All Ireland Hurling Final Kilkenny v Tipp - 4 in a row for Kilkenny ?

[EddieMerx]

Thats the highpoint, they won't beat Tipp next year.

How the feck do you know that?

Just a hunch. The pack are catching up.

What pack, there is only Tipp and we all know Tipp hurling and the politics involved.

[The Real Laoislad]

Just in the door from what was a epic match have to say I haven't enjoyed myself in Croke Park as much as today since Laois won Leinster in 2003
I didn't stay for the presentation as I was sickend Kilkenny won again,if only for I will have to listen to it for another year off my Kilkenny friends and family...
Anyway apart from all that I do think Tipp threw it away though what a couple of saves from my mate in the Kilkenny goals to deny Tipp what would have been match winning goals,I sincerely hopes he gets a All Star this year,I have known him for many years and I think he deserves it after todays match.
Can't argue that Kilkenny are an unbelievable team and I think a 5 in a row is more than a possibility for them

[INDIANA]

Thats the highpoint, they won't beat Tipp next year.

How the feck do you know that?

Just a hunch. The pack are catching up.

What pack, there is only Tipp and we all know Tipp hurling and the politics involved.

what politics? If they keep that team together they'll win an all-ireland or two. You saw today how stretched Kilkenny were when Henry didn't have a tour de force. He won't be there forever.

[EddieMerx]

Tipp hurling is full of political battles, if it wasn't for this they would be winning more than 1 AI a decade! I wouldn't be as quick as you to write the cats off for next year! they won today and some of their big names didn't play well and Tipp even played better than most expected. Tipp can catch them but how will they react to losing a game they should have won.

[INDIANA]

These big names won't be there forever and while they have very good young hurlers coming through , there aren't any henry shefflins or eddie brennans. It will be a while before even kilkenny see that level of talent again.

[EddieMerx]

Tipp are still heavily reliant on Eoin Kelly, for a young guy he has been going for a long time and is injury prone. I am just saying that KK replacements for King Henry are better than most counties have on their first 15. KK have a very strong panel and can better take injuries to key players where as other counties can't.

[The Real Laoislad]

Surely Shefflin and Brennan will be there next year anyway, Indiana.

All that team will be there next year,and any that aren't there is a replacement just as good to come in

[imtommygunn]

KK will probably be more motivated next year I'd have said.

Last 2 years no-one has come near them so start of the year they'd probably have said we need to hold onto this, everybody out to get us etc etc. Bottom line is that deep down they'd have thought / known no-one was as good as them. Next year they'll know Tipp are out to get them.

I doubt you'll see Henry Shefflin as quiet again either.

Out of the whole team the only one I'd say may not be back would be Kavanagh. He'll likely be back though.

Henry Shefflin will never be able to be replaced but TJ Reid and Richie Hogan are players with massive potential so they have replacements who'd get on any other team in the country. Shefflin is likely to be around for another few years too.

Not sure what age Derek Lyng is.

It is far from the last you've seen of this KK team I'd have thought...

[GalwayBayBoy]

I actually think they will be beaten next year. Not that I would write them off but I think someone will beat them. Don't know who and they may even lose in Leinster and still go on to win the All-Ireland but I do think they are slowly coming back towards some of the other teams.

I thought they looked sluggish and leaden footed for much of the second half until the red card and then the penalty reinvigorated them. As great as they are no team can go on forever although it would be foolish to write them off. A 5th title in a row certainly wouldn't surprise me.

[imtommygunn]

Only Galway and Tipp would have the personnel to be beating them as yet unless Cork get the finger out. Maybe a full year's training will help them. No way would they be getting beat by Wexford, Offaly or Dublin at the minute as they're a league above them but maybe Galway could catch them.

(I know waterford beat Galway but I still wouldn't say they've the players for it)

[Capt Pat]

A very entertaining game in Croke Park today. The penalty won the game for Kilkenny and it wasn't even a penalty. Why did the ref throw the ball in when callinan got taken out in the first half, it should have been a yellow card and a point to Tip. Todays game kind of reminded me of the 01 final between Tip and Galway when rabbitte did not get any frees when he was being fouled a lot by the Tip defenders, today the refs big decisions went against Tip and he let the Kilkenny defenders away with a few things.

[INDIANA]

I actually think they will be beaten next year. Not that I would write them off but I think someone will beat them. Don't know who and they may even lose in Leinster and still go on to win the All-Ireland but I do think they are slowly coming back towards some of the other teams.

I thought they looked sluggish and leaden footed for much of the second half until the red card and then the penalty reinvigorated them. As great as they are no team can go on forever although it would be foolish to write them off. A 5th title in a row certainly wouldn't surprise me.

Thats what I'm saying. I think they will be beaten next year. Don't underestimate how much that will bring Tipp on. As for Eoin Kelly Eddie- read Noel Mc Grath who is in the Joe Canning bracket.
Kilkenny aren't going to go away. they'll still do 2 in a rows and win all-irelands every 3 years at least. But they won't ever do a 4 in a row again in my view.
Galway and Tipp are well capable of beating them next year. Richie Hogan and TJ Reid are really fine players but Henry Shefflin and Eddie Brennan they aren't.

[Norf Tyrone]

I am a hurling ignoramous, but really enjoyed that game today.

Who do you reckon will be MOTM? I thought Lar Corbett was superb, but usually it goes to one of the winners. In that case, the Kilkenny number one must be favourite.

[orangeman]

Just in. What a game. That was as tough and ucompromising as you're ever going to get. I don't know how the referee kept up. He let a hell of a lot of stuff go which makes the penalty even more incomprehensible.

KK were put ot the pin of their collar and whilst I salute them for their 4 in a row, there's no denying that they got out of jail today.



It wasn't a penalty - a free in of anything. After the penalty went in. it was game over.


Tipp might come back - on the other hand they might ont reach these levels again. It depends on how they regroup.

Tipp should have won. Will Shefflin ever play as bad again ? Today he looked like a reserve player.

JJ looked decidedly uncomfortable at no3 today. Hickey must have been well off the pace that he wasn't introduced at all.


Felt sorry for Tipp players as they fell to the ground at the final whistle.



Well done KK again and commiserations to Tipp who served up an epic.

[Galwaybhoy]

I am a hurling ignoramous, but really enjoyed that game today.

Who do you reckon will be MOTM? I thought Lar Corbett was superb, but usually it goes to one of the winners. In that case, the Kilkenny number one must be favourite.

Though I hate to say it Tommy Walsh imo.  He had a stormer.  If not him then either Eoin Kelly or PJ Ryan.