NHL 2016

[johnneycool]

I think Div 1b can be very worthwhile for teams who approach it in the right frame of mind, and especially if they need to build up a build of confidence. You have a couple of decent games, and one (at least) very good game.  However, you really cannot afford to have a bad day at all, because while it is hard to get relegated from, it is also a bitch to get promoted from.

I couldn't understand Tomas Mulcahy last night.  He'd highlighted the beating Offaly took to reinforce his point that Div1B was hindering the development of counties like Offaly and how ill prepared they were to face the likes of Kilkenny as a stick to beat the current league structures yet never mentioned that both Clare and Limerick beat times from Div1A and Wexford had just given Waterford their fill of it earlier on in the day! Ger let his ramblings go unchallenged.

The league does need some tweaking in terms of relegation, but overall we've never had it so competitive and should leave well enough alone.

[AZOffaly]

Semi Final double header confirmed for Thurles on Sunday Week.

2pm Waterford v Limerick
4pm Kilkenny v Clare

Good day's hurling in Tom Semple's field.

[Asal Mor]

I think Div 1b can be very worthwhile for teams who approach it in the right frame of mind, and especially if they need to build up a build of confidence. You have a couple of decent games, and one (at least) very good game.  However, you really cannot afford to have a bad day at all, because while it is hard to get relegated from, it is also a bitch to get promoted from.

I couldn't understand Tomas Mulcahy last night.  He'd highlighted the beating Offaly took to reinforce his point that Div1B was hindering the development of counties like Offaly and how ill prepared they were to face the likes of Kilkenny as a stick to beat the current league structures yet never mentioned that both Clare and Limerick beat times from Div1A and Wexford had just given Waterford their fill of it earlier on in the day! Ger let his ramblings go unchallenged.

The league does need some tweaking in terms of relegation, but overall we've never had it so competitive and should leave well enough alone.

+1.

Mulcahy is like a lad who doesn't get too bogged down in research or preparation before he comes on. Looks very relaxed in his role.

[waterfordlad]

Two handy enough wins for Waterford and Clare yesterday. It was point for point in first game until half time but Waterford improved in 2nd half and once we got first goal from slightly fortunate penalty we pulled away. Clare were very good, tackling hard and not letting Kilkenny have any space or time while taking their scores at other end. Kilkenny won't be happy with soft goals they conceded in first half with keeper and defender getting in each others way. Jackie Tyrrell taken off after 20 minutes as well. Waterford v Clare meet in final in 2 weeks and then in early June in Munster championship so interesting games ahead.

[AZOffaly]

Limerick were dire. The Waterford system completely stumped them. I couldn't believe the amount of short puckouts that were lost. Limerick don't have the touch to fooster around in the half back line under pressure. And I still fail to see the tactical genius in a short puckout ~20 yards, so a lad who, all going well, belts it 60 or 70 yards down the field, when the goalie, unopposed, would hit it 80 or 90 anyway. I realise they didn't want to hit balls straight to the sweeper, but puckouts to the wing forwards, getting support from midfield and half backs, would have been at least as productive as a short puckout followed by pucking it away anyway.

Waterford look assured and happy with their style of play. I'm not so sure they have enough bite to win an All Ireland, but they are certainly going to be a serious test for anyone.

Clare play a similar system, but they have real pace and ball players around the middle and forward lines. A bit more than Waterford in my opinion. Colm Galvin, Colin Ryan, Tony Kelly, Padge Collins, Conlon and Mcgrath are all serious operators. That said, Tipp should have beaten them in Ennis, so this might be a very open championship.

I know Kilkenny were missing a couple, but they do *not* have oodles of depth like they used to. The days of 'Kilkenny's second XV would beat every county in the country' are well and truly gone. The difference in talent between the two sub benches yesterday was stark.

[johnneycool]

Limerick were dire. The Waterford system completely stumped them. I couldn't believe the amount of short puckouts that were lost. Limerick don't have the touch to fooster around in the half back line under pressure. And I still fail to see the tactical genius in a short puckout ~20 yards, so a lad who, all going well, belts it 60 or 70 yards down the field, when the goalie, unopposed, would hit it 80 or 90 anyway. I realise they didn't want to hit balls straight to the sweeper, but puckouts to the wing forwards, getting support from midfield and half backs, would have been at least as productive as a short puckout followed by pucking it away anyway.

Waterford look assured and happy with their style of play. I'm not so sure they have enough bite to win an All Ireland, but they are certainly going to be a serious test for anyone.

Clare play a similar system, but they have real pace and ball players around the middle and forward lines. A bit more than Waterford in my opinion. Colm Galvin, Colin Ryan, Tony Kelly, Padge Collins, Conlon and Mcgrath are all serious operators. That said, Tipp should have beaten them in Ennis, so this might be a very open championship.

I know Kilkenny were missing a couple, but they do *not* have oodles of depth like they used to. The days of 'Kilkenny's second XV would beat every county in the country' are well and truly gone. The difference in talent between the two sub benches yesterday was stark.

Got to see most of the Clare/KK game and Clare out Kilkennied Kilkenny. They hunted in packs and never let the Kilkenny lads get a clean stroke away or to get their heads up to find a team mate with a huge amount of pressure put on them.
Clare also targeted the weakness in the air of Joey Holden by lumping John Conlan in on top of him and isolated them one on one. Eoin Murphy in attempting to help out his fullback over egged the pudding and his exuberance in trying to join the aerial battle resulted in at least two of the goals.
Whilst Kilkenny were missing the Fennelly's, Paul Murphy, Eoin Larkin and Tyrrell going off injured who'll no doubt make them stronger later on in the year, there'll be concern in the cats ranks about the deputies if an when they're needed as yesterday they were lacking.
Clare look to have gotten back on track with this talented bunch, much will be made of Donal O'G's inputs, but it could possibly be as much down to Paul Kinnerk back in the ranks after 2013.

A few things of note; Aaron Cunningham buckled a Kilkenny lad when both were in full flow and Cunningham subsequently popped over a point 60 yards out. Clare don't look as bulky as the Kilkenny lads, but they're strong...
Bugler whilst out of the left back berth, try's to clear on his right, blocked down on his inside by TJ Reid, who then had a free run in on goal ( I think it did indeed lead to a Kilkenny goal). You'd give off to an U12 for that, let alone a seasoned campaigner like Bugler.
TJ Reid is now the main man in Kilkenny and there's almost a reliance on him. Unless Larking and the two Fennelly's return in full flow Kilkenny can no longer afford to leave him on the edge of the square for phases of the game as there'll be no one to make the balls for him to finish off.
Clare have a better set of forwards than Waterford, but I'd have the Waterford defence over the Banners any day of the week..

[johnneycool]

Oh forget to say, Limerick were obviously going to struggle what with being in Div1B but that didn't seem to bother Clare

From the examiner "Six lessons to take from the League semis in Thurles"

Division 1A is where it's at

No surprise there, but Limerick had the lesson that Division 1B rusts your touch writ large for them. When Waterford started getting scores and pushing up, cutting down on space and time, Limerick struggled, and TJ Ryan will know that the sooner they get top-flight competition year round, the better.

Strangely no mention of the other Div1A/Div1B clash and the fact the Division 1B rusts your touch writ (sic) large for them whatever that means!!

FFS lads change the record even when contradictory evidence occurred no less than two hours later at the same venue!!

[Roashter]

Fair point Johnny, but the one think I'd say is that in last few years Clare have only spent 1 season down in division 1B while Limerick have been down there continuously.

It actually worked out quite nicely for Clare in that they were able to experiment a lot more in div 1B than they would have done had they been in 1A. Of course it's all well and good if you come straight back up, but for Limerick to be down there the past few years it has been a big hinderence.

[johnneycool]

Fair point Johnny, but the one think I'd say is that in last few years Clare have only spent 1 season down in division 1B while Limerick have been down there continuously.

It actually worked out quite nicely for Clare in that they were able to experiment a lot more in div 1B than they would have done had they been in 1A. Of course it's all well and good if you come straight back up, but for Limerick to be down there the past few years it has been a big hinderence.

To use the words of some Hurling elite when asked if it was fair that the winners of Div2A having to play the losers of the relegation playoff from Div1B was that you need to win your way up, Limerick if they're good enough will get promoted, but to say that playing in Div1B is restricting their development when they have already played two competitive games against teams from Div1A is a nonsense.
There's plans afoot to change the NHL, well the top echelons, and it'd be silly as we've now got a very competitive and interesting league, so why change it?

[Sean3]

If I was Eoin Murphy I wouldn't be looking forward to his next meeting with Brian Cody! He was at least partly at fault for the first, should have kept out the second and was largely responsible for the third goal. Conor McGrath's goal was a thing of beauty, a carbon copy of his goal in the 2013 final replay. Clare played very well but it will be interesting to see how their movement copes in the pressure the Waterford backs will put it under.

Once Waterford put on the heat yesterday there was no way back for Limerick. As stated by AZ, the short puckouts were lunacy. They were outmuscled in the forwards - Cian Lynch was easily held. I thought Limerick would have more about them. Waterford were very good and impressive.

[Bord na Mona man]

People were saying Gerlock's musings on Kilkenny would lead to some sort of backlash, where the Cats would torch Klare as punishment.
Maybe this result is proving his point. Kilkenny don't have the awesomeness of old to carry such a mission out. Added to that, how much are Kilkenny being helped by teams fearing them too much and underperforming. Maybe Loughnane helped Klare believe in themselves that bit more.

[johnneycool]

If I was Eoin Murphy I wouldn't be looking forward to his next meeting with Brian Cody! He was at least partly at fault for the first, should have kept out the second and was largely responsible for the third goal. Conor McGrath's goal was a thing of beauty, a carbon copy of his goal in the 2013 final replay. Clare played very well but it will be interesting to see how their movement copes in the pressure the Waterford backs will put it under.

Once Waterford put on the heat yesterday there was no way back for Limerick. As stated by AZ, the short puckouts were lunacy. They were outmuscled in the forwards - Cian Lynch was easily held. I thought Limerick would have more about them. Waterford were very good and impressive.

Eoin Murphy recognised what Clare were up to and tried to help his fullback out, went badly for him all the same. Still the best keeper in the game at the minute IMO.

[AZOffaly]

If I was Eoin Murphy I wouldn't be looking forward to his next meeting with Brian Cody! He was at least partly at fault for the first, should have kept out the second and was largely responsible for the third goal. Conor McGrath's goal was a thing of beauty, a carbon copy of his goal in the 2013 final replay. Clare played very well but it will be interesting to see how their movement copes in the pressure the Waterford backs will put it under.

Once Waterford put on the heat yesterday there was no way back for Limerick. As stated by AZ, the short puckouts were lunacy. They were outmuscled in the forwards - Cian Lynch was easily held. I thought Limerick would have more about them. Waterford were very good and impressive.

Eoin Murphy recognised what Clare were up to and tried to help his fullback out, went badly for him all the same. Still the best keeper in the game at the minute IMO.

True. Joey Holden was destroyed under that high ball. Very unusual for Kilkenny. You could see it from the first ball in, where he was basically just desperately trying to push Conlon out of the way. I know that's a good tactic for a full back, but it wasn't done very comfortably. You knew if a ball came in dropping on the edge of the square that he was ballixed.

If that was championship, I doubt Cody would have looked at Holden in there for longer than 15 minutes.

[Canalman]

Don't dislike KK at all but have to admit I got a grim satisfaction from that game yesterday with KK players floundering and flapping around. To me they looked very unfit and leg heavy. Clare forwards waltzed around untouched alot of the time.

Don't think Clare will be too happy either in showing their hand so early in the season. Everyone well warned about them now.

[imtommygunn]

If I was Eoin Murphy I wouldn't be looking forward to his next meeting with Brian Cody! He was at least partly at fault for the first, should have kept out the second and was largely responsible for the third goal. Conor McGrath's goal was a thing of beauty, a carbon copy of his goal in the 2013 final replay. Clare played very well but it will be interesting to see how their movement copes in the pressure the Waterford backs will put it under.

Once Waterford put on the heat yesterday there was no way back for Limerick. As stated by AZ, the short puckouts were lunacy. They were outmuscled in the forwards - Cian Lynch was easily held. I thought Limerick would have more about them. Waterford were very good and impressive.

Eoin Murphy recognised what Clare were up to and tried to help his fullback out, went badly for him all the same. Still the best keeper in the game at the minute IMO.

True. Joey Holden was destroyed under that high ball. Very unusual for Kilkenny. You could see it from the first ball in, where he was basically just desperately trying to push Conlon out of the way. I know that's a good tactic for a full back, but it wasn't done very comfortably. You knew if a ball came in dropping on the edge of the square that he was ballixed.

If that was championship, I doubt Cody would have looked at Holden in there for longer than 15 minutes.

I would expect Murphy would have made a massive difference in there.