Cork v Clare All Ireland SHC Final Sunday 8th September 3.30pm

[theskull1]

Sliotar is far too light and small for the modern hurler and has to be changed. Players wristily flicking it over the bar from the half way line is just not right imho again.

What are ye talking about man?    Just because you needed to be inside the 21 doesnt make it "not right" for highly skilled stick men like TK to put them over short stick from 60ms out

More scores in open play from more areas of the pitch, keeps the game spread out and a much better spectacle. Little chance to plant feet any more. Sure narrow the pitch while your at it 

[Canalman]

Sliotar is far too light and small for the modern hurler and has to be changed. Players wristily flicking it over the bar from the half way line is just not right imho again.

What are ye talking about man?    Just because you needed to be inside the 21 doesnt make it "not right" for highly skilled stick men like TK to put them over short stick from 60ms out

More scores in open play from more areas of the pitch, keeps the game spread out and a much better spectacle. Little chance to plant feet any more. Sure narrow the pitch while your at it 

Just my opinion. We'll agree to differ so.

[theskull1]

Just my opinion. We'll agree to differ so.

I know its your opinion and I'm debating that opinion. I'd love to know would you be happy with a smaller scoring area as a result of the ball being made heavier?

BTW..for some reason I thought that Milltown posted these comments...hence my over familiar response (that may have came across as cheeky to you). Point still stands though

[Applesisapples]

The real winner on Saturday was hurling. I'm no great fan of Cork but I remember JBM as a classy hurler, however his character and conduct in the face of defeat was magnificent as was his response after the drawn game. The result and the excitement once again puts what we call football in the shade.

[belleaqua]

Going to get a doing over this but here it goes......

You're right, you are. I could fisk the whole thing, but ultimately the money quote is this:

Both provincial finals were damp squibs taking out the novelty of emerging winners.

No one was saying that at the time. Everyone was delighted to see those counties winning. Taking your piece as a whole, I think you are determined to set yourself up as someone who values the purity of the game above all else. A hurling man, if you will. What that makes the rest of us, I don't know.

Not sure what that language is.

Regarding not saying it at the time I walked out of the Leinster Final thinking Galway were atrocious but obviously delighted for Dublin who were superb in all aspects of the game. It was a very poor final.

The Munster Final was a huge disappointment mainly because of the referees decision on Horgan.

My point from the start was that it was a hugely exciting novel year for hurling but lots of goals and exciting moments does not mask some of the drop in standards in terms of quality. Ultimately Kilkenny have come back to the pack rather than the rest catching up.

[Franko]

Disagree - in the drawn AIF we saw two of the best scores ever seen in championship hurling in Lehane's goal and Collins' point. Conor Ryan also gave an exhibition of fielding.  This is in the midst of a game where the tackling was more ferocious than anything I've seen in previous championships.

[Asal Mor]

My point from the start was that it was a hugely exciting novel year for hurling but lots of goals and exciting moments does not mask some of the drop in standards in terms of quality. Ultimately Kilkenny have come back to the pack rather than the rest catching up.

Strange, I think the opposite. Clare, Cork, Limerick and Dublin made huge improvements this year. Klikenny, Galway and Tipp went backwards a bit but overall the standard was much higher and we saw the emergence of so many new stars, playing with speed and skill levels that I think are better than I've seen before.

I thought Kilkenny were average enough last year but no team was good enough to stop them. In the few years before that, it was just Kilkenny and Tipp that were hurling at a very high standard.

In the 2011 championship Galway hammered Clare and Cork by 17 and 12 points respectively, with much the same personnel that are still available to us. Now we'd struggle to give either side a game, such is the progress they've made.

[seafoid]

My point from the start was that it was a hugely exciting novel year for hurling but lots of goals and exciting moments does not mask some of the drop in standards in terms of quality. Ultimately Kilkenny have come back to the pack rather than the rest catching up.

Strange, I think the opposite. Clare, Cork, Limerick and Dublin made huge improvements this year. Klikenny, Galway and Tipp went backwards a bit but overall the standard was much higher and we saw the emergence of so many new stars, playing with speed and skill levels that I think are better than I've seen before.

I thought Kilkenny were average enough last year but no team was good enough to stop them. In the few years before that, it was just Kilkenny and Tipp that were hurling at a very high standard.

In the 2011 championship Galway hammered Clare and Cork by 17 and 12 points respectively, with much the same personnel that are still available to us. Now we'd struggle to give either side a game, such is the progress they've made.

If Galway could introduce some tactical variation into their game they'd be a match for anyone  . 

[Canalman]

My point from the start was that it was a hugely exciting novel year for hurling but lots of goals and exciting moments does not mask some of the drop in standards in terms of quality. Ultimately Kilkenny have come back to the pack rather than the rest catching up.

Strange, I think the opposite. Clare, Cork, Limerick and Dublin made huge improvements this year. Klikenny, Galway and Tipp went backwards a bit but overall the standard was much higher and we saw the emergence of so many new stars, playing with speed and skill levels that I think are better than I've seen before.

I thought Kilkenny were average enough last year but no team was good enough to stop them. In the few years before that, it was just Kilkenny and Tipp that were hurling at a very high standard.

In the 2011 championship Galway hammered Clare and Cork by 17 and 12 points respectively, with much the same personnel that are still available to us. Now we'd struggle to give either side a game, such is the progress they've made.

If Galway could introduce some tactical variation into their game they'd be a match for anyone  .

Would agree a fair bit about your comment on Galway.

One year they will go with wristy and skilfull hurlers and lose.............. get hammered  by the fans for being "too windy" Next year (such as 2012/3) go for giants and lose................ get hammered by the fans for being "donkeys and not skilful enough". Then the circle begins again........ manager changes and  6 or 7 dropped from the panel etc.

Have said this before but Galway's major problem is that they are producing very well balanced underage teams and winning AIs as a result but not producing the  one or two "star" players each year on those same teams.

An enigma of a county though.

[Asal Mor]

If Galway could introduce some tactical variation into their game they'd be a match for anyone  .

Well hopefully we've all learned that putting Joe at full-forward and lumping high balls into him is not a game plan. And that we'll win nothing unless we inject some pace and energy into that team. It won't be easy for Anthony Cunningham though. Outside of Canning and Hayes(who's getting on a bit), there's not much to work with.

[GalwayBayBoy]

My point from the start was that it was a hugely exciting novel year for hurling but lots of goals and exciting moments does not mask some of the drop in standards in terms of quality. Ultimately Kilkenny have come back to the pack rather than the rest catching up.

Strange, I think the opposite. Clare, Cork, Limerick and Dublin made huge improvements this year. Klikenny, Galway and Tipp went backwards a bit but overall the standard was much higher and we saw the emergence of so many new stars, playing with speed and skill levels that I think are better than I've seen before.

I thought Kilkenny were average enough last year but no team was good enough to stop them. In the few years before that, it was just Kilkenny and Tipp that were hurling at a very high standard.

In the 2011 championship Galway hammered Clare and Cork by 17 and 12 points respectively, with much the same personnel that are still available to us. Now we'd struggle to give either side a game, such is the progress they've made.

If Galway could introduce some tactical variation into their game they'd be a match for anyone  .

Would agree a fair bit about your comment on Galway.

One year they will go with wristy and skilfull hurlers and lose.............. get hammered  by the fans for being "too windy" Next year (such as 2012/3) go for giants and lose................ get hammered by the fans for being "donkeys and not skilful enough". Then the circle begins again........ manager changes and  6 or 7 dropped from the panel etc.

Have said this before but Galway's major problem is that they are producing very well balanced underage teams and winning AIs as a result but not producing the  one or two "star" players each year on those same teams.

An enigma of a county though.

I think the lack of games at underage is not helping Galway hurling rather than a lack of actual talent. In 2011, Galway beat Clare in an All-Ireland minor semi-final. Clare had Tony Kelly, Colm Galvin, Shane O'Donnell, etc and a few other lads who are on the current Clare panel. The two best players on the field that day were Padraig Brehony and Shane Maloney for Galway, yet both lads have struggled to make any impact for Galway at senior level. Now both are still very young and you wouldn't write them off yet but they just haven't developed like the Clare lads have whether this is down to coaching or the fact that the Clare lads have gone through a number of tough Munster championships at both minor and U-21 level since and the gametime alone has brought them on a ton.

[belleaqua]

My point from the start was that it was a hugely exciting novel year for hurling but lots of goals and exciting moments does not mask some of the drop in standards in terms of quality. Ultimately Kilkenny have come back to the pack rather than the rest catching up.

Strange, I think the opposite. Clare, Cork, Limerick and Dublin made huge improvements this year. Klikenny, Galway and Tipp went backwards a bit but overall the standard was much higher and we saw the emergence of so many new stars, playing with speed and skill levels that I think are better than I've seen before.

I thought Kilkenny were average enough last year but no team was good enough to stop them. In the few years before that, it was just Kilkenny and Tipp that were hurling at a very high standard.

In the 2011 championship Galway hammered Clare and Cork by 17 and 12 points respectively, with much the same personnel that are still available to us. Now we'd struggle to give either side a game, such is the progress they've made.

If Galway could introduce some tactical variation into their game they'd be a match for anyone  .

Would agree a fair bit about your comment on Galway.

One year they will go with wristy and skilfull hurlers and lose.............. get hammered  by the fans for being "too windy" Next year (such as 2012/3) go for giants and lose................ get hammered by the fans for being "donkeys and not skilful enough". Then the circle begins again........ manager changes and  6 or 7 dropped from the panel etc.

Have said this before but Galway's major problem is that they are producing very well balanced underage teams and winning AIs as a result but not producing the  one or two "star" players each year on those same teams.

An enigma of a county though.

I think the lack of games at underage is not helping Galway hurling rather than a lack of actual talent. In 2011, Galway beat Clare in an All-Ireland minor semi-final. Clare had Tony Kelly, Colm Galvin, Shane O'Donnell, etc and a few other lads who are on the current Clare panel. The two best players on the field that day were Padraig Brehony and Shane Maloney for Galway, yet both lads have struggled to make any impact for Galway at senior level. Now both are still very young and you wouldn't write them off yet but they just haven't developed like the Clare lads have whether this is down to coaching or the fact that the Clare lads have gone through a number of tough Munster championships at both minor and U-21 level since and the gametime alone has brought them on a ton.

Agreed.

Strongly believe that Galway going into Leinster at underage level is essential to progress at Senior. Important in so many ways not least continuous steady development. It will come at the expense of a couple of underage All Ireland's as we have had the advantages of timing our run every year and lining up the opposition from way out. Not a true reflection overall.

Furthermore it will take the hype away from nearly every minor team we produce and reduce pressure. If they are good enough they will win it the hard way and if not lads off those teams will still come through under the radar so to speak.

[seafoid]

If Galway could introduce some tactical variation into their game they'd be a match for anyone  .

Well hopefully we've all learned that putting Joe at full-forward and lumping high balls into him is not a game plan. And that we'll win nothing unless we inject some pace and energy into that team. It won't be easy for Anthony Cunningham though. Outside of Canning and Hayes(who's getting on a bit), there's not much to work with.

6 all stars last year.
There are loads of good hurlers in Galway. The problem is developing a system that will bring them on.
And then thinking tactically in the matches they play. 

[Asal Mor]

I agree 100% about going into Leinster at underage. I'm not sure if that's the reason these lads aren't coming through but it certainly wouldn't hurt and at the very least would give them and everyone else a more realistic notion of how good they are. I think that the hurling board being skint is probably the biggest obstacle but when you see money being frittered away on GPS bras for the seniors you'd think it might be better spent sending our young lads off to Nowlan Park for a tough game.

Next year will tell us a lot seafoid. I hope you're right and I'm wrong but I don't expect it to be any better than this one. I'm aware that Galway hurling fans are known for being ultra-negative, but in fairness 9 times out of 10 that negativity has proven to be spot on. Anyway, Gaillimh abu. 

[seafoid]

I agree 100% about going into Leinster at underage. I'm not sure if that's the reason these lads aren't coming through but it certainly wouldn't hurt and at the very least would give them and everyone else a more realistic notion of how good they are. I think that the hurling board being skint is probably the biggest obstacle but when you see money being frittered away on GPS bras for the seniors you'd think it might be better spent sending our young lads off to Nowlan Park for a tough game.

Next year will tell us a lot seafoid. I hope you're right and I'm wrong but I don't expect it to be any better than this one. I'm aware that Galway hurling fans are known for being ultra-negative, but in fairness 9 times out of 10 that negativity has proven to be spot on. Anyway, Gaillimh abu. 

They should be there or thereabouts Asal. Obviously this year was a joke but if they had a bit of tactical nous they could have beaten Clare.