Ciarnán Rea   Sarsfields   
42   Mark Rea   Sarsfields   
43   Kevin Mc Kernan   Sarsfields   
44   Darren Hamill   Shane O'Neill's   
45   Conor Laverty   St Brigids C,mills   
46   Michael Devlin   St Brigids C,mills   
47   Kieran McGourty   St Gall's   
48   Karl Stewart   St Gall's   
49   Conal Morgan   St Johns   
50   Colm McFall   St John's   
51   Simon McCrory   St John's   
52   Barry McFall   St John's

They must mean the Monday 15th or Wednesday 17th.

[Minder]

Monday isn't the 17 October !

[Seamroga in exile]

Monday isn't the 17 October !

I hear it's definitely Monday 15th. 

[btdtgtt]

Any glaring omissions?

Not that there should be with 52 named!