Kilkenny GAA Thread Part 2 **MOD NOTE POST 1***

Cornerback1

Mick Fennelly upbeat enough!!!

Michael Fennelly is confident that the Achilles tendon injury he sustained in last Saturday's All-Ireland SHC semi-final replay won't end his hurling career.

The injury, which is one of several he has suffered down the years, rules the midfielder of the All-Ireland final against Tipperary on September 4. Fennelly will undergo surgery on Monday and is expected to be out of action for at least six months.

I ve had a lot of injuries - especially with the back - it s been a rough few years, Fennelly said in an interview with Aidan Cooney on TV3's Ireland AM yesterday morning.

I ve been here before but I ve no doubt it ll come back right again. We ll just see how it is. You can t rule out anything.

If your body can t cope with the load that carries it during the season, you might have to step away from it but we ll cross that bridge. I ve no intention of retiring at the moment.

Fingers crossed everything will go well with that (operation). Six weeks then in a cast and then another six to eight weeks in a boot and hopefully then by next February or March I ll be back playing a bit of sport.

danganabu

dubcat51 wrote: »

He was injured.didnt make the 26 maych day squad.sure we will see him back gor the final.

dastardly00 wrote: »

I didn't actually know that. What was his injury?

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Didn't hear that either, presumed he was dropped because he was roasted?

You didn't hear it because its not true, dubcat never let the truth get in the way of a good story to be fair to him!

A bit like when he claims that Joyce has ''always'' had Bonner's number, when they have only marked each other once and pretty much every KK player was on top that day.

danganabu

randd1 wrote: »

While there's no doubt we've regressed a bit, it shouldn't be forgotten that this side is going for 3 in a row.

Tipperary's improvement can only be measured against the best of what's out there in the AI series, as the quality of games they've faced in Munster the past few years has been shocking.

Tipp were impressive in beating a Galway side that quite frankly were the better team but just didn't take their chances. It takes a very good side to win an AI SF when not playing well as Tipp did.

But Galway were the better side, they physically dominated Tipp as well throughout the game. Given the 75 minutes of intensity and physicality from our lads the night before, there's little doubt in my mind that we can not only match but beat Tipp on that front.

As I said, we have regressed a bit, but we're still going for 3 in a row. For me though Tipp's improvement is hardly that noticeable, they're not the same team as two years ago, and whereas Kilkenny have won the AI when they regressed, Tipp have won two Munsters of poor quality and scraped past a Galway side that were a better team than them.

Ultimately the AI will tell a lot. While we've regressed a bit, Tipp have too and a lot further than what we did, and their improvement is based on the much further slide. Neither side have the same quality as two years ago, the only difference is we have the big scalp of the last two years.

For me it's hard to judge Tipp based on the poverty of the Munster championship. At least in Leinster, Kilkenny have faced Galway who are the third best side in the country and the ones most likely to take out the top two, and even at that we've had it much easier against them than Tipp. The SF was the one high quality knockout match in which Tipp have had to dig deep to win since the the Galway game of 2014 in the early rounds.

Have Tipp have improved enough to win? I think they're more direct and hard working but I would have still my doubts given their record against the better sides the last few years, but they certainly look like a better goal threat than the last few years too, and I think that might be difference.

I could have sworn that Waterford were in the last two Munster championships?

unrealtime

Munster championship have been poor for at least the last 50 years. In that time Munster teams have won only a third of the all Ireland's on offer. Hurling in Munster has not been the standard for decades now.

danganabu

unrealtime wrote: »

Munster championship have been poor for at least the last 50 years. In that time Munster teams have won only a third of the all Ireland's on offer. Hurling in Munster has not been the standard for decades now.

A small bit of cop on every now and again wouldn't go astray?? Your not too hot on the auld fractions either!!

dirkmeister

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

I mean her was roasted against Gleeson the first day against Waterford, presumed that was why he was dropped, not because of an injury. Didn't hear anything about that.

Maher is more suited to Joyce's style of play alright.

There were rumours going around the week before the replay that he was concussed during the drawn game.

unrealtime

Bionn an firinne searbh

danganabu

Changing language doesn't make it any more of a stupid claim, 20/50 is not a third btw, should have went to maths while you were getting the Irish lessons!

Dick phelan

In fairness anybody could get roasted by Austin Gleeson when he plays the way he did the first day against ye, Joyce is a fine hurler i wouldn't be afraid to play him against Tipp just because a hurler of Austin Gleesons quality gave him a hard time that can happen to the best in the game if there marking one of the best hurlers in the country.

randd1

danganabu wrote: »

I could have sworn that Waterford were in the last two Munster championships?

Waterford were not near good enough last year, and were easily beaten by Tipp.

They were so poor in this years Munster it was actually unbelievable.

They only added intrigue to the Munster finals, they lacked the quality in their performance both years.

And even at that they were light years ahead of the other Munster sides.

dubcat51

Anyone can have a bad day.kilkenny hurlers dont have 2 many.cant remember a kilkenny player having 2 bad days in a row.team ethic kicks in when someone is having a off day to insure the result.thats what seperates us from everyone else.

JimboJones99

Dick phelan wrote: »

In fairness anybody could get roasted by Austin Gleeson when he plays the way he did the first day against ye, Joyce is a fine hurler i wouldn't be afraid to play him against Tipp just because a hurler of Austin Gleesons quality gave him a hard time that can happen to the best in the game if there marking one of the best hurlers in the country.

Exactly, he had a bad day, happens to the best of them. I would also have no problem putting Joyce back in there. I'd say he is chomping at the bit to get back out there

adrian522

Harsh...

https://twitter.com/PaulMurphykk/status/767822199097090049

Cornerback1

Brian Gavin to referee the final - will he need a helmet this time!!!!

pmy.murphy

Cornerback1 wrote: »

Brian Gavin to referee the final - will he need a helmet this time!!!!

More like the players will need gladiatorial gear Id say. Gavin is fond of letting the game flow

unrealtime

He hates Tipp

Whiplash85

Yea definitely advantage Kilkenny with the Gavin appointment for reasons I wont get into as I could incur another ban from this forum. Even with Tipps manner of victory in the munster final it didn't slip my radar what an utterly shocking performance he put in that day. Sometimes you have to wonder.

Interestingly with such a small pool of referees Barry Kelly officiated at least 2 championship games a year for Kilkenny between the years of 2008-2014 aside from 2010. Since 2014 Kilkenny have played 10 championship games and he has been the man in the middle for NONE of them.

adrian522

Given his performance in 2014 the only surprise is that he ever got another senior championship game.

citykat

Whiplash85 wrote: »

Yea definitely advantage Kilkenny with the Gavin appointment for reasons I wont get into as I could incur another ban from this forum. Even with Tipps manner of victory in the munster final it didn't slip my radar what an utterly shocking performance he put in that day. Sometimes you have to wonder.

Interestingly with such a small pool of referees Barry Kelly officiated at least 2 championship games a year for Kilkenny between the years of 2008-2014 aside from 2010. Since 2014 Kilkenny have played 10 championship games and he has been the man in the middle for NONE of them.

Wtf. Does Kelly have to ref the AI EVERY year? What is the fixation with Kelly not getting it this year? Given the no. of inter county refs he should only be getting it every 7/8 years.

Whiplash85

citykat wrote: »

Wtf. Does Kelly have to ref the AI EVERY year? What is the fixation with Kelly not getting it this year? Given the no. of inter county refs he should only be getting it every 7/8 years.

Maybe do a bit of research before you make such outlandish claims.
Gavin has reffed 4 of the last 6 AI's so maybe substitute Gavin with Kelly in your above statement and then you might make a bit of sense. The pertinent point here is that Kelly hasn't refereed any of Kilkennys last 10 championship games over a 2 year period. Before that he reffed on average 2 a year. Do you not think thats a bit strange? Do the maths. Even more interesting is the double standards. Marty asked in an interview after the 09 all Ireland were a couple of decisions very debatable and that Kilkenny benefited from a few of kirwans brainfarts that day. Cody was less than impressed to say the least. Now Kelly it seems cant get a game when KK are involved.

dubcat51

After the free in the last minute against jackie in 12 hogan in 14 and sheffs sending off in 13 shoudnt ever get another kk game.

Gentleman Off The Pitch

From reading a certain Tipp forum, there are many Tipperary people of the opinion that the biggest obstacle to Tipp winning the All-Ireland is Brian Gavin

Whiplash85

Gentleman Off The Pitch wrote: »

From reading a certain Tipp forum, there are many Tipperary people of the opinion that the biggest obstacle to Tipp winning the All-Ireland is Brian Gavin

Haha saw that too. There is 6 pages of a thread dedicated to it. I dont think Tipp people will exaggerate when they say they got a shiver down their spine when they saw the appointment. I am surprised the odds on the game haven't swung dramatically.

danganabu

If KK win it will not be down to Brain Gavin, it will simply be that they were the better team on the day, referees don't win or lose games players do, simples!

Whiplash85

danganabu wrote: »

If KK win it will not be down to Brain Gavin, it will simply be that they were the better team on the day, referees don't win or lose games players do, simples!

What a meaninless cliche. You're trying to tell me that if 45 seconds of additional time wasn't magiced up in the 2013 All Ireland that Cork wouldn't have won. I can think of so many examples over the years. a referee has to make more decisions in a game than any player. If he gets a few of them wrong it makes all the difference. So to surmise yes referees can be the winning and losing of the game. We are talking about tiny margins here.

Rasputin11

danganabu wrote: »

If KK win it will not be down to Brain Gavin, it will simply be that they were the better team on the day, referees don't win or lose games players do, simples!

Tell any Louth football person that.

danganabu

Whiplash85 wrote: »

What a meaninless cliche. You're trying to tell me that if 45 seconds of additional time wasn't magiced up in the 2013 All Ireland that Cork wouldn't have won. I can think of so many examples over the years. a referee has to make more decisions in a game than any player. If he gets a few of them wrong it makes all the difference. So to surmise yes referees can be the winning and losing of the game. We are talking about tiny margins here.

No what I'm telling you is that Cork had no one to blame only themselves, they missed numerous chances and let a poor Clare team back in, i think time have since proven that neither was good enough to win an AI in truth.

An the referee dint magic up any time, please please look up the phrase ''at least'' becasue I'm sick of explaining it to people who don't seem to be able to comprehend a very simple concept.

Rasputin11 wrote: »

Tell any Louth football person that.

I would If I knew any, unfortunately I don't!

People giving out about a referee before the game is played is weak and defeatist, I'm sure Mick Ryan isn't talking any such nonsense.

We can not control the referee, we can only control our performance and if we perform well enough no referee can change that, its a non-story tbh.

unrealtime

Brian Gavin is worth any 15 Tipp players. he is a man's ref for a man's game

Whiplash85

unrealtime wrote: »

Brian Gavin is worth any 15 Tipp players. he is a man's ref for a man's game

:rolleyes:

danganabu

unrealtime wrote: »

Brian Gavin is worth any 15 Tipp players. he is a man's ref for a man's game

Trolling is actually something that requires a bit of skill and intelligence, you might want to consider a new approach!!