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

[GalwayBayBoy]

He'll be there until HE decides he's had enough. I think he's now in the mould of Ferguson and could be around a good while.

In victory yesterday, he was riled by Marty Morrissey's questioning of the penalty.

Can you imagine what he would be like if he was bate in a final ?

If he was beaten, he'd be just like he always has been. Gracious and complimentary of the winners. He was just annoyed at Marty being a tool.

Didn't think Marty did much wrong to be honest. Any half-decent reporter would ask the same question about arguably the turning point of the game. Cody just lost the rag. I think he was expecting to be showered with effusive praise straight off the bat.

If Marty didn't ask about the penalty people would be complaining about what kind of an eejit is RTE employing who can't even ask the most basic questions about the match.

[orangeman]

When they were being bate yesterday and things not going well Cody wasn't his normal, arms folded, pacifist self. Cummins took a quick puck out that went to Noel Mc Grath who wasn't being picked up by anyone and Cody went ballistic, nearly coming out onto the pitch to give a rocket of two to the man who was supposed to be picking up Mc Grath.


On the radio this morning on 2FM they were having a big laugh at Marty's expense, replaying the interview with Marty and Cody after the match.


BTW Marty didn't seem to turn up to City West last night.


Not much mention has been made of Noel Hickey not getting on yesterday. Would he / could he have done a job on Eoin Kelly - speculation I know but what do you'se think ?

[EddieMerx]

Re: Marty, he is a tool! I mean 10 minutes after winning an AI and he is telling (not asking) Cody the only reason he won was because of a dodgy penalty! He even was stupid enough to ask Cody if he had seen it again! Marty is a fool and the only reason RTE have him on the books is because of his sex appeal. Marty the housewives favourite!

Nothing new with Cody getting excited, the few times in his tenure they have lost Cody can be seen going psycho on the line

[Galwaybhoy]

He'll be there until HE decides he's had enough. I think he's now in the mould of Ferguson and could be around a good while.

In victory yesterday, he was riled by Marty Morrissey's questioning of the penalty.

Can you imagine what he would be like if he was bate in a final ?

If he was beaten, he'd be just like he always has been. Gracious and complimentary of the winners. He was just annoyed at Marty being a tool.

Didn't think Marty did much wrong to be honest. Any half-decent reporter would ask the same question about arguably the turning point of the game. Cody just lost the rag. I think he was expecting to be showered with effusive praise straight off the bat.

If Marty didn't ask about the penalty people would be complaining about what kind of an eejit is RTE employing who can't even ask the most basic questions about the match.

Exactly, damned if you do, damned if you dont.

[EddieMerx]

It's not that he asked the question it's the manner he went about it! He kept going about it, and then to ask Cody if he has seen a replay of it!!! the interview is 10 minutes after the game not a few hours, where the hell was Cody going to see a couple of replays of the incident?

[imtommygunn]

OM it'd be a bit much to ask a man who hasn't played all year to mark Kelly in that form. I couldn't see how he'd have the match sharpness for it.

Plus if JJ Delaney, who'd be a better man marker than Hickey(who'd have different merits), can't mark him in that form then I doubt anyone can.

Cody was without doubt rattled. I know Marty is a tool but I think Cody was getting a tad paranoid in that maybe he thought Marty was implying they won through a dodgy penalty...

[lilpaulie85]

marty was spot on asking the question about the penalty, it was the turning point in the game and as such had to be asked. I think the ref made a mess of the call, it was either a 21 yard free or a free out for over carrying the ball. thats not to say tipp would have won anyway but ti certainly handed the momemtum to the cats.

[orangeman]

OM it'd be a bit much to ask a man who hasn't played all year to mark Kelly in that form. I couldn't see how he'd have the match sharpness for it.
Plus if JJ Delaney, who'd be a better man marker than Hickey(who'd have different merits), can't mark him in that form then I doubt anyone can.

Cody was without doubt rattled. I know Marty is a tool but I think Cody was getting a tad paranoid in that maybe he thought Marty was implying they won through a dodgy penalty...

You're probably right here. I had heard that hickey was flying in training and I thought maybe that Cody just didn't want to take a chance for exactly the reason you mentioned, lack of match fitness.

[robbedin82]

Marty was a gentleman compared to that kn**ker Cody.

[AZOffaly]

Cop on. What sort of a statement is that.

[EddieMerx]

Marty was a gentleman compared to that kn**ker Cody.

Don't be like that Marty!

[orangeman]

This weekend's big sporting events drew massive audiences to RTÉ Television and Online.

The GAA Hurling Championship All-Ireland final drew its highest audience in three years, winning a phenomenal 68% audience share.

An average audience of 771,000 people watched the match and the audience peaked at 912,000, again in the dying minutes of the match.


From kick-off to the final whistle, the World Cup Qualifier won 2-1 by Ireland against Cyprus and broadcast live from Nicosia on Saturday night was watched by an average 633,000 viewers with 833,000 watching at 21.19, during the closing stages.

On RTÉ.ie, 11,081 live streams were served for the online coverage of Ireland v Cyprus while 28,076 were streams were recorded for the Sunday Game Live double header of the All Ireland Minor and Senior Hurling finals.

[gallsman]

Penalty decision was the winner, KK were as poor as I ever seen them in a long time, blessed to win IMO. Tipp were better side on the day just didnt take the chances but ref handed it to KK, peno won it for them, Correct decision on sending off. But feck me they have the luck. They are great but they do get vital breaks outside of there own control from refs.

Cody didnt like marty there going on about the peno. Wonder why?

Rubbish. Tipp had five scorers, and only two in the first half. Kilkenny had eleven Both sets of backs, in particular the half back line were outstanding. Kilkenny converted goal chances, Tipp didn't. Where you're getting the impression that Tipp were the better team is beyond me. They played well, certainly, but by suggesting they were the better team you are inherently implying Kilkenny were lucky to win it. They raised their game when it was required and won trough sheer bloody-mindedness.

As for Benny Dunne, I'm sick of people saying they "feel sorry" for him and that it was "unfortunate." It happened right in front of me and was absolutely filthy. The ball was five yards away from arriving and he laced him. Both vicious and premeditated. The fact that Tommy Walsh plays on the edge and has given out the odd belt himself is completely irrelevant. He didn't pull a dirty stroke yesterday and I've certainly never seen him pull as blatant a stroke as that, and certainly not aimed at anyone's head. He now has five All-Irelands and looks a sure bet to win a seventh straight All-Star, one every year since his debut. Nobody seems to be mentioning it, but Benny has a reputation himself for being a nasty bugger at times.

An outstanding game with two wonderful teams. Derek Lyng was Kilkenny's oldest outfield player at 31, so they've a few more years in them yet. People are forgetting they played the entire year without Noel Hickey, the best full back of his generation. He, along with Kavanagh (seven wins from ten finals by the age of thirty is remarkable,) Shefflin and Brennan will be looking to tag a few more on before they quit. Skehan has 9 so it will be very interesting to see if any of them can do it. Tipp are definitely a coming team, and Galway surely have to break through soon considering their outstanding underage teams over the last five or six years, so Kilkenny's next generation will really have to step up - TJ, Hogan, Tennyson, Fennelly and Rice will have to become leaders on the team to keep the cycle going.

INDIANA- you've been talking about replacements for Eddie Brennan. You seem to be forgetting that in the first few years, many people would have groaned at Eddie's name on the teamsheet. He was inaccurate and went for goal too often. Over the years he has matured and worked his arse off to turn himself into one of the finest forwards you're ever likely to see. He takes his point more than ever, off both left and right, works back a lot more (he ran forty yards to flick away a ball from Woodlock I think it was yesterday), and only goes for goal when it's on. Both Reid and Hogan are only 21. Plenty of time yet.

I have plenty of Kilkenny connections, so I'd like to make it clear that I'm not rubbing salt into any sore wounds, but is it not about time that sign in Urlingford came down? Four in forty years- home of hurling my arse!

[GalwayBayBoy]

Penalty decision was the winner, KK were as poor as I ever seen them in a long time, blessed to win IMO. Tipp were better side on the day just didnt take the chances but ref handed it to KK, peno won it for them, Correct decision on sending off. But feck me they have the luck. They are great but they do get vital breaks outside of there own control from refs.

Cody didnt like marty there going on about the peno. Wonder why?

Rubbish. Tipp had five scorers, and only two in the first half. Kilkenny had eleven Both sets of backs, in particular the half back line were outstanding. Kilkenny converted goal chances, Tipp didn't. Where you're getting the impression that Tipp were the better team is beyond me.

As a Galway man I'm no great lover of Tipp but I certainly thought they were well in charge of the game during the first 20 minutes of the second half. Kilkenny were just hanging on at that stage really with PJ Ryan especially performing heroics in the Kilkenny goal. Tipp never really recovered from the double whammy of the sending off and the penalty decision coming in quick succession. In fact the penalty seemed to affect them more than the sending off. I just think the stuffing was knocked out of them at that stage but no better team than Kilkenny to finish them off once the heads dropped a little.

[gallsman]

A good assessment of the things and I agree with most of it.

However, you are missing the penalty decision and its impact on the game.

I think foul happened outside box and should have been 21 yard free. Don't think it "changed the game" the way some people  are suggesting. They were two down with ten minutes left and an extra man. Post penalty they banged in another goal and Larkin stuck over two great points. In fairness to Kirwan he'd let the play go all afternoon and when he blew the whistle Power was inside the box.

I agree that the ref let a lot go yesterday, but he favoured no side. The Callanan frontal charge early on should have been a free but at the same time you'd see it five or six times a match. Callanan also jumped which made the shoulder hit that bit lower ad worsen the winding. The Padraic Maher one was no foul and no free- if you dip your body and neck you're asking for it to happen. Tipp got a lot of soft points from frees yesterday. One in particular- Hogan and Lar Corbett. If anything Lar was stumbling and was impeding Hogan yet somehow won a free for Kelly to tap over.

Again to the people talking about Tipp being the best team. Kelly and Corbett were fantastic granted. Corbett has phenomenal talent but often goes missing in big games. He usually drives for goal and I've never seen him exhibit the skills he did yesterday. He's burnt Kavanagh several times before but has also been in his pocket on more than one occasion. I can perhaps see him playing see him playing CHF a bit more often- masterstroke by Sheedy. Anyway, back to my argument. Callanan played for the second half, but played well. Noel McGrath got a soft point from a caught puckout when there was no one near him due to confusion over an injury back down the field. His other point was a shot at goal that was a fairly comfortable save for PJ.Other than that he did sweet FA though. Still, an outstanding debut season and a shoo-in for YHOTY. Kerwick did a lot of running but blazed at least three wide. John O'Brien was anonymous. For the three outstanding Tipp defensive players (P Maher, B Maher and O'Mahony) read Kavanagh, Walsh and Tennyson. Contrast the scorers with the Kilkenny scorers. Hogan got two from play while lame. Brennan got three wonderful points, as did Larkin. Richie Power got a point, won several frees and worked his arse off. Henry was unusually quiet but also worked his arse off the whole match (see his hook on O'Mahony) and all three Kilkenny subs scored. Not only that, Comerford also made Henry's point from play as well as the penalty. Tipp were outstanding certainly, but to suggest that Kilkenny "got out of jail free" is insulting and just plain incorrect in my opinion.

A quick comment on Michael Kavanagh. I've been at nine of his ten finals and he's one of the greatest players I've ever seen. Yes, he hasn't quite got the pace and never has had it, but if there's a more intelligent hurler who reads the game quite as well as he does...About five or six years ago he got dropped after Rory Jacob skinned him and people were saying that it was the end of him, but he forced his way back in and I have no doubt that he's one of the first names on the teamsheet.