Hurling 2024

[johnnycool]

Very good first half from Galway. Backs putting Limerick under pressure, Forwards rotating and good intensity

If Galway at home to a 14 man Limerick in a league game aren't able to win then you'd have to wonder what chance have they got of beating them in a knock out championship game this summer?

If Galway were beaten out the gate last year yesterday was an improvement. Intensity and goals may beat Limerick this year. Or may not. Lets see

Adam English would start on every other team in the Liam McCarthy cup barring Limerick, but I think we'll see more of him this year.

Kiely might struggle to find his best 15, but he does need fresh blood in there at both ends of the park.


Galway, Clare, Cork, Tipp, Kilkenny would need to catch Limerick on an off day so better hold off on that until the semi-final.

[seafoid]

Very good first half from Galway. Backs putting Limerick under pressure, Forwards rotating and good intensity

If Galway at home to a 14 man Limerick in a league game aren't able to win then you'd have to wonder what chance have they got of beating them in a knock out championship game this summer?

If Galway were beaten out the gate last year yesterday was an improvement. Intensity and goals may beat Limerick this year. Or may not. Lets see

Adam English would start on every other team in the Liam McCarthy cup barring Limerick, but I think we'll see more of him this year.

Kiely might struggle to find his best 15, but he does need fresh blood in there at both ends of the park.


Galway, Clare, Cork, Tipp, Kilkenny would need to catch Limerick on an off day so better hold off on that until the semi-final.

Clare seems to have made several improvements from last year. The hurling this year should be very interesting. I remember the shock in 2010 when Tipp beat Kilkenny and in 2013 when Cork beat Kilkenny.

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

[johnnycool]

Very good first half from Galway. Backs putting Limerick under pressure, Forwards rotating and good intensity

If Galway at home to a 14 man Limerick in a league game aren't able to win then you'd have to wonder what chance have they got of beating them in a knock out championship game this summer?

If Galway were beaten out the gate last year yesterday was an improvement. Intensity and goals may beat Limerick this year. Or may not. Lets see

Adam English would start on every other team in the Liam McCarthy cup barring Limerick, but I think we'll see more of him this year.

Kiely might struggle to find his best 15, but he does need fresh blood in there at both ends of the park.


Galway, Clare, Cork, Tipp, Kilkenny would need to catch Limerick on an off day so better hold off on that until the semi-final.

Clare seems to have made several improvements from last year. The hurling this year should be very interesting. I remember the shock in 2010 when Tipp beat Kilkenny and in 2013 when Cork beat Kilkenny.

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

Barry Kelly and his umpires really didn't do Kilkenny any favours that day.

The red aside there was three dodgy bits of umpiring which all went the way of Cork.

[seafoid]

Very good first half from Galway. Backs putting Limerick under pressure, Forwards rotating and good intensity

If Galway at home to a 14 man Limerick in a league game aren't able to win then you'd have to wonder what chance have they got of beating them in a knock out championship game this summer?

If Galway were beaten out the gate last year yesterday was an improvement. Intensity and goals may beat Limerick this year. Or may not. Lets see

Adam English would start on every other team in the Liam McCarthy cup barring Limerick, but I think we'll see more of him this year.

Kiely might struggle to find his best 15, but he does need fresh blood in there at both ends of the park.


Galway, Clare, Cork, Tipp, Kilkenny would need to catch Limerick on an off day so better hold off on that until the semi-final.

Clare seems to have made several improvements from last year. The hurling this year should be very interesting. I remember the shock in 2010 when Tipp beat Kilkenny and in 2013 when Cork beat Kilkenny.

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

Barry Kelly and his umpires really didn't do Kilkenny any favours that day.

The red aside there was three dodgy bits of umpiring which all went the way of Cork.

Usually Kilkenny had enough in the tank to impose themselves on the opposition  but they just seemed to run out of gas. I remember watching the match in Co Mayo and even  football people were gripped by the unfolding story

[seafoid]

The hurling pod
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGOCExl96IM

[johnnycool]

Limerick V KK.
English in centre forward to make hay until Kilkenny settle on a centre back for championship, but he won't stay there, he'll rotate with Lynch. Limerick naming a very strong defence in particular, hard to look past them.
Mullen and Cody need big, big games for KK to keep it interesting
Limerick by 5 or more for me

Clare v Tipp.
Clare are confident, but they need Shane O'Donnell and Tony Kelly to get some gametime before championship. Tipp have the first week off in Munster so might be more inclined to target the league final moreso that Clare.
Hard to call, going for Clare due to their better allround squad.

Down hurlers are away to Laois in Div2A semifinal but the Eoghan Sands red card appeal was unsuccessful and that's a big blow to their chances, time for some others to step up, Egan, young McGrattan in particular need to find their scoring form as every one of the forwards needs to be troubling the scoreboard on Saturday.
A dry sod would suit the current Down forwards, hard to see that being the case in Portlaoise but Down are in bonus territory and a win would tare up the bookies form book.

[seafoid]

Kilkenny are in trouble. Nicky Brennan quoted in the Irish Times
"The conveyor belt has slowed down. We just haven't been finding the players. "


There was no cat on the higher education rising stars (Fitzgibbon all stars)

4 Clare, 3 x Galway, Tipping, Limerick and 2 Déise.

Kilkenny are cat.

https://youtu.be/G7qEivYkgZM&t=68s

[Saffrongael]

Kilkenny are in trouble. Nicky Brennan quoted in the Irish Times
"The conveyor belt has slowed down. We just haven't been finding the players. "


There was no cat on the higher education rising stars (Fitzgibbon all stars)

4 Clare, 3 x Galway, Tipping, Limerick and 2 Déise.

Kilkenny are cat.

https://youtu.be/G7qEivYkgZM&t=68s

I would agree with you yet St Kieran's have been in the last 10 All Ireland school A finals, winning 6/7 of them

[imtommygunn]

Sf they have been in the last two this last two years. Yes they're not winning but they're beating the second best in Munster to get to the final. They're not that bad. Limerick are just a level above.

[seafoid]

Sf they have been in the last two this last two years. Yes they're not winning but they're beating the second best in Munster to get to the final. They're not that bad. Limerick are just a level above.

It's worse than that, tommy.
They don't have anyone to replace TJ. He is 36. In 2022 they stayed with Limerick until 7  minutes before the end. Last year they were gone 20 minutes from the end according to the Irish Times. They don't have the flow of young players to replace the ones who are aging.
The longest period between Kilkenny All Irelands is 10 years. This is year 10 of the latest famine.
Clare are probably better than them now.

[seafoid]

Kilkenny are in trouble. Nicky Brennan quoted in the Irish Times
"The conveyor belt has slowed down. We just haven't been finding the players. "


There was no cat on the higher education rising stars (Fitzgibbon all stars)

4 Clare, 3 x Galway, Tipping, Limerick and 2 Déise.

Kilkenny are cat.

https://youtu.be/G7qEivYkgZM&t=68s

I would agree with you yet St Kieran's have been in the last 10 All Ireland school A finals, winning 6/7 of them

I know from Galway (hurling and football) that it takes a long time to integrate talented underage playerss into senior intercounty teams. It is a system. Kilkenny seem to be missing a generation of county players. Galway footballers had this problem in 2012 or so.   It looks like it won't improve for a while.

[marty34]

True, Limerick are a step above everybody else.  They are going for 5-in-a-row this year. Never been done before so they're a special outfit.

Hard to judge other teams based on that.  They have set the standard.

Limerick getting their lads back in time.  Getting them ready for the harder sod.  They've gave lads like Ó'Dalaigh, O'Brien and English etc. league game time and they've still very strong.  Limerick will want to win the league.

They'll not be having any of this football craic 'we're not interested in the league' or we 'don't want to reach the final' etc.  It's great preparation for their upcoming Munster championship.

I'd fancy Tipperary over Clare this week-end, going against the bookies. Cahill likes the league - although his teams have a habit of doing well in league and collapsing in Munster.  So it'll be interesting.  Maybe he has learned lessons from that. The next few months will tell us more.

It's a big year for Lohan and the Clare lads. Do they want League silverware or are they happy with their lot.  They've a strong team named and are still without TK, RT and SOD. Three different, but excellent players for them. How will their fitness be come championship?  For one thing, another flop in CP at the semi-final stage and it'd be hard on Lohan gain.

[Blowitupref]

50 minutes played Kilkenny 3-11 Limerick 1-11.  Kilkenny down to 14 since the 37th minute with Eoin Cody seeing red.

Two big goal chances for Kilkenny not taken. 14 v 14 with Peter Casey getting sent off on 56 minutes.   65 mins played Kilkenny leading 3-15 to 1-12

[Tatler Jack]

KK 8 ahead with 10 mins to go. 14 a side now  Limerick making a lot of basic skill errors - most unlike them and KK more up for it.

Overly physical game with too many frees.

[Blowitupref]

A very encouraging result and performance for Kilkenny.  3-17 to 1-15 it finished. As for Limerick It's a while since I've seen them give up so many goal scoring opportunities.