Tipp v Limerick

Despite the fact that Tipp had a mixed enough league and a number of their better players are a long way off the form of 2010 I can't see anything other than a comfortable Tipp win this weekend. Wouldn't be one but surprised to see the knives coimg out for John Allen in the aftermath of this, he looks very much as though he is yesterdays man when in comes to Intercounty hurling.

Anyone any thoughts on how this and the rest of the games will go in the most prestigious of all the provinical competitions in the country

I think Tipp will be raring to go for this once after, as you say, an unconvincing league campaign but I've grown to never expect a comfortable victory - especially in the opening game of the Munster championship.

Tipp are gone. Ego's, infighting and arrogance have them flummoxed. Great opportunity here for the Treatymen

mossbags wrote:Tipp are gone. Ego's, infighting and arrogance have them flummoxed.

Bit of a bold statement to be making don't you think?

SamiPremier08 wrote:

mossbags wrote:Tipp are gone. Ego's, infighting and arrogance have them flummoxed.

Bit of a bold statement to be making don't you think?

Not really, Tipp have gone back a good bit from the standard they set for themselves in September 2010. Since then they have unearthed no new talent, guys like Buggy O'Meara, Tom Stapleton and Donagh Maher are nothing more than solid hurlers at this level and some of the lads who looked destined to keep Tipp at the top of the hurling food chain like Brendan Maher, Noel Mcgrath and Mikey Cahill are out of form and have not improved since the A/I win in 2010, you could even make the case that Noel McGrath has regressed as a player without Eamonn O'Shea to nurture his talent.

Add to that the fact that Shane McGrath (woefully out of form) and Eoin Kelly did nothing of note in the league and Declan Fanning still hasn't been replaced means that Tipp have an awful lot to find to win the A/I. They are still the best side in Munster but the gap is closing and they have come back to the pack.

The fact that James Woodlock and Shane Maher are pushing hard for starting places this weekend doesn't say much for the depth to the Tipp panel.

Not arguing with any of that just saying it seems bold for mossbags to write a team off so comprehensively before the championship has even started.

SamiPremier08 wrote:Not arguing with any of that just saying it seems bold for mossbags to write a team off so comprehensively before the championship has even started.

Face it Sami, their yesterdays news, one hit winders like most half decent Tipp sides that have come and gone down the years. In agreeing with Pukes detailed and correct analysis of my original post its clear your feeling something like the same way yourself.
They all hate Tommy Dunne and Tommy Dunne hates all of them, especially the prodigal publican. Declan Ryan plays the obtuse and ineffectual token clueless bainestoir in the middle of it all, a Neville Chamberlain type figure with ginger hair, forever clinging to something that just isn't there anymore and possibly never truly was. Eamonn O Shea is long gone so there's no one left to hypnotize them into being the all conquering centurions of 2010. Babs was right all along about this shower and deep down all tipp people know it too.

Our intrepid Western correspondant has lost none of his ascerbic insightfulness it would appear. On the money just the same....

No surprise to see Shane McGrath dropped. Tipp badly need Brendan Maher to find his 2010 form again. Both Callinan and Bonner Maher held in reserve by Tipp after both missed big chunks of spring training through injury.

Tipp to win by 4 or 5 I would say

Limerick failed for the lack of self -belief....Pure and Simple...

Like I said Tipp have too many lads out of form. Wouldn't be surprised if Cork beat them or they lost the munster final. Eoin Kelly has far too big a gut to be playing senior club hurling let alone I/C. Their touch and striking for the most part was well below what is needed. Limerick are the 5th bets team in Munster and they struggled to put them away. Credit to Conor O'Mahoney who was immnese for them today when many around him were miles off the pace

Kilkenny's A/I to lose

The Puke wrote:Like I said Tipp have too many lads out of form. Wouldn't be surprised if Cork beat them or they lost the munster final. Eoin Kelly has far too big a gut to be playing senior club hurling let alone I/C. Their touch and striking for the most part was well below what is needed. Limerick are the 5th bets team in Munster and they struggled to put them away. Credit to Conor O'Mahoney who was immnese for them today when many around him were miles off the pace

Kilkenny's A/I to lose

I'll bow to Puke's superior knowledge of hurling and Munster hurling in particular. I watched this game on TV in Longford, hardly a bastion of hurling, (but as the Rogbee gimps flailed away (Not a sport by the way) fat lads feeling boys in rucks of a Sunday) Dauber said to me, Limerick's to lose.......and they did.
Tipp had nothing left bar eaperience, old dogs and hard roads and all that. In fact, the current Tipp team aren't within 20 points of KK.

Limerick had the batin' of them, aside from Allen withdrawing No.2 (on a yellow) and another defensive withdrawal..

Like I said it was a massive opportunity for this Limerick team but in true Shannonside fashion they bottled it pure and simple. They put so much into this game, that it could prove be hard for them to repeat and I wouldn't be surprised if they go out meekly in the qualifiers now. Tipp should improve for this and Lar has to return yet as well but with Limerick clarifying their protruding flaws for the rest of us last Sunday, no one, least of all Brian Cody will not believe that they are not imminently beatable on the evidence of Thurles. It's entirely possible however that Declan Ryan is playing the long game here and who knows?, being the tactical managerial mastermind that he is, had planned this all along emboldening others with a false sense of their comparative worth, Tipp have come back stronger from lower points than this, remember Cork 2010. I might be wrong but Declan Ryan doesn't strike me as a modern day Svengali figure with a far reaching plot to have his team fully pitched for the first Sunday in Septmber. I think Tip were poor the last day because they are a side in decline and but for the heroics of stalwarts like O Mahoney and Cummins would have lost the game. Galway, Cork, Dublin and the winners of Clare/Waterford should all have the beating of them.