Antrim Hurling

[btdtgtt]

I believe I have spoke of the Johnnies on more than one occasion shoebox!
Certainly the pick of the Belfast teams.
Rossa's win last night puts them firmly above St Galls in the urban pecking order but St John's can claim top dogs in that mythical competition.
Division 2's annual superior competitiveness is muted this year howeve with the promotion/relegation non-entity.

[NAG1]

They're scoring well but most importantly getting wins. They always seemed to be on the wrong side of tight games for a few years but seemed to hsve turned a corner but like Ballycastle will probably always be also rans in the SHC.

Re: Div 2. No promotion is a cat one but the relegation of 4 teams should make the bottom/mid part of the table very competitive.

Lads they have done much the same for the past 10/15 years, hard to beat at home on their day on the road tricky enough.

Come championship the wheels fall off and they have no answers and bow out meekly and end up talking about the great under age teams coming through - dont see anything other than this happening again this year.

[culchie11]

This must be the longest this page has been quiet for.

Surprised nobody has commented on the Johnnies this year. They seem to be motoring well and getting wins that they wouldn't have got last year. The St Gall's 4 point deduction has killed off any excitement at the bottom of Div 1.

Loughgiel out and out favourites for the Championship this year.

Division 2 starting to take more shape now. Looks like Cloughmills and Armoy the teams to join Cushendun and St Paul's in Div 3 next year. Sarsfields will (for the sake of hurling) get their act together and get the wins needed to stay up.  Top of table predictable from the start kf the year apart for GNM. I expected them to struggle after just avoiding relegation last year but hats off to them. Glenariffe still the best in that league after Ballygalget in my eyes.

Ossian's for the Championship there.

Heard that this 4pt deduction was overturned due to technicality!!

[Bonamargy]

This must be the longest this page has been quiet for.

Surprised nobody has commented on the Johnnies this year. They seem to be motoring well and getting wins that they wouldn't have got last year. The St Gall's 4 point deduction has killed off any excitement at the bottom of Div 1.

Loughgiel out and out favourites for the Championship this year.

Division 2 starting to take more shape now. Looks like Cloughmills and Armoy the teams to join Cushendun and St Paul's in Div 3 next year. Sarsfields will (for the sake of hurling) get their act together and get the wins needed to stay up.  Top of table predictable from the start kf the year apart for GNM. I expected them to struggle after just avoiding relegation last year but hats off to them. Glenariffe still the best in that league after Ballygalget in my eyes.

Ossian's for the Championship there.

I haven't looked at division two this year, so just had a look at the table and fixtures there on the county website. I didn't realise it is so tight in the whole league. Cushendun and St Paul's are gone really. looks like the top three of Ballygalget, Glenariffe and Gortnamona have no relegation worries. The rest are all in the dog fight to make it into the top 6. Everyone is taking 8 points from the 4 games against Cushendun and St Paul's. Noticed Sarsfields have a game in hand and still have to play St Paul's twice and Cushendun once so would think 6 points for them from those games. Armoy should beat Cushendun this Sunday to take them to 12 points, level with Carey and Creggan. Creggan have a game in hand V Cushendun which they should win to take them to 14 points.

Big game for Cloughmills this Sunday against Carey, a real relegation 4 pointer. If Carey win it they should pull clear, if Cloughmills win it I would say Carey are back in the relegation fight. All very tight, looks like it will go to the last fixture to decide the four relegated.  Ballygalget are way ahead of anyone else in that league, I see they are hammering everyone, they beat Carey by 17 points yesterday.

[btdtgtt]

They're scoring well but most importantly getting wins. They always seemed to be on the wrong side of tight games for a few years but seemed to hsve turned a corner but like Ballycastle will probably always be also rans in the SHC.

Re: Div 2. No promotion is a cat one but the relegation of 4 teams should make the bottom/mid part of the table very competitive.

Lads they have done much the same for the past 10/15 years, hard to beat at home on their day on the road tricky enough.

Come championship the wheels fall off and they have no answers and bow out meekly and end up talking about the great under age teams coming through - dont see anything other than this happening again this year.

Very true. Unfortunately indisputable. It's a Belfast thing.

[johnneycool]

This must be the longest this page has been quiet for.

Surprised nobody has commented on the Johnnies this year. They seem to be motoring well and getting wins that they wouldn't have got last year. The St Gall's 4 point deduction has killed off any excitement at the bottom of Div 1.

Loughgiel out and out favourites for the Championship this year.

Division 2 starting to take more shape now. Looks like Cloughmills and Armoy the teams to join Cushendun and St Paul's in Div 3 next year. Sarsfields will (for the sake of hurling) get their act together and get the wins needed to stay up.  Top of table predictable from the start kf the year apart for GNM. I expected them to struggle after just avoiding relegation last year but hats off to them. Glenariffe still the best in that league after Ballygalget in my eyes.

Ossian's for the Championship there.

I haven't looked at division two this year, so just had a look at the table and fixtures there on the county website. I didn't realise it is so tight in the whole league. Cushendun and St Paul's are gone really. looks like the top three of Ballygalget, Glenariffe and Gortnamona have no relegation worries. The rest are all in the dog fight to make it into the top 6. Everyone is taking 8 points from the 4 games against Cushendun and St Paul's. Noticed Sarsfields have a game in hand and still have to play St Paul's twice and Cushendun once so would think 6 points for them from those games. Armoy should beat Cushendun this Sunday to take them to 12 points, level with Carey and Creggan. Creggan have a game in hand V Cushendun which they should win to take them to 14 points.

Big game for Cloughmills this Sunday against Carey, a real relegation 4 pointer. If Carey win it they should pull clear, if Cloughmills win it I would say Carey are back in the relegation fight. All very tight, looks like it will go to the last fixture to decide the four relegated.  Ballygalget are way ahead of anyone else in that league, I see they are hammering everyone, they beat Carey by 17 points yesterday.

With the players we got back which we didn't have last year Div2 isn't doing us any good this year. Not saying we're world beaters but there's a huge gap between Div1 and Div2.

Next years Div2 will hopefully be different, with two out of Div1 making it more competitive, still need to win our way out of it though!

[johnneycool]

Therein lies the need for a competitive, standard raising Division for clubs who are not at the Loughiel/Cushendall standard but by playing St Paul's/Cushendun is of no value to them whatsoever, which is what we have next year. Unfortunately for you, Ballygalget are in Division 2 on merit and while being the pick if Division 2 is one thing, you were beaten by Glenariffe and run close by GNM so do you really think you would be at Division 1 standard? Next year will be a good standard for that league with St Gall's and Clooney Gaels back in it and will test with more Glenariffesque opposition and less Cushendunesque teams. Good luck in the Down championship anyway.

I think you're agreeing with me and you're entirely right, we were hovering in and around the bottom of Div1 for a few years, saved once by a change in the structure and deserve to be where we are, no arguing there.
The small issue I have was how the Antrim CCC dealt with how to reduce the leagues to 8 teams by offering no promotion when the Cushendall option made sense of doing it over two years with two going down and one coming up.

[brendanbelfast]

So what about these underage games coming up? Are Derry expected to provide a challenge tomorrow night in Ulster U21 Final? Our minors went as well as expected in Ulster but Dublin is a big step up. Have we a fighting chance against them?

[paddyjohn]

I'd say the Un21s will be good enough to beat Derry. I watched them last week against Armagh & although they weren't tested at all they showed a real desire and will to win.

Don't know enough about Dublin, but hopefully the minors show some pride and have a go. No doubt Ciaran and the management will have it hammered home that work rate and performance will be key.

Whats the general view on Kevin Ryan? Do we keep him on or do we look elsewhere? Is there anybody from within the county to take up the reins?

[Hand up]

The u21 should beat Derry Handy, although the same problem as the seniors, we could all name players who should be there but aren't committing, although a lot more at this level than senior!! And nothing to do with Neil Mc Manus this time!! Leading to my next point on Loughgiels Seamus Heaney , Wankers article in the Antrim Daily Sport as it commonally know now for its gutter trash was embarrassing, plenty of problems and the only solution, hit more hurling balls!! Genius !!
The minors could be a tough one again some players chose to go on hols rather than play!!

[btdtgtt]

Don't waste the chatter on league structures lads - they'll change again soon anyway!
Personally I think last season was the worst outcome i can remember as an Antrim fan - I can't figure out how Kevin Ryan can keep that job. It just can't be justified.
If someone is able can they post watsons article?

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

i seen it advertised on monday night on the Antrim Post twitter feed and thought it was going to be this wide reaching and hard hitting article.

It was the back page and more of a rant. Total waste of time and a load of nonsense that we already all knew with no solutions to the problems. I was looking forward to reading it to see what he had to say but it was much ado about nothing, much like his column (short lived) he had in the Antrim Post. Stick to hurling Liam, its what your best at.

[NAG1]

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt 

[brendanbelfast]

The Watson article was rubbish, a discredit to a normally decent paper.

[Jesusjones]

The County Antrim Post is a complete gutter rag. Anyone serious about hurling wouldn't look near it.