Antrim Hurling

[youbetterbelieveit]

JamseH

Where and what time is that challenge, between Cushendall and Derry?

[theskull1]

Sometimes it's just not that easy to arrange the perfect challange game opposition at this time of the year what with the provincial competitions prior to the NHL. I'm sure Derry will provide a decent enough game

[NAG]

Skull come on 

I know its not easy to get the perfect challenge match, but IMO a bad challenge match could do you more harm than good. Realistically what is to be gained from their point of view, playing at a slower level than they will in two weeks and risking injury. To me it doesnt make any sense when they are so close to game time.

[Two Hands FFS]

Who would you play NAG if you were Cushendall manager?? The match is 20 days away, just less than 3 weeks, do you expect to wrap the playerss to be wrapped up in cotton wool for 3 weeks prior to the match. You could get injured at training, go over your ankle & your out, get hurt at work, look at Paddy Murray, ruled of an All Ireland final( hit by by a slate was it) or Ciaran Herron, ruled out of an All Ireland QF cos he got hit in the eye by a hurling ball just pocking about. All freak accidents. Derry would be tough hard hitting match, it wont be pretty to watch but either will the Semi Final I'd imagine

[maxpower]

Think thw point NAG is making, and i agree, is that you have to wiegh up what you are going to get out of a challenge match against the risk to injury (which is effectively the same regardless of opposition).  Now if the Dall are going to get a very real and competitive test at a level akin to what they will face against DLS then i'd say the risk is worth the reward.  If the game is going to completely one sided and played at a pedestrian pace then no, it won't be worth it and a training session would be better IMO

[NAG]

Two Hands

My point is that you would be better off playing a good tight training match among each other in house than going and playing a game against guys that arent as fit as them. Firstly the play will be slower and therefore players get into that mode when they should be preparing to play faster than they ever have before (you dont get that by playing slower opposition). Im not knocking Derry or St Galls I am just wondering how they think that these games will prepare them for their semi final.

Yes you can pick up injuries in training but if you are playing these IMO 'Bad' matches then the risk is increased and for what pay off?

In answer to your question I would look at some of the university sides in the south preparing for Fitzgibbon for  challenge games. Boys that are flying fit that are on or on the verge of senior inter county set ups. Ideal world.

[Two Hands FFS]

In an ideal world Antrim would be situated between Tipp & Kilkenny.....Cushendall have played friendlies against UCC, UCD & Westmeath. Decent matches. As Skull has said it is very hard to get a good friendly when you consider the travelling involved & that the Walsh Cup would have started.

The match against St Galls was mainly to give the younger members of the squad a match & for a few ones coming back from injury. Of course playing Derry is a risk, then again, not playing enough matches could be a risk too. You won't find out unless you try.

[milltown row]

the game we took with the Dall was for the new management at my club to have look at some of the young ones coming through. we normally have a match early in the year to gauge some players fitness levels and to let them know that they are out of shape and stick work is poor. usually puts things into perspective. we went down with 6 seniors and the rest young and old reserve players. did no harm to either team.

paddy Magill played whole match along with Micky mcCambridge also some of the other players had 20 mins or 40 mins (we played 3 twenties) i can see why the Cushendall management took it as it's unfair of a panel of thirty and only the main ones getting match play. being a panel player can be annoying if not getting a game.

everyone came through unscathed. and our lads know that we have a good 8 weeks of training to get to some sort of fitness. stick work level, well I'll say nothing it's only Feb

[youngfella]

train the way you play, play the way you train

[the colonel]

how did the queens V uuj game go last nite?

[Minder]

how did the queens V uuj game go last nite?

UUJ won by about 10.

http://www.irishnews.com/irishnews/597/5776/2009/2/5/609473_371457336730UUJoverth.html

[JamesH]

Some craic with Magill on back page of Irish News. I was just reading the HS page and the posters a re giving off stink about him not being allowed to play blah blah,not to mention how he was( a source told me) signed to two clubs at once and a third Robert Emmett's paid him to play for them, and haven't seen him since.

[DownFanatic]

Was talking to a club mate the other day and we were discussing pre-season training. Now, our pre-season training is generally based around the unforgiving dune systems in Murlough and the greater Dundrum Bay area. He was telling me that back in 89' the Antrim hurlers spent a couple of sessions training down around here in the lead up to the All Ireland Final. Can any posters recall this?

[milltown row]

cant recall it off hand but i "mind" doing that type of training on the dunes. top training in and around Murlough.

the year our senior footballers got to the All Ireland Club final, Rafferty said he'd see the lads at the dunes for ten O'Clock New Years day!!! bar maybe one or two the whole panel turned up

[NAG]

I would say that type of training is more for the mental preparation than the physcial benefits of it!