Antrim Hurling

[slow corner back]

Played in the national league, currently on the sick list

[NAG1]

Hatchfield
I think you have just lost all credibility when calling for McKilop to be used! 

Also Tosh was told he wasnt needed wasnt a matter of him not making himself available.

[NAG1]

Hatchfield maybe you didnt have that much to lose.

I agree with your sentiment about McKilop just think you picked the wrong player to make it with. I think that show the genuine lack of depth to the panel in all honesty.

[theskull1]

No
You show proper respect to the panel by using them when it is clear that it was not happening for some individuals regardless of whether or not you think it is going to make a massive difference to the result. Those boys have bust their balls in training same as the starting 15. To only use 2 subs (1 in the 2nd half) was not good form.

[maxpower]

Sambo gave this very thread (I assume it is this one!) a mention in the Sunday Times yesterday, when he mentioned that there is a website where arseholes go on every day and tell him and Woody what they are doing wrong!

Getting fed up with this notion we are all Anti Antrim faceless 'arseholes' on this board.  Its a discussion forum, its time antrim board and managers realised that these are the types of opinions being offered in pubs up and down the county.  Sure we all know the hurlers on the ditch do it better than the rest

As for the game, no major criticism of the team, thought most put in a honest effort but nerves/occassion got the better of them.  with the performance Dublin put in Antrim could have won the game had they played anywhere near there potential but wides, saves and mistakes where just too common.

I can understand S&W wanting to bring in those talented youngsters but on reflection i think the panel that took the field for the Christy Ring in 06 was stronger than the one that ran out yesterday

[Two Hands FFS]

No
You show proper respect to the panel by using them when it is clear that it was not happening for some individuals regardless of whether or not you think it is going to make a massive difference to the result. Those boys have bust their balls in training same as the starting 15. To only use 2 subs (1 in the 2nd half) was not good form.

They used 3 subs...Brendan Herron, Joey Scullion & Paddy McGill. Shane McNaughton should have been brough on for CJ....abit like Skull said..it's not as if he could have done any worse??

[theskull1]

oh yeah...joey scullion....sorry ....point still stands

[the colonel]

if i were shane i'd be dissappointed big time. has proven to be one of the best forwards in antrim last yr in the championship (antrim & ulster) and was vital for us winning the championship.

what have any of the others proved in antrim? but we have to acknowledge the fact, not many of our players are top intercounty standard, but to play the best of what is available IN ANTRIM is very important.

[Tony Baloney]

LOL!!  Honestly, i just thought you know what, if CJ and Micko were as poor as they were and no other subs were used - McKillop who has hurled all year and who done well in the match v Limerick although a poor game, i thought he at least deserved 10 minutes just like the rest of the subs!!

In terms of the Tosh thing, if that's true then thats another huge blunder of S&W's.  So because he wasn't available at a certain stage, he wasn't allowed to be part of it but CJ who disrespected the Senior Football Panel and county and who has yet to prove himself in Division 2 even was??  That's a disgrace. Tosh is one of the best hurlers in this county and has proven it - we need him.  he hasn't many years left either!!

By the way, you're the first man to say i have credibility on this!! 

where, when 

good hurler yeah, and the county could do with him among others, but dont overdo it.

Spoken like a true Ruairi.

Tosh has loads to offer this team from both a playing and coaching perspective. He might be over 30 now but he's still in good nick and the boys in the front 6 yesterday could learn a thing or two from him.

[imtommygunn]

Was shane mcnaughton injured at all? I thought he was hence CJ being picked. I hope I'm right there as if not it's a terrible decision not to bring him on...

[Gold]

Was shane mcnaughton injured at all? I thought he was hence CJ being picked. I hope I'm right there as if not it's a terrible decision not to bring him on...

and by his own father of all people!!

[Minder]

It has all been pretty well covered. The most striking thing about yesterday was our fitness levels, or lack of. You can talk all you want about structures and Dublin getting all the funding but if you dont have an intercounty team that is physically conditioned to last 70mins + you havent a hope. I dont know whether it is due to the training they are doing or what the fellas are at when they are not at training.

Teams know if they keep with Antrim until the 50 min mark there is a good chance the arse will fall out of them. The HF line was very poor, Sean Delargy hardly hit a ball and CB is his position. He isnt a forward at that level. Karl Mc Keegan was the only one that came out of the game with any pride. I expected a lot more from Mc Manus, he was taking too much out of the ball, in the Antrim league his fitness levels stand him in great stead but at this level the opposition can keep with you when you are continually soloing the ball. Graffin had a tough time but stuck at it well. Hippy Donnelly is not mobile enough for CHB. Neill Mc Auley was impressive in the first half. I think it has all been covered about CJ, i have seen him hurling about a dozen times for St Galls and he has never been anything other than average. That and the Kevin Mc Gourty experiment from last year are pretty damning against S & W.

As regards Tosh why would he go back under the current management after the way he was treated two years ago? I know one thing for certain, he wouldnt have been bent over gasping after 50 mins yesterday.


I see someone said earlier we play Cork now, the draw hasnt been made yet.

[clootfromthe21]

Still very disappointed over yesterday. Despite the speculation, thought there was a reasonable enough Antrim crowd down for the match - certainly plenty of kids in full colour.

Agree with much of what has been said before. Got a bit nervous when I saw the warm up down in front of me - a lot of balls not going to hand or stick. Got even more nervous when I saw the pre-match huddle. While I'm not at all into this standing in a circle looking into each others eyes stuff, when you have one or two players standing outside tapping a ball about during the middle of it, you wonder whats going on generally in the camp.

Thought Antrim battled back very well after conceding the goal and a couple of quick points and dominated the last 15 of the first half. Half back and midfield were really on top. As always, scores were the problem. Why did McManus go for goals three times when a point was for the taking? Of course, if any one had gone in, I would be saying something else. He also seemed to go for exactly the same place in the two strikes from placed balls.

Half time came too early for us but I thought when Brendan Herron put over the equalising point we were at least going to be in for a game in the second half. Christ was I wrong! I couldn't understand why S&W persisted with McManus in at full forward when the ball wasn't getting over the half way line - it would have seemed sensible to bring him out to midfield to at least win/break a ball or two.

S&W were down in front of me and I couldn't understand their apparent lack of involvement as ball after ball was turned back on us from the puck-out - at least try to change things up a bit lads. They seemed as shell shocked as the rest of us.

The CJ experiment simply didn't work. While I think he can be a handy enough hurler, he doesn't have the physique to win his own ball. Antrim don't have a team that can carry someone like CJ - everyone else is having enough trouble with getting their own ball.

Actually, the two man full forward line of CJ and Karl was a bit of a disaster. I have enormous time for Karl Stewart as a hurler, but again, he doesn't have the physique to carry out that role that was asked of him.

On that point, S&W have been using the two man full forward with a man dropping back to cover midfield/half-back for as long as I can remember. Paul Shields did it against Galway in a minor quarter-final 3 or 4 years ago. In one of the Sunday papers, Jamesie O'Connor was predicting that's what Antrim would use and that's exactly how it turned out. While I appreciate we dont have a multitude of natural forwards, it's really setting out a lack of ambition when you go straight into it when playing with a wind.

Where to now, God only knows. Would love to know what the feeling in the camp is at the minute. I saw a few people have been suggesting we get Cork in the qualifies. I dont think the draw has been made yet, but I dont know what would be better - getting Cork and getting blown out of it or getting Laois and maybe struggling into the next round, then to be blown out of it.

I see S&W are quitting at the end of this year. Probably no bad thing as they have been over many of these players for 4 or 5 years and things always go stale. Don't know who the hell we are going to get to come in - ideally a "name" from the south, but where are the expenses going to come from???

Still think the major screw up of the last few years was the under 21 team made up of the two good minor teams allowing themselves to be caught by Derry when Ulster played Leinster (Dublin) in an All Ireland semi.

Anyway, sure if it was easy following Antrim, everyone would be doing it  . . . . . .

[Minder]

I was under the impression we get a "loser" in Munster, either Cork or losers of Waterford v Limerick. Could be wrong.

[Two Hands FFS]

I was under the impression we get a "loser" in Munster, either Cork or losers of Waterford v Limerick. Could be wrong.

Thought that. But the Admin on the county website said we play Cork, Laois or Offaly. Not 100%.