Kilkenny GAA Thread Part 2 MOD NOTE POST 1*

suirway · 20-02-2017 08:06PM

Since lads are posting teams might as well join in. Unsure how many of the following are available V Cork but here goes!

Eoin Murphy
Paul Murphy Robert Lennon Tommy Walsh
Jason Cleere Cillian Buckley Conor Fogarty
Richie Hogan Lester Ryan
Walter Walsh Padraig Walsh TJ Reid
Ger Aylward Colin Fennelly John Walsh

brookville · 20-02-2017 09:07PM

suirway wrote: »

Since lads are posting teams might as well join in. Unsure how many of the following are available V Cork but here goes!

Eoin Murphy
Paul Murphy Robert Lennon Tommy Walsh
Jason Cleere Cillian Buckley Conor Fogarty
Richie Hogan Lester Ryan
Walter Walsh Padraig Walsh TJ Reid
Ger Aylward Colin Fennelly John Walsh

Lester gone for the league and colin will hardly be back.I'm nearly certain cleere is having hip trouble which is common issue with inter county players unfortunately,I was told last week that joe lyng and aylward are nearly back but both probably won't be rushed for the league
It's unlikely we'll see tommy walsh this year and certainly unlikely padraig will be pushed to center forward although I did suggest earlier we probably need him in attack

Topcat32 · 20-02-2017 09:16PM

brookville wrote: »

Lester gone for the league and colin will hardly be back.I'm nearly certain cleere is having hip trouble which is common issue with inter county players unfortunately,I was told last week that joe lyng and aylward are nearly back but both probably won't be rushed for the league
It's unlikely we'll see tommy walsh this year and certainly unlikely padraig will be pushed to center forward although I did suggest earlier we probably need him in attack

Dont know anything about Jason Cleere's issues, but just on the hip problem and on a wider gaa perspective, doesnt it make sense that hip problems like what Richie Doyle had, is identified earlier, surely if we are going to put under 16 players on weights programmes which I believe Kilkenny have started to do recently a full and comprehensive health check including scans should be undertaken

ttowncat · 20-02-2017 10:53PM

randd1 wrote: »

For the rest of the league, is like to see the lads line out like this:

E Murphy,
P Murphy - J Holden - P Walsh
K Joyce - R Lennon - C Buckley
O Walsh - C Fogarty
W Walsh - TJ Reid - J Power
L Blanchfield - R Hogan - R Leahy

If we went with that I'd like to see three things happen along with it.

- The HB line hold their line a bit deeper, Lennon especially, to cut down the space between them and the FB line, with Fogarty operating as a covering midfielder and as an out for the defence.
Walsh would be the legs to cover the defence/support the forwards with his direct running.

- With the HB line playing deeper, the HF line would really need to get stuck in physically. Walsh, Reid and Power are all big men capable of winning their own ball, and crucially can cover the yards as well, dropping into midfield to cover the attacks to help cut down quality ball coming at the defence, and all three are strong runners going towards goal.

- All of which would mean that the ball to the FF line should be good low ball as our HF line and midfield playing a bit deeper should drag the opposition out a bit. Richie Hogan could drop another 10 yards and be the link man if he got the right ball.

I think that team playing that way would be a tough nut to crack.

Come championship we would have Aylward and Colin Fennelly back, with Farrell another option from te bench up front. Murphy and Walsh in the corners would allow Holden to tight mark as both are better at covering than marking.

This system sounds like what has served us well over the last decade, especially the half back line staying in position (best example I can think of is John Tennyson in 2009 letting Noel McGrath catch a puck out on the sideline uncontested and score a point - take your point but there's no way you're dragging us out so as to get in for goal!) But I wonder if they had played that way over the last two league matches would they just be watching their midfielders being smothered by the the oppositions half forwards and midfield and then bracing themselves for a wave attack of runners, dummy runners and interlocking hand passing that is near impossible to hold out especially if in a standing position and them brushing by at full pelt... I can easily understand why they feel the need to go out and get involved in the mosh pit that is now midfield...

Cornerback1 · 20-02-2017 10:57PM

I suppose the one positive thing out of all this is the management are trying different lads and different lads in different positions etc. It's not like they can say they never got a chance. We all have different opinions of who should play where etc.

I'd like to see P Murphy back in the corner and Padráig Walsh out at half back. We need to compress the first third and stop easy goal scoring opportunities.

I think people need to realise the day of starting in the corner and staying there the who match is kinda gone - forwards move all over the place now in trying to create space.

I think Cody must build his defence first - whether that is playing a sweeper or squeezing space, it must be done. A strong defence is half the battle in my opinion. Be good to see Robert Lennon at No. 6 and see how he goes there.

The forwards are another story.

Topcat32 · 21-02-2017 02:15PM

minty81 wrote: »

It was our biggest defeat since 1992 v Limerick which was 1-18 o 0-7.

Despite winning 2 all irelands in a row that Kilkenny team had some bad results in the league, lost to both Down and Antrim the following year and were relegated. Only scraped over teams like Kerry and Westmeath. Very different time but imagine the reaction on here if this site was around then.

Have to wonder how much benifit being in division 1 A and going hell for leather for 5 matches in early Spring is for any team. Its an odd league when you consider that a team in the second division has won the whole thing for the last two years.

Hawkeye6 · 21-02-2017 04:45PM

CONGRESS - Motion to reverse Anti-rural club Under-17 rules
http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=266417
One of the key elements of the existing rules that is forgotten/ignored is the fact that if even an up to the Minor inter-county player CANNOT play Adult for his club until the county is knocked out of the Championship. Imagine being a panelist on an inter county team and from a small club and still getting no matches. Its one of the many issues with this which is also driving the changes to underage grades from 2018 onwards. There will be two minor All-Irelands this year to accommodate this change. The usual under-18 one and a once off under-17 one for lads born in 2000 who would have missed out next year (but they are still really missing out). Well done to Young Irelands and it would be a shame if it is not passed.

All the Motions
http://www.gaa.ie/news/annual-congress-2017-the-motions-explained/

Michael Kavanagh · 21-02-2017 11:31PM

Jason Cleere did a lot of hurling with the Bridge, St Kierans, and under age with kilkenny the last couple of years

brookville · 21-02-2017 11:58PM

Michael Kavanagh wrote: »

Jason Cleere did a lot of hurling with the Bridge, St Kierans, and under age with kilkenny the last couple of years

Huge amount done already hopefully the break will give him a chance to get over the injury.Anyone any idea how the u21s are going with practice matches etc?

Topcat32 · 22-02-2017 12:34AM

Think the papers have overblown the two defeats a lot, absolutely there are genuine questions to ask about Kilkenny, but front page and a full back page on the indo yesterday and John Fogarty questioning players pride on the old Cork Examiner today, Dublin, Clare and Cork allready have been reported to be in crisis this February. I wonder is this more about the mainstream journalists feeling threatened by online media than anything else.

Realt Dearg Sec · 22-02-2017 01:25AM

Topcat32 wrote: »

Think the papers have overblown the two defeats a lot, absolutely there are genuine questions to ask about Kilkenny, but front page and a full back page on the indo yesterday and John Fogarty questioning players pride on the old Cork Examiner today, Dublin, Clare and Cork allready have been reported to be in crisis this February. I wonder is this more about the mainstream journalists feeling threatened by online media than anything else.

I dunno, it's not like online media has been a rock of good sense either so I'm not sure if print media should be shipping too much blame! But I agree with your general point about the alarm bells being rung. I think it's because of how the hurling season is structured, and just how little we have to go on in forming opinions. We never seem to learn: I'm excited there's hurling back on TV, so I'm reluctant to dismiss what I'm seeing as irrelevant.

That having been said, there are a lot of things to be genuinely worried about from Sunday. I don't think it's at all like the last time we were in a relegation final. If it were, there'd be concrete things we could point to as signs of promise. Who are the players emerging that we feel could make a big difference this year? It's worrying that our keeper was probably our best player. Eoin Larkin was saying the young players didn't stand up and left it to the senior men. I don't know who he was referring to, because from what I could see the senior men were at nothing.

Interestingly to me, a few weeks ago most of us were mainly discussing full back and what's to be done. There's some debate about Padraig Walsh there, personally I was against the move because I don't think the position suits him, but he's not been too bad at least in some people's view. In the meantime, though, virtually every other position we've looked dodgy. I still think Walsh is getting dragged all over the place and leaving us vulnerable, but even with Noel Hickey there we'd be in trouble at the moment because opposition are getting ball into the danger area at will. Our half forwards have simply not been able to put any kind of pressure onto the backs. Not that they need much quality ball, nobody for Kilkenny at either end of the field looks like they can catch anything out of the air. Maybe we're heavy legged with training, and if so, so be it, and I'm sure improvement will follow. But what new players are we expecting to come in that will make us a better team next year (given that we were not good enough last year, so the same again won't work)?

I don't think it's time to panic, and overreaction to February hurling is a bit silly, but on the other hand, if we are thinking about an All Ireland this year, there's a huge, huge gap to be made up even at this stage. People have mentioned 2015 and how slowly we started, sure, but the look of the team, the lethargy, the lack of fight, the uncertainty about what they're trying to do, it all looks a lot more like 2013. But without the batin of Tipp.

EDIT: should clarify, I think we'll beat Cork, the players will be hurt by all the talk of their demise and how poor the new players are. Hopefully it'll galvanise them even just to spite us all for our unbelief. Whatever about that, I think we'll show huge improvement the next day. But that doesn't mean there aren't things to worry about.

Topcat32 · 22-02-2017 01:51AM

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

I dunno, it's not like online media has been a rock of good sense either so I'm not sure if print media should be shipping too much blame! But I agree with your general point about the alarm bells being rung. I think it's because of how the hurling season is structured, and just how little we have to go on in forming opinions. We never seem to learn: I'm excited there's hurling back on TV, so I'm reluctant to dismiss what I'm seeing as irrelevant.

That having been said, there are a lot of things to be genuinely worried about from Sunday. I don't think it's at all like the last time we were in a relegation final. If it were, there'd be concrete things we could point to as signs of promise. Who are the players emerging that we feel could make a big difference this year? It's worrying that our keeper was probably our best player. Eoin Larkin was saying the young players didn't stand up and left it to the senior men. I don't know who he was referring to, because from what I could see the senior men were at nothing.

Interestingly to me, a few weeks ago most of us were mainly discussing full back and what's to be done. There's some debate about Padraig Walsh there, personally I was against the move because I don't think the position suits him, but he's not been too bad at least in some people's view. In the meantime, though, virtually every other position we've looked dodgy. I still think Walsh is getting dragged all over the place and leaving us vulnerable, but even with Noel Hickey there we'd be in trouble at the moment because opposition are getting ball into the danger area at will. Our half forwards have simply not been able to put any kind of pressure onto the backs. Not that they need much quality ball, nobody for Kilkenny at either end of the field looks like they can catch anything out of the air. Maybe we're heavy legged with training, and if so, so be it, and I'm sure improvement will follow. But what new players are we expecting to come in that will make us a better team next year (given that we were not good enough last year, so the same again won't work)?

I don't think it's time to panic, and overreaction to February hurling is a bit silly, but on the other hand, if we are thinking about an All Ireland this year, there's a huge, huge gap to be made up even at this stage. People have mentioned 2015 and how slowly we started, sure, but the look of the team, the lethargy, the lack of fight, the uncertainty about what they're trying to do, it all looks a lot more like 2013. But without the batin of Tipp.

EDIT: should clarify, I think we'll beat Cork, the players will be hurt by all the talk of their demise and how poor the new players are. Hopefully it'll galvanise them even just to spite us all for our unbelief. Whatever about that, I think we'll show huge improvement the next day. But that doesn't mean there aren't things to worry about.

My point is more that online media is all abouts hits and clickbait and by definition needs to be sensational. Its success and the need for mainstream journalism to compete with it has made journalists prone to overstatement.

On what further players can make a difference to the team there is a relatively long list, Colin Fennelly, Ger Aylward, Michael Fennelly, John Power, Luke Scanlon, Conor Delaney, Jason Cleere, Richie Reid, Alan Murphy, Joe Lyng and John Walsh potentially for this year, next year Tommy Walsh, Darren Mullen, Michael Cody and Billy Ryan. Add that to Pat Lyng, Sean Morrissey, Richie Leahy and Liam Blanchfield and there is potential there. Obviously not all of the above players will work out but I believe the younger players mentioned do have talent.

Noddy33 · 22-02-2017 01:00PM

Kevin Farrell has since been called in to KK panel following the end of the All Ireland series with Carrickshock. I am a bit suprised if im honest but certainly not ruling out the possibility of him making any impact...... Its just I would have thought he would be a very similar player and playing style to alot of the other young lads we have already and feel we need lads of more physical presence that are able to take their scores. All considerations his form has been very impressive at times this year although lacks consistency in my opinion but definitely no harm in giving him a run out and whether that does be the Cork game next week remains to be seen......

Cornerback1 · 22-02-2017 01:24PM

Good that all these lads' names are mentioned as they have talent and potential at this level but we can only play 15 players and use our subs when needed. It's important that we have the best 15 on the park and the worrying thing for me is we don't know who they are.

Lads have had chances but haven't performed as expected, for whatever reason, so Cork is a huge game and not even the result. The attitude and workrate will tell the tale in the Cork game and we'll have a better picture then.

I think with the 2 week break we'll come out of the blocks fired up and go at it from the first whistle. With a huge intensity, the performance will be better regardless of what team starts.

MfMan · 22-02-2017 03:22PM

Topcat32 wrote: »

Think the papers have overblown the two defeats a lot, absolutely there are genuine questions to ask about Kilkenny, but front page and a full back page on the indo yesterday and John Fogarty questioning players pride on the old Cork Examiner today, Dublin, Clare and Cork allready have been reported to be in crisis this February. I wonder is this more about the mainstream journalists feeling threatened by online media than anything else.

Hey, hey, hey, Galway are in crisis too after last Sunday. Why are you always leaving us out of things?

Who was the powerful midfielder that played for the KK minors in '15? Outstanding prospect if I recall...

Topcat32 · 22-02-2017 03:29PM

MfMan wrote: »

Hey, hey, hey, Galway are in crisis too after last Sunday. Why are you always leaving us out of things?

Who was the powerful midfielder that played for the KK minors in '15? Outstanding prospect if I recall...

Richie Leahy, played and scored a point on Sunday, even though he looked a reasonably big minor he looks very light at senior level, will need to bulk up a good bit. Can't really judge him at this stage, winter hurling doesn't suit him at the moment.

adrian522 · 23-02-2017 10:24AM

Good Article here I think. I'm certainly in the "No need to panic just yet" camp.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/second-opinion-write-brian-cody-off-at-your-peril-1.2984967

Noddy33 · 24-02-2017 12:27PM

mullinr2 wrote: »

Was at the match. Where do I begin. All I can say lads is that we were a complete shambles. No structure to our backs, first touch off, losing all the 50/50 exchanges. Cannot catch a ball out of the sky anymore. For a big man Walter Walsh is pure useless in the air. He can never get his positioning right. R. Hogan looks like he couldn't give a damn. Attitude is completely off. They looked like a team seriously lacking in confidence, drive and intensity.
No more excuses lads, the decline has come fast. Apparently Ger Alyward has been kicked off the panel. Was told at match. Won't get into it, but it's for serious indiscipline.
Cody has them playing in a way that doesn't suit our current group of forwards. We just don't have those ball winners anymore.
Lads there was a u14 team a few years ago that won the Forristal tournament. They were meant to have been very good. It could have been 3 or 4 years ago. Hopefully we can come good again, but for now, we will just have to watch TIPPERARY dominate for the next 3-5 years.

Just to nip this kind of talk here ........there is no truth what so ever to Ger Alyward been dropped off the panel. He has been doing alot of gym work and suffered a minor setback last week when tweaked a hamstring so I would assume he wont be risked for the Cork match and considering our struggles in the forwards so far this year I wouldnt be suprised if he is held back for the rest of the league altogether to ensure he is fully fit when he does return.
Really hope Carlow IT have a good weekend in the Fitzgibbon this weekend and that Chris Bolger puts down a performance that leaves Cody with no choice but to give him a run. It has to be an mental and attitude thing with Bolger that Cody must not like in him which has failed to see him really get any real proper opportunity because there no doubt he been one of the best performers on the Kilkenny club scene

paulie gaultieri · 24-02-2017 03:21PM

IT Carlow and UCC gone to extra time

JimboJones99 · 24-02-2017 03:24PM

Kevin Kelly scored a goal with 4 mins left to put Carlow 5 ahead. John Power scored a goal a couple mins later to bring UCC back into it, think that was followed by 2 Michael Breen points to level it. Carlow missed a 65 to win it in injury time

paulie gaultieri · 24-02-2017 03:47PM

Congrats to the dodger and IT Carlow best of luck tomorrow afternoon

Nedflanders02 · 24-02-2017 04:03PM

Good day for the Kilkenny contingent on display Bolger with 0-04 from play and Kevin Kelly with 1-1 for Carlow, John Power came on at half time for UCC and scored 1-1.

brookville · 24-02-2017 06:08PM

Nedflanders02 wrote: »

Good day for the Kilkenny contingent on display Bolger with 0-04 from play and Kevin Kelly with 1-1 for Carlow, John Power came on at half time for UCC and scored 1-1.

Well done to carlow and dj what they've achieved is unbelievable.He'll probably have clubs and maybe counties after his services next year,I was suprised he wasn't given the intermediate or a selector role with the minor/u21
It's good to read of a few kk players on the score sheet today john power and bolger will probably see league action.I wonder could kevin kelly be a option for midfield? he seems to have done well for college granted it would be a few steps down from county

Cornerback1 · 24-02-2017 07:45PM

Well done to all concerned. As I stated earlier, I saw Kevin Kelly play mid-field for Carlow IT V Meath in Jan. He was very good but different competition.

Big ask for them tomorrow esp. after playing extra-time today. 24hrs not long enough but you never know. When you look at St. Mary's winning last week, it'll be all to play for.

Picky Maher doing really well this year.

dobbs2210 · 24-02-2017 10:34PM

Cornerback1 wrote: »

Well done to all concerned. As I stated earlier, I saw Kevin Kelly play mid-field for Carlow IT V Meath in Jan. He was very good but different competition.

Big ask for them tomorrow esp. after playing extra-time today. 24hrs not long enough but you never know. When you look at St. Mary's winning last week, it'll be all to play for.

Picky Maher doing really well this year.

Also saw Kevin Kelly midfield but it was in the quarter final of the Fitzgibbon Cup against University of Limerick and he incredibly poor.
Taken off with 15 to 20 minutes remaining.

blackcard · 24-02-2017 11:18PM

The final of the Fitzgibbon Cup is on TG4 tomorrow l

Cornerback1 · 24-02-2017 11:44PM

blackcard wrote: »

The final of the Fitzgibbon Cup is on TG4 tomorrow l

Followed by Slaughtneil V Cuala in club semi-final.

Cornerback1 · 24-02-2017 11:46PM

Localstreaming.club covering CBS V St. Kieran's Leinster Final.

dubcat51 · 25-02-2017 12:33AM

Young ciaran brennan of kierans going over on trial to bournemouth next week.pkayed for ireland u16s v hungary on thursday.only 15 but has plsyed for kk u17 and kierans seniors.

unrealtime · 25-02-2017 11:52AM

There was a time when young lads main desire was to play hurling with Kilkenny and win All Irelands. Times have changed and there are huge awards and unknown pitfalls for professional players.
The general mindset has certainly changed. Maybe our gathering of medals by the dozen has had something to do with the changing attitudes too.

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

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Kilkenny GAA Thread Part 2 MOD NOTE POST 1*