Kilkenny GAA Thread Part 2 MOD NOTE POST 1*

Cornerback1 · 15-08-2016 06:17PM

In summary, what a game. It was an honour to be there. 2 greats teams giving everything for the cause. The first half was unreal. I couldn't believe it when Mc Grath blew for half time - flew by. Great start by both teams - goals galore in the first 20mins which set the tone. Waterford hung in there and i was thinking what are the odds of the 3 matches (2 camogie) all going to extra time. Super entertainment. I could see Mahony's free dropping short and was even thinking, 'let it go over Murphy, take no chances and we'll regroup for extra time'. How wrong I was? What a take under pressure and under the lights!

The game flowed and ebbed throughout and KK's intensity from the first whistle was evident. Both managements tried to isolate their full forwards one on one inside and it worked, especially for Colin F. He worked realley hard and his touch and vision for Larkin's point was excellent. P draig chipped in with 2 quick points and T.J. was really good in open play and got on a lot of ball. Blanchfield could have had a goal in 2nd half but he had a really good championship starter. Got a handy point early on which set him up well. As well as that, he caught a great ball when it was needed and won a crucial free from it late in the game.

Full back line done well - really worked hard. Gleeson's goal came from bad control from Cillian and their 2nd goal was well worked and that was their tactic. Paul Murphy gets through a ton of work in there - great at doing the basics with no fuss.

Half back line was more assertive on Saturday evening. Really worked hard. Will Joyce come back for the final and Conor got to midfield?

T.J. and Richie clogged up the middle third and Richie is well able to find the small pockets of space. That's all he needs. He always seems to do the right thing with the sliotar. His decision making is first class. T.J. seemed to direct things in there nearly like a quarterback. He always has 2 or 3 men around him which allows time and space for others. An example of this was P draig's second point - a class reverse pop pass to take out 2 Waterford lads. He chipped in with a great point from play in the first half.

Half forwards worked hard also and the rucks were evenly contested. Nice vision by Wally to spot Colin. Others may have attempted to take it on themselves but role reversal from last Sunday's goal.

Quiet day for Bergin but it'll stand to him. Not sure who Cody will start in the corner in the final but there's a place to be played for.

Loved the way lads stayed on the pitch to sign autographs etc. for the youngsters after the game. #downtoearth

Final word to big Mick. Hope your injury is not serious and that you'll be back playing again. Such a servant and such a warrior. If you're not available for final, the lads need to do it for you as much as themselves etc. You have given so much to that team in terms of energy and commitment. Best of luck with the recovery.

blackcard · 15-08-2016 06:18PM

adrian522 wrote: »

I think supporters at matches always seem to come away with an idea that the ref was biased against them. Happened to me loads, watched a game, thought the ref was awful, watch a repeat on TV and reassess the opinion.

Agree with you on the shoulder though, it did seem like a fair challenge, but no ref is going to get every decision right. On the balance of things I think he did a good job overall and contributed to a great game.

I agree with you, the Waterford supporters around me were livid when one of their players had a free given against him for catching the ball three times but seeing it back on tv, the ref was right. The ref let a lot go which meant that both sets of supporters were going to be aggrieved. At the match, I was certain that the ref had 'done' us,but watching it back on tv, it is clear that he could have given frees to both teams. On the other hand, his approach helped in making this an epic battle. I suppose if both sets of fans are unhappy, there is a good chance that you were balanced. It is probably easy for me to say this seeing as kk won but I going to make a resolution to not criticise refs any more (This will start immediately after the AI)

unrealtime · 15-08-2016 10:32PM

It's great for us that neither Kelly nor McGrath can ref the final. Both are unable to give us fair play.

Cornerback1 · 15-08-2016 10:48PM

@KilkennyCLG
Kilkenny GAA tonight confirm that Ml Fennelly has ruptured his Achilles' tendon & is out of All Irl Final. We wish him well in his recovery.

adrian522 · 15-08-2016 11:07PM

Cornerback1 wrote: »

@KilkennyCLG
Kilkenny GAA tonight confirm that Ml Fennelly has ruptured his Achilles' tendon & is out of All Irl Final. We wish him well in his recovery.

Terrible news. Sad to say but hard to see him coming back from this.

dubcat51 · 15-08-2016 11:22PM

Terrible for mick.hooefully he will be back in the black and amber soon.places up for grab.can see someone like john walsh making the bench.plenty of rabbits in codys hat.

amber69 · 15-08-2016 11:24PM

Is Ger Awards back training? If not I'd chance John Walsh right corner forward.

Whiplash85 · 15-08-2016 11:43PM

unrealtime wrote: »

It's great for us that neither Kelly nor McGrath can ref the final. Both are unable to give us fair play.

Yea Lets have a ref that has Tommy Walshs jersey on his mantlepiece, allowed Tommy to flake him accross the face in the All Ireland final and that can be intimidated by Cody and is from the same province as us instead.:rolleyes:

Utopia Parkway · 15-08-2016 11:48PM

Cornerback1 wrote: »

@KilkennyCLG
Kilkenny GAA tonight confirm that Ml Fennelly has ruptured his Achilles' tendon & is out of All Irl Final. We wish him well in his recovery.

One of the toughest injuries to come back from sadly.

Michael Kavanagh · 16-08-2016 12:45AM

Whiplash85 wrote: »

Yea Lets have a ref that has Tommy Walshs jersey on his mantlepiece, allowed Tommy to flake him accross the face in the All Ireland final and that can be intimidated by Cody and is from the same province as us instead.:rolleyes:

Is it not going to be Nigel Owens

Buck Melanoma · 16-08-2016 12:48AM

Whiplash85 wrote: »

Yea Lets have a ref that has Tommy Walshs jersey on his mantlepiece, allowed Tommy to flake him accross the face in the All Ireland final and that can be intimidated by Cody and is from the same province as us instead.:rolleyes:

Look back on the incident, that's not exactly what happened though is it ? Must be terrible now that Tommy is not playing anymore , have to find someone else to be the pantomime villain. Why wouldn't he have a jersey belonging to one of the greatest hurlers of our time. Did he not win all stars on 4 lines of the pitch? 9 all Ireland's etc. :rolleyes:

Realt Dearg Sec · 16-08-2016 12:52AM

Buck Melanoma wrote: »

Look back on the incident, that's not exactly what happened though is it ? Must be terrible now that Tommy is not playing anymore , have to find someone else to be the pantomime villain. Why wouldn't he have a jersey belonging to one of the greatest hurlers of our time. Did he not win all stars on 4 lines of the pitch? 9 all Ireland's etc. :rolleyes:

Not worth having the argument IMO! He's a good ref as these things go, I think we complain too much about refs in KK, the only thing worse is the amount of complaining other fans do about refs' treatment of KK! Hopefully the discussion before and especially after the match won't end up being endless **** about referees. Thought the ref on Saturday was very good all in all, let the players at it. Would be happy enough to see him in again. My main problem with Kelly is he tends to be a bit whistle happy.

brookville · 16-08-2016 07:33AM

Devastating news for michael and a huge loss for kk.it makes the task ahead all the more difficult but if coady can get the match ups right we have a chance,obviously keeping their full foward line quite will be the winning or losing of this game I think.I thought fogarty was caught out a few times in possession and joyce will probably come back at six where he'd suit bonner.I know we say it every year that this would be his best one ever but if he wins this one it would be some achievement.

amber69 · 16-08-2016 10:26AM

brookville wrote: »

Devastating news for michael and a huge loss for kk.it makes the task ahead all the more difficult but if coady can get the match ups right we have a chance,obviously keeping their full foward line quite will be the winning or losing of this game I think.I thought fogarty was caught out a few times in possession and joyce will probably come back at six where he'd suit bonner.I know we say it every year that this would be his best one ever but if he wins this one it would be some achievement.

His best one ever was 2006

iMacHunt · 16-08-2016 12:38PM

You would have to feel desperately sorry for Mick Fennelly of course but his inter county career may not be over.

I ruptured my achilles two years ago playing hurling, I had an op and was in a cast for around 5 or 6 weeks. There were no complications and the physio, demanding as it was, worked well.

From the time of the injury to the time I was back playing fully was around 5 months.

Hopefully Mick will be the same and he will be back at full tilt next year.

Good luck to the team in the final, no fear of Tipp!

danganabu · 16-08-2016 12:50PM

iMacHunt wrote: »

You would have to feel desperately sorry for Mick Fennelly of course but his inter county career may not be over.

I ruptured my achilles two years ago playing hurling, I had an op and was in a cast for around 5 or 6 weeks. There were no complications and the physio, demanding as it was, worked well.

From the time of the injury to the time I was back playing fully was around 5 months.

Hopefully Mick will be the same and he will be back at full tilt next year.

Good luck to the team in the final, no fear of Tipp!

All well and good in an ideal scenario but the reality is that Mick Fennelly has had a litany of injuries that would have already ended the career of a lesser player, as much as I hate to say it I feel that his inter county playing days are over.

Whiplash85 · 16-08-2016 02:36PM

I think an achillies injury is worse than your standard leg break of cruciate ligament. They are notoriously hard to get right and the issue with an achillies tendon is that that particular area has very bad blood flow.

unrealtime · 16-08-2016 04:40PM

I would expect him to come back. If necessary he could go into goals and be the best there. The man can do anything. I'd say his scoring percentages are second to none also as well as his other attributes that make him such a fantastic player.

adrian522 · 16-08-2016 04:58PM

I don't know, I'd say he was a candidate for retirement this year anyway. If he is facing into a year on the sidelines and looking at a comeback in 2018 I'd say it would be a bridge too far.

The chances of him being back on the team in 2017 would be slim enough I'd say, talk of a 9 month rehab would not be encouraging.

Cornerback1 · 16-08-2016 05:40PM

adrian522 wrote: »

I don't know, I'd say he was a candidate for retirement this year anyway. If he is facing into a year on the sidelines and looking at a comeback in 2018 I'd say it would be a bridge too far.

The chances of him being back on the team in 2017 would be slim enough I'd say, talk of a 9 month rehab would not be encouraging.

I suppose it all depends how long he's out for: 6-9 months? He could, if suited, miss the National League and tailor his training etc. to be ready for the championship in June time. Who knows. He's a fit lad naturally.

More important thing is that he gets the best medical care and given time to have a think about the future.

What a soldier he is anyway - a real warrior who has had some tough times with injuries through his career. Great to have seen him play and always has had a great influence in games for the Cats.

adrian522 · 16-08-2016 05:50PM

Well he'll be in a cast for a lot of that then his rehab would involve a lot of strengthening of the ligaments. I'd say if he is able to get back running/training by next June he would be doing extremely well.

Not that I have any expertise in the area just what I've heard from people etc.

citykat · 16-08-2016 05:53PM

I

Cornerback1 wrote: »

adrian522 wrote: »

I don't know, I'd say he was a candidate for retirement this year anyway. If he is facing into a year on the sidelines and looking at a comeback in 2018 I'd say it would be a bridge too far.

The chances of him being back on the team in 2017 would be slim enough I'd say, talk of a 9 month rehab would not be encouraging.

I suppose it all depends how long he's out for: 6-9 months? He could, if suited, miss the National League and tailor his training etc. to be ready for the championship in June time.

Fennelly hasn't played many league games these last couple of years. 1 in 2015, the relegation playoff against Clare. Last year he played against Offaly and that was it.

Cornerback1 · 16-08-2016 05:54PM

adrian522 wrote: »

Well he'll be in a cast for a lot of that then his rehab would involve a lot of strengthening of the ligaments. I'd say if he is able to get back running/training by next June he would be doing extremely well.

Not that I have any expertise in the area just what I've heard from people etc.

I suppose, apart from missing All Ireland Final and club games (which is bad in itself) then he has the winter months on his side. Yeah, i heard that it's a nasty injury and takes a bit of time alright.

Cornerback1 · 16-08-2016 05:59PM

citykat wrote: »

I

Cornerback1 wrote: »

adrian522 wrote: »

I don't know, I'd say he was a candidate for retirement this year anyway. If he is facing into a year on the sidelines and looking at a comeback in 2018 I'd say it would be a bridge too far.

The chances of him being back on the team in 2017 would be slim enough I'd say, talk of a 9 month rehab would not be encouraging.

I suppose it all depends how long he's out for: 6-9 months? He could, if suited, miss the National League and tailor his training etc. to be ready for the championship in June time.

Fennelly hasn't played many league games these last couple of years. 1 in 2015, the relegation playoff against Clare. Last year he played against Offaly and that was it.

That's what i mean - he always timed his playing to get the best out of himself and for the team.

A lot of 'senior' county players, in both codes, seem to skip the national league and prepare themselves for championship. Good that managers see the benefits of that plus, it's gives an opportunity to new lads to gain match experience.

Bit early i know but do you reckon Kieran Joyce will come back in at No. 6?

Realt Dearg Sec · 16-08-2016 06:07PM

Someone posted an interview with Fennelly in the Times a few months ago, where he expressed real concern about his own health after hurling, and the damage he might be doing, particularly to his back. Said he had real concerns about the ability to lift up and hold his kids in later years. If that is a real issue, he really should be hanging up the hurl at this point, the man is a legend, he has won everything there is to win in the game, he has nothing left to prove. Would of course love to see him again and he is a crucial loss to us, but you'd worry about what kind of damage some of our lads are doing to themselves long term playing the sport at that level without the kind of recovery available to professionals.

dastardly00 · 16-08-2016 06:17PM

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Someone posted an interview with Fennelly in the Times a few months ago, where he expressed real concern about his own health after hurling, and the damage he might be doing, particularly to his back. Said he had real concerns about the ability to lift up and hold his kids in later years. If that is a real issue, he really should be hanging up the hurl at this point, the man is a legend, he has won everything there is to win in the game, he has nothing left to prove. Would of course love to see him again and he is a crucial loss to us, but you'd worry about what kind of damage some of our lads are doing to themselves long term playing the sport at that level without the kind of recovery available to professionals.

Here it is:
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/michael-fennelly-still-up-to-the-task-and-it-s-still-worth-it-1.2640875

Well worth a read for anyone who hasn't.

kk1970 · 16-08-2016 06:43PM

unrealtime wrote: »

I would expect him to come back. If necessary he could go into goals and be the best there. The man can do anything. I'd say his scoring percentages are second to none also as well as his other attributes that make him such a fantastic player.

In goals? That's ridiculous! He is a legendary midfielder. Never a goalie. He has to get himself fit and healthy before making any decisions. There is more important things in life then hurling as well .

Cornerback1 · 16-08-2016 07:25PM

dastardly00 wrote: »

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Someone posted an interview with Fennelly in the Times a few months ago, where he expressed real concern about his own health after hurling, and the damage he might be doing, particularly to his back. Said he had real concerns about the ability to lift up and hold his kids in later years. If that is a real issue, he really should be hanging up the hurl at this point, the man is a legend, he has won everything there is to win in the game, he has nothing left to prove. Would of course love to see him again and he is a crucial loss to us, but you'd worry about what kind of damage some of our lads are doing to themselves long term playing the sport at that level without the kind of recovery available to professionals.

Here it is:
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/michael-fennelly-still-up-to-the-task-and-it-s-still-worth-it-1.2640875

Well worth a read for anyone who hasn't.

Great article. He's come through a lot. What comes out of it is his hunger for success. That article was only a few months back and he knows his own body. I suppose, as Realt Dearg states, as long as it doesn't impinge on his future health. That's be the worry long term alright.

blackcard · 16-08-2016 07:41PM

I think, barring,injuries, that there are 12 certainties for the AI final team. Eoin Murphy, Paul Murphy, Joey Holden, Shane Prendergast, Padraig Walsh, Kieran Joyce, Cillian Buckley, Conor Fogarty, Walter Walsh, TJ Reid, Richie Hogan and Colin Fennelly. There would seem to be a choice between playing Lester Ryan midfield or have TJ Reid and Richie Hogan alternate between midfield and centre forward. I think Cody will go with Lester in midfield which would leave two places left between Liam Blanchfield, Eoin Larkin, JonJo Farrell, John Power and Kevin Kelly. My bet would be Liam Blanchfield and Eoin Larkin.

dubcat51 · 16-08-2016 08:24PM

Alot can happen over the next 3 weeks.hopefully no more injuries.can see jonjo getting back in myself.kelly bolger john walsh all have a chance of being in the 26 for matchday squad.we have the players contrary to what people outside kilkenny may think.

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

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Kilkenny GAA Thread Part 2 MOD NOTE POST 1*