Leinster Hurling Championship Semi Finals - Sunday 20th

cson

Dublin v Kilkenny
Galway v Offaly

Nothing less than two comfortable victories will be expected from the two favourites although I expect Offaly to put it up to Galway more than people expect. Kilkenny by 7 and Galway by 2. We've [Galway] got a few injury concerns going into it, but we've a big enough squad to cope this year imo.

From a Galway point of view I think it's our first foray into Croke Park in about 3 years in either code [I'm open to correction but I think the QF vs Kerry in 2007 was the last?] and it's Joe Cannings first Championship appearance in the Stadium.

On a side note; tickets are quite pricey for this imo. €30 is a lot to ask an adult for [15 for Students and OAPs is bang on though] and I can't help but think that the way they've them priced will only screw the die hard fans of each county who will go anyway - they'd attract more people to the game with a €20 entry and €10 to the Hill. Btw if anyone wants to bring kids; they have a deal going where theres one Adult free with every 10 kids.

Gaillimh abú!

adrian522

Free entry on the season ticket though....

Morrisseeee

I too would expect both KK & Galway to come through, and this would set-up a mouth watering Leinster Final clash, but...........nope, it still sounds all wrong to me, KK v Galway in a LF !!:rolleyes:

toiletduck

cson wrote: »

From a Galway point of view I think it's our first foray into Croke Park in about 3 years in either code [I'm open to correction but I think the QF vs Kerry in 2007 was the last?]

That QF was 2008.

[15 for Students and OAPs is bang on though]

Nice. I'll be heading up. Should be a good day. Like yourself I don't think there'll be much in the Galway Offaly game.

antoobrien

cson wrote: »

I'm open to correction but I think the QF vs Kerry in 2007 was the last?]

The match in 2007 was Hurling 1/4 final against Kilkenny, where they beat us by 10 points in the last 10 minutes. The 2008 match against Kerry was the one where the lights were knocked on at halftime because of the torrential (record breaking even) rain. Got totally soaked walking to the nearest pub after the match!

poolboy

Dont see the Galway Offaly game being anyway close was in parnell park for the antrim game and they should have beaten us no question. Had they any self belief they would have comfortably. Add the hiding we got in cork last sunday and i see a minimum 10 point defeat for us. Croke park is to big for us and i expect galway to take full advantage of the space they will be given and over run us. This is not an attempt at cute hoorism i calls it like i sees it. Hope im wrong!

cson

I'll temper this by saying I haven't watched Offaly in a while but...

Have ye not got a young enough team? - would an expansive game like we should get at Croker not suit ye?

yahoo_moe

Reckon Dublin v Kilkenny will be closer than Galway-Offaly myself.

cson wrote: »

Btw if anyone wants to bring kids; they have a deal going where theres one Adult free with every 10 kids.

Otherwise known as the 'lunatic deal'. Bring 10 kids to Croker for two matches I can't wait to see?

No thanks

Fandango

yahoo_moe wrote: »

Reckon Dublin v Kilkenny will be closer than Galway-Offaly myself.

Otherwise known as the 'lunatic deal'. Bring 10 kids to Croker for two matches I can't wait to see?

No thanks

Dublin will push them close i think but i cant see us winning it. I rekon it will be the usualy story with KK, we will be within a few points until the last 10 mins or so but i think they will string a few points together, if not a goal or so also and get clear in the last part of the game.

Galway v Offaly, i think there is only one result. Think Galway will win but not by a huge margin either. Always good for the predictions is a 4 point win

aidan24326

cson wrote: »

Dublin v Kilkenny
Galway v Offaly

Nothing less than two comfortable victories will be expected from the two favourites although I expect Offaly to put it up to Galway more than people expect. Kilkenny by 7 and Galway by 2. We've [Galway] got a few injury concerns going into it, but we've a big enough squad to cope this year imo.

I can see Galway winning this by more than 2pts to be honest. Offaly are no better than Wexford, probably worse even. Offaly will battle hard and be competitive like always, but I'd be expecting Galway to have too much class for them in the end. I'm expecting a margin of 8 or 9 points. Not an easy win but reasonably comfortable.

On a side note; tickets are quite pricey for this imo. €30 is a lot to ask an adult for [15 for Students and OAPs is bang on though] and I can't help but think that the way they've them priced will only screw the die hard fans of each county who will go anyway - they'd attract more people to the game with a €20 entry and €10 to the Hill. Btw if anyone wants to bring kids; they have a deal going where theres one Adult free with every 10 kids.

The ticket prices for this are a disgrace. 30 quid for Leinster 1/4 finals??

The GAA are shooting themselves in the foot with their over-pricing. The attendance on Sunday won't even hit the 30,000 mark, I'd say it could be down in the low 20s. Like you say, make it 20 for the stand and maybe 12 into the hill. That would be enough for a game at this early stage. I sometimes think the GAA are utterly clueless when it comes to marketing and promoting their games. They should be bringing prices down not putting them up. And why not let kids in for free? Especially for a game like this where you know the attendance will be way short of capacity.

Flukey

They are semi-finals, not quarter finals, but it is still a bit steep. The upper decks are going to be closed, so it will be quiet. At least the weather will be better than last Sunday. As has often be said here and further afield, if the GAA got their marketing brain cells in gear, they could have a lot more people there. They could have lots of kids at the matches by doing deals with the schools. They could have tickets in hotels for tourists to purchase. The tourists would love to see Hurling. Even if it is what we experts know to be a poor match, they'd be fascinated by it. It would really increase the international profile of the game. Then you've got all the foreign language schools, now an all year round feature, and other foreigners in the country, temporarily or permanently, that could be accessed through places they gather or representative groups. There are plenty of places and people to target that could get in thousands more than will be there on Sunday and help promote the games.

As to the matches themselves, well you have to say it will be Kilkenny and Galway that will come out on top. Obviously I'd like Dublin to pull off a surprise win, but I doubt it. I thought they'd have the Kilkenny game second, seeing as they are reigning champions.

yahoo_moe

Personally I think people overstate the "the GAA should market the games better" argument a bit - it's obviously a question of priorities, but also of figuring out the 'tipping point' at which it becomes worthwhile to cut prices because of the increased attendances you'll get.

Also, tourists and first-timers are sometimes more willing to pay slightly high prices just to try something - whereas if fans of the teams involved aren't filling stadia to capacity, I don't necessarily think that a price reduction will suddenly drag in all that many newcomers.

Flukey

At this stage of the year, when there are lots of tourists about looking to experience something of what is special about Ireland, and at the same time there are lots of spare seats in GAA grounds, it would make sense to try and get people to go to the matches. There are lots of tourists who would go if they knew what was on. I've met some tourists at matches, that just by chance heard about a match being on, or had asked someone what was happening when they saw the crowds and the colours, and otherwise might have been doing something else, or not much at all. No one had gone to them to promote the game. By pure chance they are there, not down to the GAA or Fáilte Ireland. Usually they are fascinated by what they see and are glad they came.

So there are definitely people out there that would go to the matches, if they were made aware of them by the GAA and the tourist authorities. Things like that are done in other countries. In hotels you'll see promotions of special events that are happening in the area, often with deals for tourists. We have a wonderful product, something uniquely Irish, and you'd never see anything about it in an Irish hotel, or GAA staff on match days out trying to get people to go to matches. Instead of the tourists having to go up to a fan to ask them what is going on, there should be people from the GAA going out to tell the tourists. About the only people trying to promote the game to as many people as possible are, unfortunately, the touts.

fikay

Like a previous poster, I fear for Offaly in this one. There was nothing in the performance against Antrim to suggest the heart or hurling intelligence which was always a feature of Offaly teams, and which served us so well in the past, is present this year. We've got nice hurlers sure, and it's of no use to be overly critical, but no matter which way you look at it, Antrim were deserving of a place in Croker this weekend...
The U21's were hocked during the week as well. Its doom and gloom wherever you look at the minute, I feel like crying!
I think that a (probable) heavy defeat to the tribesmen would be brutal for morale but regardless of that I'll be donning the jersey to cheer the lads on, hoping we get something positive out of it.

I was at the Dub v Kilkenny game last year and I don't see Dublin being as far away as some are suggesting, it'll hopfully be a good test for the cats but yeah, a Kilkenny/Galway final, regrettably.

While I'd love to think that the powers that be would have seen a double header, in early summer, in a spanking big stadium, as a chance to promote the game, I'd say they're of the impression that the same crowd that turns up on Sunday would head to Croker regardess. So why bother with ticket prices that are anything other than a drain on loyal match goers and 'risk' bringing new crowds.

poolboy

cson wrote: »

I'll temper this by saying I haven't watched Offaly in a while but...

Have ye not got a young enough team? - would an expansive game like we should get at Croker not suit ye?

Young but not very mobile a lot of them

fikay

poolboy wrote: »

Young but not very mobile a lot of them

The more I think about your point about the open space of Croker, the more I think you may be right

flahavaj

I've a feeling Dublin might get a right pasting in this one. offaly will give Galway a decent game. I can't help but think Galway are yet again getting overhyped yet again this year. Not having hurled in Croker in three years says it all really.

KK by 10.

Galway by 5.

cson

I wouldn't say we've been overhyped in recent years. Certainly within the county the last few years haven't seen the supporters expecting too much. However I do expect Semi's a minimum this year given that McIntyre has had a year to bed down his team and based on what we've seen so far.

gingelion

€30 is WAY too steep. For that price I could buy 48 bottles of stella, drink them all & then just tell myself that I had been at the game.

And that would work, I forget everything when i'm drunk.

PTH2009

Kilkenny vs Dublin- I think Kilkenny will want to go out and blow Dublin out the gate but i thing the Dubs have over Kilkenny is match fitness but Kilkenny will come strong in the end. The dubs will put up a tough challenge though.

Offaly vs Galway- A bit of a tough one to call but i have to go for Galway all round better more expericened team. Offaly are a team who can suprise on there day and will put up a tough challenge. Good for these 2 teams to get a run out in Croke Park (Galways first since facing Kilkenny in the 2007 AI QF and Offaly first since facing Kilkenny in 2005 LSF)

So the GAA and RTES wish of a Kilkenny vs Galway leinster final might come true but the Dubs and the Faithfull County might have something different to say.

Pity the Galway vs Offaly game is not on tv will be better than having to watch Cork Hammer Limerick out the gate in the munster semi final.

yahoo_moe

Flukey wrote: »

No one had gone to them to promote the game. By pure chance they are there, not down to the GAA or Fáilte Ireland. Usually they are fascinated by what they see and are glad they came.

So there are definitely people out there that would go to the matches, if they were made aware of them by the GAA and the tourist authorities.

Awareness is completely different to ticket pricing though - you can get more tourists and first-timers in with an awareness drive without dropping prices, which was the original point.

Anyway, don't want to drag this too OT, just something I think people often think about in the wrong way.

UP THE DUBS!

aidan24326

flahavaj wrote: »

I've a feeling Dublin might get a right pasting in this one. offaly will give Galway a decent game. I can't help but think Galway are yet again getting overhyped yet again this year. Not having hurled in Croker in three years says it all really.

KK by 10.

Galway by 5.

I think the same. People went a bit overboard about Galway's performance in the league final, against a Cork team that already had their sights set on Tipp.

melonstar

I am heading up from Clare tomorrow and have to collect my tickets at the ticketmaster box office. Is there one still situated at Quinns or has it moved?

Come on the Cats

An Citeog

melonstar wrote: »

I am heading up from Clare tomorrow and have to collect my tickets at the ticketmaster box office. Is there one still situated at Quinns or has it moved?

Come on the Cats

You probably wont see this but afaik, the Ticketmaster box office is on North Circular Road, opposite Gills.

Heading to this in a while but I'm not really expecting much from Dublin. David Treacy being injured is a massive blow. There's not much potency in the Dubs attack either once you can keep a lid on McCrabbe and an out of sorts Dotsy. A lot of the scoring this year has come from distance, particularly from Durkin and McCaffrey in midfield but they'll find it a hell of a lot tougher on a pitch as big as Croke Park. Kilkenny by 10+ unfortunately. Dublin are 9-1 to win, 16-1 for the draw which says it all really.

Galway will walk it in the other match aswell imo.

historyoflime

Kikenny by more than last year.

Comfortable win for Galway, too.

Browney7

Dublin started alright but need goals to win this I feel.

Edit: Great chance there for rushe!

aidan24326

aidan24326 wrote: »

I think the same. People went a bit overboard about Galway's performance in the league final, against a Cork team that already had their sights set on Tipp.

Because losing a final is better preparation?, it wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that we also beat them last summer in Thurles?(teams/trends and all that)

PTH2009 wrote: »

Pity the Galway vs Offaly game is not on tv will be better than having to watch Cork Hammer Limerick out the gate in the munster semi final.

The Galway/Offaly game will be streamed on the RTE website

Browney7

The Dublin goalie is having a stormer. Keeping the score respectable in fairness to him

cruiserweight

19 point win for Kilkenny, did not see the game, how good were Kilenny and/or how bad were Dublin?

KevIRL

cruiserweight wrote: »

19 point win for Kilkenny, did not see the game, how good were Kilenny and/or how bad were Dublin?

KK were actually rusty enough. I think they hit 16 wides and also would have had 3-4 more goals but for some great stops by the Dublin keeper.

Dublin were simply awful. The backs I guess did okay, but only just and only for the first half. The forwards were terrible throughout. Definitely a day to forget for Metropolitans.

This is shocking, 3 goal chances and 3 goals

Min

Kilkenny had 47 scoring chances, too many wides, really got going in the second half.
They were never under pressure but I think the Dublin penalty woke them up or Dublin heads dropped, not sure but the outcome was never in doubt.

df1985

judging by the reaction from my mam (a galway woman) in the kitchen listening to the radio, the galway game sounds good!

corcaigh07

was anyone watching the galway offaly online? fair play offaly!

Psychedelic

corcaigh07 wrote: »

was anyone watching the galway offaly online? fair play offaly!

Yeah was watching it online, good game, Offaly done well, deserved the draw.

An Citeog

The less said about Dublin the better. They were absolutely shocking. Dropping Johnny McCaffrey back as an extra defender just doesn't work because it completely negates Dublin's attacking threat. I knew they'd lose but to lose by 19 points against a team that hit 16 wides is embarrassing.

As for Offaly-Galway, it was an absolutely superb match. Brilliant atmosphere, great intensity and some magnificent scores from both sides. It was just a genuinely brilliant game of hurling on a lovely sunny day. The sending off was an absolute joke though. I thought both refs were very poor today.

cardoor

If you are watching the Sunday Game later; please observe the Offaly Fans when Galway were taking frees and when Galway had wides especially when Joe Canning missed. Then observe the opposite.
Not all but a lot of Offaly Supporters took to heckling and booing today. Its not something I like to see especially when so many young kids are there to witness it. It brings down the whole game.

LeoB

Really disappointed with Dublin. The tactics were a joke and Kilkenny just cleaned Dublin out in M/F and in KK half back line and with scorers like they have it was asking for trouble.
Offaly and Galway was great to watch from a Dublin point of view. The pace and intensity was so far ahead of our game. It just shows we have come quite a bit but we have a bit to go yet.
Here is a few photos from today. Henry making History.......


Tommy Walsh cleaning up, AGAIN
[EMAIL="%3Ca%20href="][/EMAIL]">

Henry making History

[EMAIL="%3Ca%20href="][/EMAIL]">

Kilkenny swamp another Dublin player
[EMAIL="%3Ca%20href="][/EMAIL]">

yahoo_moe

An Citeog wrote: »

I knew they'd lose but to lose by 19 points against a team that hit 16 wides is embarrassing.

It was horrbible - Dublin aren't as good as last year but nor are Kilkenny (yet) and I thought we could stay close enough. But to go from 1-3 to 0-5 to losing by 19 points was poor. I think we have to start playing lower, more targetted ball to our forwards and stop pulling our shape around so much. At the moment, Daly's entire approach to the team seems to be about trying to prepare for KK, but it's only one match a year.

Top marks to Offaly too by the way - absolute pleasure to be at that match and they defied my expectations completely. They showed far more bravery than Dublin today and got (some) reward. Still be tough for them but they'll have some belief at the very least.

buzsywuzsy

cardoor wrote: »

If you are watching the Sunday Game later; please observe the Offaly Fans when Galway were taking frees and when Galway had wides especially when Joe Canning missed. Then observe the opposite.
Not all but a lot of Offaly Supporters took to heckling and booing today. Its not something I like to see especially when so many young kids are there to witness it. It brings down the whole game.

You are absolutely right.. I was at the game (galway supporter) and the amount of booing at the galway team was unreal- it was the ref that made the decisions- and he made some bad ones both ways...

aidan24326

gilberto_eire wrote: »

Because losing a final is better preparation?, it wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that we also beat them last summer in Thurles?(teams/trends and all that)

Nothing to do with winning or losing it, I just said that alot of people had got a bit carried away with Galway's performance that day, and the two championship games we've had so far would back that up.

cruiserweight wrote: »

19 point win for Kilkenny, did not see the game, how good were Kilenny and/or how bad were Dublin?

Kilkenny were in cruise control for the most part. Even in the first half when Dublin were staying with them, KK seemed to be only going though the motions. It was as easy as the scoreline suggests.

But Dublin were very disappointing. For all the supposed progress they'd been making in recent years it was right back to square one today. They were totally outclassed and even though there's no disgrace in losing to a great Kilkenny team they will have to be very concerned at how far short they were. I think most people (myself included) would have expected Dublin to be a bit closer than 19 pts).

Floppybits

Was at the match yesterday and was disappointed with the Dublin hurlers. I thought they did well in the first half, especially the full back line, except for the goal in the first minute they seemed to keep tight to their men and win a lot of ball in the air. As for the attack they are just to slow. You could see that Dublin where are yard or two slower in their thinking than the cats.

But you have to admire the cats, the way they defend their goal is brilliant, if you look at them defending around the goal they dont seem to mark their men but leave their men and form a semi circle of players around the goal which means that it is so hard to get a goal against them.

Was very disappointed with Dublin in the second half, they just couldn't up the gears or the thought process to handle Kilkenny. I don't think Dublin will make the break through until they have a few battle hardened lads that have learned the hard way from beatings like this. Hopefully over they next couple of seasons this will happen and then maybe we can challenge the big teams.

yahoo_moe

Dublin have gone backwards this year, no doubt. I'd wondered when they started the league slowly enough whether they were trying to avoid being knackered in July/August (as they looked last year against Limerick) but alas it seems not.

Maybe it was inevitable that there'd be a dip after last year (an overachievement, perhaps, even if we should arguably have beaten Limerick and been in an AI semi) but they look too formulaic going forward and imo don't win enough ball in the air up front to warrant playing all our ball in high.

fikay

cardoor wrote: »

If you are watching the Sunday Game later; please observe the Offaly Fans when Galway were taking frees and when Galway had wides especially when Joe Canning missed. Then observe the opposite.
Not all but a lot of Offaly Supporters took to heckling and booing today. Its not something I like to see especially when so many young kids are there to witness it. It brings down the whole game.

I'm generally not the keyboard warrior type but I really don't understand your indignation here. Whether or not you think, as many today do, that there was something a little sinister in the way that the game was refereed, it was clear that it was umpire and referring mistakes that were being booed, not the Galway hurlers. While it was a little unsporting, I could understand the frustration behind it. Most of it seemed to happen on the Hill behind the goal where Offaly were being pulled up for soft frees. To suggest that the jeering was directed at Joe or any of the other Galway lads is pretty silly tbh.
As for your 'will somebody please think of the children statement', crowds at GAA matches have been, and hopefully will remain partisan. If you're looking for a sanitised environment to take the kids on Sunday I'd suggest a Leinster Semi-final in Croke Park is not the place to bring them.

poolboy

cardoor wrote: »

If you are watching the Sunday Game later; please observe the Offaly Fans when Galway were taking frees and when Galway had wides especially when Joe Canning missed. Then observe the opposite.
Not all but a lot of Offaly Supporters took to heckling and booing today. Its not something I like to see especially when so many young kids are there to witness it. It brings down the whole game.

Sorry but i cant let this go was at the game and true on a couple of occasions there was booing by offaly fans this was clearly directed at the ridiculous decisions from officals that cost offaly dearly at no time was it directed at players or a particular player and to suggest this is wrong. As for the young kids comment give it a rest im sure they would be more affected by the bad language heard on the terraces at every game.

LeoB

I have to agree with previous poster there were a lot of moans and jeering but they were at some of the decisions made by the referee and not the Galway players, in fact I witnessed quite a few Offaly people around me clap when Joe Canning scored with the line balls..

There was good banter around where I was in the Davin Stand among all the supporters from the 4 counties as only you get with G.A.A. folk long may it continue.

Fogra. If any Offaly lads are reading this I would like to compliment St. Rynaghs who had a good group of kids at the match with them. They were a credit to their club and county. Well done the mentors.

Diabhal Beag

Offally were deserving of the win. I hope to Christ that we can beat them in the replay. Is it on TV on Saturday?

Speak Now

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Offally were deserving of the win. I hope to Christ that we can beat them in the replay. Is it on TV on Saturday?

Just on rte website i think.

Repolho

Just on the booing comments; it went both ways. I Watched the Sunday Game last night on the RTE player and there was alot of booing, whistling and jeering of Shane Dooley as he lined up to take that last free.

poolboy

Someone told me today joe canning has a broken finger after the game any truth anybody know?

antoobrien

poolboy wrote: »

Someone told me today joe canning has a broken finger after the game any truth anybody know?

not broken, badly bruised and a doubt for the replay (if you believe the galway media)