Liam Griffin does not get his wish

Bud Wiser · March 02, 2009, 11:14:46 AM

At end of last year Liam Griffin made ten wishes for the GAA this year, one of them being that the disgraceful antics of the Waterford hurling team at the start of the All-Ireland would not be repeated. He was referring to the tactics of "getting to know" your opponent before the game and it seems this is anintegral part of Davy Fitzs preperations and that video posted on You Tube has gone to his head. The strike on Eddie Brennan yesterday was an absolute disgrace and has no part whatsoever in hurling and don't let anyone tell me that drawing across a players head deliberately with a hurl has a part in the game - not even in Laois.

INDIANA · March 02, 2009, 11:17:35 AM

Why did Brennan get sent off? Can't figure it out. I think Fitzgerald is a good coach but he's too demented in his approach to be top quality in my view. Believe me Waterford will pay for that yesterday later on in the year if they play the Cats. There is no county better at lowering the blades then kilkenny. And they do it on the ball which means they never get caught.

AZOffaly · March 02, 2009, 11:25:16 AM

From the telly, there was no way Brennan should have got the line. He actually thought he was getting a yellow himself and had to double take.

I wasn't there, but I can only assume Brennan struck Prendergast earlier on. If not, it was ridiculous decision.

Bad blow by Prendergast though, no excuses.

Bud Wiser · March 02, 2009, 11:29:49 AM

Ah I suppose we should not dwell on it. But: I am delighted to see the progress that the Dub's are making in the hurling and I would hate to see young up and coming hurlers being blackguarded before they even get onto the field. Fitz would want to tone it down a bit, that's all I am saying. My interpretation of his after match interview was that they won because of the tough tackling they displayed and that others who wanted to get into the team would have to show the same tougness. If that be his motto then he would want to be consistent at it when they meet a more physical side than they are.

bottlethrower7 · March 02, 2009, 11:34:47 AM

Quote from: AZOffaly on March 02, 2009, 11:25:16 AM
From the telly, there was no way Brennan should have got the line. He actually thought he was getting a yellow himself and had to double take.

I wasn't there, but I can only assume Brennan struck Prendergast earlier on. If not, it was ridiculous decision.

Bad blow by Prendergast though, no excuses.

you assume wrong. The telly captured pretty much the whole incident. Brennan was badly wronged. The belt followed that shoulder charge of Brennan's on Prendergast. It was slightly awkward and a little off shoulder-to-shoulder, but far from deserving an assault such as the one meted out by Prendergast. The ref needs to admit his wrongdoing also. If not I'd imagine this will be strongly appealed.

Minder · March 02, 2009, 11:38:14 AM

I read a piece a few months ago about Waterfords preparation for the All Ireland Final and one Waterford player was having trouble sleeping because of what Davy Fitz wanted to do before the ball was thrown in, i.e. attempting to take the head off his man. It obviously does not sit well with some of them.

orangeman · March 02, 2009, 11:44:21 AM

Was at the AI final and Fitzy was roaring at his players all the way through the warm up which is fair enough - but contrast that to Cody who just stood and watched the warm up.

Then as they went to take their places, Tommy Walsh was obviously a target - his man just came over and belted him even before the throw in.

The rest as they say is history.

Prendergast will be looking at 3 months for this I'd say.

It looked that the ref sent both off on the advice of the umpire. KK will appeal Eddie's sending off, I'd say.

INDIANA · March 02, 2009, 12:18:08 PM

Wrong approach when playing a kilkenny team trained by Cody. Lowering the blades never cut any ice with kilkenny and believe me come championship time it won't . To beat kilkenny you have to out-hurl them. Fitzgerald is too obssessed with hurling in my view.

johnneycool · March 02, 2009, 12:24:51 PM

Quote from: Minder on March 02, 2009, 11:38:14 AM
I read a piece a few months ago about Waterfords preparation for the All Ireland Final and one Waterford player was having trouble sleeping because of what Davy Fitz wanted to do before the ball was thrown in, i.e. attempting to take the head off his man. It obviously does not sit well with some of them.

Davy Fitz wasn't managing Waterford in the days of Shane Aherne and Noel Crowley, so as demented as Davy Fitz is the Waterford lads don't normally need any coaxing in giving their neighbours a bit of a whaling from time to time.

youngfella · March 02, 2009, 01:05:18 PM

Quote from: orangeman on March 02, 2009, 11:44:21 AM
Was at the AI final and Fitzy was roaring at his players all the way through the warm up which is fair enough - but contrast that to Cody who just stood and watched the warm up.

Then as they went to take their places, Tommy Walsh was obviously a target - his man just came over and belted him even before the throw in.

The rest as they say is history.

Prendergast will be looking at 3 months for this I'd say.

It looked that the ref sent both off on the advice of the umpire. KK will appeal Eddie's sending off, I'd say.

If there was one fella you dont wanta to do it too its him hed eat ya for breakfast, He played a stormer in the final after the slap too.
This will spur the cats on and be something for them to feed on for the rest of the year. God help waterford if they mean up again.
I cant see the cats resort to out and out dirt, they have no need and i dont think cody would allow it.

johnneycool · March 02, 2009, 02:01:35 PM

Quote from: youngfella on March 02, 2009, 01:05:18 PM
Quote from: orangeman on March 02, 2009, 11:44:21 AM
Was at the AI final and Fitzy was roaring at his players all the way through the warm up which is fair enough - but contrast that to Cody who just stood and watched the warm up.

Then as they went to take their places, Tommy Walsh was obviously a target - his man just came over and belted him even before the throw in.

The rest as they say is history.

Prendergast will be looking at 3 months for this I'd say.

It looked that the ref sent both off on the advice of the umpire. KK will appeal Eddie's sending off, I'd say.

If there was one fella you dont wanta to do it too its him hed eat ya for breakfast, He played a stormer in the final after the slap too.
This will spur the cats on and be something for them to feed on for the rest of the year. God help waterford if they mean up again.
I cant see the cats resort to out and out dirt, they have no need and i dont think cody would allow it.

Kilkenny do play a physical brand of hurling which does spill over into the 'beyond the rules' and Cody has had his dark days too especially when he prowled thurles like a bear the day Galway got their comeuppance for beating the cats in the previous years semi-final. He intimidated the referee something awful that day. Some kilkenny players overstepped the mark that day too with Hickey clothesling an incoming Galway forward early on in the game.

Kilkenny are no angels and they have good hurlers but they also have men well capable of doing a job when the need arises but all good teams need those types from time to time.

AZOffaly · March 02, 2009, 02:27:28 PM

Quote from: johnneycool on March 02, 2009, 12:24:51 PM
Quote from: Minder on March 02, 2009, 11:38:14 AM
I read a piece a few months ago about Waterfords preparation for the All Ireland Final and one Waterford player was having trouble sleeping because of what Davy Fitz wanted to do before the ball was thrown in, i.e. attempting to take the head off his man. It obviously does not sit well with some of them.

Davy Fitz wasn't managing Waterford in the days of Shane Aherne and Noel Crowley, so as demented as Davy Fitz is the Waterford lads don't normally need any coaxing in giving their neighbours a bit of a whaling from time to time.

I was thinking the same myself. I think Davy would bring out the inner Bla-ness in them

There were some Waterford teams down the years that drove up the price of ash on their own.

bottlethrower7 · March 02, 2009, 03:01:05 PM

Quote from: johnneycool on March 02, 2009, 02:01:35 PM
..Cody has had his dark days too especially when he prowled thurles like a bear the day Galway got their comeuppance for beating the cats in the previous years semi-final. He intimidated the referee something awful that day.

'Days'?

name another.

johnneycool · March 02, 2009, 03:54:01 PM

was him and Daly not shouldering each other along the line in CP a few years back?

Not saying its a bad thing, just keeping a bit of prespective in the debate.

bottlethrower7 · March 02, 2009, 04:52:28 PM

Quote from: johnneycool on March 02, 2009, 03:54:01 PM
was him and Daly not shouldering each other along the line in CP a few years back?

Not saying its a bad thing, just keeping a bit of prespective in the debate.

him and the Rock maybe. But that was a nothing incident. The Rock was acting the maggot and Cody wasn't gonna let him have his way. Don't recall anything with him and Daly.

Generally though Cody is as composed as they come. The only time hes ever shown emotion during games in my recollection were the incident you mentioned, and the time he collapsed in a heap when Mick Jacob scored that goal in the last minute of the 2004 leinster semi-final. Otherwise hes fairly poker-faced, and does it very well.