Waterford GAA Discussion Thread 2011-2012

Deise Doodler

Hslaw wrote: »

he is pure class, and not just because of his pace,did anyone see the way he dummied two of the dublin backs on sunday.tured one and then the other with a dummy hand pass. and then he bounced the ball off the ground with his hurley and caught it. it more or less happened in front of me. class act lads

i know the day is going to come soon when mullane,prendys ,browne call it a day,they will be a big loss to us.but hopefully it wont be for another season or three..

as for molumphy that man is just a terrier,solid out.the way he bust out threw the pack with the ball on his stick or in his hand.a soild worker he is,everyone has a bad patch every now and then.

one way to look at it he has had his bad spell,so he should be on form for the championship.

Mullane is class, a natural gifted hurler and and fierce competitor but( will be hung for this) his off the ball movment can be somewhat poor at times, can be slow to make the runs in to space when ball is not coming his way and also tends to run shoulder to shoulder while waiting for a pass rather than peeling off to create space,

As for Mulumphy one of the most intelligent hurlers we have , not the best in terms of scoring but great to bring others into the play,still has a lot to offer

Also think Ringo for for a man who got no game time last year is coming along nicely and reckon will be a def for the corner come the championship

noiniho

hardybuck wrote: »

DublinGAA96 wrote: »

Yes I agree. The other side of it is, DJ's pure skill and speed made up for it. The guy was a phenomenon. He got burst and all sort a smacks off every back in the 90's including the Lohans etc. And it Didn't even phase him. They still couldn't handle him. Skill is everything in hurling. Id much prefer that then a 20 year old in gym 24/7, but then cant even hit the Fu**ing ball.

Yes but the game was still far less physical twenty years ago. It was less physical three years ago. Belts were always there, but now there are far more body checks and swarm defending like what you see in football. The player must be able to break far more tackles now, and someone as light as Ryan - sorry to single him out, isn't capable of that at present.

Skill is not everything in hurling, as Waterford have shown with someone like Brick Walsh. He arrived on the scene extremely raw and was mainly a footballer. Hooking, blocking and chasing was his role, and he developed into an All Star centre back.

I think that there is a bit of a myth circulating around Waterford about the footballers that got turned into hurlers like brick or Seamus pender.
In fact it's crap, having seen alot of them underage, they were always going to play hurling with Waterford and they were up there with the best underage hurlers of their age if not the best. Seamus was the best hurler on a great Ardmore underage team and was unplayable in the Waterford championship about ten years ago.

It just sickens me to hear that it was because of Justin's coaching or whatever, those lads were coming as hurlers a long way off.

Hslaw

DublinGAA96 wrote: »

Word. Couldn't of said it better myself. Mullane is a class act, also read yesterday that he's the top scorer from open play(no frees etc) in the championship over last 2 or 3 years. He's got 149 points from play. Thats something else considering everything is in open play. He's a special hurler no doubt.

i was reading that i forgot to mention it hon john mullane

Mountainlad

noiniho wrote: »

I think that there is a bit of a myth circulating around Waterford about the footballers that got turned into hurlers like brick or Seamus pender.
In fact it's crap, having seen alot of them underage, they were always going to play hurling with Waterford and they were up there with the best underage hurlers of their age if not the best. Seamus was the best hurler on a great Ardmore underage team and was unplayable in the Waterford championship about ten years ago.

It just sickens me to hear that it was because of Justin's coaching or whatever, those lads were coming as hurlers a long way off.

Yeah but I think there footballing attributes helped them be the hurlers they were. You wouldn't look at Brick as a player with all the skills of the game mastered to perfection. It's his positioning, his amazing ability to catch the ball, and his intelligence that make him the player he is combined with his physical strength. They don't call him Brick for nothing

There can be no denying that McCarthy developed them a lot, and that's why they rose to the heights they did. They had the potential, but you need someone to bring you on to the next level and to be fair to Justin coaching players to that level was something he did to perfection.

Hslaw

There can be no denying that McCarthy developed them a lot, and that's why they rose to the heights they did. They had the potential, but you need someone to bring you on to the next level and to be fair to Justin coaching players to that level was something he did to perfection.[/QUOTE]

to be fair. he brought us out of the dark ages. and he brought the standard of waterford hurling, and set the template for the modern game for us.imo

liogairmhordain

thomas ryan's size and style of hurling are best suited to summer hurling when the pitches are hard and the ball is moving fast, remember his goals v tipp and clare in the under-21 championship in 2009 and his goal v galway last summer in thurles.
just don't think he's the kind of hurler who will thrive on dark wet nights in january and february.

liogairmhordain

also think it's worth mentioning that waterford conceded fewer goals than any other team in division one - who'd have thunk it?

Mountainlad

liogairmhordain wrote: »

also think it's worth mentioning that waterford conceded fewer goals than any other team in division one - who'd have thunk it?

Think that's a strategy they've looked to implement. It was noticeable in the way Kearney stood off Dillon for his first point, for example. The trick is getting the balance right. They did it against Tipp as well, but they were far too loose on there men and Tipp's game was built around finding the men in space and Noel McGrath just went to town.

They have the right idea, but it work's two ways. Nevertheless it is an important statistic to note and if people can use the fact that we conceded so much in the first 3 games as a slight against Michael Ryan then he should be able to use this to his defense, as it was often said of Fitzgerald that he had should a great defensive record yet in two games (the most important and a munster final) we conceded just five points than the huge amount we conceded in the first three games of the league, which lets face it, counted for absolutely nothing in the end.

noiniho

Mountainlad wrote: »

Yeah but I think there footballing attributes helped them be the hurlers they were. You wouldn't look at Brick as a player with all the skills of the game mastered to perfection. It's his positioning, his amazing ability to catch the ball, and his intelligence that make him the player he is combined with his physical strength. They don't call him Brick for nothing

There can be no denying that McCarthy developed them a lot, and that's why they rose to the heights they did. They had the potential, but you need someone to bring you on to the next level and to be fair to Justin coaching players to that level was something he did to perfection.

essentially we are agreeing with each other, i have seen it writtien previously in national newspapers that justin mccarthy converted these lads into hurlers, which is lazy journalism and just because they may be seen as traditional football areas there is almost a hurling snobbery that a hurler couldnt be produced their until they came under justins guidance.

I agree that his football background certainly helped him but many people talk of him as a converted footballer which is bull, he broke onto the most successful waterford hurling team in living memory as a 20 year old, by the age of 24 was captaining it to its first national title in over 40 years whilst establishing himself as one of the best midfielders in the country. since then he is regarded as one of the best if not the best ccentre back in the country and is still only 28.

Brick would be the hurler he is now no matter who was over the team

hardybuck

noiniho wrote: »

essentially we are agreeing with each other, i have seen it writtien previously in national newspapers that justin mccarthy converted these lads into hurlers, which is lazy journalism and just because they may be seen as traditional football areas there is almost a hurling snobbery that a hurler couldnt be produced their until they came under justins guidance.

I agree that his football background certainly helped him but many people talk of him as a converted footballer which is bull, he broke onto the most successful waterford hurling team in living memory as a 20 year old, by the age of 24 was captaining it to its first national title in over 40 years whilst establishing himself as one of the best midfielders in the country. since then he is regarded as one of the best if not the best ccentre back in the country and is still only 28.

Brick would be the hurler he is now no matter who was over the team

Yes, but also at the age of twenty he was the stand out player in a Munster U21 winning football team. With the rubbish coaching and terrible structures around him in Waterford he was making other players on the field, several of them who went on to win multiple All Irelands and All Stars, look ordinary.

If he had packed up his bags and moved to Kerry at 20 he would have won several football All Irelands. Was a far more outstanding footballer than hurler at that age.

HillFarmer

My starting Team for CLare

SOK

A Kearney L Lawlor Noel Connors
Tony Brown Brick Walsh Darragh Fives

Kevin Moran S Molumphy
M Shanahan S O Sullivan S Pender
J Mullane S Walsh G O Brien


Thoughts ?

I feel P mahony unlucky to be left out but good introduction from the bench.

hardybuck

HillFarmer wrote: »

My starting Team for CLare

SOK

A Kearney L Lawlor Noel Connors
Tony Brown Brick Walsh Darragh Fives

Kevin Moran S Molumphy
M Shanahan S O Sullivan S Pender
J Mullane S Walsh G O Brien


Thoughts ?

I feel P mahony unlucky to be left out but good introduction from the bench.

If everyone was fit I'd go for:

SOK

Kearney Lawlor Connors

Browne M.Walsh Moran

O'Sullivan P.O'Brien

Shanahan S.Prendergast Mahony

Mullane S.Walsh G.O'Brien

Mountainlad

hardybuck wrote: »

If everyone was fit I'd go for:

SOK

Kearney Lawlor Connors

Browne M.Walsh Moran

O'Sullivan P.O'Brien

Shanahan S.Prendergast Mahony

Mullane S.Walsh G.O'Brien

Can't have a team without Darragh Fives in my opinion.

SOK

Ringo, Lawlor, Connors

Fives, M.Walsh, S. O'Sullivan

Moran, Twomey

Maurice, Seamus Prender, Molumphy

Mullane, S. Walsh, G. O'Brien

Early days yet, think Mahony has been unimpressive in the games I saw, think he will start so hopefully it's just a blip. You could make a case for starting Tony and moving Shane Sully to centrefield in place of Twomey but I think with him nearly 39 we need to start moving away from Tony and think O'Sullivan has out performed him in the league. Big show of faith in Twomey considering Dublin were tragic on Sunday, but I've beeen hoping over the past year and a half that he'd be able to make the step up and I guess the only way he'll do it is if he gets the chance.

noiniho

hardybuck wrote: »

Yes, but also at the age of twenty he was the stand out player in a Munster U21 winning football team. With the rubbish coaching and terrible structures around him in Waterford he was making other players on the field, several of them who went on to win multiple All Irelands and All Stars, look ordinary.

If he had packed up his bags and moved to Kerry at 20 he would have won several football All Irelands. Was a far more outstanding footballer than hurler at that age.

ya but he was a established hurler on the senior intercounty team at that stage, hardly mainly known as footballer as you stated is it?

hardybuck

I think Twomey has all the raw ability to go on and play for Waterford for a number of years, but I'm still not convinced he has the stomach for battle. Throwing him in against Clare, who will be foaming at the mouth, could be very risky.

I think O'Mahony has to start as he is still the best free taker we have. I don't trust the likes of Shanahan to have the same success rate. In a potentially tight game this could be crucial. O'Mahony yesterday was names in the colleges team of the year - players like Fives didn't make it.

Mountainlad

noiniho wrote: »

ya but he was a established hurler on the senior intercounty team at that stage, hardly mainly known as footballer as you stated is it?

Did he not mqke his debut with Waterford in 2004?

hardybuck

noiniho wrote: »

ya but he was a established hurler on the senior intercounty team at that stage, hardly mainly known as footballer as you stated is it?

Eh, no. He wasn't. Won the Munster U21 football and made his senior hurling intercounty debut in the same summer.

Mountainlad

hardybuck wrote: »

I think Twomey has all the raw ability to go on and play for Waterford for a number of years, but I'm still not convinced he has the stomach for battle. Throwing him in against Clare, who will be foaming at the mouth, could be very risky.

I think O'Mahony has to start as he is still the best free taker we have. I don't trust the likes of Shanahan to have the same success rate. In a potentially tight game this could be crucial. O'Mahony yesterday was names in the colleges team of the year - players like Fives didn't make it.

Yeah he was good for UCC alright, but I'm more concerned about how he plays for Waterford. Fives played centre back for UCC, in a halfbackline that included William Egan, at just 19 years old. They must think a lot of him

hardybuck

Mountainlad wrote: »

Yeah he was good for UCC alright, but I'm more concerned about how he plays for Waterford. Fives played centre back for UCC, in a halfbackline that included William Egan, at just 19 years old. They must think a lot of him

Very true, and apparently was playing good stuff also. If I was to include him I might move Moran to midfield and drop P.O'Brien.

I think O'Mahony has played some good - against Cork, some average - Kilkenny. Overall I'd like to keep him. His form last year and in parts of this year has been excellent.

Mountainlad

hardybuck wrote: »

Very true, and apparently was playing good stuff also. If I was to include him I might move Moran to midfield and drop P.O'Brien.

I think O'Mahony has played some good - against Cork, some average - Kilkenny. Overall I'd like to keep him. His form last year and in parts of this year has been excellent.

Didn't think he was great against Cork, but then he did score two points from play even while being out of the game fro a lot of it, which would indicate his class as a hurler. Think he'll start either way, I just expect more from his given he was nominated for young hurler of the year last year.

noiniho

hardybuck wrote: »

Eh, no. He wasn't. Won the Munster U21 football and made his senior hurling intercounty debut in the same summer.

So he was a senior inter county hurler when he won the u-21 football? thats the point I was getting at, hardly be known as mainly footballer then would he?

noiniho

Mountainlad wrote: »

Did he not mqke his debut with Waterford in 2004?

I can remember him coming on in a game against Limerick, it was a replay the first game was when the game wasnt shown on tv and there was no recording of it due to a prolem with the gantry and the fire officer in semple stadium?
Pretty sure that was 2003? the year we lost the munster final to cork

hardybuck

noiniho wrote: »

So he was a senior inter county hurler when he won the u-21 football? thats the point I was getting at, hardly be known as mainly footballer then would he?

Well then you need to look up the definition of established, as you clearly you don't know what it means.

Mountainlad

noiniho wrote: »

I can remember him coming on in a game against Limerick, it was a replay the first game was when the game wasnt shown on tv and there was no recording of it due to a prolem with the gantry and the fire officer in semple stadium?
Pretty sure that was 2003? the year we lost the munster final to cork

Yep your right looked it up there, apparently he came on as a sub in all the games in 2003

redlead

A complete load of hypothetical nonsense as I am idle at work but who do you think would win in a match between the east and the westies. I have outlined two probable teams below:

East

1.O'keefe (Ballygunner)

2. Mahony (Ballygunner)
3. Hutchinson (Ballygunner)
4. Connors (Passage)

5. Browne (Mount Sion)
6. Moran (De La Salle)
7.Daniels (De La Salle)

8. O'Sullivan (Ballygunner)
9. Phelan (De La Salle)

10. Kelly (Passage)
11. Twomey (De La Salle)
12. Mahony (Ballygunner)

13. Mullane (De La Salle)
14. O'Neill (Mount Sion)
15. O'Brien (Roanmore)

v

The West

1.Power (Ballyduff Upper)

2.Kearney (Tallow)
3.Lawlor (Fourmilewater)
4.Barron (Fourmilewater)

5.Fives (Tourin)
6.Brick (Stradbally)
7.Fives (Tourin)

8.Foley (Abbeyside)
9.Molumphey (Ballyduff Upper)

10.Shanahan (Lismore)
11.Prendergast (Ardmore)
12.Nagle (Dungarvan)

13.Ryan (Tallow)
14.Walsh (Fourmilewater)
15.O'Brien (Tallow)

I reckon the city would just about win and would have a pretty good bench with the likes of David and Brian O'Sullivan, Jake Dillion etc. Both teams would probably have a right crack at division 1b too.

comeraghs

Passage isn't the City!

Mountainlad

redlead wrote: »

A complete load of hypothetical nonsense as I am idle at work but who do you think would win in a match between the east and the westies. I have outlined two probable teams below:

East

1.O'keefe (Ballygunner)

2. Mahony (Ballygunner)
3. Hutchinson (Ballygunner)
4. Connors (Passage)

5. Browne (Mount Sion)
6. Moran (De La Salle)
7.Daniels (De La Salle)

8. O'Sullivan (Ballygunner)
9. Phelan (De La Salle)

10. Kelly (Passage)
11. Twomey (De La Salle)
12. Mahony (Ballygunner)

13. Mullane (De La Salle)
14. O'Neill (Mount Sion)
15. O'Brien (Roanmore)

v

The West

1.Power (Ballyduff Upper)

2.Kearney (Tallow)
3.Lawlor (Fourmilewater)
4.Barron (Fourmilewater)

5.Fives (Tourin)
6.Brick (Stradbally)
7.Fives (Tourin)

8.Foley (Abbeyside)
9.Molumphey (Ballyduff Upper)

10.Shanahan (Lismore)
11.Prendergast (Ardmore)
12.Nagle (Dungarvan)

13.Ryan (Tallow)
14.Walsh (Fourmilewater)
15.O'Brien (Tallow)

I reckon the city would just about win and would have a pretty good bench with the likes of David and Brian O'Sullivan, Jake Dillion etc. Both teams would probably have a right crack at division 1b too.

Your words...

I would add that I wouldn't have the same teams. There wouldn't be much in it, but on the basis of the teams selected I'd go for the East.

Fentdog84

This 10 weeks is an awful long time, ridiculous in fact. Quite a few places up for grabs with some 50/50 calls.

1. Power-
2. Kearney
3. Lawlor
4. Connors-
5. Browne
6. Brick
7. Philip mahony
8. Shane O sullivan
9. Moran
10. Paudie mahony
11. Molumphy
12. Gavin O Brien
13. Mullane
14. Walsh
15. Shanahan

Final score: Waterford 2-17 Clare 1-14

Mountainlad

Fentdog84 wrote: »

This 10 weeks is an awful long time, ridiculous in fact. Quite a few places up for grabs with some 50/50 calls.

1. Power-
2. Kearney
3. Lawlor
4. Connors-
5. Browne
6. Brick
7. Philip mahony
8. Shane O sullivan
9. Moran
10. Paudie mahony
11. Molumphy
12. Gavin O Brien
13. Mullane
14. Walsh
15. Shanahan

Final score: Waterford 2-17 Clare 1-14

Carry on

Fentdog84

Mountainlad wrote: »

Carry on

Ok. If you want run through. Fine day for Munster hurling at semple, Clare out of the traps like wild men, get off to a storming start score an early goal and a couple of points. A few Mahony frees then settles us down,its pretty much tit for tat after that. The one and only Johnny Mullane scores a goal early in the 2nd half to bring us back level. Still even enough up til the final quarter when we begin to take over and tap over a few points to go in front. A late goal from, yes, you guessed it, Mullane wraps it up and we are through to our 4th Munster final in succession where we will face Cork. :pac: