Messages

most important is the development of the skillls and they should be in place around u14 level or else it will be difficult there after.  core and lifting your own body weight is what is required then to the end of minors for hurlers.  After that you can go to gyms etc and work on the required muscles. it's all about skills, speed and determination.

The skills in fairness should be well developed before the age of 14, striking off both sides on the move, fielding, soloing, hooking blocking, dips, be they one handed or two. I managed our under 12's when the Johnnies first got that good team together, they were doing this stuff at under 12, by the age of 14 they were doing the same stuff, only quicker, sharper and with less mistakes.

Was great to see, though as a manager it was hard on the kids taking those beatings. I've refereed them a fair bit also and sometimes you have to catch yourself on, as i nearly clapped at some of the scores they took.

yeah great thrill at times for taking teams and some of the young lads are super.  reckon in belfast the underage hurling is strong Rossa very good u16 team.  the killer i think comes after this age group and with minors trying to keep them interested and happy. do the young galls lads head down to pitch maybe on days off for a poc around. or do they head to falls park or something.  thats what hurt us in ballymena, great pitches but too far away from the young lads.  Old pitch was shite but at least it was close to the area.

most important is the development of the skillls and they should be in place around u14 level or else it will be difficult there after.  core and lifting your own body weight is what is required then to the end of minors for hurlers.  After that you can go to gyms etc and work on the required muscles. it's all about skills, speed and determination. 

No Johnny. €25 at Croke park.

will be there but that is bloody expensive.  guarantee you i don't watch the majority of the football.  were they the same price when getting them early SIE or any sham that have already purchased tickets.  Am I to assume the best spots i..e middle of pitch are gone.

see a cushendall man talking about beating Glenariff was it good game or were there a couple of micky mouse teams out

Again wouldn't put much thought into these games. Teams are judged at the end of August.

not sure of your age profile mr2, but get the impression your best hurling days (mouth watering as they were) are behind you.  would you not be interested in the job or maybe you would but couldn't be assured of the players support as they would be worried about you picking yourself.  The mcguiness brigade have left bredagh, give sean a shot he knows his stuff

manager is there to pick teams decide on tactics and have a trainer to get them fit and drilled. Support?  Explain?

Im forty now. Those playing days long gone. South antrim will do me. You play much for Ballymena?

played last couple of years for town, mainly for another club to a decent level.  i mean why wouldn't you manage the team, support jibe was due to i'd imagine its a difficult job in that dual club to have everyone pulling in same direction.

Again wouldn't put much thought into these games. Teams are judged at the end of August.

not sure of your age profile mr2, but get the impression your best hurling days (mouth watering as they were) are behind you.  would you not be interested in the job or maybe you would but couldn't be assured of the players support as they would be worried about you picking yourself.  The mcguiness brigade have left bredagh, give sean a shot he knows his stuff

even when st galls in football final i was happy to see them do it MR2 despite the very colourful clan that represents the Galls

i here alot of 1s wishing loughgiel well and that if they win its good for antrim hurling etc.

wat a load of balls i hope they get thrashed as their supporters are the biggest shower of tramps about

how can u possible support them if you are from another club they r a disgrace they give the officals dogs abuse constantly.

COME ON COOLDERRY

a little narrow minded there but i understand were you are coming from, rarely are people glad to see the neighbours doing better.  However as they ain't my neighbours i hope they do it.  for whatever point of view, it would and has been a big boost for ulster, antrim, north antrim hurling.  my only hope is shamrocks are cashing in (not ££££ that type) on this success and really selling it to the youngsters of the parish.  have something special for them.  so here is hoping they beat coolderry.  Just unfortunate that either team loses as both flying flag for weaker counties opposed to the big three and galway with the outstanding club record.  Shamrocks abu, though won't be shouting that too loudly but they have my support

glenravel should surely be in with a shout for the junior championship.  or will it be a further slide down the hill into division 4.

bit of a long shot but i am predicting a championship with lots of surprises next year but ultimately it will be a final contested by two of the powerhouses in antrim hurling. maybe the two with the most championship wins, would need to read up a little to ensure that statement is 100% correct.

Grand, now can we talk about hurling?

I heard a that the league fixtures are to be finalised this week and published soon enough.

The Championship draw was intertesting but again Loughgiel have been given a handy route to the final again, just my opinion.

The other side of the draw will be tighter, and unlike last year i hope the fixture committie look at the possibility that teams my draw a game, last year teams had to play games very close together which may have had a bearing on the next match.

I'm glad we got one of the big 3 teams in the Championship, it will certainly focus their minds/attitude leading up to the match and i hope they will have come on from last year. Cushendall will be looking to beat Loughgiel in the final as they don't want another losers medal in their back pocket. So all teams should be focused.

St Johns, will the Johnston's be playing for them this year? If they are playing for Rossa it will definitely bring them on a bit, and with them on board would certainly spice up the Loughgiel game in Belfast.

We won't be able to compete for the league this year as we will have a couple of county boys on the football team, this means that they will be away playing for the county (league/championship/friendly/bonding weekends) when hurling games are on. It's my usual rant at the fixtures but what can ya do?

Any dates for the leagues to start?

from reading your post i wonder can you answer this question MR2, only really know about hurling leagues and that side of thing. 

St Gall's as a dual club and how you mighten fancy winning the hurling league div 2 this year? kind of surprised me.

so the dual player i.e. Stewart and McCourty (county corner back)  They play for both st galls senior in football and hurling, would they miss many games for hurlers due to this dual status.  Or if it was a st galls county footballer who also plays with Galls senior hurling team, if he was 100% genuine will he still miss many games with galls hurlers because of antrim footballers. 

What would be roughly the no of galls seniors who play for both hurling and football teams

as for the league fixtures the sooner the better.  talking to a rossa man who is worried they'll get oisins or galls first game of season, especially if its the oisins away.  Massive games.

[Where did I get all that Rant from!]

I would be delighted if it's a one way ticket!

He takes no shit? He is cheeky under the cover of the ref's jersey - look where that left RM!

I am joking of course - about ref violence - not the one way ticket!

Altho I don't know how croke park justify foreign trips whilst clubs all over the land are going bust and struggling to pay to field kids teams - no joke in that. Serious concerns about HQ focus on select few at the expense of grass roots. It will come back to haunt us like it did in soccer.

Phew! Where did I get all that Rant from!

Your hole?

Plenty of posters coming on giving personal opinions about referees and selectors and others that put a lot of time and effort into promoting Gaelic games.

Without these people we wouldn't have them. Plenty of snide remarks coming from people I doubt have lifted a hurl in anger nevermind at club level

true mr2 always the voice of reason, congrats on your thread finally reaching 1000 pages, some opinions in those pages, indeed a lot of shite too

Maybe instead of answering like a child on the guestbook - the county moderator should spend some time putting all the draws online! And the league fixtures!

are you sure you were never involved with the county administration set up, certainly some administrative set up club or other.  have to a say duffy will be no loss, certainly not a tommy mcintyre type servant.  Interesting that the new expenses structures are coming in as well and duffy is going.  Reckon he love the attention a bit too much.  But got a give the guy credit for putting himself out there.  Still imo thought he was poor.

certainly players and managers should no gaa fixtures to plan holidays.  only a basic courtesy

think Rossa and oisins would have been a better game with the winner having a little momentum before facing the might of reigning Antrim, Ulster and All-Ireland champions ? Who knows.  i reckon on any given day rossa and oisins could get close.  Rossa certainly would have a better pedigree against the shams.  got to remember the county final, that game was in the balance for a long time.  However i reckon shams will be different animal this year.

ballycastle to beat dunloy and push Cushendall in a semi final but the Dall to prevail.  with Shams in final.  Again getting a little boring, just like Dunloy and Dall.  But shams to ultimately be victorious.    Though will they even be tested before September..PJ then to get key to the village. 

BTdtgtt  agree about county website and posting draws, the guy gives too much time to lads simply getting a rise out of him. 

Semi finals:

St Galls/Dall vs Dunloy/Ballycastle

Rossa/Shams/Oisins vs St Johns/Lamh dearg

Shams cakewalk to the final

I'm sure Rossa don't think that. They could have beaten us last year.

Professional to a fault SIE, what do the oisins make of that Minder

Good draw for us, happy with that. Cushendall in Belfast.

is that 100% that Galls and dall play in Belfast, probably casement ??