Another 3 in a row coming up for Kilkenny

PlayByTheRules

- Galway are without a manager and players think they know best so are all over the place for now
- Tipp looking like they will be going through another few years of transition with retirements and manager change also
-Cork were swept aside by Galway last year and lost their manager, may improve somewhat
- Waterford played the tactics game but you'll never beat a KK with so few up front
- Dublin seem to have management issues also, at least one seasoned player left the panel last year
- Wexford were awful in 2015, touch and basic skill levels were shocking
-Clare can't stop fouling and throwing games away, they also lack ball winners up front like most other teams, bar Kilkenny
- Limerick have an ageing panel and were average in 2015, they were swept away at the All Ireland club finals too

- Kilkenny have had no retirements and replaced experienced players this year with ease. Cody stays on AGAIN. They have the two best players (R.Hogan and TJ Reid) in the country at the peak of their power.

Does anyone else feel the same as me that Kilkenny are going to walk their way to another All-Ireland in 2016?

EICVD

Only one solution, split them in two!........

PlayByTheRules

Or create a super league with just Kilkenny teams in it and let them dog it out on TG4 every Sunday?
Then everyone else can play off against one another with a hope of winning something :-)

Realt Dearg Sec

Waterford and Clare will be the most interesting ones to watch next year, both capable of pushing on and improving. Galway it's very hard to know what's going on off course, could go either way but they've put massive pressure on themselves now.

randd1

EICVD wrote: »

Only one solution, split them in two!........

Actually would probably be better than most sides outside the top 8. There's a lot of unspectacular, but nonetheless good and very solid hurlers in the North and South sides to make up two very good sides.

Weird, but the underage structures in Kilkenny are actually geared for the clubs to have as good a club scene as possible. A big consequence is pretty much every club has two or three very good, consistent players, so the supply lines are in good health.

dastardly00

If Clare could actually manage to get their act together, it'd be great to see them against Kilkenny in a championship game. A lot of their team were able to beat KK when they were U-21.

Waterford hopefully should improve again in 2016, but it still mightn't be enough to beat KK.

Hard to know what to expect from Tipp, due to the management change and the few retirements. They won't be too far away though. Callinan, Bubbles, Padraic Maher, Barrett... they've a lot of top-class players.

I can't see Cork challenging KK. The caliber of players just aren't there at this point in time.

God only knows what Galway will do.

ProudDUB

EICVD wrote: »

Only one solution, split them in two!........

And make them share their AIG...oops sorry....I mean, their Avonmore dosh with everyone else.

adrian522

Make them play football, that's what I say, otherwise reduce their funding, spit them in two, make them play in Munster, that will sort them out, no more easy stroll to the semi final. Or all of the above. They must be stopped at all costs though, they are ruining hurling for the rest of us.

Realt Dearg Sec

adrian522 wrote: »

Make them play football exclusively

That should work.

Xenophile

Yes Kilkenny will win three and then four in a row.

As for the drive for five, same as the last time, Tipperary will be back to ensure that the drive will not be able to take them over "Slievenamon "

citykat

EICVD wrote: »

Only one solution, split them in two!........

Might not be as outlandish as you think! Waterford County Council are trying to claim half of south Kilkenny for themselves. Apparently this is going to be raised in the Dail for the purposes of a vote. Were it to be voted through, KilKenny County Council would have to go through the courts (using the citizens money of course:mad:) all the way to Europe if necessary to try get it stopped. Hence players from clubs like Mooncoin, Slieverue, Tullogher, Mullinavat, Glenmore etc. would have to line out for the Deise.

Realt Dearg Sec

citykat wrote: »

Might not be as outlandish as you think! Waterford County Council are trying to claim half of south Kilkenny for themselves. Apparently this is going to be raised in the Dail for the purposes of a vote. Were it to be voted through, KilKenny County Council would have to go through the courts (using the citizens money of course:mad:) all the way to Europe if necessary to try get it stopped. Hence players from clubs like Mooncoin, Slieverue, Tullogher, Mullinavat, Glenmore etc. would have to line out for the Deise.

They wouldn't have to, surely? The gaa isn't obliged to change its administrative boundaries just because the county council does I'd have thought? Didn't this already happen between Clare and limerick years ago?

Mehapoy

citykat wrote: »

Might not be as outlandish as you think! Waterford County Council are trying to claim half of south Kilkenny for themselves. Apparently this is going to be raised in the Dail for the purposes of a vote. Were it to be voted through, KilKenny County Council would have to go through the courts (using the citizens money of course:mad:) all the way to Europe if necessary to try get it stopped. Hence players from clubs like Mooncoin, Slieverue, Tullogher, Mullinavat, Glenmore etc. would have to line out for the Deise.

Nonsense! what would changing the city boundaries have to do with the gaa divisions? Same with limerivk/clare boundary change...Its misunderstandings like this that has people up in arms about sensible suggestions that would help the two cities but instead are bogged down in nimby protests...

PTH2009

the winners of the Clare vs Waterford munster semi final next year will win munster

Kilkenny will win leinster yet again beating Galway in the final.

Semi finals
Tipp vs Kilkenny
Limerick vs Clare

Final
Clare vs Kilkenny (the so called biggest all ireland final in years). Kilkenny winning handy yet again :(

Realt Dearg Sec

PTH2009 wrote: »

the winners of the Clare vs Waterford munster semi final next year will win munster

Kilkenny will win leinster yet again beating Galway in the final.

Semi finals
Tipp vs Kilkenny
Limerick vs Clare

Final
Clare vs Kilkenny (the so called biggest all ireland final in years). Kilkenny winning handy yet again :(

We must try and keep track of all of your predictions this year, last year you made so many of them (all with equal self-assurance) it was impossible to keep up. Sadly they were all wrong, which makes me sad about 2016.

Davys Fits

I wouldnt be writing off Tipp too easily. Whatever about KK tipp are capable of matching the rest. The chasing pack is large but I think one of Clare Waterford Limerick or tipp will challenge KK. I wouldnt consider Galway when making predictions.

citykat

Mehapoy wrote: »

Nonsense! what would changing the city boundaries have to do with the gaa divisions? Same with limerivk/clare boundary change...Its misunderstandings like this that has people up in arms about sensible suggestions that would help the two cities but instead are bogged down in nimby protests...

Kilkenny county council don't seem to share your expert opinion.

'It would also see the area changing county and province and this would result in a very significant change to the area's community and social identity.'

http://www.kilkennycoco.ie/resources/Main.pdf

ProudDUB

citykat wrote: »

Might not be as outlandish as you think! Waterford County Council are trying to claim half of south Kilkenny for themselves. Apparently this is going to be raised in the Dail for the purposes of a vote. Were it to be voted through, KilKenny County Council would have to go through the courts (using the citizens money of course:mad:) all the way to Europe if necessary to try get it stopped. Hence players from clubs like Mooncoin, Slieverue, Tullogher, Mullinavat, Glenmore etc. would have to line out for the Deise.

That's pretty funny considering what is normally blaring from the Croke Park loudspeakers every bloomin' September. :rolleyes:

Realt Dearg Sec

citykat wrote: »

Kilkenny county council don't seem to share your expert opinion.

'It would also see the area changing county and province and this would result in a very significant change to the area's community and social identity.'

http://www.kilkennycoco.ie/resources/Main.pdf

Yeah but that doesn't mean the GAA has to go along with the change. Personally I wouldn't like to see a transfer of administration of the area to Waterford, but I don't see how that change would mean they have to start playing for/in Waterford down south. The GAA could just ignore it.

randd1

Can't see how people have been tipping Clare to challenge Kilkenny.

They have been hurling poor, their gameplan is poor, their strength in the air is poor, their defending has been poor, their ability to win dirty ball is poor and a good run in 2013 against what was let's face it, a Galway team that were feeling sorry for themselves, and Limerick and Cork sides who were miles off of what they had shown previously and have shown afterwards (Cork against Clare especially).

Fair enough, they got the wins that won them the AI and deservedly so, but the overall quality was so poor it allowed them to flourish.

There is, I think, too much been made of their U21 wins. The fact is four games against hardly the greatest prepared opposition in 2013, Clare have to go back to 2006 for a decent summer. They won their first U21 in 2009, the vast majority of players are there for 4/5 years at least, and yet we've only seen a handful of decent performances from them.

Now they may come good, but I suspect that there's more hype than substance. The hype being generated by U21 results, which in my view are totally misleading. An U21 side may have a good few seniors which can raise the quality of the side as they have an advantage over the opposition. Now matter what anyone says, senior is miles ahead of U21 and having a few seniors tips the balance.

Minor is an infinitely far better indicator of long term quality as it's just lads against other lads of the same type, no senior training, just skill and character. The record of Clare's four U21 winning sides in minor? Two Munsters.

The U21 record skews the real quality that Clare had coming through, which was well behind what other counties achieved. The senior AI in 2013, which was completely against all known and subsequent form, blew the hype into overdrive.

Now I'm not saying they can't do well, I can't predict the future, and they do have soon very good hurlers. I'm just curious as to how people can tip a team that have, quite frankly apart from a good run against average opposition, can challenge for an AI when they can barely win a match.

piuswal

adrian522 wrote: »

Make them play football, that's what I say, otherwise reduce their funding, spit them in two, make them play in Munster, that will sort them out, no more easy stroll to the semi final. Or all of the above. They must be stopped at all costs though, they are ruining hurling for the rest of us.

Why? Not able to achieve their standard or do not want to make the effort or cannot!

citykat

ProudDUB wrote: »

That's pretty funny considering what is normally blaring from the Croke Park loudspeakers every bloomin' September. :rolleyes:

Suppose you could call it collateral damage?

citykat

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Yeah but that doesn't mean the GAA has to go along with the change. Personally I wouldn't like to see a transfer of administration of the area to Waterford, but I don't see how that change would mean they have to start playing for/in Waterford down south. The GAA could just ignore it.

Yeah the GAA have a poor record in geography what with Galway & Kerry playing in the Leinster championship. :rolleyes:

bruschi

citykat wrote: »

Might not be as outlandish as you think! Waterford County Council are trying to claim half of south Kilkenny for themselves. Apparently this is going to be raised in the Dail for the purposes of a vote. Were it to be voted through, KilKenny County Council would have to go through the courts (using the citizens money of course:mad:) all the way to Europe if necessary to try get it stopped. Hence players from clubs like Mooncoin, Slieverue, Tullogher, Mullinavat, Glenmore etc. would have to line out for the Deise.

exaggerate much? Kilmacow and Slieveure are the only 2 clubs potentially affected.

savannahkat

bruschi wrote: »

exaggerate much? Kilmacow and Slieveure are the only 2 clubs potentially affected.

That is 3 clubs to many.

redlead

Whatever clubs fall into the new boundary will be able to chose wherever they want to play so there is no point in people whipping up fear for no reason. It's purely an administrative move. It makes no sense for any city or large town to be on a county boundary as all it does is hinder development (and some things are more important than GAA, i.e. jobs and especially in places like Kilkenny and Waterford in the South East).

I'd be very surprised to see anyone actually beat Kilkenny next year whatever about giving them a game for 50 or 60 mins. It's only a matter of time before all these All Irelands become devalued due to the competition Kilkenny are facing. Nearly all the other counties are finding just too hard to realistically bridge the gap. Clare took advantage of an unusual blip for KK a couple of years ago and to be fair to Tipp they beat a strong KK to win theirs but never seem to be able to maintain an All Ireland winning team to the same high quality. Cork seem to be finished as a consistent hurling force now and have just fallen back to the rest who hardly ever win anyway regardless of how Kilkenny are going.

bruschi

savannahkat wrote: »

That is 3 clubs to many.

another one who cant count. and as Redlead and many others have said, it will not make any difference to county or club boundaries.

citykat

bruschi wrote: »

exaggerate much? Kilmacow and Slieveure are the only 2 clubs potentially affected.

No.

blackcard

PlayByTheRules wrote: »

- Galway are without a manager and players think they know best so are all over the place for now
- Tipp looking like they will be going through another few years of transition with retirements and manager change also
-Cork were swept aside by Galway last year and lost their manager, may improve somewhat
- Waterford played the tactics game but you'll never beat a KK with so few up front
- Dublin seem to have management issues also, at least one seasoned player left the panel last year
- Wexford were awful in 2015, touch and basic skill levels were shocking
-Clare can't stop fouling and throwing games away, they also lack ball winners up front like most other teams, bar Kilkenny
- Limerick have an ageing panel and were average in 2015, they were swept away at the All Ireland club finals too

- Kilkenny have had no retirements and replaced experienced players this year with ease. Cody stays on AGAIN. They have the two best players (R.Hogan and TJ Reid) in the country at the peak of their power.

Does anyone else feel the same as me that Kilkenny are going to walk their way to another All-Ireland in 2016?

Kilkenny have a dearth of talent coming through, haven't won an AI U21 for 7 years, haven't got out of Leinster for the past 3 years, have been beaten out the gate by Wexford the last two years.

Michael Fennelly hardly able to train anymore.
Build up to the AI this year started in Kilkenny on the Thursday before the AI, celebrations finished on the Monday, McCarthy Cup awarded in a near empty stadium. All other teams have to be hungrier than Kilkenny.
Tipp should have won the drawn AI in 2014, Galway should have won the drawn AI in 2012, could have won the AI this year.
Kilkenny nearly relegated from Division 1 this year.
Eoin Larkin at veteran stage, may not see Richie Power again, subs bench very weak
Galway have the best forwards in the country.
Tipp have the most skilful players in the country
Waterford have the best young hurlers in the country.

Donal Og to rein in Davy and allow Clare hurlers to play
Limerick have the most exciting prospects in the country after this year's U21
Cork are Cork
Wexford have no fear of Kilkenny having beaten them at underage level
Dublin have a lot of talent, Cuala beating Clara
It is always darkest before the dawn

savannahkat

bruschi wrote: »

another one who cant count. and as Redlead and many others have said, it will not make any difference to county or club boundaries.

One of the reasons a lot of people have stopped posting here, a sense of humor appears to be a thing of the past around these boards.

Clareman

I think KK are rightly the favourites but I don't think it's worth discounting all the rest so far, my thoughts on the "others" would be (in no particular order)

Galway - Players will be fully bought into whoever comes in, they have the hurlers but have struggled to be a team for a while, the curren situation could be what's needed to gel it together.
Tipp - Need to stop focusing on KK and just concentrate on themselves for a while.
Waterford - Showed that they are a top 3 team, need to come up with a Plan B though.
Cork - They have the hurlers but need to find 2 or 3 players down the middle
Limerick - They are the dark horses, they won't fear anyone and have plenty of experience.
Dublin - If they can get organised they will be challengers.
Clare - have the players, last team to win an All Ireland, don't "fear" Kilkenny but are more interested in coming up with new stuff than just playing hurling, if they play their own game and let the opponents worry about them rather than worrying about the opponents then they'll take beating. I do think the Clare forwards have the "potential" to cause serious problems for the the KK backs, but "potential" isn't worth anything if they don't play them.

lim4ev

blackcard wrote: »

Kilkenny have a dearth of talent coming through, haven't won an AI U21 for 7 years, haven't got out of Leinster for the past 3 years, have been beaten out the gate by Wexford the last two years.

Michael Fennelly hardly able to train anymore.
Build up to the AI this year started in Kilkenny on the Thursday before the AI, celebrations finished on the Monday, McCarthy Cup awarded in a near empty stadium. All other teams have to be hungrier than Kilkenny.
Tipp should have won the drawn AI in 2014, Galway should have won the drawn AI in 2012, could have won the AI this year.
Kilkenny nearly relegated from Division 1 this year.
Eoin Larkin at veteran stage, may not see Richie Power again, subs bench very weak
Galway have the best forwards in the country.
Tipp have the most skilful players in the country
Waterford have the best young hurlers in the country.

Donal Og to rein in Davy and allow Clare hurlers to play
Limerick have the most exciting prospects in the country after this year's U21
Cork are Cork
Wexford have no fear of Kilkenny having beaten them at underage level
Dublin have a lot of talent, Cuala beating Clara
It is always darkest before the dawn

Remember thinking along these lines a couple of years ago you make some valid points and to an extent would agree but you forget kk won the minor all I'll in 2010 and 2014 added to that kk have Cody here,s my honest assertion for next yr starting from what I think are top

Kk will be hard to beat as usual but do have issues like m fennel ly and r power for two not sure of their subs bench but feel they,ll have a few teams beaten before the ball is thrown in such is their belief and craft.

Galway,were no2 but not so sure now the recent happenings will either make them or break them.

Tipp have some great hurlers but don,t think they,ve enough to win the all Irl with the recent retirements in my view another one or two may go and that should be a plus for them as the team that was beat this yr in the end weren't good enough.

Limk/waterford/Clare

Nothing between these 3 a lot of good young talent in all 3 I,d expect at least one to have a good year but don,t think either will win it out

Waterford need to realise all Irelands are hard to win with 6 forwards and won,t be won with 5 so they need to come up with new ideas.

Clare need to play hurling and go out and express themselves they have some great players but are short a few top class backs one in each back line would see huge improvement.

Limerick after last yrs dismal form can only improve but unless some of the more established forwards can perform the way we think they can we won,t win anything if they do with the few backs that we,ll get from this yrs 21s they could be dark horses again

Dublin

Is there rumblings of discontent?again some fine hurlers and maybe it will have taken Cunningham 2 yrs to get to know them but just can,t see them winning anything

Cork

So poor last yr will be hard to see them win anything esp since there doesn't,t seem to be anything coming thru from their 21s etc still they,ll be competitive and are capable of taking a scalp

Wexford

So disappointed with them last yr maybe next yr they might do something but no cups I,m Afraid

The rest I feel won,t threaten the above next yr unfortunately

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Ballaghaderreen was moved to Roscommon in the 1890s but they still play for Mayo. The GAA doesn't follow legal boundaries.

limmyhulk

I fully believe if brian cody was to reveal who he suspects may well put an endto kilkennys domination of hurling it would be limerick
expect a right old battle between lim/tip/wat/cla with limerick coming through to have a go at the champs-who are impressive and will take a monumental effort to knock them off their perch

Orizio

Clareman wrote: »

I think KK are rightly the favourites but I don't think it's worth discounting all the rest so far, my thoughts on the "others" would be (in no particular order)

Galway - Players will be fully bought into whoever comes in, they have the hurlers but have struggled to be a team for a while, the curren situation could be what's needed to gel it together.
Tipp - Need to stop focusing on KK and just concentrate on themselves for a while.
Waterford - Showed that they are a top 3 team, need to come up with a Plan B though.
Cork - They have the hurlers but need to find 2 or 3 players down the middle
Limerick - They are the dark horses, they won't fear anyone and have plenty of experience.
Dublin - If they can get organised they will be challengers.
Clare - have the players, last team to win an All Ireland, don't "fear" Kilkenny but are more interested in coming up with new stuff than just playing hurling, if they play their own game and let the opponents worry about them rather than worrying about the opponents then they'll take beating. I do think the Clare forwards have the "potential" to cause serious problems for the the KK backs, but "potential" isn't worth anything if they don't play them.

...what hurlers do Cork have?

tbiggertycome

blackcard wrote: »

Kilkenny have a dearth of talent coming through, haven't won an AI U21 for 7 years, haven't got out of Leinster for the past 3 years, have been beaten out the gate by Wexford the last two years.

Michael Fennelly hardly able to train anymore.
Build up to the AI this year started in Kilkenny on the Thursday before the AI, celebrations finished on the Monday, McCarthy Cup awarded in a near empty stadium. All other teams have to be hungrier than Kilkenny.
Tipp should have won the drawn AI in 2014, Galway should have won the drawn AI in 2012, could have won the AI this year.
Kilkenny nearly relegated from Division 1 this year.
Eoin Larkin at veteran stage, may not see Richie Power again, subs bench very weak
Galway have the best forwards in the country.
Tipp have the most skilful players in the country
Waterford have the best young hurlers in the country.

Donal Og to rein in Davy and allow Clare hurlers to play
Limerick have the most exciting prospects in the country after this year's U21
Cork are Cork
Wexford have no fear of Kilkenny having beaten them at underage level
Dublin have a lot of talent, Cuala beating Clara
It is always darkest before the dawn

There is no lack of talent coming through, there was a few lean years there at U21 level but even these teams will add 2 or 3 players to the seniors (Kevin Kelly, Chris Bolger, Joe Lyng, Robbie Lennon). Senior hurling is about blending existing talent with those coming through and any team worth it's salt has a core group of lads in the 27 to 29 age range who have been hurling intercounty for 5 to 6 years. You can get a break through like Clare did in '13 but I wasn't a bit surprised it couldn't be sustained. They lack an older core there to help guide them through (it also doesn't help they have a unusual [thats as nice as I can be] manager). Wexford may have beaten us in U21 the last few years but the U21's haven't been our best bunch. The main reason we struggle at U21 is very few of our U21's get a place in the senior team (as we don't need them). If you look at the Wexford and Clare teams that beat us they all had a good sprinkling of lads who were making their respective senior teams. As pointed out in another post this gives guys a huge advantage at this level but it tends to be negated as they all get to the same level at senior. Just look at what Kilkenny did to Wexford last year at senior. I can't honestly see Wexford seniors beating us (in the manner they did our U21's last year) for another good few years (like 5+ years). Our last decent U21 team beaten by Clare in the AI has seen the likes of Walter Walsh, Cillian Buckley, Padraig Walsh, Ger Aylward & John Power all win Senior AI's most with two medals. The crop we have going into U21 this year are very good. They may get beaten, as again they will be up against lads training and playing senior intercounty regularly but I would stake my house on a lot more of them becoming household names once at senior than those that might beat them. We have some excellent talent coming through like Luke Scanlon, John Walsh, Evan Cody, Liam Blanchfield, Enda Morrissey, Jason Cleere, Tommy Walsh (another one), Richie Leahy, Darragh Joyce, Shane Murphy, Conor Doheny. All of which can and should play senior at some stage if they keep their wits about them and don't go off the rails which can happen.

Michael Fennelly will play on and will do just fine.

I know a good 4 or 5 off the current panel they don't care what the fans or anyone else think, do or say they do this for themselves. The HUNGER will be there.

No Tipp/Galway shouldn't have won it, They could have won it- BUT they didn't

Kilkenny had a very hard start to the year last year. 6 retirees with some of the best hurlers we may ever see play the game retired. This left a big hole in the panel which had to be filled at a time when we had very little at U21 bar Evan Cody and Chris Bolger. We had some lads on the scene who were really just filling places. I see that being radically altered this year and even more so the following year the type of talent coming through is really impressive. We also had 5 lads missing with Ballyhale winning the club AI and Jackie, Larks, R. Power, Michael Rice all injured for some or all of the league. For almost all the league we were missing 13 lads, 9-10 had been starters in the 2014 AI with the other 3 or 4 on the bench. Name me the county that could sustain that level of losses and not get relegated? The fact we didn't was due to the Ballyhale lads back and a few of the lads recovered along with the teams cohesiveness and pride not to be relegated on their home patch.

Eoin Larkin is a veteran and is playing a unspectacular role but he will be one of the biggest losses when he retires most people don't see the work he does which is just vital to Kilkennys success. Plus this winter he's gone away with the Army to Syria the last time he did that was in 2007 to Kosovo and he came back the following year and won Hurler of the year.
Richie Power could be gone alright he's knees are very bad but he owes Kilkenny nothing and we have plenty of talent to help ease this huge lose if it happens.

I don't know if I could agree with you on Galways forwards being the best but they have some very good forwards but only two can win their own ball!!!

Don't agree about Tipp they have two or three very skilfull players but not necessarily the best in the country TJ Reid, Richie Hogan, Tony Kelly, Joe Canning, Patrick Horgan and ar8e loads more I'm leaving out. Tipps problem is the supporting cast is not up to scratch at all.

Again over the top statement about Waterford they have some great hurlers but I would disagree and say Kilkenny and Clare have better young hurlers. Waterford actually have something a lot of other teams don't and thats a good mix of young and old players which will stand to them.

I don't share your optomism about the Clare situation I can see it ending tears with two very strong characters. It would be great if they can make it work as hurling needs another few serious challengers.

I'll agree with you on Limerick.

Cork are Cork, and that saying now means their mediocre to sh**e!

Theres nothing new there in that Cuala team for Dublin to take advantage of.

If you think our standard is going to drop, I'm afraid the opposite is about to happen. I'm not saying we won't be bet and will win forever or anything stupid like that but we're not going away ye have to catch up to us.

However if you prefer bury your head in the sand by all means work away.

blackcard

tbiggertycome wrote: »

There is no lack of talent coming through, there was a few lean years there at U21 level but even these teams will add 2 or 3 players to the seniors (Kevin Kelly, Chris Bolger, Joe Lyng, Robbie Lennon). Senior hurling is about blending existing talent with those coming through and any team worth it's salt has a core group of lads in the 27 to 29 age range who have been hurling intercounty for 5 to 6 years. You can get a break through like Clare did in '13 but I wasn't a bit surprised it couldn't be sustained. They lack an older core there to help guide them through (it also doesn't help they have a unusual [thats as nice as I can be] manager). Wexford may have beaten us in U21 the last few years but the U21's haven't been our best bunch. The main reason we struggle at U21 is very few of our U21's get a place in the senior team (as we don't need them). If you look at the Wexford and Clare teams that beat us they all had a good sprinkling of lads who were making their respective senior teams. As pointed out in another post this gives guys a huge advantage at this level but it tends to be negated as they all get to the same level at senior. Just look at what Kilkenny did to Wexford last year at senior. I can't honestly see Wexford seniors beating us (in the manner they did our U21's last year) for another good few years (like 5+ years). Our last decent U21 team beaten by Clare in the AI has seen the likes of Walter Walsh, Cillian Buckley, Padraig Walsh, Ger Aylward & John Power all win Senior AI's most with two medals. The crop we have going into U21 this year are very good. They may get beaten, as again they will be up against lads training and playing senior intercounty regularly but I would stake my house on a lot more of them becoming household names once at senior than those that might beat them. We have some excellent talent coming through like Luke Scanlon, John Walsh, Evan Cody, Liam Blanchfield, Enda Morrissey, Jason Cleere, Tommy Walsh (another one), Richie Leahy, Darragh Joyce, Shane Murphy, Conor Doheny. All of which can and should play senior at some stage if they keep their wits about them and don't go off the rails which can happen.

Michael Fennelly will play on and will do just fine.

I know a good 4 or 5 off the current panel they don't care what the fans or anyone else think, do or say they do this for themselves. The HUNGER will be there.

No Tipp/Galway shouldn't have won it, They could have won it- BUT they didn't

Kilkenny had a very hard start to the year last year. 6 retirees with some of the best hurlers we may ever see play the game retired. This left a big hole in the panel which had to be filled at a time when we had very little at U21 bar Evan Cody and Chris Bolger. We had some lads on the scene who were really just filling places. I see that being radically altered this year and even more so the following year the type of talent coming through is really impressive. We also had 5 lads missing with Ballyhale winning the club AI and Jackie, Larks, R. Power, Michael Rice all injured for some or all of the league. For almost all the league we were missing 13 lads, 9-10 had been starters in the 2014 AI with the other 3 or 4 on the bench. Name me the county that could sustain that level of losses and not get relegated? The fact we didn't was due to the Ballyhale lads back and a few of the lads recovered along with the teams cohesiveness and pride not to be relegated on their home patch.

Eoin Larkin is a veteran and is playing a unspectacular role but he will be one of the biggest losses when he retires most people don't see the work he does which is just vital to Kilkennys success. Plus this winter he's gone away with the Army to Syria the last time he did that was in 2007 to Kosovo and he came back the following year and won Hurler of the year.
Richie Power could be gone alright he's knees are very bad but he owes Kilkenny nothing and we have plenty of talent to help ease this huge lose if it happens.

I don't know if I could agree with you on Galways forwards being the best but they have some very good forwards but only two can win their own ball!!!

Don't agree about Tipp they have two or three very skilfull players but not necessarily the best in the country TJ Reid, Richie Hogan, Tony Kelly, Joe Canning, Patrick Horgan and ar8e loads more I'm leaving out. Tipps problem is the supporting cast is not up to scratch at all.

Again over the top statement about Waterford they have some great hurlers but I would disagree and say Kilkenny and Clare have better young hurlers. Waterford actually have something a lot of other teams don't and thats a good mix of young and old players which will stand to them.

I don't share your optomism about the Clare situation I can see it ending tears with two very strong characters. It would be great if they can make it work as hurling needs another few serious challengers.

I'll agree with you on Limerick.

Cork are Cork, and that saying now means their mediocre to sh**e!

Theres nothing new there in that Cuala team for Dublin to take advantage of.

If you think our standard is going to drop, I'm afraid the opposite is about to happen. I'm not saying we won't be bet and will win forever or anything stupid like that but we're not going away ye have to catch up to us.

However if you prefer bury your head in the sand by all means work away.

I was playing Devil's Advocate, I hope KK win 10 in a row

limmyhulk

re;tbiggertycome
have to agree with a lot of what this guy is saying
i have to hand it to kk people, theres no bull----
kilkenny will be top notch next year in all grades and it will be up to other counties to step up...
hopefully limerick can get their act together and end years of dissapointment!
People may laugh at this but i really feel we could be something of a juggernaut if we could just get going...proper like!
Seriously but, who could begrudge us?

Realt Dearg Sec

Nobody would begrudge ye, if Kilkenny weren't to win it again limerick would be fine with me!

CrabRevolution

You have to wonder where people get their ideas about how changing the Waterford/Kilkenny border will force Kilkenny clubs to play in Waterford. Administrative boundaries are ignored as far as the GAA is concerned.

Ignoring the obvious "they should have split them" arguments, was Dublin GAA cleaved into 4 parts when it split into 4 counties in the 1990s? Ballaghadereen play in Mayo despite being in Roscommon for the last 120 years. Moneygall is in Offaly yet play in Tipperary competitions.

The most obvious example of them all is propbably the 6 counties. None of the 6 counties up north have existed at an administrative level since the 70s. The counties (Fermanagh aside) were abolished in 1972 and replaced with 26 new authorities. The north didn't then start fielding 26 different teams because of a government boundary change, nor did they start fielding 11 this year when they reduced the number of local authorities to 11.

The county borders as they were in the 1880s are pretty much here to stay, whether that's the best solution for some counties in the long term is another discussion though.

ProudDUB

CrabRevolution wrote: »

You have to wonder where people get their ideas about how changing the Waterford/Kilkenny border will force Kilkenny clubs to play in Waterford. Administrative boundaries are ignored as far as the GAA is concerned.

Ignoring the obvious "they should have split them" arguments, was Dublin GAA cleaved into 4 parts when it split into 4 counties in the 1990s? Ballaghadereen play in Mayo despite being in Roscommon for the last 120 years. Moneygall is in Offaly yet play in Tipperary competitions.

The most obvious example of them all is propbably the 6 counties. None of the 6 counties up north have existed at an administrative level since the 70s. The counties (Fermanagh aside) were abolished in 1972 and replaced with 26 new authorities. The north didn't then start fielding 26 different teams because of a government boundary change, nor did they start fielding 11 this year when they reduced the number of local authorities to 11.

The county borders as they were in the 1880s are pretty much here to stay, whether that's the best solution for some counties in the long term is another discussion though.

No it wasn't. It just split into 4 administrative regions. It's still the same county. Last time I checked, there were still 32 counties in the country, not 35. :rolleyes:

Realt Dearg Sec

ProudDUB wrote: »

No it wasn't. It just split into 4 administrative regions. It's still the same county. Last time I checked, there were still 32 counties in the country, not 35. :rolleyes:

Yeah but they do call them county councils. Administratively they each function equivalent to a county, so it's a relevant example for the argument over Waterford taking part of south Kilkenny.

PlayByTheRules

Sutcliffe (Dublin's best forward) apparently pulling off Dublin squad, might indicate that not all is well in Dublin camp. Should we hand Kilkenny the Leinster title already?

buggy beag

Alan nolan dropped also

PlayByTheRules

Might have been because he is a bit hot-headed. Sutcliffe is a massive massive loss for Dublin though.

No Kilkenny retirements / drop-offs yet and their Ballyhale lads will be fresh to go this year unlike last year when they were in club action.

God help us all from Darth Cody and the evil empire :eek: