Antrim Hurling

[Glensman]

Its all very well having the skilled players lads but as we all know its how they stand up when the hard questions are being asked, look no further than our current Ulster champions who Nelson has managed to tranform mentally which has been the secret to their success, as they were always able to hurl. Cloughmills have often promised over the last few years but have not delivered when expected, but their emerging talent is still young and their best is yet to come.

Cloughmills
Winning the junior championship after a few hard years of losing semi finals is delivering.
That said in the Ulster final they just didn't play...at all.
Freezing? probably.
Over confident? Don't think I would associate that with them...but maybe underestimating the opposition.

Cloughmills have the nucleus of a decent side over the next few years and if they keep at it can compete. However, the step up to Intermediate is a big one...and the next step HUGE.

The Bodies
Not sure if it is the Nelson factor or not but you have to hand it to Loughgiel. In the wee GAA world we live in to get kicked in the teeth so hard and so repeatedly and still come back deserves praise.
People may not like certain tactics, may not like certain individuals, may query the route to winning this year but they did it...and it would take a seriously blinkered person to not at least recognise there must be some mental character there to come through.

It has been mentioned that it will be harder for them to come back and win it again, which is true...but the monkey is certainly off their back.

[Last Man]

Last Man Im not begruding anything to the Ulster Champions at all, but I think your getting ahead of yourself saying they are mentally transformed. Lets look at it in the cold light of day now.

(Again they are Antrim and Ulster Champions and this is just my opinion not taking away from the fact that they have won it at all)

They beat Dunloy on one of the worst off days that they have had in championship hurling in 20 years.

They beat Cushendall who played extremely poorly by their standards and still could have (and maybe should have) won the game with the chances they had inside the last few minutes.



They beat a Ballygalget side one of the weakest ever to emerge to this stage from the Co Down in recent times for sure.

They beat Keady enough said.

My point is that until we see them outplaying and beating a team playing at the top of their game in opposition to them then we wont know how transformed they really are.

However I do believe these victories will give them more confidence and they will themselves be better and harder to beat next year.
[/quote
Fair enough Nag, I would have been the first to say that Cushendall through that game away but truth be told is that L'giel go about themselves in a very different way these days. less panic, less lashing out, ridiculous fouls. It's not that long ago that they wouldn't have been happy unless the pitch was covered in shattered remains of Michael Scullions finest. I can't see who other than Nelson in the current management team that would have brought that kind of influence. It has to make a big difference for any team if the rockets can be tamed and their teammates can trust them to just hurl away instead of doing something stupid and costing them the game.
We'll see if they can sustain it when really tested though. ]

[NAG1]

Yeah Last Man i wasnt disagreeing just coming from a different angle.

Just have a thing against mercenaries so hard to get past that you know 

[Last Man]

I'm on your shoulder on that one lad.

[johnneycool]

Yeah Last Man i wasnt disagreeing just coming from a different angle.

Just have a thing against mercenaries so hard to get past that you know 

I'm sure no one in Loughgeil cares about the mercanaries talk now as they'll say the end justifies the means.

[NAG1]

Wouldnt expect them to JC still doesnt change my opinion on it 

[maxpower]

I'm not big on outside coaches, with the obvious inference of financial reward, but what is acceptable

Paid Players - No No No
Paid Manager - No
Paid Selector - No
Paid Fitness Coach - maybe
Paid Physio - Yes
Paid Stats man - maybe

personally, and especially given economic times, i think no one involved with a team should be getting renumerated for it, i accept professional services of Physio, Fitness prep are also a matter of player welfare and so not alway possible to get the neccessary skill base from within but if clubs want to spend money, do it in the off season and educate the coaches available from within.

[wino]

Dinny, Dinny, Dinny

[pdiddy]

What's your definition of a mercenary?

[Last Man]

Could he mean "a soldier of fortune" whos's efforts might in the eyes of some people be better served in helping out at home first and foremost.

[wino]

Or could it just be a case of annoyance as the mercenary he brought in wasn't up to it and they had to sack him

[JamesH]

How can you slag Loughgiel of as the only paid nelson £80 per night and MC Gurk £60 per night gd value if you ask me. Their sponsor on the Cushendall bus after the 2008 final said he had wasted 30k that year on Loughgiel i bet he's happy now

[Trout]

How can you slag Loughgiel of as the only paid nelson £80 per night and MC Gurk £60 per night gd value if you ask me. Their sponsor on the Cushendall bus after the 2008 final said he had wasted 30k that year on Loughgiel i bet he's happy now

Cushendall would have been as well paying someone, then they might have had someone that knew what they were doing.

[theskull1]

No championship is worth paying for a soldier(s) of fortune ...I don't care how long you have to wait to achieve with men from you're own club.

Loughgiel's discipline has improved this year so maybe Nelson deserves credit   for that seeing as they never seemed to learn all those other years when the man on the moon could see it was a problem. Apart from that there is no improvement that I can see in their side to any other year.... in fact I think in recent years they were better than they are at the minute. 

[imtommygunn]

Was there an ulster league final on today?