Clare GAA discussion thread

Limestone Cowboy

Really impressed with Oisin o brien and David Fitz yesterday. Backs seem a lot steadier with them there.

letowski

Yeah I think O'Brien starts in June now barring a disaster in 2 weeks. Has marked Cian Lynch and Richie Hogan in his last two games and has only given away 1 point.
Weve had a good league so far all things considered, our hurling looks alot better than this time last year. Davy also has found very effective new roles for the likes of Davy Mc, Cian Dillon, David Reidy, and John Conlon. We have stenghtened the panel too with a few new players in O'Brien, Firzgearld and Shanagher.

keeponhurling

It's a very very long time since Clare won the league , would be nice to end the drought.

buck65

keeponhurling wrote: »

It's a very very long time since Clare won the league , would be nice to end the drought.

Would it though? Ok we know who won the league last year as it was Waterford's first major national trophy in decades but I'm seriously struggling to remember who won it over the past 5 years. I would take a win in June over all else as that puts us in Croke Park regardless. There this team will shine.

Clareman

buck65 wrote: »

Would it though? Ok we know who won the league last year as it was Waterford's first major national trophy in decades but I'm seriously struggling to remember who won it over the past 5 years. I would take a win in June over all else as that puts us in Croke Park regardless. There this team will shine.

It's a final, you go into a final to win it, I'm not saying you risk an injured player but you do your best to win it especially as they've 5 weeks until their next game

buck65

I never said we shouldn't try to win it. I'm advocating trying the likes of D Fitzgerald and a even few more younger lads starting and having a cut at it.

carter10

buck65 wrote: »

Would it though? Ok we know who won the league last year as it was Waterford's first major national trophy in decades but I'm seriously struggling to remember who won it over the past 5 years. I would take a win in June over all else as that puts us in Croke Park regardless. There this team will shine.

Won the league in 07

windy shepard henderson

buck65 wrote: »

I never said we shouldn't try to win it. I'm advocating trying the likes of D Fitzgerald and a even few more younger lads starting and having a cut at it.

I agree to a point, we should start the same team as last week leaving Tony and Colin Ryan and the likes on the bench, but it shouldn't be seen as a game to go shadow boxing, I remember us being in a similar position against Tipperary in the early 2000s where we lost both league final and munster championship in a matter or weeks, in hindsight I would have taken the league over the championship, especially given the fact we will have a second chance in July

mountgomery burns

buck65 wrote: »

Would it though? Ok we know who won the league last year as it was Waterford's first major national trophy in decades but I'm seriously struggling to remember who won it over the past 5 years. I would take a win in June over all else as that puts us in Croke Park regardless. There this team will shine.

2011 - Dublin (first all ireland semi appearance for 50 years followed)

2012 - Kilkenny (all ireland champions)

2013 - Kilkenny (had a bad year, qualifier defeat)

2014 - Kilkenny (all ireland champions)

2015 - Waterford (all ireland semi appearance for the first time since 2011)


Generally, the team that wins the league does well in the championship. I know its often Kilkenny but if the league is good enough for them, surely good enough for the rest of us. If ye lose the league final, it does not make it any more likely that ye win the Munster semi despite the notion people have now and had last year when we played Cork twice.

If I was given the choice of one Id pick the championship but at the end of the day its not a choice. And if you lose the championship game, you could still win the all ireland too so not the end of the world either if not ideal.

By the way, great win Sunday. Impressive performance all round.

Clareman

The way we played as well as the team that played last Sunday would beat anyone this time of the year so barring injury I wouldn't change anything, what's the worst that happens? Waterford figure out how to beat us and they do? In 95 the league highlighted things to be fixed. Hopefully we'll win our first league in 38 years, I think I'll stick with John Conlon for first goal scorer for every game from now on.

Clareman

Waterford are slight favourites for the final at this stage (5/6), the handicap is 1 point as well.

windy shepard henderson

Clareman wrote: »

Waterford are slight favourites for the final at this stage (5/6), the handicap is 1 point as well.

it will be an interesting game and most likely an awful lot closer , i would love if we were to find them out rather then them find us out , we now seem to have a plan A and B at the moment and plenty of squad rotation ,

what would interest me is if we stick to the long ball game , will waterford retreat one or two players from the middle 3rd area of the field where they seem to dominate , it might force them to bring the likes of gleason back out the field , if it worked it might turn the game into a bit of a tennis match but it would limit there inside line and offer us an edge up the other end of the field

Clareman

I don't know that we need many game plans at this stage, plan A is take long range points when they are available or hit the ball into the edge of the square with support runners getting in as quick as possible is working for us, well it has worked against Limerick, Tipp and Kilkenny, as the pitches get wider it'll suit us even more in my opinion.

If we win 5 games in a row from here we are League and All Ireland Champions, after last Sunday's performance there's no reason why we can't aim for that, we know we have the players to do it and now we know they can do it it's all about continuing to do it from here.

BannerBarry

The team have aggression, fitness and skill this year again similar to the young team of 2013....Once their heads stay on the ground I think they have a realistic chance this year.

windy shepard henderson

same team for the footballers that lined out up in newbridge , dose'nt look like podge is going to start , but great occasion none the less, personally i expect a closer game today the narrow pitch in newbridge killed us as far as kick outs were concerned the last day , plus there was far more at stake that day

kildare are starting to put things together now though and were the better team in the end the last day they had a huge win over tipperary the week before that , there is no doubt who are under dogs here but with promotion for division 2 confirmed for next year the pressure is off

confidence in the clare gaa world is high at the moment with the small matter of a division one league hurling final next week hopefully tonight can kick start a great week

clare are 5/1 with the bookies for this one seems a bit big.....?? i do expect us to keep it within the handycap though (-6 ) but as i said last week my betting tips would probably make you homeless :rolleyes:

[/

irelandrover

Any chance the game today is on TV?

windy shepard henderson

irelandrover wrote: »

Any chance the game today is on TV?

yeah its on tg4 at 6 o'clock

Hibrasil

windy shepard henderson wrote: »

clare are 5/1 with the bookies for this one seems a bit big.....?? i do expect us to keep it within the handycap though (-6 ) but as i said last week my betting tips would probably make you homeless :rolleyes:

When you say handicap (-6)- does that mean that if Clare are beaten by no more than 6 points it's a winning bet. Apologies if it's a stupid question (or appears that way)

Fireball07

Hibrasil wrote: »

When you say handicap (-6)- does that mean that if Clare are beaten by no more than 6 points it's a winning bet. Apologies if it's a stupid question (or appears that way)

Basically, the idea is that Clare get 6 points added onto their score. So if they are beaten by 5 points or less, then it's a winning bet.

If it they lose by 6, it's classified as a draw.

Clareman

I've backed Eoin Cleary to score the first goal today, 20/1, great odds in my opinion

LuckyGent88

2 goal chances butchered

Clareman

They sew proving themselves to be just as good as Kildare, a couple of disastrous kick out conceded 1-1 which has us on the back foot

Clareman

Great goal just before half time, if they can go in at the break in the lead it would be a great bonus

GalwayMark

Clareman wrote: »

Great goal just before half time, if they can go in at the break in the lead it would be a great bonus

Its always the aspiration to 'Dare to Dream' and if they win the match they'll go into the munster championship having won Division 3 , therefore should easily dispatch limerick then have a crack at the kingdom. You nearly did it two years ago.

keeponhurling

Now that was a silly red card for Kelly

Fantastic win though !

Some catch by Brennan to save the day for the goal

Kerrydude1981

Great win lads,congrats

letowski

Great result by the lads, really dug that out.

Clareman

I'm going to get very very very drunk tonight

Redsoxfan

Well done Clare, some mighty stuff from the lads at midfield, especially Brennan.

LuckyGent88

Kelly should not be allowed play for Clare again after that red card. Absolute dirt and height of stupidity.