Galway v Laois / waterford v Antrim

[blasmere]

If as expected Antrim and Laois loose on saturday do they go into a relagation/ christy ring play off?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christy_Ring_Cup

According to this Laois wpuld play Antrim with the losers playing the Christy Ring winners.

[Zulu]

Ken McGrath selected at full back for the game this weekend, masterstroke or the height of folly?

[AZOffaly]

Full back. Hmm. Interesting. He seems to be way too important at centre back to move into the edge of the square, and I can't see the tight confines in there suiting him that much. He's a quality stick man, no matter what jersey he has on, but he's not exactly a Lohan or O'Sullivan type spoiler. Having said that, you'd think Davy would know his full backs, having spent many years watching them at close quarters.

Maybe he won't stay there, and it's a Loughnane style fake team. What's the rest of the team?

[GaillimhIarthair]

WATERFORD (SH v Antrim): C Hennessy; E Murphy, K McGrath, D Prendergast; S O'Sullivan, T Browne, J Kennedy; M Walsh, D Bennett; E Kelly, G Hurney, S Molumphy; E McGrath, D Shanahan, J Mullane.

[HurlingBlog]

The antrim game will hardly tell us much about Ken at full back anyway (no offence to antrim)... although I suppose if the full forward scored a brace of goals then it'd be panic stations.
It's their biggest weak spot - full back line+keeper conceding loads of goals - so I suppose some kind of drastic action is needed

[Zulu]

Your right the Antrim game won't tell us anything but I wouldn't agree with this decision at all. If I were Davy I'd try Browne there and bring in Richie Foley or Moran on the wing, leaving Ken at CB. Maybe AZ is right and the team won't line out as selected but I do think that the team against Antrim will be similar to that in the following round. Whoever Waterford play after Antrim will be a tough nut to crack so the only chance for experimenting is this Saturday and I'm not sure Davy is going about it the right way.

[HurlingBlog]

If he's naming dummy teams to take on antrim he's an even bigger fruit loop than i thought

Drastic problems require drastic solutions I suppose.
I can't imagine Tony Browne being any better in there now either.

I'd be nearly more worried about the keeper after some of the goals conceded in recetn times - although I suppose Davy is the perfect man to get him ship shape and full of confidence. Knowing you can trust the keeper makes the full back job easier!

[AZOffaly]

I can't see Prendergast being a great corner back either. He's a central player or nothing in my opinion. Kearney is not there, so I'm assuming he's injured or something. I don't think there was a hell of a lot wrong with Waterford last year, in terms of personel.

I think I'd line out with

Henessy,

Murphy
D. Prendergast
Kearney

Browne
Ken McGrath
Kennedy

Walsh
Bennett

Shanahan
Kelly
Molumphy

Eoin McGrath
S. Prendergast
Mullane


I know Seamus Prendergast and Kearney are not there, but I'd prefer to try and bring in a corner back and full forward than deploying a full back at corner, centreback at full, wing back at centre etc.

There's a good argument for leaving Shanahan in at full forward, but I think he's more effective running onto deliveries rather than facing the ball with his back to goals.

So for this sunday, assuming Kearney and Prendergast are out, and bearing in mind what Zulu said about trying to minimise changes for the next day out, I'd probably go for

Hennessy

Murphy
Prendergast
Phelan

Brown
McGrath
Kennedy

Walsh
Bennett

Shanahan
Kelly
Molumphy

McGrath
Hurney
Mullane

[Zulu]

Prendergast won't do at full back IMO and I do think something radical needs to be attempted but I don't think Ken is it. You lose too much from the half back line and gain too little in the full back line. At 35, a sticker defensive outlook and a good fielder of the ball I think Browne is a realistic possibility. Or at least the best one Waterford have yet to try, Shane o'Sullivan could work out but I think Moran or Foley are better options there. For the record Kearney and Prendergast are injured alright AZ.

[AZOffaly]

Full back has always been their achilles heel, but I didn't think Prendergast was disastrous. Certainly not worth sacrificing McGrath. And if you are going to move Prendergast, moving him into the corner seems crazy to me. He has the turning circle of the QEII. Imagine what an Eoin Kelly (Tipp), Eddie Brennan, Andrew O'Shaughnessy or Damien Hayes type would do to him?

[Zulu]

Your right about Prendergast AZ, I'd drop him altogether and play Murphy, Browne and Foley in the fullback line this Saturday. Kearney will slip in there when fit at Foley's expense.

[slow corner back]

Final scores Waterford 6-18 Antrim 0-15 and Galway 1-26v Laois 0-09 Antrim V Laois in two weeks for relegation play off. Antrim need to shore up the full back line badly before that.

[The Real Laoislad]

Final scores Waterford 6-18 Antrim 0-15 and Galway 1-26v Laois 0-09 Antrim V Laois in two weeks for relegation play off. Antrim need to shore up the full back line badly before that.

Is it even a relegation play off? Do the losers of Laois v Antrim not play the winners of the Christy Ring to decide who plays in the CR next year snd who plays in the LM?

[Minder]

I think if we beat Laois next week we will have made real progress this year. . . . .

[Croí na hÉireann]

Final scores Waterford 6-18 Antrim 0-15 and Galway 1-26v Laois 0-09 Antrim V Laois in two weeks for relegation play off. Antrim need to shore up the full back line badly before that.

Is it even a relegation play off? Do the losers of Laois v Antrim not play the winners of the Christy Ring to decide who plays in the CR next year snd who plays in the LM?

That is correct.

ffs, we were told last year that we had to win it two years in succession and even now that might not be good enough...