Antrim Hurling

[milltown row]

from a belfast point of view, Gorts are also doing the ground work in hurling, but it's keeping them thats the problem in Belfast and i'm sure in North Antrim till they reach seniors.

[Last Man]

I know what you are saying Milltown but I think we have relied on this cop out for too long in Antrim. I coach at juvenile level and the average standard of hurling is poor. I see too many kids not holding their stick properly to lift a ball, swapping hands over, poor footwork to name a few. Coaching are letting these kids down by letting them develop bad habits and just get a team out and as for them drifting away at minor, I feel it is the job of a good coach and willing assistants to make sure they make their minors feel valued and loyal to their club. Granted none of this is easy to sorted given that so much is being done by so few.

[Glensman]

Saffron Exile
Paddy Richmond is the captain of the team.
Wedding plans are made a year or more in advance, Sean Delargy wasn't in a position to be able to judge exactly when the matches would be. He trains as hard as any man, harder than most and with that sacrifices will no doubt have been made in relation to his fiance, soon to be wife. Some things (very very few) are more important than hurling.

I don't want to appear to be a White Knight for certain people (defending Sean Delargy and then on the Antrim football site another player) but on a personal level those two player epitomise what we need more of and ALSO it should be about the bigger picture. 1 man being away and we should have a ready replacement to come in...do we?!
It would suggest bigger issues than 2 players making plans.
On one level it doesn't show much foresight by W&S not to play Kettle for example instead with Delargy being away...on another they are judged on results and the temptation is always there to put out what you feel is your best team.

It brings another question I suppose which is relevant to Antrim and notably this year.
Where do you draw the line with players? Do you give them alot of rope to hang themselves with (god knows some don't need much) or do you not give them the freedom to do so.
I remember last year our manager asked us for our holiday plans in about April...I was like "This is a bit mad"...but it became pretty clear that he was just using a little bit of foresight to prepare, which became very necessary.

It does become your life...you are planning months in advance about a couple of dates. Now I wouldn't change it but to look at it from the other side we must be looked at in a strange light...one guy is getting married and one guy is taking a break from football to work in America for a break from uni.
(getting paid for play in America is another level of this debate).

[groundlie]

Some of you guys thought I was harsh in my criticism of S&W but with the news of Delargy going away do you not think that this proves my point that these managers lack a lot of the fundamentals of training a team?

Kettle, McCambrige, McKeague or whoever would be Delargys replacement should have played the ulster final, maybe they only trust a certain bunch of players, i dont know!

[Glensman]

Ok so they think that Graffin, McGarry, Delargy is their best full back line.

What would you do? You are being villified from a lot of directions (none more so that this board) and its not actually clear on what level you are being judged.
You know that you HAVE to win the Ulster championship, no question whatsoever.
Do you pick you best starting line up available at the time or do you plan ahead?

If we are being frank this year would be remembered more so for NOT winning the Ulster championship that for the Galway/Waterford results. Hopefully those are good results...
Its a bloody tough one and I know I wouldn't necessarily like to be making the decision but if I was in agreement about what I thought was my best line up with my joint manager I'd use I'd probably go for it.

Not a superb comparator but its all I can do - Man Utd playing in a league decider one week and a champions league final the week after...Evra (left back as well, see where I am going) is on international duty for the champions league final on the second week. He has been one of your most consistent, dedicated defenders this year. Has trained hard all year and due to circumstances beyond his control do you take away that opportunity of playing in the league decider because you are playing an important match a week later.
You think Ferguson, the most ruthless of them all, would do that?

He served his county well, played well all year (in my opinion) led the team to the Walsh Cup (a high point of the year) - do you deny him an Ulster Championship start?

We won it...just...lets move on and bloody get behind them.

How good would it bloody be if we beat (or ran close) both/either of Galway/Waterford.

[the colonel]

Think this relates to Dunloy V Ballycastle last night

It has come to our attention that managers of our inter-county teams are experiencing difficulty in organising meaningful training sessions due to rearranged club fixtures being organised in direct conflict with scheduled training times.

This is making preparation of our teams extremely difficult and is a matter of extreme frustration. Extensive negotiations between all our county managers and CCC occurred at the beginning of the year to ensure minimal disruption to club activity and particularly to facilitate county players being available to their clubs, for virtually all of their league matches. Generally these discussions have prevented any substantial disruption to club activity because of our county team commitments.

It is therefore extremely frustrating that we find clubs are now rearranging fixtures, particularly Ulster fixtures and that these arrangements directly clash with inter-county training schedules.

Consequently and in accordance with Rule 118, we must now rule that senior inter-county players will not be available for any club fixtures for 13 days prior to an inter-county championship game. We have little doubt that clubs will insist that this Rule is implemented prior to club championship games.

We have no objection to clubs playing any fixture in this time-frame, provided they are aware that inter-county players will not be available for these games. However, if we learn of a situation where an inter-county player is pressurised by his club to play any such fixture, we will either postpone this fixture if it is an Antrim fixture, or we will insist that Ulster Council refuse to sanction the playing of such a fixture should it be under their control.

We would remind clubs that any fixture that is not sanctioned by the appropriate governing body is not covered for insurance purposes.

We regret that we have been forced into issuing this directive, but it is clear that our attempts to act in good faith are not being reciprocated. Our county senior hurlers are about to face the two most important matches of the season within the next 3 weeks and we have a responsibility to ensure that every effort is taken to allow for optimal preparation for these games.


Seamus O'Muiri Runai

Sean MacSparain Cathaoirleach

[theskull1]

In fairness both teams should have played without their County men last night as it was an UHL match and each had plenty of bodies along the line.

[Minder]

The only thing Johnny Ping enjoys more than a pair of wrap around shades is a press release

[milltown row]

thats pants, the game is not till the 28th and they expect the clubs to do without their main players!!!! we played Gorts last night and won because our county player was playing on a different level.

the county team have a serious training programme laid out in prep for Galway, injuries i'm sure will come out of this

[Guillem2]

What was your game last night Milltown?

[milltown row]

div2/3 league game

[theskull1]

Well your game was different milltown and in those circumstances Karl had to play when the game was fixed. But I presume the clubs arranged the fixture? Obviously one of the reasons why the county has re-enforced the rule

[milltown row]

not sure Skull, but it was in the county website from last week. very young Gorts team, still very light but plenty of promise. think the pitch is too small for hurling

[NAG]

Yet another smoke screen of why the team is so badly prepared, oh we couldnt organise meaningful training sessions.

They have had from october last year to organise enough sessions to be better than they were last sunday, maybe playing in a club game would actually help the county players realise what it is all about.

I am getting fed up to the back teeth with this BS we are being constantly fed by sambo and the good doctor.

In reference to SD yes of course the man is entitled to get married when he decides but if this is mid season then any manager worth his salt would be looking for a replacement. I can think of another guy who was constantly vilified on here for taking holidays during the year but dont think he ever missed an antrim match for one.

[groundlie]

I can think of another guy who was constantly vilified on here for taking holidays during the year but dont think he ever missed an antrim match for one.

who was this NAG,

holidays are different to weddings, you have to consider bride, availability of venues, family able to attend etc, holidays can be easily booked last min. All weddings these days are booked at least a yr in advance i'm sure, well before fixtures came out.

and i have said before the management should have had this in mind, but if a player is asked to play of course he will say yes i want to play. especially someone like sean who played last nite against portaferry (we won after extra time) only a few days from the wedding.

What a great man, should we try and get him a knighthood?