National hurling League 2012

The Puke wrote:

Boxtyeater wrote:Puke, how many more have ye to put to this panel re: championship? Where have all these Cratloe forwards come from?
Impressive enough start in fairness. Are they night-time hurlers or will daylight distract them?

That was a relatively strong Clare team, all had played Championship under Sparrow aside from the Keeper and there won't be too many significant changes come championship all the same. You would fancy at least 10 or 12 of that team to start v Waterford in June. The likes of Johnathon Clancy, Diarmuid McMahon, Pat Vaughan, Darach Honan and Caimin Morey will also be in the reckoning, although I have the feeling Honan will be the only one who will get his place come the summer barring injuries to others.

I like this style of approach where you kick off the league with more or less the best available to you. Clare look to have a tidy enough panel to work with and could rattle Waterford. What's the venue for that match btw.

My apathy for Mickey Moran stemmed from his idea to assemble the panel for the championship the week of the 1st round....

Decent start

Boxtyeater wrote:

The Puke wrote:

Boxtyeater wrote:Puke, how many more have ye to put to this panel re: championship? Where have all these Cratloe forwards come from?
Impressive enough start in fairness. Are they night-time hurlers or will daylight distract them?

That was a relatively strong Clare team, all had played Championship under Sparrow aside from the Keeper and there won't be too many significant changes come championship all the same. You would fancy at least 10 or 12 of that team to start v Waterford in June. The likes of Johnathon Clancy, Diarmuid McMahon, Pat Vaughan, Darach Honan and Caimin Morey will also be in the reckoning, although I have the feeling Honan will be the only one who will get his place come the summer barring injuries to others.

I like this style of approach where you kick off the league with more or less the best available to you. Clare look to have a tidy enough panel to work with and could rattle Waterford. What's the venue for that match btw.

My apathy for Mickey Moran stemmed from his idea to assemble the panel for the championship the week of the 1st round....

Thurles, which should suit our mobile forwards

mossbags wrote:Decent start

Big result alright, was it much of a spectacle. With a young panel there is nothing like a bit of momentum

The Puke wrote:

mossbags wrote:Decent start

Big result alright, was it much of a spectacle. With a young panel there is nothing like a bit of momentum

No,despite fielding a reasonable lineup Dublin were crap. The consensus is nice win but we'll getter a much more accurate measure of our young lads v Tipp. The major plus was the honesty of effort from our lads today, even from the likes of Tannion who is looking sharper than he has done in years. Of the new kids I thought Niall Burke was superb as were Regan and Donoghue. Our FB line never gave Dublin a whiff either and Fergal Moore is playing out of his skin lately.

Some interesting results around the country. Fair play to Clare, Davy will get the best out of them anyway.
How ***** are Wexford?

The Puke wrote:

North Side Gael wrote:Think i deserve a bit of credit for calling the antrim score, played with greater intensity, hustle and stick work, great win, not going to get carried away though, one game at a time, but definitely moving in the right direction.

I don't think it was much of a shock. I fancied Antrim to give them more than enough of it and delighted to see them win it. Liam Dunne has struck me as an awful ignorant pr1ck since he got the job and can't see him doing much to revive Wexford

If youd listened to the press including the northern press you would have thought, laim watson of lougheile (whos players arent available) was our only hope and there for we were beaten already. Very solid showing against a wexford team more interested in trying to pull jerseys and body check the support player.

So puke, would love to get to the game, cant unfortunately as the car wouldnt be up to it, do you still think Davy will field a weakened side? Could backfire, antrim may be missing some of their better players but their work rate is immense and posession hurling beat wexford, my only concern is we started very slowly allowing a poor wexford team to dominate the first 15.

I put it down as a draw, i wouldnt be overly suprised if we won, but i think clare under davy will be fired up and probably if antrim dont show the same work rate and game plan clare will definitely have too much.

I'd say Davy will look to play the same side that played v Limerick barring injury.

The Puke wrote:I'd say Davy will look to play the same side that played v Limerick barring injury.

Was the side strong Puke? didnt see it, seemed they played well though.

North Side Gael wrote:

The Puke wrote:I'd say Davy will look to play the same side that played v Limerick barring injury.

Was the side strong Puke? didnt see it, seemed they played well though.

Yes, I would say that a dozen or so of that team will start v Waterford in June.

The Puke wrote:

North Side Gael wrote:

The Puke wrote:I'd say Davy will look to play the same side that played v Limerick barring injury.

Was the side strong Puke? didnt see it, seemed they played well though.

Yes, I would say that a dozen or so of that team will start v Waterford in June.

Thats good because no point antrim going down there against a weakened side, will give us a truer reflection of where were really at!

North Side Gael wrote:Thats good because no point antrim going down there against a weakened side, will give us a truer reflection of where were really at!

Jaysus ... you'd swear ye were Kilkenny ....

Parouisa wrote:

North Side Gael wrote:Thats good because no point antrim going down there against a weakened side, will give us a truer reflection of where were really at!

Jaysus ... you'd swear ye were Kilkenny ....

Its not that, it does a team no good playing weaker sides when your suppose to be in the same championship.

Limerick team for the weekend

1. Nickie Quaid 2. Stephen Walsh 3. Richie McCarthy 4. Tom Condon 5. Wayne McNamara 6. Donal O'Grady 7. Gavin O'Mahony 8. James Ryan 9. Paul Browne 10. Conor Allis 11. David Breen © 12. Shane Dowling 13. Mikey Ryan 14. Niall Moran 15. Graeme Mulcahy


Very workmanlike team picked by Limerick. think O'Grady may well have seen the writing on the wall and knew that last year was as good as it would get.

Tipp team v Galway

Cummins
Donagh Maher, Curran, Cahill
OKeefe, O'Mahony, Paudie Maher
Woodlock, Brendan Maher
Pa Bourke, Noel Mcgrath, Shane Mcgrath
John O'Neil, Buggy, Shane Bourke


Galway (HL v Tipperary) - James Skehill, Declan Connolly, David Collins, Ger O'Halloran, Niall Donohue, Fergal Moore, Tony Og Regan, David Burke, Cyril Donnelan, Conor Cooney, Niall Burke, Iarlaith Tannian, Damian Hayes, James Regan, Bernard Burke.

Subs - Jamie Ryan, Padraig Shiels, Brian Flaherty, Paul Gordon, Joseph Cooney, Barry Daly, Eanna Ryan, Johnny Coen, Aidan Harte, Jason Grealish, Tadgh Haran.

Cork team V Dublin

Dónal Óg Cusack, Shane O'Neill, Stephen McDonnell, Brian Murphy, John Gardiner, Ross Cashman, Eoin Cadogan, Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, Tom Kenny, Conor Lehane, Pa Cronin, Cathal Naughton, Patrick Horgan, Paudie O'Sullivan, Ben O Connor.

Looking at this weekends fixtures I can't see anything else than a facile victory for Kilkenny over Waterford who had another player walk off the panel this week and look in total disarrey.

Tipp v Galway should be interesting, earlier in the week I would have fancied Tipp to win with a bit to spare but looking at the team they have out they could well struggle to put up a decent score. Pa Bourke while a fine hurler is a loose ball merchant can't see the point of playing both him and Noel McGrath in the same H/F line and Shane McGrath isn't a wing forward. Galway will give them enough of it, Tipp to probably shade a tight game with their big guns coming off the bench

Dublin v Cork will be a tight dour affair I'd say, JBM has picked a big physical team and has brought in the experienced lads. Cadogan at wing back will be interesting, he did all his hurling underage as a half back and is probably more suited to it. The Dubs might just shade this, doubt there will be much in it


In 1B

I'd expect Clare with home advantage to get the better of Antrim minus the Loughiel contingent. There has only been a point between the side in their last two meetings but both were in Casement. Would expect Clare to pull away late on and win by 5 or 6

Limerick to make hard work of Laois and I would fancy Offaly to get the better of Wexford as I think Liam Dunne hasn't a clue.

The Puke wrote:Looking at this weekends fixtures I can't see anything else than a facile victory for Kilkenny over Waterford who had another player walk off the panel this week and look in total disarrey.

Tipp v Galway should be interesting, earlier in the week I would have fancied Tipp to win with a bit to spare but looking at the team they have out they could well struggle to put up a decent score. Pa Bourke while a fine hurler is a loose ball merchant can't see the point of playing both him and Noel McGrath in the same H/F line and Shane McGrath isn't a wing forward. Galway will give them enough of it, Tipp to probably shade a tight game with their big guns coming off the bench

Dublin v Cork will be a tight dour affair I'd say, JBM has picked a big physical team and has brought in the experienced lads. Cadogan at wing back will be interesting, he did all his hurling underage as a half back and is probably more suited to it. The Dubs might just shade this, doubt there will be much in it


In 1B

I'd expect Clare with home advantage to get the better of Antrim minus the Loughiel contingent. There has only been a point between the side in their last two meetings but both were in Casement. Would expect Clare to pull away late on and win by 5 or 6

Limerick to make hard work of Laois and I would fancy Offaly to get the better of Wexford as I think Liam Dunne hasn't a clue.

Would have to agree on most, wouldnt be suprised if Galway beat Tipp though, your call on Antrim Clare is what my brain tells me, my heart says otherwise lol!

Wexford cant afford to lose to Wex which is why i would put them down as a win, with only 6 Teams, if they lose that they could be in big trouble!

Carlow will be seriously up against it down in Killarney. Not at full strength and very light in the full forward line. Kerry will be up for this as we have got the upperhand in the rivalry lately. Could be a draw.
I fancy Wicklow to beat Down 7/4 with the bookies and Westmeath to overcome Derry with a bit to spare.

hurlingguru wrote:Carlow will be seriously up against it down in Killarney. Not at full strength and very light in the full forward line. Kerry will be up for this as we have got the upperhand in the rivalry lately. Could be a draw.
I fancy Wicklow to beat Down 7/4 with the bookies and Westmeath to overcome Derry with a bit to spare.

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I fancy wicklow myself, down need to seriously waken up, the attitude in down is if your not from the ards your not worth talking about, from their underage club scene this is changing with the likes of Bredagh from belfast now challenging the ards regualry.

I wouldnt be suprised if yous were beaten by kerry, i think yous will have too much for them though, i feel with kerrys underage system working well, they will overtake westmeath and carlow in the next couple of years but that can all change, ive no idea of what minors or u21 hurling is like in westmeath or carlow. Seems in westmeath a terrible habbit of putting boys under pressure to play football. Was interesting to read keith higgins of mayo, he wont play league hurling at all this year, and its not even his choice but an agreement between the football and hurling coaches.

Yeah dual players is a problem with managers. In my own club we have 3 dual players and the hurling manager is getting annoyed with them (hard to understand considering he himself was one, the great Johnny Nevin). Can't see our minor hurlers doing much this year, the players are there but I think the management is ruining them, a lot of them are sick of it at this stage time will tell against Laois Tuesday night. The only decent development squad to come out of Carlow in the last 5/6 years was the team I was on two years ago,we had a mighty team the backbone of this minor. U21 is a mystery but 1 win and were in a Leinster final.

Also good luck to Borris V.S in the Leinster Vocational Schools Senior 'A' Hurling Final tomorrow, know a lot of the lads on the team and they can't wait for tomorrow hope they pull it off now.

Hard luck on Borris yesterday, put up a very brave show and lost another Leinster final, this time by 2 points.

Very happy with the result we got down in Killarney. Serious spirit in this young team 5 points down at half time to outscore Kerry 0-12 to 0-03 in the second was a great effort. Absolutely delighted and sets up a great showdown with Westmeath in DCP next weekend.

Dissapointing for us, but all in all, 8 points down there against a very hungry Clare team who would put it to most in div1 on their day, wasnt too bad, lets just hope its a blip on the road, Offaly on the road next, need a win there or its just another normal league for us!

I felt Dublin where exposed today, the inability to close off the game when they really should have had it won, but they are building and the league this year will be of less significance than last year although i dont think they will want to end up in 1B next year!

The Puke wrote:Looking at this weekends fixtures I can't see anything else than a facile victory for Kilkenny over Waterford who had another player walk off the panel this week and look in total disarrey.

Tipp v Galway should be interesting, earlier in the week I would have fancied Tipp to win with a bit to spare but looking at the team they have out they could well struggle to put up a decent score. Pa Bourke while a fine hurler is a loose ball merchant can't see the point of playing both him and Noel McGrath in the same H/F line and Shane McGrath isn't a wing forward. Galway will give them enough of it, Tipp to probably shade a tight game with their big guns coming off the bench

Dublin v Cork will be a tight dour affair I'd say, JBM has picked a big physical team and has brought in the experienced lads. Cadogan at wing back will be interesting, he did all his hurling underage as a half back and is probably more suited to it. The Dubs might just shade this, doubt there will be much in it


In 1B

I'd expect Clare with home advantage to get the better of Antrim minus the Loughiel contingent. There has only been a point between the side in their last two meetings but both were in Casement. Would expect Clare to pull away late on and win by 5 or 6

Limerick to make hard work of Laois and I would fancy Offaly to get the better of Wexford as I think Liam Dunne hasn't a clue.

Wasn't a million miles off Kilkenny as expected were comfortable winners over Waterford who are looking odds on for relegation and as predicted the other two games would be especially tight. Didn't see it but am told that the Dubs left the win behind them against Cork while Offaly threw away a big lead with 10 minutes left against Wexford who got three late goals to steal the win

Bad defeat for Dublin ... champs in real trouble now!