HatchetMan7 wrote: » I would say that Barry Coughlan is probably the best natural full back in club hurling in Waterford. I'd have to admit though that i was hoping McGrath might try Shane Fives in there last year and put Stephan Daniels corner back. In fairness to Coughlan it couldn't have been easy for him to play 2-3 years with TDB sweeping in front of you and then all of a sudden TDB is back out at centre back. He must have felt very isolated which is not a good feeling when your full back against top quality full forwards. Kilkennys corner forwards were often standing right out by the sideline creating loads of space for Colin Fennelly. I wish that Waterford had a Brian Lohan or Daithi Burke type of player to play full back but we don't and i don't see any obvious alternative at the moment unless as some have said TDB plays there.
TGV wrote: » What's the score ?
Motivator wrote: » DJ Foran absolutely awful once again. He has been anonymous in a Waterford jersey for 2 years apart from his intermediate performance against Clare. It's like playing with 14 every time he starts. Fellas calling for him to be involved in the senior set-up would want to get a grip. He's light years away from it.
Deskjockey wrote: » Maybe you should get a name change to Demotivator if that is the only point you can come on here to make after Waterford win an AI semifinal by 25 points or so ... Potential banana skin avoided, massive score put up, well done to players and management team.
Motivator wrote: » I'm calling a spade a spade. He offered nothing for 45 mins, fair enough he got 3 or 4 scores in the last 10 or 15 mins but he was poor again. I'd have Peter Hogan starting ahead of him in the final. Also, potential banana skin? Are you serious? Obviously it's great for everyone to be back in a final after so many years but there are Junior club teams around the county who are better than Antrim. It was embarrassing to watch them play. Great to be in a final but I feel sorry for Antrim.
cul beag wrote: » You are probably right. But then would he offer as much as lets say Shane O Sullivan has in the past two years and he's still classed as an intercounty player?
Giveitfong wrote: » The main benefit to Waterford of this one-sided victory is that it gave five substitutes a decent run-out. I thought that Dermot Ryan looked very impressive when he came on for Austin Gleeson and Jack Fagan showed some good touches. The mentors took quite a risk in starting Shane Bennett after his warm-up ankle injury, but at least they were quick enough whipping him off. It was interesting to see Stephen Bennett starting on the wing with DJ Foran at full forward. I think the team’s scoring threat improved when they switched over in the second half, with Foran adding three points to the one he got in the first half. It was disappointing to see Waterford players hitting wides from out the field in the second half, given the scoring threat which Stephen Bennett and Patrick Curran provided inside. Also, on several occasions Waterford forwards took tap-over points when if they looked up, there were unmarked Waterford forwards at the edge of the square. I’m happy that Galway won their semi-final as I think Dublin, with a lot of senior panellists, might have offered a greater challenge in the final. Without playing well, Dublin should still have won the game, but some of their 21 wides were really bad. I thought their three previous championship games would stand to Dublin in extra time, especially in the second period when they had the strong wind behind them. But Galway really dug in and played very well in that closing period. As you would expect, they have a lot of handy hurlers but no real stand-out players, apart perhaps for their captain Brian Molloy. Conor Whelan is their only senior player, but apart from scoring two points and bringing a good save from the Dublin goalie, he didn’t do a whole lot. His form with the Galway seniors has also been poor enough this year – perhaps a case of second-season syndrome after his standout debut season last year. A lot of the Galway team were good at fetching the ball out of the air. They will be no pushover in the final. Twelve of the Waterford team which started the 2013 minor final also started tonight, although presumably it would have been eleven if Jordan Henley hadn’t been injured. Those missing were Kevin Daly and Cian Leamy (both of whom have been hit by injury) and Adam Farrell, who was a sub tonight and came on in the second half. Conor Gleeson, a sub in 2013, started tonight. The two “new” players were Darragh Lyons and Conor Prunty. Seven of the Galway team which started in the 2013 final also started tonight – the goalie Cathal Tuohy, fullback Darragh O’Donoghue, centre back Shane Cooney, midfielder Darragh Dolan, half forwards Brian Molloy and Conor Whelan and full forward Eanna Burke. Two more of the 2013 starting team – defender Sylvie Linnane and forward A. Morrissey – came on as subs tonight even though they were not listed in the programme. Two more 2013 starters – corner backs Maidhc Ó Conghaile and Michael Conneely – were listed as subs in tonight’s programme but were not brought on. Two other subs who were brought on tonight (Vincent Doyle and Eamon Brannigan) also came on as subs in the 2013 final. Thus Galway had eight starting players (corner backs Conor Jennings and Declan Cronin, wing backs Fintan Burke and Seán Loftus, midfielder Dan Nevin, wing forward Kevin McHugo and corner forwards Tom Monaghan and Cian Burke) who had no involvement in the 2013 minor final. Of these, only Nevin and Monaghan (who hit three points) made any impression on me. The follow-through from minor to Under-21 in the Waterford team is exceptionally high, but then the 2013 minor team was itself exceptional and should have walked the championship that year rather than stumbling to the title. At the time I thought that up to nine of that team was capable of making the grade at senior intercounty level, and although not all have made the step up (at least yet) that would have been an unprecedented number of senior players to get from a single minor team.
Motivator wrote: » Ray Charles would offer more in a Waterford jersey than Shane
Deskjockey wrote: » I'm sure Wexford u21s a few years ago thought they just had to turn up against Antrim, and Mt Sion were beaten by Dunloy 13 years ago as well so yeah I'll stand over that comment as a potential banana skin, every game has the potential to take on a life of its own... Agree Antrim were poor though, they offered nothing Look you are entitled to your opinion but I do think it's poor form when your first thoughts are to come on here slating various players who have shed blood sweat and tears for the jersey when we have just qualified for a final for the first time in 24 years.
Fred C Dobbs wrote: » Under age success doesn't automatically translate into Senior AIs (e.g. Limerick and Galway) but there is a progression about Waterford under age hurling that's looks irresistible. There's a great mix to the U21s ; lots of skill, small nippy players allied to some big, powerful ones. Wasn't at the match but Galway looked ordinary enough on TV ; can see Curran, Devine and Stephen Bennett making hay in the Final, not forgetting another potential masterclass from Gleeson (who never had to get out of 2nd gear yesterday). Crazy that Galway walk straight into semi final and Ulster winners likewise (not the counties fault, I know) and while Antrim surprised Wexford in the past, would it not be better to throw both counties into Leinster with the 2 'provincial' winners meeting in the final itself.
PTH2009 wrote: » I'd put Galway into Leinster Have Munster and Ulster championships stay the same Introduce a backdoor for losing Munster and Leinster finalists Qf- losing Leinster finalists vs Losing Munster finalist Semis will contain Munster, Leinster and Ulster champions and Winner of the qf
KevIRL wrote: » Which Waterford players do ye think will get an all star? Gleeson for sure, but surely one or two others?
KevIRL wrote: Which Waterford players do ye think will get an all star? Gleeson for sure, but surely one or two others?
