Antrim Hurling

[youngfella]

I agree that the 3g goal mouths are horrendus. I dont know how any keeper could be confident on them.

What are they, never heard anything like it before?

[imtommygunn]

Rossa    0-9   3-17   Cushendall

Big enough hiding there.

Doesn't speak volumes for the johnnies...

[theskull1]

Actually thought Rossa had a few new kids on the block who acquitted themselves well, but their forward line was way off the pace completely. An easy win in the end for the dall, but Rossa have something to work with as far as a could see.

Wonder what happened to all the Belfast Gaels tonight? Terrible turn out. Maybe youse heard about the £8 admission they were looking.

[Minder]

It shows you how poor the standard is in Antrim when St Johns,the perennial dark horse and had a few notable league wins early on get beaten by a Div 2 team. It also shows the importance of the league,Cushendall have been pretty poor this year but will probably win the championship this year.

[youngfella]

If St.John's win a championship, in the next 10 years, I'll eat this laptop. Groundlie - feel free to quote me on that. I'm still awaiting your return 'til I throw a few quotes your way.

Careful HS i near pissed myself laughin ya bastard.  St johns have always had strong young teams, but never showed there full potenial at senior pity. But unless there radical change of view at the club I think your right HS.

[youngfella]

First team meeting of the year?

[NAG]

The match was a bit of a damp squib. In saying that when hamil was brought down through on a goal, a goal at that stage would have left 3 points in the game with ten gone in the second half.

Rossa had some good performers throughout the game, kettle looked the part the centre half and the right half (dont know names) looked solid throughout.

Didnt think rossa were ever going to threaten cushendall but i thought c'dall were sluggish enough. Magill is the main man around the middle and a bit more attention on him would have left the supply of ball going into the forwards limited enough.

any one else have any opinions on them?

[theskull1]

Was one of those games that the dall knew they were always going to win, hence the element of sluggishness IMO

I only hope that Rossa can take a little heart way from yesterdays game. Although the scoreline didn't reflect it, I thought all of their backs looked to have potential. Kettle had a great game. They need alot of work in the forward line, but stranger things have happened

[Minder]

In fairness colonel i think that particular tradition is a load of oul balls, nobody from a losing team wants to hear the old "keep the head up,youse gave us a great game",especially after a tanking,you just want to get away as quickly as possible ! In saying that manners cost nothing and there was no need for that from Rossa.

[youngfella]

The problem is simlar to ballycastle problem good underage, but missing that link into senior level. For any club this is a vital area that is often ignored. It is comparable to the transfer of the baton in the 4*400 race, the lad receiveing the baton needs to be up to speed with the fella coming through. Both of these teams mentioned could well do with looking into this area, it could be put right within a few years and HS could be made to eat his words, St john had some great players(knocker and meader spring to mind) in a very strong minor and u-21 team not so long ago. Together with some of the youngboys from the recent feile success could make a formitable team. They just need to look after there players and get them invovled with the seniors at the right age.

Then again all this is undone it the eejits book holidays in the middle of championship.

Its the transfer stage is were it all matters the young fellas feel there part of the senior panel and stick with the club

[NAG]

I have to agree with most of what has been said on this issue.

Its that vital stage between minor and the transition to senior level. I think alot of it is to do with the manager if the young guys believe in them and the structure they have in their training then they will stick with it.

The clubs need to put the pathway in place for the young talent to develop and come through to senior level. St Johns have failed dismally to do this in recent years along with the majority of belfast clubs.

[theskull1]

Agree with those points

Can't understand why our County Board don't offer advice/tutelage on how clubs need to focus on this stage of a hurler/footballers development

It is in their best interest to do so as you would get better quality/commitment coming through from Minor to Senior

Another thing that seriously needs to be addressed

Anyone who watched the Waterford Tipp match and then went down to Ballycastle later in the evening would see that there is a massive gulf in what gets blown as a foul up here and what gets blown down south. Now referee's up here will say they are blowing genuine fouls, but they are missing the point and the gulf that it creates between the intensity of the game up here and in the traditional hurling areas.

I feel that the County Management should be sitting down with the County Board and the Referees to try to convince them that the refereeing style needs to reflect what happens in the rest of the Country. If they got such an agreement it should then be put to the clubs that there would be a uniform change in the refereeing of our games up here and that the clubs have a responsibility to prepare their teams for that change. so that players don't lose the head when they don't get frees they may have got in the past. Serious discipline would be needed by the players to make such a change work, but they all know I'm sure that they need to get used to hurling with that little bit more intensity. Antrim will never be able to compete with that Southern style of hurling on the the breaking ball and in the tackle if we do not get used to doing it week in week out

[playwiththewind1st]

All very laudable sentiments indeed, but there are 2 major problems:

1). It is the players (& mentors) themselves who want a free given every time somebody goes within 5 yards of them.

2). There are still merchants in the game who aren't happy until the row starts.

Cure those 2 problems, adopt the same atitude that the players in, for example, Munster display (i.e. hard, tough & "mostly" clean) & I'm sure you would find officials willing to let the game "flow", as the current turn of phrase has it.

[youngfella]

I have to agree with most of what has been said on this issue.

Its that vital stage between minor and the transition to senior level. I think alot of it is to do with the manager if the young guys believe in them and the structure they have in their training then they will stick with it.

The clubs need to put the pathway in place for the young talent to develop and come through to senior level. St Johns have failed dismally to do this in recent years along with the majority of belfast clubs.

Totally agree. the young players (and the older ones) need stablity in the club, the same management team and a rotating pool of good coaches and phyiscal trainers for the management to choose from. Unless something is terriblilty badly wrong with the management or a long plan has not being achieved or even put in place, then there is no need for the annual changes of management that we often here about.


Theres a few view and critiques for you groundlie? HS will no doubt add his voice to the matter as well.

[milltown row]

lads gives us a quick reminder of how to get to Glenarms pitch from Belfast, is it, head to Larne then on to Glearm, through Glenarm then a left to Feys town road? having not played there for 6/7 years i'm a little rusty on the directions.