Kilkenny v Tipp

[johnneycool]

I thought the same - but with Peter Mc Kenna on Hawk eye it was never going to be given.

. Stapleton pulled the visor - end of discussion. They've been clamping down all year and to miss it on the biggest day of the lot didn't look good.

After Richie gave him a push to take him beyond the ball that is, but yes red card straight away for his reaction.

Davy Fitz would have been pulling the stuffing out of the sofa watching that considering he lost a player for it during the year!

I think we all know you'd nearly have to kill someone to get a straight red card in the latter stages of the hurling championship especially if the game is in Croke Park.

Benny Dunne was the last and a pretty obvious one that I can remember although Ryan O'Dwyer picked up a softish double yellow in the semi last year, but ever since all we've heard about is the softish sendings off for Henry (god forbid), Pa Horgan and O'Dwyer where the refs ruined the games FFS..

[AZOffaly]

If you are supposed to stand 'static' on the line, and I can throw a ball in the air approx 7 metres, and strike it at full force, unopposed, right at the adams apple or the nads, I think that's fairly dangerous.

When it comes off the sweet spot though, that'll always be the case, in traffic or not. TJ's shot could potentially have had the same effect if Gleeson had been unlucky enough to take it full force. Letting players strike it with the bigger bas and ramping up the velocity accordingly is more dangerous that the distance in my book accordingly.

It's a game where thirty lads flail three foot pieces of wood about the place for seventy minutes. Nobody wears cups, shin pads and only a few continue to wear ash guards (although after what happened Michael Rice maybe they should be looked at as compulsory). It's a dangerous sport full stop, that's part of what makes it so exciting. I think 7/8 yards difference in from where a placed ball is struck is relatively down the list of safety issues in the game. Correct the fouls when lifting the ball and you wouldn't have too many able to move a 21 yard free in to the 13 and still get a god strike off.

I understand all that, but the issue with the 20 metre penalty was that the lads on the line were sitting ducks. The momentum was all coming one way, and it was getting so close in it was a) dangerous, and b) Impossible to stop without doing exactly what Kelly did that time. (And did you see the lump on his leg after it?)

[orangeman]

Ticket prices reduced to €50  for stand, €25 for hill and €10 for the kids.

Who said the GAA is all about taking as much money as possible from patrons ?. 

[orangeman]

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/ref-makes-a-run-for-it-during-hurling-match-641405.html

Could we get this man to ref the replay ?.

[David McKeown]

Just watching the game again here on sky. It's maybe significant that in the first 14 minutes the commentator makes 4 separate references to Kilkenny being upset with Kelly's decisions. That's before the issue of the incorrectly awarded penalties.

Still a superb game mind

[orangeman]

Just watching the game again here on sky. It's maybe significant that in the first 14 minutes the commentator makes 4 separate references to Kilkenny being upset with Kelly's decisions. That's before the issue of the incorrectly awarded penalties.

Still a superb game mind

Donal Og on the radio made the same references but said Kelly had done a good job.

[Last Man]

Richie Hogan needs to ditch those predator boots, was the only player i noticed losing his footing especially when the surface was so good.

[Asal Mor]

Ticket prices reduced to €50  for stand, €25 for hill and €10 for the kids.

Who said the GAA is all about taking as much money as possible from patrons ?. 

I haven't been at a game in Croker for a few years as I'm out of the country but is it 50 for all stand seats? Surely there should be different prices for different parts of the stand given the vast difference in the quality of the view you get. Are there reduced rates for some of the most awful seats?

I wonder how the best seats are allocated?

[cicfada]

Best final I have ever seen and I was delighted to see that last free go wide to give us another match. I thought that Barry Kelly was harsh on kk to be honest, Eoin Larkin should have been awarded a free early in the match and both penalties were wrongly awarded considering that the offences were outside the box, therefore justice was done when they were both missed. Only 2 players have scored penalties now since the rule was amended, joe canning and Patrick Horgan so it is possible to score them even if the advantage to the fouled team is less now. I thought that Eddie Brennan was stupid to come out with his comments about Kelly though even if there is an element of truth about it. It came across all parochial and his objectivity would be questioned now IMHO .I would fully expect kk to win the replay now, with a different ref and so many players who can improve from Sundays display. Both fennellys and wally Walsh were poor in my opinion so expect to see changes there for the replay. Huge credit to tipp though, the players who had not really lit it up before the final, lar, noel mc grath, played well along with bubbles and seamus callinan. Bonner doesn't have a bad game ever it seems and if he ever got injured you'd have to worry about tipp. I would love to attend the replay as the atmosphere will be truly amazing but the match won't live up to the standards of the first one, I would say. Roll on sept 27th.

[imtommygunn]

On the flip side of the penalty debate if he'd awarded frees Tipp would likely have had 2 more points on the board so the penalty ended up penalising tipp more than kk...

[AZOffaly]

Ticket prices reduced to €50  for stand, €25 for hill and €10 for the kids.

Who said the GAA is all about taking as much money as possible from patrons ?. 

I haven't been at a game in Croker for a few years as I'm out of the country but is it 50 for all stand seats? Surely there should be different prices for different parts of the stand given the vast difference in the quality of the view you get. Are there reduced rates for some of the most awful seats?

I wonder how the best seats are allocated?

In fairness I don't think I've had a 'bad' view from any seat in Croke Park.

[gallsman]

Richie Hogan needs to ditch those predator boots, was the only player i noticed losing his footing especially when the surface was so good.

Thought that myself - not the first time he's had issues with his footing either. Wonder if it had anything to do with him going down later in the match. Still, MOTM with six from play - I'd gladly take a few slips and slides for that kind of performance.

[theskull1]

cicfada

Maybe the replay 2 years ago was a damb squib, but last years surpassed the first day out. I'll be going down hoping for something similar. Can see KK making at least 2 changes to the starting 15 the next day. Both Holden and Walsh looked off the pace for that level of hurling.

On the penalty debate: A penalty needs to be an advantage to the attacking team. Bringing it back to the 21 has taken that away. Nash making it a health and safety issue has caused a knee jerk reaction. Can see why they didn't make it 18 yard out before the strike to give the attacking team the advantage but still give the defenders time enough to turn their 4rse to it 

[andoireabu]

Question about the free the ref gave against the tipp keeper for lifting the ball in the square.  From watching it  barry seemed to blow his whistle for a free out but then went in to his umpires for a word. He then gave the free to kilkenny.  My question is did he reverse his decision and if he did was he allowed to?  Growing up we were always told not to slabber at refs because they couldnt change a decision they had made.

[Asal Mor]

In fairness I don't think I've had a 'bad' view from any seat in Croke Park.

I got a particularly bad seat once. Near the canal end but not in it, right at the back of the lower Cusack???(could have been the Hogan) under the Premium boxes. You couldn't see the ball once it went high in the air. I paid full price for them too. Luckily it wasn't full and I was able to move to a better one.

I'm not fond of the upper levels. Feel a bit too removed from it all. Love a Premium ticket if I can get one though.