Antrim Hurling

[NorthAntrim]

While the end result was good i still cant get too excited about the uncoming champinship. McManus, Bradley, Coby were all brilliant yesterday. Defensivly we put our bodies on the line but overall we have a lot of improving to do. The goal was criminal! Campbell, Burke and Bradley in defense look solid. Have we another 3 defenders up to championship level? On a positive the link play Coby brings is fantastic. If we could get McNaughton driving forward from midfield too along with Keelan. Elliott as a link man and McManus a target man in FF we look strong enough. But i think we lack around 4 or 5 players to go to the next level. We need 50% more out of some players. S Elliott for example, fantastic hurler btw. Id like to see Boyle get a start v Tipp.

[marty34]

While the end result was good i still cant get too excited about the uncoming champinship. McManus, Bradley, Coby were all brilliant yesterday. Defensivly we put our bodies on the line but overall we have a lot of improving to do. The goal was criminal! Campbell, Burke and Bradley in defense look solid. Have we another 3 defenders up to championship level? On a positive the link play Coby brings is fantastic. If we could get McNaughton driving forward from midfield too along with Keelan. Elliott as a link man and McManus a target man in FF we look strong enough. But i think we lack around 4 or 5 players to go to the next level. We need 50% more out of some players. S Elliott for example, fantastic hurler btw. Id like to see Boyle get a start v Tipp.

Chance now to try a few players v Tipp next weekend.

Conditions will be different come champuonship in May say sun shining, harder ground and bigger pitches etc.

Not comparing like with like.

Look at the score fest V Kerry in Croke Park last year. Score, after score, after score.

[NorthAntrim]

Thats a fair enough point but Kerry no distrespect are a different level to our next tests. And winter hurling isnt great to watch and were maybe hitting bad wides/ shots dropping short. Dublin game a great example. Donal Burke isnt hitting these in winter. What will he be like in "summer"

[Upandover]

Look at the 2nd half against kerry in croke, thank god we had a big lead cos we folded like a deck of cards.

[Antrim Coaster]

Look at the 2nd half against kerry in croke, thank god we had a big lead cos we folded like a deck of cards.

Aye, if that match had have went on another 5 minutes, Kerry would have won it.

They built up some head of steam especially after Jordan Conway came on and scored 2 goals which put Antrim on the back foot, coupled with Podge Boyle missing very little from the placed ball.

[keep her low this half]

As many have said it was good to just get over the line. Perhaps its because Laois were not at the same level as Kilkenny or Dublin or perhaps we have improved but our puck outs were better yesterday. Elliot and McKenna were good targets and so was Joe Maskey.
Another bloody dreadful day weather wise, two matches in Corrigan and two soakings, hopefully its a dry day against Tipp.

[NorthAntrim]

A big reason maybe for getting over the line yesterday is the consistency that has came around the squad! We performed decent last year in the league. Stayed up this year. Winter hurling. Hopefully we can get best 15 to 20 players on the pitch and big performances come championship

[imtommygunn]

County requires 2 or 3 years to get up to the speed and conditioning. You look at our footballers and year on year we've a different squad and then they're not at the level conditioning wise. Our hurlers have had really good continuity the last few years. If you read the Laois thread they said we were too physical - how many times do you read that about antrim?

[marty34]

County requires 2 or 3 years to get up to the speed and conditioning. You look at our footballers and year on year we've a different squad and then they're not at the level conditioning wise. Our hurlers have had really good continuity the last few years. If you read the Laois thread they said we were too physical - how many times do you read that about antrim?

Fair point.

Hard to beat having the same panel and same backroom management.

[Kidder81]

While the end result was good i still cant get too excited about the uncoming champinship. McManus, Bradley, Coby were all brilliant yesterday. Defensivly we put our bodies on the line but overall we have a lot of improving to do. The goal was criminal! Campbell, Burke and Bradley in defense look solid. Have we another 3 defenders up to championship level? On a positive the link play Coby brings is fantastic. If we could get McNaughton driving forward from midfield too along with Keelan. Elliott as a link man and McManus a target man in FF we look strong enough. But i think we lack around 4 or 5 players to go to the next level. We need 50% more out of some players. S Elliott for example, fantastic hurler btw. Id like to see Boyle get a start v Tipp.

Would agree with this, probably 3/4 players short & that's no disrespect to those that are there. They are the best we have. The trick for any team is to introduce more players that are up to it over a 2/3 year period, with the right age profile.

Someone needs to nail down that CF spot that Eoin O'Neill, Conor Johnston & Seaan Elliott have failed to nail down. Leinster championship will tell a lot

[imtommygunn]

Gleeson has been fantastic for us. I think we are borderline punching above our weight tbh but while we still have gleeson and McManus the hope would be that we develop younger players to a higher standard and put enough pride in the jersey so that year on year we have the best we have giving their all.

Kilkenny and Galway will be too much for us. The Wexford and Dublin games will be interesting - you would hope we could maybe spring a surprise there. Westmeath will be like yesterday and be a dogfight.

[Milltown Row2]

Would beat Westmeath 9 out of 10 games, Wexford and Dublin just 5 or 6 points better if we don't have our best team..

Peak summer Galway and Kilkenny could open us up. That said Galway can have a brain fart every so often.

We need to be unearthing more physical players. Yes the skills are important but looking at the size of other top teams, the players they are some size, fielding, hard running, breaking tackles, we need that at this level

From the under 20 games this year, who's coming through?

[imtommygunn]

Don't agree about Westmeath. It'll be tight.

I think the under 17s are stronger than the under 20s. There's a few of them even stepped up to the under 20s I think. The biggest prospects seem to be loughgiel forwards and quite a few of them but all a bit young yet.

[SaffronSports]

I think the problem with the Leinster Championship will be the other teams have never really been at full pelt in the league and have a gear or two to go up, we don't in my opinion and for most matches have put out close to the best we had available. I expect losses in all games aside from Westmeath which will decide our fate. I'd love to be wrong obviously but just an honest and realistic opinion.

[Milltown Row2]

Remember where we were at! Meath beat us, we have improved ten fold, but yes the gap is massive, with our best 15 all fit we still fall away with 7 minutes of normal time this year in the league, we need personnel that'll improve the team mid way through second half when our lads our busted.

Strength in depth helps pull everyone along and fighting for positions and maintaining standards when going into the last quarter