2016 All Ireland final predictions

[NAG1]

Cannot think off hand of one KK player who got the better of his marker. Maybe two or three  shaded it but that is at a push.

Plenty of AIs there for Tipperary to pick off over the next few years if they can break a habit of generations and kick on .

Would think there are plenty of KK subs very disappointed today at not getting a run yesterday.

Excellent performance from Tipperary as a whole.

This was touted on the Sunday game as well but for the life of me I cant think of them. Any help?

[AZOffaly]

Conor Fogarty probably got the better of Michael Breen, but I'm not sure they were in direct opposition.  Kevin Kelly did reasonably well, but Mickey Cahill still probably came out on top in general play. No, Fogarty is probably the only one I can think of.

[theskull1]

He may have been told to stop Breen as he was seen as the power player for Tipp in midfield, but the net result of that man marking job was that the full back line was left isolated. 

[AZOffaly]

He may have been told to stop Breen as he was seen as the power player for Tipp in midfield, but the net result of that man marking job was that the full back line was left isolated.

How do you make that out? Fogarty should have been centre back? The Tipp half forwards pulled out the pitch, and the delivery in was great. That was what isolated the KK full back line. Maybe if Fogarty was centre back, or deployed as a deep lying midfielder it may have made a bit of difference, but I think the movement was so good, and the Tipp half back line was so good with their delivery in, that it probably didn't make a huge difference.

[theskull1]

Fogarty and Fennelly were typically to be seen thickening out their full back line and snuffing out threats in front of goal. I thought it noticable myself that he was rarely in there an any stage to do that on Sunday. Its possible the quicker delivery was the difference, but maybe he was given a man marking job and Breen was told to give the inside line more space and Fogarty stayed with him ... I dunno

[Milltown Row2]

We can look at picking holes in Kilkennys poor play, lack of threat up front and possible fatigue.... But 15 minutes into the second half there was nothing in it and Kilkenny were living off scraps..

TJ and Hogan both had poor games again but managed the bulk of the Cats scores, if Kilkenny had another outlet on Sunday the game would have been a lot closer, Bubbles goal for me was soft and the amount of room Callaghan got was criminal!!

I think Kilkenny have issues with quality in depth but their best 15 fully fit would beat Tipp 7 times out of 10... What won it for me was when the Cats went in front Tipp found an extra gear, they managed to get their scores easier and drove on, they didn't let up, which for me has been their biggest problem

[Minder]

We can look at picking holes in Kilkennys poor play, lack of threat up front and possible fatigue.... But 15 minutes into the second half there was nothing in it and Kilkenny were living off scraps..

TJ and Hogan both had poor games again but managed the bulk of the Cats scores, if Kilkenny had another outlet on Sunday the game would have been a lot closer, Bubbles goal for me was soft and the amount of room Callaghan got was criminal!!

I think Kilkenny have issues with quality in depth but their best 15 fully fit would beat Tipp 7 times out of 10... What won it for me was when the Cats went in front Tipp found an extra gear, they managed to get their scores easier and drove on, they didn't let up, which for me has been their biggest problem

Doubt Kilkenny would beat Tipp 7/10 times

[seafoid]

Are Galway now the second best team in Ireland?
Tipp waltzed through Munster, no one laid a glove on them and were the better team for most of the game yesterday with only Galway giving them their fill of it for the better part of 70 minutes!!

No just because we lost to Kilkenny already even though I think Kilkenny were in a better state then than the Michael Fennelly less version that turned up in the final. Plus I think having to go to the well twice against Waterford really did take something out of them. We just seem to match up well against Tipp and have zero hang ups about playing them whereas while we generally give Kilkenny plenty of it we haven't been able to finish them off in a match since the 2012 Leinster final. Since then there's been draws and long periods in games where we're on top of them but just can't drive the stake through their hearts. I think that does pray on the players minds no matter what. A bit of frustration in that only for the double injury blow before half-time in the semi I'm fairly confident we would have beaten Tipp. I don't think we'd have beaten Kilkenny in the final though without a fit Joe Canning. Not to mention Conor Whelan is also out after injuring himself in the U-21 semi.

I'm not even sure that Tipp played much better yesterday than they did in 2014 to be honest. Kilkenny have definitely come back towards the pack though. They were springing leaks everywhere yesterday and Cody barely even looked at his bench for an answer.

I was just being a bollox, but you're right, I think the leaders on this Kilkenny team have went to the well far too often and the Waterford games had them to the pin of their collar for the full 140 minutes and on Sunday Paul Murphy, TJ Reid, Richie Hogan and Larkin had nothing left in them to give.

Will Cody stay on for another rebuild or move on with his legacy still intact?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hat1Hc9SNwE

It would be good for hurling if they went into a managed decline for a few years.
Cody is a great bunch of lads but it is time for others to take over and move the game in a different direction.
Monoculture is very dull after a while.

[Milltown Row2]

We can look at picking holes in Kilkennys poor play, lack of threat up front and possible fatigue.... But 15 minutes into the second half there was nothing in it and Kilkenny were living off scraps..

TJ and Hogan both had poor games again but managed the bulk of the Cats scores, if Kilkenny had another outlet on Sunday the game would have been a lot closer, Bubbles goal for me was soft and the amount of room Callaghan got was criminal!!

I think Kilkenny have issues with quality in depth but their best 15 fully fit would beat Tipp 7 times out of 10... What won it for me was when the Cats went in front Tipp found an extra gear, they managed to get their scores easier and drove on, they didn't let up, which for me has been their biggest problem

Doubt Kilkenny would beat Tipp 7/10 times

This is the same Tipp who Kilkenny have beaten so many times since losing against them in that Lar Corbet three goal thriller.. And the same Tipp that under perform every rim after winning an All Ireland

Each time Kilkenny get bate everyone writes them off... Time will tell I suppose, but they have the history of dusting themselves down and reinvent themselves !

[AZOffaly]

It's not the same Tipp team though. And it's not the same Kilkenny team, mores to the point. It was fairly evident the last day that Tipp were better, man for man, in most positions. It was also obvious that Kilkenny's bench was sparse to say the least.

Now I'm not writing off Kilkenny, I'm sure they'll be back. I'm also not sure that Tipp will win next years All Ireland. But if they don't, Waterford or Galway will pose as big a threat to them as Kilkenny.

[seafoid]

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/kilkenny-finally-vulnerable-don-t-say-it-out-loud-but-it-could-be-true-1.2781937


http://montonra.tripod.com/

[Applesisapples]

In my opinion Kilkenny have been consistently good over the last 15 years. At times other teams have come to the fore in a given year, and taken the cup, Clare or example. Proof of any decline will only come next year and the year after. It is good for Hurling though that others get their time in the sun.

[seafoid]

Eamon O Shea gave one of the great speeches after 2014.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/this-team-will-win-allirelands-30621132.html

"I do think there are more important things (than winning). They are men who fought the battle to the end. Things did not go our way and yet the team kept going. And that is my understanding of sport and what it's about. Sometimes you don't always win. The way Tipp play now, we try until it's no longer possible. I am shattered we did not win. But it does not take anything from what was a supreme effort."

[ashman]

Eamon O Shea gave one of the great speeches after 2014.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/this-team-will-win-allirelands-30621132.html

"I do think there are more important things (than winning). They are men who fought the battle to the end. Things did not go our way and yet the team kept going. And that is my understanding of sport and what it's about. Sometimes you don't always win. The way Tipp play now, we try until it's no longer possible. I am shattered we did not win. But it does not take anything from what was a supreme effort."

I think EOS did a few coaching sessions with the forwards in the last month.

[AZOffaly]

He did one on ones with Callanan anyway. Focused on movement and creating space for himself.