Christy Ring

[stevecw]

Anyone got any opinions on the Christy Ring Cup. It starts this weekend. Unlike the disaster that is the Tommy Murphy cup in football, the CR Cup has worked.
This year its hard to see beyond Westmeath once again. Champs in 2005 & 2007. Antrim walked it in 2006, when they were so much better than what was in it.
As for challengers this year Down, Carlow & maybe Meath but really thats about it for who might challenge but hard to see Westmeath despite their Leinster 2nd half hammering by the Dubs being beaten.
Shows there is still a big gap tho...Westmeath are easily best of 2nd tier, Dubs are near bottom of top tier..still the dubs hammer Westmeath.

[slow corner back]

I would be curious to see how derry hurlers go in this, they put it up to antrim for 55-60  minutes in the ulster championship and are could be dangerous at christy ring level. I would agree that westmeath are the favourites alright but as you say Down or Carlow could beat them with a fair wind behind them.

[downgirl]

I think Down should do well in the Christy Ring this year, (and yes, I am probably slightly biased!) but they performed well against Antrim in the Ulster final and possibly should have won.  Magic Johnson wasn't playing in the final due to a broken foot, but he should be back and himself and Paul Braniff do work well together.  I am sick of the lack of support hurling is getting in Ulster, including from the county board (speaking from a Down perspective only, I cannot say anything for the other counties).

[stevecw]

I agree down girl, even in Carlow its not getting the support we need. The clubs are going mad that the hurling championship here has been put on hold for a few weeks.
3 of our best impact subs have been kicked off panel for playing league or challenges with the club.
Ok its great having a top manager like we have in Jim Greene, won Munsters with Mount Sion...just missed out on Wat job when McCarthy got it etc. But seems overstrict.
Top scorer in carlow championship was on holiday for the 1st kehoe cup game this year & was kicked off panel cos of it! Madness. Ok he says discipline is vital..but he cost us many of our best players.
I think with a full panel we'd win the CR cup, with with losing those guys i reckon semis again are our best bet sadly.

[Hurler on the Bitch]

Find it hard to work up a sweat about it... the day that a game on its own attracts a 3,000 crowd will be a miracle. When you see the standard in Munster - and add Kilkenny - then it's just basically a junior championship..

[stevecw]

^ You're dead right it gets terrible crowds until it gets to semis & final.
But it still makes sense to give hurlers a winnable championship at their own level.
No point having Kildare play Kilkenny in Leinster..obv get hammered. Then again its crazy put longford up against Kildare too...longford would be hammerred.
Thats why the 3 tier level works in hurling.
In football the gap isn't so big...but whetever ppl think about Christy Ring & Rickard they give competitive matches for counties at their own level even if it doesnt attract crowds.

[Hurler on the Bitch]

^ You're dead right it gets terrible crowds until it gets to semis & final.
But it still makes sense to give hurlers a winnable championship at their own level.
No point having Kildare play Kilkenny in Leinster..obv get hammered. Then again its crazy put longford up against Kildare too...longford would be hammerred.
Thats why the 3 tier level works in hurling.
In football the gap isn't so big...but whetever ppl think about Christy Ring & Rickard they give competitive matches for counties at their own level even if it doesnt attract crowds.

Good point but I find it hard to compare football with hurling.
The thing about football is that it is a game where skill is not the bottom line. Teams can play tactically in football and cancel out the basic skills of the more talented teams (blanket defence) etc .. Kerry would win the All-Ireland every year if it wasn't for the realisation that you will not beat them at pure football so use tactics. Cue fecker Spillane gurning every Sunday about Ulster football. It's not rocket science - ask Jackie Charlton. Hurling is different - perhaps the smaller ball negates the effectiveness of tactics as an individual player with skill can turn a game ( In 1998, I saw Johnny Dooley flick a ball from the ground to his hand -  and in one movement turn and smash it to the net - while two Antrim defenders who were around Dooley were still wondering where the ball had dissappeared to.. That skill was inherent and Dooley could have done that when he was ten years old in his back yard.. That is why people must realise that hurling's gaps in class will not be solved easily.. In Kilkenny, the schoolkids carry hurls to school and then home pucking a ball all the way. My bro went to school with Brian McFall and he did that also. In Casement Park three years ago, an RTE journo (Brian Carty) said to me that McFALL was the only player in Antrim that could walk onto any team in Ireland.. the hurl was an extension of his hand from no age... That's why I feel that the CR Cup not going to solve our probs..

[downgirl]

so Hurler On The Bitch, you are saying we should have more coaching at primary school level etc??  This is done for football, all the big county stars going to the primary schools to encourage young ones to start playing and all, but I can't think of anytime I have seen anything in the papers about county hurlers going to primary schools....also Benny Coulter is like a GAA development coach...is there such a thing in the Down (or any county) hurlers?? I don't think so unfortunately.  Why can't the county boards address this issue???  And encourage clubs outside Ards to start fielding hurling teams???!!!!!

[Lecale2]

The Christy Ring only gets interesting at the Semi Final stage. Very few bother attending the group matches. Hopefully Down can give it a rattle this year after last years shambles.

[thejuice]

I reckon Meath can do well this year but we wont get near Westmeath. I'd be confident of getting out of our group with Mayo and Kerry without too much hassle.

We have a couple of nice hurlers in Nicky Horan and Eoin Brislane

[AZOffaly]

What was the name of the Meath hurler that used to be very good? He would have played for any county team in Leinster back in the 90s. Was it Sheridan or something? Cathal?

[INDIANA]

pat potterton was some hurler from meath
so was nicky horan in his day.

[AZOffaly]

Could be Nicky Horan I'm thinking of. He was a wing forward I think. Took the frees?

[The Real Laoislad]

I would have liked Laois to compete in it this year,I don't see the point of Galway raking up another massive score against us,I believe we have dropped down now to the level of Westmeath

[INDIANA]

at his peak horan would have started for kilkenny even cody conceded that.