Antrim Hurling

Balboa · July 25, 2007, 11:23:03 PM

Quote from: hardstation on July 25, 2007, 11:19:25 PM
Loughguile go at it like fcuk every year. I am beginning to wonder if some of their players are giving up a bit though (i.e. thinking they can't do it).
A talented bunch of players that just can't do it on the day. Dunloy miss it big time though. 3 years in a row without winning it to their players who had great success will be eating away at them. They will be busting to take it again.

I think the change in management may stand to them, Hooker Connolly will have them prepared & ready to win i think, whether they do or not is probably in their head.In any event they will win f**k all without Master Watson firing on all cylinders.

theskull1 · July 25, 2007, 11:26:41 PM

Yawn

What a poor match tonight down in cushendall. Ballycastle were simply dreadful in every area of the game. I'd love to know what they set out to do before the game because they looked headless out on the pitch. A shameful lack of effort. On that performance I can see the Johnnies coming out of that group with no problems whatsoever. They look as if they are up for it this year and will need to be watched.

girt_giggler · July 26, 2007, 08:26:22 AM

Quote from: podge on July 25, 2007, 10:55:25 PM
St Johns won't count for me. Its down to the dall, dunloy and a very outside chance for l'giel (if they get a roll and there is no evidence that they will). Think the dall must be strong favorites.

Bit harsh saying a very outside chance? on their day the big 3 are capable of all beating each other, so why would Loughgiel not have just as much a chance as the other 2?

girt_giggler · July 26, 2007, 08:34:22 AM

As already saidlycastle were woeful last night, and I was one of the folk expecting to put up a decent show as they tend to do against Cushendall. Very dis-organised, lack of any sort of ideas & leadership. To be fair they kept fighting and never gave up despite the match being over as a contest with no more than 10 mins gone. Ryan McGarry in nets was about only one who had a decent game.

Balboa · July 26, 2007, 09:50:12 AM

Quote from: girt_giggler on July 26, 2007, 08:34:22 AM
Ryan McGarry in nets was about only one who had a decet game.

Did Mc Garry not let a couple of soft goals in?

girt_giggler · July 26, 2007, 09:55:53 AM

couldnt really see the goals in first half from where i was standing, even if they were soft it was more to do with some of the shambolic defending in front of him in the first place. remember couple of good saves from him & a superb catch from a high ball under pressure in the 2nd half. thought he was going to be be ko'd couldnt believe it when he came running out with the ball!

yep the watch was so poor i have remembered wee things like this

Balboa · July 26, 2007, 10:34:04 AM

Relegated teams to get league reprieve
26 July 2007

Difficulties over the 'home' and 'away' schedule in the proposed new structure for the 2008 National Hurling Leagues could see the number of teams in Division 1 increased from nine to 12.

That would mean a reprieve for Offaly, Laois and Antrim, all of whom are angry over the decision to relegate them to Division 2 while nine teams competed in the top flight. Offaly manager John McIntyre had strongly argued that it would be counter-productive to have a nine-team elite in the top flight, while counties like Offaly, Laois and Antrim operated at a lower level.

But it now looks as if there will be a major rethink after it emerged that it would take nine weeks to run off a 'home' and 'away' schedule, followed by two more to complete the semi-finals and final and possibly one more to decide on relegation issues.

Admitting that a rethink of the new structure was a possibility, the GAA's Head of Games Pat Daly said: "The way it's set up for 2008 would take up an awful lot of weekends to run off.

"There's no appetite to start the leagues before Christmas, so it has to be run off in spring but there's a limit to the amount of time available. There's a need to keep a decent gap between the end of the league and the start of the championship, while clubs have to be looked after too so that they aren't totally squeezed out by the county activity."

imtommygunn · July 26, 2007, 10:48:46 AM

They need to sort out the thing right and get an eight team division 1, 2,3 and 4. If we had it like this we would have realistic competitive games so have division 1 of kilkenny,cork, waterford, galway, limerick, tipperary,clare and then maybe wexford.

We could then be in division 2 with laois, offaly, dublin etc. Games which would be tough for us but manageable to win therefore division 1 would be an achievable promotion aim where you've actually beat good teams and learnt from it.. This division 2 nonsense at the minute where you could end up beating teams by 50+ points is no good to no-one. Realistically we're not in a position to compete wit the Kilkennys, Corks , Waterfords either so a division 2 with that calibre of teams would be useful enough.

The Offaly manager didn't care about Antrim or Laois either. He wanted a ten team to include his own team Offaly in it.

Balboa · July 26, 2007, 11:01:00 AM

Quote from: imtommygunn on July 26, 2007, 10:48:46 AM
They need to sort out the thing right and get an eight team division 1, 2,3 and 4. If we had it like this we would have realistic competitive games so have division 1 of kilkenny,cork, waterford, galway, limerick, tipperary,clare and then maybe wexford.

We could then be in division 2 with laois, offaly, dublin etc. Games which would be tough for us but manageable to win therefore division 1 would be an achievable promotion aim where you've actually beat good teams and learnt from it.. This division 2 nonsense at the minute where you could end up beating teams by 50+ points is no good to no-one. Realistically we're not in a position to compete wit the Kilkennys, Corks , Waterfords either so a division 2 with that calibre of teams would be useful enough.

The Offaly manager didn't care about Antrim or Laois either. He wanted a ten team to include his own team Offaly in it.

At the minute it is serving us no purpose playing Cork, Kilkenny, Waterford etc I know someone will be coming on here saying to compete with the best you have to play them but how many years have we played Div 1 and how many times have we come straight back down or went into a relegation playoff. It would be of more benefit to play Offaly, Dublin, Laois, teams of that calibre. What did our players learn this year getting hammered by Galway, Kilkenny and Limerick in the league?

imtommygunn · July 26, 2007, 11:16:57 AM

Exactly - at the minute it's either hammer or be hammered for teams like Antrim the way the leagues stand with the very odd exception. This really needs to be sorted out for the good of hurling in general.

We are at the level of teams like Dublin and with a bit of work could hopefully overtake Offaly and Wexford. Dublin are progressing but even with their good young players I think we can progress as well and better than them if we sort out the club games and get a good competitive national league and I think the club leagues are definitely moving in the right direction.

Guillem2 · July 27, 2007, 07:15:44 AM

Playing the likes of Meath. Roscommon, Kildare & Down will do nothing for Antrim hurling. I hope they see sense.

Balboa · July 27, 2007, 08:16:03 AM

Quote from: Guillem2 on July 27, 2007, 07:15:44 AM
Playing the likes of Meath. Roscommon, Kildare & Down will do nothing for Antrim hurling. I hope they see sense.

And playing the likes of Kilkenny, Cork & Waterford will do nothing for Antrim hurling either.

girt_giggler · July 27, 2007, 11:56:23 AM

thought i had noticed that early on in the game but didnt take any notice at the time or have a look to see who it was.

not much any potential opposition could have taken from the game in my opinion, was all too easy.

NAG · July 27, 2007, 12:28:17 PM

Sure Glenariffe have already videoed Dunloy this year, dont think it will help them for sunday.

Dunloy's team hasnt been settled all year and i would expect a few changes on sunday again.

Never saw Ballycastle worse than the other night, did anyone spot the back pass to the goalie which lead to the 2nd goal.
Looked like the town had done alot of short drills as their long striking was terrible.

Dont think loughgiel are going to contend, too many kicks in the teeth makes them look like a demoralised team.

slow corner back · July 27, 2007, 08:14:05 PM

Loughgiel have to overcome St Galls, Glenariffe and Lamh Dearg to make a semi final. While it would be great for hurling in the county if one of these could spring a surprise I just cant see it. After that the shams are in a semi facing C,Dall, St Johns, Ballycastle or Rossa. If its the Dall they are in trouble if its not the dall then they will be in their fifth final in five years. Even going by the law of averages they are bound to win one eventually. All this talk of loughgiel being down in the mouth sounds like guff to me. Cushendall, going for three in a row are the team to beat, obviously. Dunloy and Loughgiel are close on their tails with a bit of a gap to the next level of contender, St Johns Rossa etc. Would love to see someone from outside the big three pull off a shock and make a final at least but cant see it to be honest.