Limerick Vs. Tipperary All Ireland Semi Final

munsterdevil

It's just the draw we wanted, Limerick always give Tipp a good rattle and are never afraid of them. Limerick have every chance of making the All Ireland Final.

BRING IT ON!!!!

cson

For the sake of the neutral I hope Tipp win because they're the only one out of the 3 left who could possibly trouble Kilkenny, imo.

Orizio

cson wrote: »

For the sake of the neutral I hope Tipp win because they're the only one out of the 3 left who could possibly trouble Kilkenny, imo.

This.

Its not good for hurling to have Limerick and Waterford in the All-Ireland semi-finals.

Daysha

Orizio wrote: »

Its not good for hurling to have Limerick and Waterford in the All-Ireland semi-finals.

Excuse me Orizio, but.......eh......what?!

munsterdevil

Orizio wrote: »

This.

Its not good for hurling to have Limerick and Waterford in the All-Ireland semi-finals.

Why would you rather have the has been team of Cork there!!!

sparkydee

He's right if limerick meet kilkenny in the final..it'll be four in a row. Limerick have been abysmal all season. They barely beat laois and were flattered by the scoreline against dublin imo. Tipp will put it up to the cats.

flahavaj

Orizio wrote: »

This.

Its not good for hurling to have Limerick and Waterford in the All-Ireland semi-finals.

You're right. It'd be f*cking great!:pac:

soccymonster

Being realistic here.
No team will put it up to the cats.
Doubt Tipp would do alot as there blackout stages in the game would cost them and KK take no prisnors.
So whoever gets into the AI final should just try and put up a good display.
KK for 4-in-a-row. It kills me to say it though.:(

Orizio

Daysha wrote: »

Excuse me Orizio, but.......eh......what?!

Hammerings in Croker at the business end of the Hurling championship isn't good for the game Daysha, pretty obvious.

Orizio

munsterdevil wrote: »

Why would you rather have the has been team of Cork there!!!

No, Galway and even Dublin.

munsterdevil

Orizio wrote: »

No, Galway and even Dublin.

I'd say fair enough with Galway, but Dublin proved today they are not ready, butgive them another year and maybe...

munsterdevil

Orizio wrote: »

Hammerings in Croker at the business end of the Hurling championship isn't good for the game Daysha, pretty obvious.

Doesn't matter, Waterford earned their right to play in the All Ireland Final, tha's what the Championship is all about

Orizio

munsterdevil wrote: »

Doesn't matter, Waterford earned their right to play in the All Ireland Final, tha's what the Championship is all about

I agree Waterford deserve to be there as they won, but nonetheless it was a bad result for hurling, as Kilkenny will destroy them in a way they wouldn't do against Galway.

Daysha

Orizio wrote: »

I agree Waterford deserve to be there as they won, but nonetheless it was a bad result for hurling, as Kilkenny will destroy them in a way they wouldn't do against Galway.

Since when does the good of the game depend solely on which team can lose to Kilkenny by the least amount of points?

Orizio

Daysha wrote: »

Since when does the good of the game depend solely on which team can lose to Kilkenny by the least amount of points?

So you believe the likes of Waterford and Limerick getting hammered by Kilkenny by 20+ points is a good thing? That non-competitive matches are as beneficial to the GAA as competitive ones? :rolleyes:

You know full well I'm right, but your county loyalties will dictate otherwise.

munsterdevil

Orizio wrote: »

So you believe the likes of Waterford and Limerick getting hammered by Kilkenny by 20+ points is a good thing? That non-competitive matches are as beneficial to the GAA as competitive ones? :rolleyes:

You know full well I'm right, but your county loyalties will dictate otherwise.

Like Cork did in the league? anyone would swear they went on strike the second time.

I also think you'll find that this thread was for opinions on the Limerick Tipperary match, not about playing Kilkenny

Moderator or not

soccymonster

munsterdevil wrote: »

Like Cork did in the league? anyone would swear they went on strike the second time.

I also think you'll find that this thread was for opinions on the Limerick Tipperary match, not about playing Kilkenny

Moderator or not

You tell him munsterdevil!:D
anywhos.. C'mon Limerick!
I have a feeling that we will reach another AI final.
I just know it.:D

cson

Right, its a touch harsh to say Limerick & Waterford in the semi's isn't good for hurling. Both are there on merit and while the route has been questionable for Limerick - beat Dublin & Laois and you're in an AI semi, Waterford have hung on in there.

I still believe the structure is wrong when you can pave a way to the AI semi's like Limerick did but the real problem imo is how far ahead of the pack Kilkenny are.

Amazotheamazing

Orizio wrote: »

This.

Its not good for hurling to have Limerick and Waterford in the All-Ireland semi-finals.

I disagree, the game is hanging by a thread in Limerick, who are a county in decline (despite an All Ireland appearance two years ago), big days out like the semi final will help revitalise Limerick hurling. It mightn't be good for hurling to have Limerick in the semi final, but it's even worse for hurling to see a hurling county like Limerick fall off the map altogether.

I'm under no illusions about the quality of this Limerick team, their skill levels are poor and despite the getting to the semi-final, I don't think anyone would count them as a top team, but it's good for hurling to have them remaining competitive.

I don't expect a Cork person to understand what's it's like to continually support a team with minimal chance of All-Ireland success, but Limerick in the semi-final is important for hurling within Limerick.

Amazotheamazing

cson wrote: »

Right, its a touch harsh to say Limerick & Waterford in the semi's isn't good for hurling. Both are there on merit and while the route has been questionable for Limerick - beat Dublin & Laois and you're in an AI semi, Waterford have hung on in there.

I still believe the structure is wrong when you can pave a way to the AI semi's like Limerick did but the real problem imo is how far ahead of the pack Kilkenny are.

Limerick beat Wexford, Laois and Dublin, it's not Limerick's fault the standard of hurling within Leinster is shocking with the exception of Kilkenny. We might be the fifth best hurling team in Munster behind Tipp, Waterford, Clare and Cork, but we've still beaten the best of the rest in Leinster.

cson

You didn't beat Galway :pac:

Edit: Forgot about Wexford

Amazotheamazing

cson wrote: »

You didn't beat Galway :pac:

Edit: Forgot about Wexford

ah, but we would have, we've finished all but the second Waterford match stronger than our opponents....

cson

Woulda, shoulda, coulda

On a serious note, I'm dreading this years AI hurling conclusion given the two teams that have been given big hockeyings in the last two finals are in there. Again there's no disrespect to Limerick or Waterford its just a case of Kilkenny being so far ahead of everyone else. I hope Tipp play them in the final solely because I believe imo they're the only ones left who might give Kilkenny a bit of a game.

Amazotheamazing

cson wrote: »

Woulda, shoulda, coulda

On a serious note, I'm dreading this years AI hurling conclusion given the two teams that have been given big hockeyings in the last two finals are in there. Again there's no disrespect to Limerick or Waterford its just a case of Kilkenny being so far ahead of everyone else. I hope Tipp play them in the final solely because I believe imo they're the only ones left who might give Kilkenny a bit of a game.

Tipp should win the semi final, I hope Limerick give a respectable showing but I don't think they'll win, we just don't have enough players who can score from play, especially since Shocks is off form.

It's interesting though, people say Limerick and Waterford were hockeyed by Kilkenny in the finals, I firmly believe that that Kilkenny team would have hockeyed anyone in the final, Cork, Galway and Tipp included. Kilkenny made two errors from play in last years final, no other team could have lived with them, imo.

People will say Limerick were steeped to get to the final after a fortunate win against Waterford, and this year being in the semi coming through the weak side of the draw, but it highlights that for all their hype, various other counties are currently not up to it. It's not just bad luck and tough draws that have prevented supposedly better teams from getting there. This years Cork team looks to be finished, and this years Galway were inexcusably bad at closing out today's game.

cson

To be fair it is the point I'm making - KK are just too far ahead of everyone else!

munsterdevil

Ok lads
I started this thread up to discuss the Limerick vs Tipperary match

NOT HOW MUCH KILKENNY WILL BEAT TEAMS BY, HOW BAD OTHER TEAMS ARE, OR WHO SHOULD BE IN THE SEMI FINAL!!!

So if people want to discuss these issues could ye PLEASE start up a new thread. I for one am looking forward to the semi final on the 16th of August, and expect a good battle with Tipp.

orourkeda

Isn't it an awful shame to see Cork losing at anything. I was heartbroken. 'm off to cry myself to sleep

Amazotheamazing

munsterdevil wrote: »

Ok lads
I started this thread up to discuss the Limerick vs Tipperary match

NOT HOW MUCH KILKENNY WILL BEAT TEAMS BY, HOW BAD OTHER TEAMS ARE, OR WHO SHOULD BE IN THE SEMI FINAL!!!

So if people want to discuss these issues could ye PLEASE start up a new thread. I for one am looking forward to the semi final on the 16th of August, and expect a good battle with Tipp.

Ok, if we're going to beat Tipperary, have we any plans or players capable of bringing scores from play? The finishing of our forwards is brutal, horrible to see.

Tipp could be caught cold because despite winning Munster, they haven't really beaten any good team this year (course, neither have Limerick). Clare, Cork and Waterford were poor against them and Tipp let all them back into the game when they should have closed it out. It's very hard to change that mindset mind Championship, imo.

Limerick are a limited team, we were lucky O'Mahony was on form today, but of he had had an off day, we'd have been finished. Niall Moran should be back, but he's an erratic player who can be great one day and chronic the next, (much like the Limerick team).

munsterdevil

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Ok, if we're going to beat Tipperary, have we any plans or players capable of bringing scores from play? The finishing of our forwards is brutal, horrible to see.

Tipp could be caught cold because despite winning Munster, they haven't really beaten any good team this year (course, neither have Limerick). Clare, Cork and Waterford were poor against them and Tipp let all them back into the game when they should have closed it out. It's very hard to change that mindset mind Championship, imo.

Limerick are a limited team, we were lucky O'Mahony was on form today, but of he had had an off day, we'd have been finished. Niall Moran should be back, but he's an erratic player who can be great one day and chronic the next, (much like the Limerick team).

Yeah and I was a bit disappointed with Shaughs today as well, I thought his confidence was back after the Wexford and Laois games.

But still I believe Tipperary are way overrated and are there for the taking, Limerick will have nothing to lose in this semi final.

Amazotheamazing

munsterdevil wrote: »

Yeah and I was a bit disappointed with Shaughs today as well, I thought his confidence was back after the Wexford and Laois games.

But still I believe Tipperary are way overrated and are there for the taking, Limerick will have nothing to lose in this semi final.

Shocks isn't even taking the penalties anymore, judging by the way Murray was called up. There's something going on there that we're not hearing about, though I think Justin has enough experience to know how to deal with it. In 2007 he was the highest scorer in the Championship, iirc, so it's impressive we've managed to make it this far without him firing at all.

Interestingly, a lot of the forwards from 2007 have drifted away.

Here's the team that lined out in the final

LIMERICK GAA:
1 Brian Murray
2 Damien Reale (c)
3 Stephen Lucey
4 Séamus Hickey
5 Peter Lawlor 68'
6 Brian Geary
7 Mark Foley
8 Dónal O'Grady
9 Mike O'Brien 35'
10 Mike FitzGerald 58'
11 Ollie Moran
12 Seán O'Connor 58'
13 Andrew O'Shaughnessy
14 Brian Begley
15 Donie Ryan 58'
Substitutes:
16 Niall Moran 35'
17 Mark O'Riordan 68'
18 James O'Brien 58'
19 Maurice O'Brien
20 Kevin Tobin 58'
21 Pat Tobin 58'
22 Paudie O'Dwyer
23 Hugh Flavin
24 Barry Foley

That's a massive turn-over players, most of them pretty young. It cuts to what I've often said on the various Limerick threads here, we have loads of players of a certain standard, but very few of any great standard.

By contrast, here's today's team,

Limerick: B Murray; D Reale, S Lucey, M O’Riordan; G O’Mahony, B Geary, M Foley (capt); D O’Grady, S Hickey; J Ryan, D Breen, W McNamara; A O’Shaughnessy, P McNamara.
Subs used: O Moran for W McNamara, 31 mins

I can't say I know much about the ins and outs of Limerick hurling, but iirc, aren't O'Connor, Lawlor, the Tobin's and Begley still young enough to be making the panel? It shows the lack of quality in our forwards that the greatest changes have had to be made there. Until we can solve this we'll remain a level below the serious contenders for an All Ireland.

Aidric

Orizio wrote: »

So you believe the likes of Waterford and Limerick getting hammered by Kilkenny by 20+ points is a good thing? That non-competitive matches are as beneficial to the GAA as competitive ones? :rolleyes:

Sorry but when did Limerick get hammered by 20+ points by Kilkenny? They lost the 07 All Ireland by 7 points. We are not under any illusions about the gulf in class but less of the sensationalist untruths.

hawkwing

soccymonster wrote: »

Being realistic here.
No team will put it up to the cats.
Doubt Tipp would do alot as there blackout stages in the game would cost them and KK take no prisnors.
So whoever gets into the AI final should just try and put up a good display.
KK for 4-in-a-row. It kills me to say it though.:(

League--Wfd beat them,Tipp drew after 70 mins,Limerick lost by a pt,Dublin put up a decent show
Championship--Galway and Dublin definitely "put it up" to them.
But the thing about Kilkenny is they have been blown up so much that their :league performances when poor = "Kilkenny don't care about the league"
championship narrow wins = They just did enough,and were in a low gear.
People go on and on about the hammering of Wfd last yr and Cork,Tipp in this yrs league but choose to forget every other match they play

soccymonster

hawkwing wrote: »

League--Wfd beat them,Tipp drew after 70 mins,Limerick lost by a pt,Dublin put up a decent show
Championship--Galway and Dublin definitely "put it up" to them.
But the thing about Kilkenny is they have been blown up so much that their :league performances when poor = "Kilkenny don't care about the league"
championship narrow wins = They just did enough,and were in a low gear.
People go on and on about the hammering of Wfd last yr and Cork,Tipp in this yrs league but choose to forget every other match they play

during the league, how many players had KK missing due to club commitments?
I dont beleive any of that crap 'kilkenny dont care about league' though.
As for kilkenny in low gear for the leinster championship, I think we will see if this is true or not in august against waterford.

pajoguy

Thought this thread was about Limk v Tipp???? Forget about waterford and kilkenny.

We have the bottle for it and one of the best tactical managers in the game. He will come up with a plan. Have we the hurlers to make it work??
Possibly but it will take the greatest sacrifices ever. 3 weeks now of solid hurling for them.

J. Mc knows what he is at. After match yesterday he spoke about how tactics probably spoiled the game and he was right in one way. Were they his or Dublins tactics he didnt say. Leave Wayne Mac out and bring in Ollie. More ball winners needed. Tipps half back line weak enough.

Great to be back in croker!:D:D:D

premierstone

pajoguy wrote: »

Thought this thread was about Limk v Tipp???? Forget about waterford and kilkenny.

We have the bottle for it and one of the best tactical managers in the game. He will come up with a plan. Have we the hurlers to make it work??
Possibly but it will take the greatest sacrifices ever. 3 weeks now of solid hurling for them.

J. Mc knows what he is at. After match yesterday he spoke about how tactics probably spoiled the game and he was right in one way. Were they his or Dublins tactics he didnt say. Leave Wayne Mac out and bring in Ollie. More ball winners needed. Tipps half back line weak enough.

Great to be back in croker!:D:D:D

Dont see any basis for that statement at all, Conor O'Mahoney is the current All-star centre back, Padraic Maher has been a revelation and would be on the shorltlist for young hurler of the year and Shane Maher was an All-star nomination last year in he's first season, Tipp undoubtedly have weaknesses but the half back line is definitely not one of them.

We have one of the weakest intercounty corner backs in Conor O'Brien, a complete passenger in midfield in the shape of Woodlock and a Centre forward who thinks hes the dogs boll*x and is a lazy shi*e who's direct opponent in all three games has been the oppositions most influential player. All that said I fully expect Tipp to beat Limerick comfortably enough, and if we cant to be honest we have no bussiness playing KK in an AI anyway(sorry W'ford just been realistic here)

Aidric

You know, it's strange how things pan out in the championship on occasion. Everyone will write off Limerick and Waterford in the semi's but sometimes Sport throws up the odd shocker. There might be a sense of destiny about McCarthy taking Limerick to the All Ireland to play Waterford in his first year in charge.


*clutches straw*

shawnee

Limerick have earned the right to play Tipp. They have started from a really low base this year, with new manager only getting to know the players. Best thing that has happened is they have got reasonable games which are much better than training. Again going down by a number of points against these teams and coming back to win shows the teams bottle.
They will be well up for it against Tipp and this Tipp team while they have won a few matches, I believe they are far from the finished article. Forget KK for the moment and lets focus on the next match.
Think Limerick have a super chance against Tipp, they are just coming into form at the right time and confidence will be high.

joeduggan

munsterdevil wrote: »

It's just the draw we wanted, Limerick always give Tipp a good rattle and are never afraid of them. Limerick have every chance of making the All Ireland Final.

BRING IT ON!!!!

tipp owe limerick a beating though, considering the three game battle from a couple of years ago. but leaving that aside , i think it could be anyones game.it will be a tough match cos teams always get themselves revved up for local derbys.

hawkwing

soccymonster wrote: »

during the league, how many players had KK missing due to club commitments?
I dont beleive any of that crap 'kilkenny dont care about league' though.
As for kilkenny in low gear for the leinster championship, I think we will see if this is true or not in august against waterford.

That's it--wait until they hammer someone eventually and use that match as their true form and forget the other games .What county had full 15's out in the league--every other county were "blooding" players and some ravaged by injuries.

pajoguy

premierstone wrote: »

Dont see any basis for that statement at all, Conor O'Mahoney is the current All-star centre back, Padraic Maher has been a revelation and would be on the shorltlist for young hurler of the year and Shane Maher was an All-star nomination last year in he's first season, Tipp undoubtedly have weaknesses but the half back line is definitely not one of them.

We have one of the weakest intercounty corner backs in Conor O'Brien, a complete passenger in midfield in the shape of Woodlock and a Centre forward who thinks hes the dogs boll*x and is a lazy shi*e who's direct opponent in all three games has been the oppositions most influential player. All that said I fully expect Tipp to beat Limerick comfortably enough, and if we cant to be honest we have no bussiness playing KK in an AI anyway(sorry W'ford just been realistic here)

I believe those two statements in bold refer to last year but I see your point.

Listen its a very hard one to call. Its like Tipp have 2 teams and so have Limerick. Which 2 teams turn up is anyones guess.

Limericks hope is based on Tipp falling asleep for twenty mins like they have been doing this year and we punish that but thats not a foregone conclusion either.
Croke Park might be afactor too as these teams have never played each ohter there and it wont be a full house so the atmosphere might be slightly different. They should have had a semi-final double header.

Erin Go Brath

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Shocks isn't even taking the penalties anymore, judging by the way Murray was called up. There's something going on there that we're not hearing about, though I think Justin has enough experience to know how to deal with it. In 2007 he was the highest scorer in the Championship, iirc, so it's impressive we've managed to make it this far without him firing at all.

Interestingly, a lot of the forwards from 2007 have drifted away.

Here's the team that lined out in the final

LIMERICK GAA:
1 Brian Murray
2 Damien Reale (c)
3 Stephen Lucey
4 Séamus Hickey
5 Peter Lawlor 68'
6 Brian Geary
7 Mark Foley
8 Dónal O'Grady
9 Mike O'Brien 35'
10 Mike FitzGerald 58'
11 Ollie Moran
12 Seán O'Connor 58'
13 Andrew O'Shaughnessy
14 Brian Begley
15 Donie Ryan 58'
Substitutes:
16 Niall Moran 35'
17 Mark O'Riordan 68'
18 James O'Brien 58'
19 Maurice O'Brien
20 Kevin Tobin 58'
21 Pat Tobin 58'
22 Paudie O'Dwyer
23 Hugh Flavin
24 Barry Foley

That's a massive turn-over players, most of them pretty young. It cuts to what I've often said on the various Limerick threads here, we have loads of players of a certain standard, but very few of any great standard.

By contrast, here's today's team,

Limerick: B Murray; D Reale, S Lucey, M O’Riordan; G O’Mahony, B Geary, M Foley (capt); D O’Grady, S Hickey; J Ryan, D Breen, W McNamara; A O’Shaughnessy, P McNamara.
Subs used: O Moran for W McNamara, 31 mins

I can't say I know much about the ins and outs of Limerick hurling, but iirc, aren't O'Connor, Lawlor, the Tobin's and Begley still young enough to be making the panel? It shows the lack of quality in our forwards that the greatest changes have had to be made there. Until we can solve this we'll remain a level below the serious contenders for an All Ireland.

Interesting team comparison between '07 and '09. A completely new set of forwards in that short space of time whilst the defence has remained pretty much the same.

Of the current crop Paudie McNamara has been a revelation, James Ryan is a fantastic player, and Niall Moran (assuming hes back from injury by Aug 16) will be vital to Limericks chances. O'Shaugnessy hasn't hit form this year but if he does he has the potential to score a few goals. Paul Browne is playing well. I wouldn't rate Wayne McNamara as a forward at all, very poor. Breen is also not great although hes a better as a half forward than at full.

Overall we're not blessed with forwards but if the lads play to their potential we have a chance here.

Dubliner28

What minor match is on this bill
Tipp v KK ???

browne_rob5

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

I can't say I know much about the ins and outs of Limerick hurling, but iirc, aren't O'Connor, Lawlor, the Tobin's and Begley still young enough to be making the panel? It shows the lack of quality in our forwards that the greatest changes have had to be made there. Until we can solve this we'll remain a level below the serious contenders for an All Ireland.

I know Begley has serious injury problems so he had to call it a day. Think Lawlor decided he didnt want to give the commitment which was a big loss cause he is a fine player. Mike Fitz is another player who fell off the radar. He was nomiated for young player of the year in 07 and lost to Hickey. Amazing he isnt even on the panel now.

One thing you have to credit Limerick with is their fitness. They have finished all their games very well. Think they will give Tipp a good game but Tipp will obviously be strong favourites. Limerick have been approving after each game so lets hope they can bring it on another bit!

Amazotheamazing

browne_rob5 wrote: »

I know Begley has serious injury problems so he had to call it a day. Think Lawlor decided he didnt want to give the commitment which was a big loss cause he is a fine player. Mike Fitz is another player who fell off the radar. He was nomiated for young player of the year in 07 and lost to Hickey. Amazing he isnt even on the panel now.

So many young players gone by the wayside, still though, it's better the guys who weren't willing to work are out of the panel, we put up with lousy attitudes from skilled players for too long. Not saying that applies to Mike Fitz btw, but it definitely applies to a few of the guys in Limerick hurling who are happy to be club heros but won't put in the effort to be intercounty ones.

premierstone

Dubliner28 wrote: »

What minor match is on this bill
Tipp v KK ???

No the Waterford one, the munster champions stay with each other and the same applies to Leinster

BOSTIK

Very unfair on Callinan, ps. He was directly responsible for all of Tipp’s goals in the Munster Final, though his influence did wane as the game wore on, courtesy of a dirty slap from Tony Browne in the lead up to Corbett’s 2nd goal. He can infuriate alright, seems better when he hasn’t to much time on the ball, but I think it’s his laconic style that leads people to think he’s lazy, he’s well able to put himself about and has added laying off good ball to his colleagues to his repertoire this year. His scoring rate from play is exceptionally good too, very important as both Galway & Dublin found out yesterday.

Would agree with your concerns about Conor O’Brien; that roasting he copped against Waterford last year hasn’t been rectified, though he won’t be facing anyone like Mullane in the Limerick game. I’d be more concerned with the form of Paul Curran at full back though, maybe he’d be better at corner with Pádraig Maher at no. 3 and Brendan Maher on the wing. Shane Maher is a good trier but lacks a lot of finesse, that coupled with his lack of match practice and recent injury concerns will probably keep him out of the team for Limerick.

Kerwick & Kelly might hold the key to success the next day, the former started well but faded completely in his last 2 outings, the latter has all the tricks but no pace whatsoever and is still hampered by injury. The Munster final showed that our bench is seriously lacking in good forward alternatives; Willie Ryan was reputedly poor for Toome at the weekend against Portroe and did nothing in his 35+ minutes against the Deise, Webster lacks too much hurling and can’t win any sympathy from referees, Hugh Maloney is a midfielder and nothing else. These have been the go-to lads Sheedy’s looked for in recent matches, none of them has pressed a case so it looks like the same 6 forwards against Limerick.

shockframe

browne_rob5 wrote: »

I know Begley has serious injury problems so he had to call it a day. Think Lawlor decided he didnt want to give the commitment which was a big loss cause he is a fine player. Mike Fitz is another player who fell off the radar. He was nomiated for young player of the year in 07 and lost to Hickey. Amazing he isnt even on the panel now.

One thing you have to credit Limerick with is their fitness. They have finished all their games very well. Think they will give Tipp a good game but Tipp will obviously be strong favourites. Limerick have been approving after each game so lets hope they can bring it on another bit!

people would want to wake up as regards to mike fitz.he is about 2/3 stone overweight from what i've heard.i know he has injuries which is unfortunate but its no excuse to be putting on that much weight.players in other counties will do everything to get back to full fitness after being injured.i would rather forget about mike fitz and focus on the players we have.james ryan,paul browne for instance.

lawlor was a good hurler for limerick but he is no loss if he doesnt want to give the commitment.pure and simple.

you should try and read yesterdays independent to see stephen luceys article about the extent of brian begleys injuries.

all in all a great day out yesterday.celebrations maybe a bit over the top but we needed that win badly yesterday.the long term future for us is still pretty grim unless the work is put in at under 14/15/16 but every little helps.

great work by the defence yesterday.geary and foley were outstanding in the half back line.razor had is best game for the hurlers yesterday.carried on his good form with the footballers.gavin o mahony gave an exhibition from frees but needs to be better form general play.forward line very honest if a bit limited.shaughs would want to start performing big time.

dublin made some poor decisions.first touch was suspect and they left themselves open in the full back line.if the draw doesnt work out next year kindly for them it could be a short summer.they let a big oppurtunity slip through their grasp yesterday.great to see them attracting a decent folllowing in thurles yesterday.

having said that we were slightly better.better awareness,first touch,work rate etc.looking forward to the tipp game now.will be a tough match but not beyond us.show a bit of the same character as yesterday,bit more compusure in front of goal and who knows.

Aidric

Erin Go Brath wrote: »

I wouldn't rate Wayne McNamara as a forward at all, very poor..

It's an utter mystery to me how this guy gets near the panel. He is the ultimate headless chicken, I honestly think he is the worst player I have ever seen in a Limerick jersey.

soccymonster

Aidric wrote: »

It's an utter mystery to me how this guy gets near the panel. He is the ultimate headless chicken, I honestly think he is the worst player I have ever seen in a Limerick jersey.

sure i thought donie ryan got that award?

Amazotheamazing

Compromise vital in Lucey's dual practice
Hurling doctor Stephen Lucey isn't prescribing rest for Limerick just yet, writes Marie Crowe


Sunday July 26 2009
L imerick dual star Stephen Lucey knows all about the pressures of trying to juggle a professional career and an inter-county one. After three years of concentrating on just hurling, he has picked up where he left off and is now representing the Limerick footballers and hurlers again.

Since his return to dual action was cemented last Christmas, Lucey has trained 120 times and today will be his eighth championship game in ten weeks, and one of two vital games in seven days. Looking back at his last attempt to combine the two, he is glad things have changed.

"In 2006, I started the season off playing for both teams but I was working in paediatrics in Limerick Regional Hospital at the time. One in four was the call rota so that's every fourth night you would be on call from 9.0 that morning till 4.0 or 5.0 the next day," says Lucey.

"I would be up most of the night in paediatrics and I would have to go to training without much sleep. After six weeks I went and played the first league match against Roscommon and I was exhausted. I knew something had to give and it was the football. I think I'm in a better situation now I'm doing general practice and there isn't as much on-call work. A typical day is work, training and bed."

Even after deciding to focus on just hurling, Lucey, whose father is the team doctor, never really got football out of his system, and he kept going to all the games.

"My dad had been on at me to come back non-stop for three years, like a broken record. The door was never closed and people were always asking me if I was going back playing football. I was kind of thinking about it, I spoke to Mark (O'Riordan) and he was all for it too. We said it to Mickey Ned (O' Sullivan) and Justin (McCarthy). We discussed things, they discussed things and the county board discussed things. Eventually we were lucky, they came to a compromise. That's all that was ever needed -- compromise. However, if your form ever starts to suffer in either discipline, then you need to reassess the situation but we've been lucky so far."

Lucey believes there have been benefits accruing from his return to football. He says his fitness and conditioning have improved considerably. The most difficult adjustment to be made week to week is adapting to the different requirements of the two games.

"In hurling, touch is very important," he says. "You need to be sharper, you let the ball do the work. In football, you need aerobic fitness, to be able to keep going non-stop up and down the field, covering longer distances. I feel that my hurling skill has suffered a small bit of late, mainly my touch. There has been a whole lot on and it's hard to get adequate recovery. Rest is almost as important as training -- it's a key component to preparation."

A dark cloud has been hanging over Limerick hurling for the last decade, despite a run two years ago that earned them a surprising appearance in an All-Ireland final, and in that time the hurlers have endured a revolving door of managers.

"Being successful you wouldn't have needed for all the changes in management but we weren't doing so well. So there was chopping and changing and a lot of good players have gone by the wayside and a lot of managers have suffered because the team wasn't doing so well. When a team is doing well, you stick with the winning formula and when things aren't going well you start to change things. Players went and managers went -- there are a lot of variables that have caused us not to do well over the years."

Now Justin McCarthy is at the helm but the struggle to overcome Laois last weekend leaves Limerick in the highly unusual situation of going into a championship game against Dublin in Thurles today as underdogs.

"There is no one playing outstanding at the moment, no one in super form like Ollie Moran or Andrew O'Shaughnessy in '07. We have to improve the level of our hurling, while our character isn't being called into question, the quality of our hurling is. That's something that we are working on and something that we hope will come right on Sunday.

"Dublin were never short of quality hurlers. What they were missing was a bit of structure and organisation and I think that they have that now. Along with that they have gained a lot of experience and confidence from their underage success and, of course, Anthony Daly. They have definitely increased their standing in senior hurling terms."

The game's revival in the capital is a big plus, Lucey accepts, but he won't be getting caught up in any fairytales today. "I don't give a damn about anything else -- it's just those 70 minutes on Sunday that count."

As both a player and a doctor, Lucey is well-versed on the demands being placed on modern-day footballers and hurlers, particularly in the levels of training they are expected to do. "From a medical point of view, I know a lot of past and present players who have significant injuries and they will need surgery long after they finish playing. There are certain players who have existing injuries that they are not getting sorted out.

"Players are training as professionals, yet they are amateurs. Then, when they get injured there is a long delay in getting treated. I know Brian McGuigan from Tyrone had problems getting his injury sorted. Brian Begley from Limerick has had a lot of injuries and they finished his career. He did so much damage to some of his joints that he might need joint replacements in the near future."

The Croom man also has reservations about the immediate future of clubs, his own included. The backbone of many parish teams are men who have dedicated 15 years and more to senior hurling. They line out for the love of the game and the loyalty to their club. Lucey fears that stalwarts maybe heading for retirement due to circumstances beyond their control.

"Lots of lads are now talking about the helmet situation, especially in my own club. Two of them will definitely go because of it and we could use them for another two or three years. I totally respect and agree with the safety aspect of the helmet rule but they are going to put an awful lot of good hurlers into early retirement. They are 31 or 32 years of age and they are not going to be told at this stage of their lives to wear a helmet. There should be an amnesty of two or three years for these players. A lot of hurlers are going to retire, the GAA will lose a lot of players."

Lucey feels that there is scope for the GPA to take control of the player welfare situation and official recognition is the first step necessary to get the process started.

"I definitely think official recognition is important for the GPA and as part of that I think some sort of funding is necessary. I've looked at the projects and the GPA have itemised what they would be spending the money on and a lot of the stuff is very necessary, very important for players.

"One of the schemes the GPA is talking about is getting guys looked after from a medical aspect. If some people have addictions, counselling will be available. Gambling and alcohol abuse are quite common within the GAA. There are a lot of hurlers and footballers that need help with these problems. The schemes the GPA wants to introduce have merit."

Erin Go Brath

Aidric wrote: »

It's an utter mystery to me how this guy gets near the panel. He is the ultimate headless chicken, I honestly think he is the worst player I have ever seen in a Limerick jersey.

He is a much better back from what i've been reading. A forward he ain't and i really can't see JMC persisting in starting him against Tipp.