Who will be the team to eventually beat The Cats?

CyberDave

Galway have had some bad results against Kilkenny in the past, but they also have sickened the cats when least expected on occasion (2001, 2005). I back Galway, but then, I'm just being biased.

Going on this years form, we shouldn't be bothering them for a few years yet. But we can live in hope. Much as you admire Kilkennys brilliance, you look forward to the day they will eventually fall. One team whipping everybody else isn't much entertainment, or any good for the game, if you are not a follower of the team doing the whipping.

Who do people think can topple the Kilkenny bandwagon eventually?

Daysha

My head says Waterford, my heart says Tipperary if they continue to improve under Liam Sheedy.

CyberDave

deise59 wrote: »

My head says Waterford, my heart says Tipperary if they continue to improve under Liam Sheedy.

Are you sure that isn't supposed to be the other way around? just, considering your location.

Badabing

Galway could beat them in leinster and Tipp are best of the bunch in the All Ireland series.

Dr. Nick

Meath. I think we can take them on our day.


Mind you that day may well be June 5th 2022..............

john concannon

Galway or Tipp.But the Cats would have to have on off day.

Pride Fighter

Dublin. A lot of the current lot have beaten them at underage and have been pretty close to them in recent league campaigns.

Kojak

john concannon wrote: »

Galway or Tipp.But the Cats would have to have on off day.

I'd agree with that.

Galway could take them if the match became a complete shoot-out (i.e. All-Ireland semi-final of 2005) but if it turned into a tight defensive game, KK would destroy Galway.

I thought Tipp would be KK's biggest threat this year. They seem to be developing a very strong spine to the team and there seems to be a steady stream of talent coming through from the underage ranks. However underage success doesn't automatically lead to senior success. Ask Galway and Limerick...

Orizio

Offaly in a few years.

Erin Go Brath

Tipperary for me. They seem to have made a lot of progress in the last few years, and would give KK a better game than anyone.

AlphaMale 3OO

Theres a good chance that if Waterford get their hands on them at the semi final stage next year, they could do some damage based on the pain of this years humiliation. That game would be a massive motivating factor. I think Cork have that air superiority about them that could also be a factor. Its an interesting thread because it will happen one day but who knows when? They cannot possibly keep up this level of performance, they are human!

Clare Bear

Would love to say Cork here but I think the glory days are over for a while. The Dublin hurling team have come on leaps and bounds actually but nowhere near winning, maybe in a few years, who knows....I'd go for Tipperary from what I've seen recently.

kraggy

Tipperary.

Galway have nothing. Over rated as always. And I'm from Galway.

Orizio

kraggy wrote: »

Tipperary.

Galway have nothing. Over rated as always. And I'm from Galway.

Yup, incredible that they have so many votes. Invariably flatter to decieve and I was completely unimpressed when I saw them play Cork this year.

Offaly and Tipp are the coming teams imo, and Cork came closest to KK this year, so its going to be one of those three.

And look at it this way - KK have hit their peak, only one way to go from now.

plasmaguy

To be honest it will be a long time before anyone beats Kilkenny...

They are as near to a professional setup in KK than any other county. With football hardly registering in the county in terms of schools and club teams, they can divert almost all their GAA budget into hurling. This means having numerous full time coaches training up the underage players, hardly any wonder they have the grand slam.

Counties such as Tipp, Cork, Wexford, Offaly and Galway must fund two codes at all levels, in KK this doesn't really happen, the football is neglibable just as hurling is negligable in Kerry.

This also means that virtually every underage person in KK plays hurling and virtually every club plays hurling. Immediately they have a good pick and with no other sport to divert them such as Rugby or GAA they can spend more time on hurling.

When I was growing up, I used to play Soccer, Gaelic, basketball, and a number of other sports. If I focused on one I am sure I would have been better at that one.

If other teams want to beat KK at all age groups they would have to put in the same resources at underage level up to senior level.

And to be honest, with KK putting so much resources into hurling, realistically, I can only see the gap widening, because it is professionals against amataurs at the moment. Offaly have the best chance in Leinster and apart from that Cork but maybe in five years or so.

CyberDave

plasmaguy wrote: »

To be honest it will be a long time before anyone beats Kilkenny...

They are as near to a professional setup in KK than any other county. With football hardly registering in the county in terms of schools and club teams, they can divert almost all their GAA budget into hurling. This means having numerous full time coaches training up the underage players, hardly any wonder they have the grand slam.

Counties such as Tipp, Cork, Wexford, Offaly and Galway must fund two codes at all levels, in KK this doesn't really happen, the football is neglibable just as hurling is negligable in Kerry.

This also means that virtually every underage person in KK plays hurling and virtually every club plays hurling. Immediately they have a good pick and with no other sport to divert them such as Rugby or GAA they can spend more time on hurling.

When I was growing up, I used to play Soccer, Gaelic, basketball, and a number of other sports. If I focused on one I am sure I would have been better at that one.

If other teams want to beat KK at all age groups they would have to put in the same resources at underage level up to senior level.

And to be honest, with KK putting so much resources into hurling, realistically, I can only see the gap widening, because it is professionals against amataurs at the moment. Offaly have the best chance in Leinster and apart from that Cork but maybe in five years or so.

I agree with a lot of the points you make but surely other counties are not just going to give up now and just let Kilkenny off to win everything. These players are only human after all and one day, someone will beat them. They have set the standard for now, it's up to the rest to reach that standard.

A-Bit-Dodge

Jesus, who voted for Antrim...:P


It'll more than likely be Tipp, and I think some poster said Offaly in a few years...Yip, I definitely agree there, they have some smashing players coming up and the Faithful are returning... Duignan could do wonders if he took them under his wing methinks...


Where have Limerick disappeared to??? :O :O :O

Killme00

Pride Fighter wrote: »

Dublin. A lot of the current lot have beaten them at underage and have been pretty close to them in recent league campaigns.

Not while Naughton is in charge. Hopefully a players revolt will sort that out and get our best players back playing inter county hurling.

aidan24326

The most likely teams to beat them would be the old reliables of Tipp and Cork. Galway have a reasonable record against the cats too and might just catch them like we did in 2001 and 2005. It will be one of those 3 teams, no-one else has any chance.

buck65

Clare
Next year.

machiavellianme

Offaly or Wexford should beat them in the next 2 years in Leinster. Both teams are coming back with good new players. Not sure about Dublin, they might be getting youth players through but they've a long way to go. Laois might if they played them in the league (and only in the league) and James Young, Willie Hyland and Zane Keenan were all playing well. For some reason those 3 teams on a good day can give the cats a game but thats probably because they peak earlier in the year when they're fighting for survival whereas Killkenny are only having light training.

byhookorbycrook

LAOIS???Ah cmon!!

CyberDave

kraggy wrote: »

Tipperary.

Galway have nothing. Over rated as always. And I'm from Galway.

Analyists have plenty reason to continually nominate Galway as genuine All-Ireland contenders, because of our continious flow of underage talent. Logically it should bring us senior titles, but it doesn't. If we knew why, well then it could be fixed, couldn't it. The potential is always there. Players don't just loose that ability. To say Galway have nothing is crazy. No wonder we can't produce good senior teams if people from within the county have that mentality. It's more a question of underperforming rather than being overrated.

brettmirl

I had a dream, no, nightmare last night that Tipp beat us by 3 points in the AI Final 09.

I'm planning to dream what the Euromillions numbers will be on Friday night, tonight.

shoelaceface

NOBODY WILL.....

we are the supercats afterall

silliegillie

I dont think they will be beaten for a number of years. Cork are the ones who will give them a good game. They have the physcilogical mind set of being the only team in recent years to have given a consitent fight with Kilkenny so therfore I would think that once they get themselves right again it will be Cork.(Yes I know a number of teams have beaten them also but Cork are the ones to have beaten them and fought hard with them on a consistent basis)
Another poster pointed earlier that a leinster team may beat them on the hop some year but as they rightly stated whichever team to do so will be Peaking where as KK will have only just begun and would still probably get to the AI fnal

premierstone

Im not sure whether the question is who will beat them next or who will actually eventually take over as top dog, seen as the first scenario could be anyone on a given day there is little point in speculating in that, so that leaves us with who will take over as top dogs and i know i'll be accused of being biased and all that tinted glasses stuff but for me it has to be Tipp, the progress that was made this year was very encouraging and we were also unlucky not to win an u-21 all-ireland with what was essientially an u-20 team(12 of starting 15 underage next year and of the 3 overage two were replaced) and the underage setup within the county has really improved in the last number of years.

Deedsie

mick_irl wrote: »

I had a dream, no, nightmare last night that Tipp beat us by 3 points in the AI Final 09.

I'm planning to dream what the Euromillions numbers will be on Friday night, tonight.

I just want Tipp to get a rattle at Kilkenny next year. Tipp have beaten them twice recently in the league. In Nowlan Park. I know it means very little in championship. But I think Tipp would rise to the Cats. Tipp have beaten Cork two years on the trot in the championship. Time to break a 18 year stretch without beating Kilkenny.

premierstone

Deedsie wrote: »

Time to break a 18 year stretch without beating Kilkenny.

LOL don't be putting out scary stats like that, in all fairness how many times have they met since the '91 AI??

Deedsie

Twice to my knowledge. 02 & 03. Correct me if im wrong though.

hawkwing

Deedsie wrote: »

Twice to my knowledge. 02 & 03. Correct me if im wrong though.

Beat them in 1971,1991 and lost in 02 and 03 semis--only meetings in 37yrs.

premierstone

Deedsie wrote: »

Twice to my knowledge. 02 & 03. Correct me if im wrong though.

Correct and right, not quiet as bad as saying we need to end an 18 year loosing streak

Trust me deedsie it will be worth waitin 4 when it happens and its invaribally an AI final when we beat them

Nalced_irl

Its a stab in the dark really. They are miles ahead of anyone in the country at the moment and cant see them being knocked off the top for many years so ill take a shot with Antrim, if i am right (as long a shot as it is!) i will look like the best predictor of all time

Pride Fighter

Nalced_irl wrote: »

Its a stab in the dark really. They are miles ahead of anyone in the country at the moment and cant see them being knocked off the top for many years so ill take a shot with Antrim, if i am right (as long a shot as it is!) i will look like the best predictor of all time

Traitor to the Dub cause now are we Nalced:pac::pac:

Utopia Parkway

Orizio wrote: »

Yup, incredible that they have so many votes. Invariably flatter to decieve and I was completely unimpressed when I saw them play Cork this year.

Not really. Galway have already beaten Kilkenny in two All-Ireland semi-finals this decade and have beaten Kilkenny a fair few times over the past 20 years (along with taking a few beatings as well).

They have shown an ability to ambush Kilkenny in recent years which is more than most other teams have.

Daysha

If anything Kilkenny's recent performances put Galway in an even greater light. It's almost rediculous to think that Galway managed to put 5-18 past a Kilkenny side very similar to this years AI winning team

CyberDave

deise59 wrote: »

If anything Kilkenny's recent performances put Galway in an even greater light. It's almost ridiculous to think that Galway managed to put 5-18 past a Kilkenny side very similar to this years AI winning team

It was no freak result. That game was one of the only occasions Galway have preformed to their optimum and showed the true potential at senior level in recent times. Inconsistency is the problem with Galway. Only problem was even when Kilkenny are beaten in a classic like that they learn from mistakes and improve. I think Cody was quoted as saying, that during that match, when Kilkenny came back from 8/9 points down, he saw evidence that they would go on develope into a better team and they have. They won't have learned much from this years All-Ireland.