Galway v Kilkenny

[SLIGONIAN]

Lets call a spade a spade, walsh was blessed to still be on the field, jees he got away with ridiculus tackles before he got booked then he fouls a lad bearing down on goal and the ref bottles it, He should of got sent off simple as that and all to often he gets away with, so expect more of the same from the one of Irelands best but dirtiest players the next day. I personnally think KK get away with there fair share aswell as reillers points out, I mean there tackling is intense but all to often the ref lets too much go in there favour and ydays game was a prime example, its not like the need any help. When a ref lets overly aggressive tackling go it hands a few points to KK, why is though on the other end they get frees a little easier. This pattern repeats itself year in year out and is the only negative in that KK team.

There were awesome aswell, the intensity Galway hit them with was out of this world and KK lived with it. God help anyone else. Just stunning.

Agreed, not according to the Leinster lads above who seem to know feck all about hurling.

But the level of intensity that Galway had yesterday was insane and brilliant to watch. It was a real physical, passionate game. The fact is that they matched Kilkenny in a lot of areas and on another day if the breaks hadn't gone KK's way, Galway would have won it, and maybe with a few points to spare. Galway have a lot of potential and they are just a stunning team to watch at times.

I gurantee you here and now reillers that had KK their full team yesterday they would have beaten galway by 7 - 8 points and will do so if they meet them again in the championship. KK just have too much for any team around at the moment. Missing vital players they showed the strenght of their squad and given them good championship experience. Galway played well, but to my mind that is their optimum..they cant really get any better and gave absolutely everything and still came up 4 points short, whereas KK can say we were missing 3 - 4 players and played badly for half an hour! If KK are missing the same players for the Leinster final I can see Wexford / Dublin giving them a right rattle aswell.

Reillers...can i ask have you / do you play hurling?? To what level??

I would ask you to check Alex Fergusons and Arsene Wengers playing pedigree. It pisses me off when I see that type of statement. Only elite county player opinions count .

[Bud Wiser]

Leave Reillers alone and don't be asking him questions he can't answer or this thread will end up 500 pages long.  The laugh value is good though when you consider that we in Leinster know nothing about hurling.

Here from the man that knows it all - After Kilkenny beat Cork in last years semi final:

I'm going to say Waterford, because I honestly believe that they can win it.
I think Waterford will want it more, I think despite all this 3 in a row talk, I think Waterford might just catch KK and all of us on the hop.

About Canning:

[Canning is overrated, most of his work and his scores came from the dead ball on Saturday. Some of the decisions he made were costly. Trying to score from a sideline cut 65 out, someones head has gotten a little to big for him. He's a bloody good player but he's been hyped up to be better then sliced bread.

About yesterdays game in a nutshell I would say the following:

Great game of hurling.
Galway unfortunate man was (deservedly) sent off, took the gizz out of the game, some heads went down.
Galway's every single player gave 100%
Skill levels from both teams, including sideline cuts were of the highest level, especially getting the ball into the paw with the important first touch.
Ref allowed game to flow and if yellow cards were to be issued in strict accordance with the rules ten or fifteen could have been given to each side equally, maybe the umpires should have been given one.
Can't wait to see Galway back in the championship.
And finally, Cork were not playing yesterday.

[Reillers]

Leave Reillers alone and don't be asking him questions he can't answer or this thread will end up 500 pages long.  The laugh value is good though when you consider that we in Leinster know nothing about hurling.

Here from the man that knows it all - After Kilkenny beat Cork in last years semi final:

I'm going to say Waterford, because I honestly believe that they can win it.
I think Waterford will want it more, I think despite all this 3 in a row talk, I think Waterford might just catch KK and all of us on the hop.

About Canning:

[Canning is overrated, most of his work and his scores came from the dead ball on Saturday. Some of the decisions he made were costly. Trying to score from a sideline cut 65 out, someones head has gotten a little to big for him. He's a bloody good player but he's been hyped up to be better then sliced bread. /quote]

Aww Bud, I'm flattered, you've so little to do that you spend time going back pages and pages looking for stuff that's so old. Thanks, but you know..get a life. It's not healthy you know, to obsess with someone so much, go out, try and get a girl/lad whatever way it is you swing, don't know whether you are a guy or not, and certainly it's none of my business, just maybe get a hobby or pick up hurling or something. Because what you're doing..it's not healthy, and quiet frankly it's a little bit disturbing.

[Bord na Mona man]

It says a lot about the some of teams playing Kilkenny if they let a 5 foot 7 hurler like Tommy Walsh bullies fellas 6 inches taller and 3 stone heavier. 
If Kilkenny are gaining advantage by using timber, then give it back to them, but do it sensibly - a few sneaky chops and late pulls rather than loony swings, like what Richie Murray did.

[GalwayBayBoy]

While I certainly wouldn't blame losing the game on it some Kilkenny players certainly got the benefit of the doubt from Barry Kelly yesterday. Tommy Walsh pulled across Damien Hayes' hands in the first half and received yellow and barely a minute later he rugby tackled a Galway player running through on goal. Got away with a stern finger wag from Kelly. Eddie Brennan was carded in the first half and then committed two fouls within a couple of minutes of each other in the second half and then immediately mouthed off to Kelly who let him away with a stern look. Richie Murray makes a reckless pull and gets an immediate red. Fair enough in Murray's case but both Walsh and Brennan skated on thin ice for much of the game. While I don't like seeing players get the line Barry Kelly pretty much saved both of them yesterday. He was content to dish out yellows but didn't want to know about taking it any further. Well that is until Murray's daft overhead pull.

[magpie seanie]

Really enjoyed the game, hurling at his best.

Would have great time for a lot of peoples opinions on hurling here that know a lot more about the game but have to disagree with Bud et al about Tommy Walsh. The ref bottled it. He should have got the line. Now I'm not a one for overly pernickity refs but fair is fair - he deserved the line yesterday. I wouldn't call him a dirty player at all, its a mans game and he doesn't step back.

Regardless, its a shot in the arm for the hurling championship. Galway need to realise they will have to improve considerably to contend in Aug/Sept. I think they can. KK will be awesome again but maybe can be caught, even with their injuries cleared up.

[The Real Laoislad]

Had a great evening in Tullamore yesterday..
Great game of hurling
I had a great view of Canning's first goal,Jesus the guy is unreal even the Kilkenny boys with me all clapped the goal.
Always knew Kilkenny would come good in the end though but was hoping Galway would hold out.
Don't know why they kept persisting with the short puck outs,they must have gave away 4 points by doing it.
Tommy Walsh should defiantly have been sent off,even the great hurling legend Billy Fitzpatrick who was in our company said he should have got the line

[INDIANA]

I think  walsh is up there with some of the most notorious hitmen to have played the game. If we played for a less recognised county he'd have been sent off several times now. Every single game he's leathering fellas and getting away with it.

[awfulynice]

Lets call a spade a spade, walsh was blessed to still be on the field, jees he got away with ridiculus tackles before he got booked then he fouls a lad bearing down on goal and the ref bottles it, He should of got sent off simple as that and all to often he gets away with, so expect more of the same from the one of Irelands best but dirtiest players the next day. I personnally think KK get away with there fair share aswell as reillers points out, I mean there tackling is intense but all to often the ref lets too much go in there favour and ydays game was a prime example, its not like the need any help. When a ref lets overly aggressive tackling go it hands a few points to KK, why is though on the other end they get frees a little easier. This pattern repeats itself year in year out and is the only negative in that KK team.

There were awesome aswell, the intensity Galway hit them with was out of this world and KK lived with it. God help anyone else. Just stunning.

Agreed, not according to the Leinster lads above who seem to know feck all about hurling.

But the level of intensity that Galway had yesterday was insane and brilliant to watch. It was a real physical, passionate game. The fact is that they matched Kilkenny in a lot of areas and on another day if the breaks hadn't gone KK's way, Galway would have won it, and maybe with a few points to spare. Galway have a lot of potential and they are just a stunning team to watch at times.

I gurantee you here and now reillers that had KK their full team yesterday they would have beaten galway by 7 - 8 points and will do so if they meet them again in the championship. KK just have too much for any team around at the moment. Missing vital players they showed the strenght of their squad and given them good championship experience. Galway played well, but to my mind that is their optimum..they cant really get any better and gave absolutely everything and still came up 4 points short, whereas KK can say we were missing 3 - 4 players and played badly for half an hour! If KK are missing the same players for the Leinster final I can see Wexford / Dublin giving them a right rattle aswell.

Reillers...can i ask have you / do you play hurling?? To what level??

I'm sure they would, but I was talking about yesterday. Not a couple weeks from now, not with different teams, yesterday. The game we just saw. And yesterday Galway matched Kilkenny all over the park. I could do the exact same as what you're doing by saying what if Galway had a fully fit Canning..etc. We'll never know. But YESTERDAY Galway matched Kilkenny and were unlucky, had a break or two gone their way, to not beat Kilkenny.

And not like it's any of your business or why I should justify myself to you, but yes of course I play (unlike I can only presume one or two above here) am very involved in the club and I even played minor...once..as a sub..in a trial game, I was amazing.  DO you play at all yourself, more of a soccer lad, I'd say ya?

No I play at a fairly good level, I have played intercounty level albeit at underage but got a cruiciate ligament injury at minor level which took me out of the game for 2 years. I wasnt asking you to justify yourself just seeing what angle you were viewing the game from, i wasnt sure if you were an armchair pundit or not.

People seem to think Tommy Walsh should have got the line but I think he skated on thin ice but didnt deserve to get the line imo.

The first incident where he got the yellow card probably was a little harsh, it is common practise at both intercounty and club level to leave the hurl in as the player is trying to catch the ball...cynical perhaps but id say 9/10 intercounty defenders do it so to hang one for the crimes of many isnt really fair is it! If they crack down on tommy walsh doing it they will have to crack down on everyone.

The second incident was the rugby tackle..and this should have been a yellow card no question, I think the dilemma the ref was faced with was he was after booking him for a challenge only 2 mins before, a challenge which was marginal as far as yellow cards go so he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt! I dont see a problem with this, you see this happening at all levels of the game and in fairness it is the referees discression, i dont think he took that view because it was tommy walsh, i honestly believe that if it was ollie canning up the far end of the field he would have taken the same view. So again you can call the referee leniant if you like but not biased!

On KK the point I was trying to make was, If Galway cant beat KK last night...im afraid I cant see them beating KK this year at all...or any other team for that matter..Tipp appear to be getting worse as the championship goes on and I dont think Cork or Waterford are up to KK's standard this year either

[rrhf]

Great game this and how long before Galway take a Leinster crown,  what they gave in that game was unreal - almost faultless, For Kilkenny to withstand it and then win says an awful lot, are they   beatable, i Doubt it.     heard a couple of debates  on the radio abouit the death of ground hurling?  What does this mean to those who know more?

[awfulynice]

Lets call a spade a spade, walsh was blessed to still be on the field, jees he got away with ridiculus tackles before he got booked then he fouls a lad bearing down on goal and the ref bottles it, He should of got sent off simple as that and all to often he gets away with, so expect more of the same from the one of Irelands best but dirtiest players the next day. I personnally think KK get away with there fair share aswell as reillers points out, I mean there tackling is intense but all to often the ref lets too much go in there favour and ydays game was a prime example, its not like the need any help. When a ref lets overly aggressive tackling go it hands a few points to KK, why is though on the other end they get frees a little easier. This pattern repeats itself year in year out and is the only negative in that KK team.

There were awesome aswell, the intensity Galway hit them with was out of this world and KK lived with it. God help anyone else. Just stunning.

Agreed, not according to the Leinster lads above who seem to know feck all about hurling.

But the level of intensity that Galway had yesterday was insane and brilliant to watch. It was a real physical, passionate game. The fact is that they matched Kilkenny in a lot of areas and on another day if the breaks hadn't gone KK's way, Galway would have won it, and maybe with a few points to spare. Galway have a lot of potential and they are just a stunning team to watch at times.

I gurantee you here and now reillers that had KK their full team yesterday they would have beaten galway by 7 - 8 points and will do so if they meet them again in the championship. KK just have too much for any team around at the moment. Missing vital players they showed the strenght of their squad and given them good championship experience. Galway played well, but to my mind that is their optimum..they cant really get any better and gave absolutely everything and still came up 4 points short, whereas KK can say we were missing 3 - 4 players and played badly for half an hour! If KK are missing the same players for the Leinster final I can see Wexford / Dublin giving them a right rattle aswell.

Reillers...can i ask have you / do you play hurling?? To what level??

I would ask you to check Alex Fergusons and Arsene Wengers playing pedigree. It pisses me off when I see that type of statement. Only elite county player opinions count .

No I didnt say that, but it can give you greater insight if you have actually played the game!! Wth has Alex Ferguson & Arsene Wenger got to do with KK & Galway in the middle of june?? Totally different sport, which has proper coaching badges, player transfers etc to help you get better acquainted with the game..and I believe that both played proffesionally am i right??

[slow corner back]

Fergie played international for scotland, wenger was a lower leagues pro in france but like the man said this topic has nothing to with Galway v cats

[Hound]

I agree with awfully about Walsh. He could have got the second yellow, but I think it would have been harsh. For some to say it was a rugby tackle against a lad clean through on goal is pure nonsense. IMO the ref was right to give a final warning, and fair play to Walsh for keeping his slate clean for the rest of the game.

A fantastic and very enjoyable game it was. Composure under pressure was the big difference I thought in the last 10 minutes. And being able to spring a great played like Lyng from the bench late on is a great advantage to have.

[magpie seanie]

Sorry to go on about this but what is a first yellow card if not a final warning? We were within a whisker of a situation where he would have walked for the first yellow alone. I don't think it was bias - the ref just bottled it.

[slow corner back]

I thought Lyng was carrying a fair bit of timber when he came on, how long has he been out? Still if we assume KK will find a way past Dublin Lyng has until August to get up to match sharpness. What about Cha or Hickey will they be back for the Leinster final?