Antrim Hurling

[btdtgtt]

Just reading the hogan stand website;

"The league is over and done with now. A nice bit of progress from last year. We will let the lads back to their clubs now and let them come back fresh to us," said Whelehan

But Antrim know better. We don't need club hurling.

Easier for him to say that. Antrim have a relegation play off & Offaly don't have to play in the Round Robin. There's league games on this weekend which county players will be playing in.

The point is the willingness of other counties (indeed the necessity) to foster the club season - most normally Cody.
Antrim have no interest in this - leaving the club season at the mercy the county team.
And the simple fact is that it's not working.

[hurlingstick]

The big clubs couldn't care less about league. Our club scene this year will come down to 3 games and for me that is a major issue.

[theskull1]

The big clubs couldn't care less about league. Our club scene this year will come down to 3 games and for me that is a major issue.

I think that's a lazy comment that wouldn't stand up to scrutiny. Are you really happy with that statement

[cfclg]

Lets not fool ourselves here. The hard truth is that our county team/squad is not good enough for division 1B. Our current crop of players are at a division 2 standard. Take our 3/4 best performers (McAuley/Graffin/Shorty/McManus), none of them would get onto the starting Tipperary/Dublin/Kilkenny/Waterford/Limerick/Cork teams. Not good enough. Its not their fault, they dedicate their lives to this county but we have not given them strong enough coaching at a younger age to make them good enough at senior level. Club scene also needs to be addressed. Why should a very poor county team, which we are, hold the club scene to ransom every year with this circus.

Lets forget about our big ideas on the intercounty front for a while, drop down to division 2, bring in an antrim man as manager, focus on club scene and put more effort into developing the youth. Just my opinion

[theskull1]

I've suggested similar in the past.

[hurlingstick]

The. They big clubs couldn't  care less about  league. Our club scene this year will come down to 3 games and for me that is a major issue.

I think that's a lazy comment that wouldn't stand up to scrutiny. Are you really happy with that statement
[/quote

There is no promotion as a result. There is no relegation. There is no incentive (it doesn't get you to an ulster or all Ireland) There is minimal intensity to these league games. They are simply used as preparation for championship. The best team in the county year in year out is considered to be the championship winners, not league. Skull, you know very well it's all about championship. Who are you kidding?

[Sleeping giant]

The big clubs couldn't care less about league. Our club scene this year will come down to 3 games and for me that is a major issue.

I think that's a lazy comment that wouldn't stand up to scrutiny. Are you really happy with that statement

never ever does any club, should it be mc auley cup, feis cup, league, or championship, go onto the pitch with anything other than winning in mind. 

[johnneycool]

The big clubs couldn't care less about league. Our club scene this year will come down to 3 games and for me that is a major issue.

I think that's a lazy comment that wouldn't stand up to scrutiny. Are you really happy with that statement

never ever does any club, should it be mc auley cup, feis cup, league, or championship, go onto the pitch with anything other than winning in mind.

Agreed,
    The problem is that the 'big' clubs can afford to leave out/rest some of their first choicers and still win most games handy enough.
Its up to the rest of us to improve and push them harder all the way to make the leagues more cut throat.

[btdtgtt]

Lets not fool ourselves here. The hard truth is that our county team/squad is not good enough for division 1B. Our current crop of players are at a division 2 standard. Take our 3/4 best performers (McAuley/Graffin/Shorty/McManus), none of them would get onto the starting Tipperary/Dublin/Kilkenny/Waterford/Limerick/Cork teams. Not good enough. Its not their fault, they dedicate their lives to this county but we have not given them strong enough coaching at a younger age to make them good enough at senior level. Club scene also needs to be addressed. Why should a very poor county team, which we are, hold the club scene to ransom every year with this circus.

Lets forget about our big ideas on the intercounty front for a while, drop down to division 2, bring in an antrim man as manager, focus on club scene and put more effort into developing the youth. Just my opinion

Couldn't have put it better myself. So true.

[hurlingstick]

The big clubs couldn't care less about league. Our club scene this year will come down to 3 games and for me that is a major issue.

I think that's a lazy comment that wouldn't stand up to scrutiny. Are you really happy with that statement

never ever does any club, should it be mc auley cup, feis cup, league, or championship, go onto the pitch with anything other than winning in mind.

Mcauley cup this year - Ballycastle

[Sleeping giant]

Maybe I should speak for my own club then just. 

[getevennotcross]

Lets not fool ourselves here. The hard truth is that our county team/squad is not good enough for division 1B. Our current crop of players are at a division 2 standard. Take our 3/4 best performers (McAuley/Graffin/Shorty/McManus), none of them would get onto the starting Tipperary/Dublin/Kilkenny/Waterford/Limerick/Cork teams. Not good enough. Its not their fault, they dedicate their lives to this county but we have not given them strong enough coaching at a younger age to make them good enough at senior level. Club scene also needs to be addressed. Why should a very poor county team, which we are, hold the club scene to ransom every year with this circus.

Lets forget about our big ideas on the intercounty front for a while, drop down to division 2, bring in an antrim man as manager, focus on club scene and put more effort into developing the youth. Just my opinion

+1

Extremely unfair to Westmeath and Kerry also, finish with no pints in Div. 1B, and still get a life line playing the eventual winners of 2A!

Hardly seems fair in my book, what can the motivation be for the teams in Div. 2A?  I am not so sure about having a domestic in place managing Antrim, too much baggage to handle. 

I am still of the opinion of going outside the county, but lets get someone credible. e.g. Gerald McCarthy, Donal O'Grady, Justin McCarthy, Eamon Creggan, Cyril Farrell, Babs or Nicky English?  If Dinny and Ryan are not good enough to manage Tipp and Waterford respectively, maybe we are looking at 2nd rate messiahs and should look elsewhere, but do we have the money to pay? 

In the final analysis, I would have to agree that we have no god given right to remain in Div. 1B, maybe just a token gesture by Croke Park in an attempt to keep hurling alive in Ulster.  A trifle hard and in some respects immoral treating Div. 2A teams in such a manner.

[bannside]

So Kevin and Dinny can now be seen as second rate Messiah's and not the real deal. How grossly convenient! Let's blame the manager again because our players cant/ wont/arnt able to do it. Dinny and Kevin are two 100% capable hurling men who gave/are giving huge amounts for Antrim hurling.

Maybe it's time to realise that we just cannot put out 15 players to match the better teams.

[Sleeping giant]

So Kevin and Dinny can now be seen as second rate Messiah's and not the real deal. How grossly convenient! Let's blame the manager again because our players cant/ wont/arnt able to do it. Dinny and Kevin are two 100% capable hurling men who gave/are giving huge amounts for Antrim hurling.

Maybe it's time to realise that we just cannot put out 15 players to match the better teams.

+1. Dinny had us playing as good as we can expect in his 1st spell.  It's time the players that's there take responsibility. There so happy and everything is the way they want it to be.  So if the results aren't coming.  It's time for D2.  End of

[getevennotcross]

So Kevin and Dinny can now be seen as second rate Messiah's and not the real deal. How grossly convenient! Let's blame the manager again because our players cant/ wont/arnt able to do it. Dinny and Kevin are two 100% capable hurling men who gave/are giving huge amounts for Antrim hurling.

Maybe it's time to realise that we just cannot put out 15 players to match the better teams. 

A fair point indeed, its the players on the pitch on any given day will determine our results (or lack of them).  But lame and repetitive excuses from managers are doing nothing for us either.

I would have to agree, we do not have our best 15 at our disposal and cannot blame the manager for that, or maybe in some respects we can!