All Ireland S.H.C. Final

[GalwayBayBoy]

You're not the only one to tip Tipp mouview. Self praise is no praise at all

No indeed, but allow me my Fearonesque moment of hubris!

Anyway, congrats to Tipp for doing yesterday to KK what the cats usually do to others; the ecstasy of their fans afterwards was almost visceral. Overconfidence by some KK fans was surprising and out of character - a team carrying injured players into a final (Tennyson spent a good while yesterday limping also) will always be vulnerable.

Thoughts now turn towards the future. Will Tipp and KK dominate the next few years? Maybe. The age profile of this Tipp team is quite young but they also may be a bit immature, i.e. without any insight into the players whatsoever they give me the impression that they could hit the beer and forget about what it was made them reach the summit, thus they could be beatable in 2011. Believe me, no slight intended, but early success could go to young players heads very easily. In addition, winning Tipp teams over the past 2 decades haven't tended to go on and win several AIs over the following few years, unlike Cork and KK.

KK may also be contenders next year, but just by default. Cork are nowhere near producing a team good enough; Waterford's better players are getting old or gone; it's hard to know if Galway have the players and McIntyre needs to learn very quickly from the mistakes made in the past 2 years, especially in midfield and half-forwards, and to stop picking players who aren't of county standard. Clare may be a coming force?

As for KK, a very dangerous thing to say I know, but I think that team as played yesterday may now be slowly past it. Noel Hickey looks vulnerable; the half-back line should be fine but will Michael Fennelly need a new partner in midfield? Cha hadn't a great day yesterday and Derek Lyng is the wrong side of 30. Rice will perhaps be restored to this area next year. Up front the cats will have problems IMO. Henry's importance to this division was shown by his withdrawal but will he be back? As good as ever? Richie Power will still be menacing but Eddie Brennan has regressed; Eoin Larkin has had a quieter year and Taggy Fogarty and TJ Reid don't inspire too much fear on their own, though the latter was unlucky to be subbed yesterday I thought. Gorta isn't going to get better at this stage either and for all the talk about KK's panel and strength off the bench, Tipp were better in this dept. when it came down to it. How many of these will be motivated to come back next year with no 6-in-a-row as a carrot? Cody may pack it in also. The production line may not be as good as was perceived; lost last year's Minor final and weren't overly impressive yesterday; lost 2009 U-21 final and didn't even win Leinster this year.

A whole load of ifs and buts there and it's easy to write this in the wake of a disappointing defeat, however once a team loses it's air of invincibility it makes the rest less fearful.

Kilkenny will be back next year undoubtably but they are showing signs of milage in certain positions. Noel Hickey and Eddie Brennan definitely seem to be past their best now and yesterday showed how important Henry Shefflin is to Kilkenny. While their other forwards are good. None of them are Shefflin good. He's also getting up there in age a bit and has to come back from a 2nd serious knee injury now as well. No way could you write them off though. Nobody would be too surprised if they came back to win again next year.

The age profile of the Tipp team is good so you would imagine they should win a couple more in the next few years. Eoin Kelly probably doesn't have too long left given the troubles he has with his back and while Lar Corbett is no spring chicken either he should be around for a few more years yet.

Of the rest I think Galway are probably marginally the closest to challenging the current big two. Still need to unearth a couple new players to fill problem positions like centre-forward though before they can be serious about winning an AI. Are a couple years behind Tipp in terms of team development. Waterford and Clare have had some decent underage teams recently but you sense will be in transition for a while yet. Waterford may lose a couple more apart from big Dan. Difficult to see Cork challenging. May lose a couple more veterans and hard to see where they will find replacements of a similiar standard right now. Offaly and Dublin will hope to continue improving while Limerick badly need to get back on track.

Personally I'd be delighted if we could just sneak in for one while Tipp and KK knock lumps out of each other.

[orangeman]

Shefflin is a serious influence alright. Remember the pass he made yesterday on one leg and it went through to Reid ( I think ) - he missed the goal chance - it was a chance made from nothing.

[gallsman]

Brennan has definitely been poor this year and will be 32 shortly. Might be the end of his road.

Hickey however is still only 29 and had a great year up until yesterday - I think there's a bit left in him yet.

[nrico2006]

It's hard to believe how we all can over react to a single defeat / win.

Last night on the Sunday game, they were talking as if KK were finished.

Had KK won yesterday we'd have been saying that Tipp were finished. Somebody was on here after KK bate Cork and said that KK would do 10 in a row.

A few weeks ago, we were saying that Noel Hickey was a colossus - now he's finished.


It's very hard to come to a balanced view in the immediate aftermath of a game like yesterdays given the huge number of variables out there. Tipp were on a mission after last year's final defeat  -after the game in the Pairc on 30th May this year, we were saying Tipp were finished - 94 days / 13 weeks later they're AI champs and are set to dominate ?? I for one don't think so.

True Orangeman, the same has been said of Kerry and Tyrone in the football of late.  Kilkenny won another Minor All Ireland yesterday, no matter 'how impressive' they were.  I would put my house on a wounded Kilkenny winning the LMC next year, they simply have lost the eye of the tiger which is natural in any sport when a team/individual wins for so long.  The age profile of the KK team is not bad at all, and they have a serious conveyor belt of talent aswell.  Cha and Larkin are both young men and just haven't hurled to their best this year, and the potential loss of King Henry was seemingly being played down in the run up to the final, with people believing that because the KK team was so good they would't miss Henry.  People lost the run of themselves a bit and seem to forget that the player in question is arguably the greatest hurler of all time.  The difference yesterday was the hunger between the teams, and the hunger for a first All Ireland (for many of the Tipp players) is far greater than the hunger the KK lads would have had. 

[heffo]

It's hard to believe how we all can over react to a single defeat / win.

Last night on the Sunday game, they were talking as if KK were finished.

Had KK won yesterday we'd have been saying that Tipp were finished. Somebody was on here after KK bate Cork and said that KK would do 10 in a row.

A few weeks ago, we were saying that Noel Hickey was a colossus - now he's finished.


It's very hard to come to a balanced view in the immediate aftermath of a game like yesterdays given the huge number of variables out there. Tipp were on a mission after last year's final defeat  -after the game in the Pairc on 30th May this year, we were saying Tipp were finished - 94 days / 13 weeks later they're AI champs and are set to dominate ?? I for one don't think so.

Cork got the same in 06..and I was like, ya right..good one. But inevdiably, it was true.

Ya what (and I don't even mean the 'inevdiably' comment - whatever that means)?

[Milltown Row2]

It was a cracking contest yesterday, refereed well considering the off the ball stuff the cameras didn't pick up!!

Noticed early on that Kilkenny seemed a bit off or tired looking. Eddie Brennan was woeful and how he stayed on for so long i don't know. Tipp played Kilkenny at their own game, they rotated the forwards, played on the edge and for me the hunger was the drive key that won Tipp the match.

Can't wait for next year!!

[Minder]

I hear youse didn't weigh in for the Sevens, Milltown. Disgraceful stuff.

[seafoid]

Personally I'd be delighted if we could just sneak in for one while Tipp and KK knock lumps out of each other.
[/quote]

All Galway have to do is learn how to hold on to 3 point leads 5 minutes from the end of tight championship matches and they are sorted.
The end against tipp was too similar to the end against the Déise last year. 

[Milltown Row2]

I hear youse didn't weigh in for the Sevens, Milltown. Disgraceful stuff.

no we didn't field cause the footballers arranged a challenge match!!!!

don't get me started

[ONeill]

 I heard you were pulled out by the manager before a football game was ever organised but your secretary and chairman never bothered to inform Kilmacud. Nothing to do with footballers I hear.

[Milltown Row2]

I also heard your full of shite O'Neill.

[imtommygunn]

It is funny how people seem to think KK have gone away.

Sometimes it's down to on the day and that's what happened yesterday. Tipp were the better team but KK had a bad day at the office too. Next year I expect KK to beat them(perhaps with a few to spare too).

Who are the candidates for retirement for KK? I would imagine maybe Lyng - Hickey and Shefflin to me have a year or two in them and have unfinished business. In fact I think too many have too much unfinished business to be retiring.

[gallsman]

It is funny how people seem to think KK have gone away.

Sometimes it's down to on the day and that's what happened yesterday. Tipp were the better team but KK had a bad day at the office too. Next year I expect KK to beat them(perhaps with a few to spare too).

Who are the candidates for retirement for KK? I would imagine maybe Lyng - Hickey and Shefflin to me have a year or two in them and have unfinished business. In fact I think too many have too much unfinished business to be retiring.

Brennan will struggle for a place. Think there will be a good number KK forward spots up for grabs next year. Shefflin (if fit) and Larkin the only absolute certainties. Power has gone missing in big games too often, TJ been given ample opportunity to make the step up to top level player, Fogarty hit and miss. Who willcome in is the big question. Mulhall looked very handy during th league. Hogan is similar to TJ in that he's yet to seize a big game by the scruff of the neck. Might see Cha moving back to the forward line, or either of Rice or Fennelly going into the forwards for a bit of extra muscle in a John Hoyne vein. On this year's form rice is the most likely as I thought Fennelly was the outstanding midfielder in the country this summer.

[johnneycool]

Corbett touched the ball 3 times and scored 3 goals. An invaluable contribution certainly, but for me the best player on the field was Brendan Maher. His work may have gone unnoticed by the sunday game analysts, but for me he was the reason Tipperary won that match. He ran the center and was the pick of the 4 midfielders. Once Tipp had control in that sector they seemed to have that little more time to pick out their passes to the inside line. That was in contrast to Kilkenny who seemed to hit every ball under pressure and who seemed hellbent on ballooning high ball after high ball on top of Power. Thats all well and good, but with talented corner forwards, the odd ball to them would have been worth a try too (acknowledged Eddie wasn't at the races at all).

The questions about what would have happened if Tipp took their chances last year were answered yesterday. Rather than coasting to 5 titles, its probably fair to say that Kilkenny actually got one more than they might have by scraping that win last year. But thats Kilkenny. A truly great team, and having lost yesterday does nothing to change that.

Kilkenny's dominance was always going to come to an end at some point. It was always likely Tipp would be the team to end it. Now its up to the likes of Galway and Cork to get themselves up to the level where they can have us all doubting until the very end, as to where Liam McCarthy is bound.

Congrats to Tipp. Somehow I can't see it being 9 years til their next title, but its hard to see anyone other than Kilkenny or Tipp getting their hands on Liam for quite some time.

It was a good game but the amount of bunching at times spoiled it, ditto the minor game, (it was probably worse for it) but congratulations to Tipp, they took their chances when they arose and didn't concede too many soft ones at the other end.

Lar Corbett didn't touch much ball throughout the game, got a bit lucky for the first goal as Hickey was badly out of position and fell over trying to get back, the spade work was done by Noel McGrath, (??) for the second one and the war was already over for the third one, but hey you still got to be in the right place at the right time to put them away.

My MOTM was Pauric Maher the number 7 who's gotten over his nightmare down in Cork well and certainly seems better suited out the field. It's a fairly young Tipp team and not that Tipp teams lack confidence but this win over Kilkenny will bring them on even further.

Too many Kilkenny lads had a bad day on Sunday but that doesn't mean they are bad hurlers, but certainly it been a while since the likes of Tommy Walsh has been so quiet, Brennan had a mare, thought the keeper put his defence under too much pressure by batting out balls he should be catching and that panic'd them a bit. fogarty did very little, and Larkin who was keeping them in the game in the first half had a lot quieter second half. Power and TJ Reid made a few wrong decisions when in possession but they'll be wiser for it.

There'll maybe be a bit of a cull in Kilkenny but not that much, maybe Lyng and Comerford and possibly Brennan, Hickey and Kavanagh but the main structures of the team will still be there.

I'd be wondering if Cody may decide to quit now and let fresh blood into the management side of things??

[orangeman]

On the subject of Cody, did you ever hear a manager who was as gracious in defeat ?


He was unreal and offered not a single excuse.

Will he pack it in now ? I don't think it's in his nature to walk away. He'll rebuild in my opinion.