Dick phelan wrote: » Lads i'm not living at home atm has is Shane Bennett off the panel still or what's the story? Also watching on GAA GO the Tipp v Clare game and they said something about no promotion or relegation this year. So does this mean even if we win the division we'll be playing Offally and the likes again next year.
KevIRL wrote: » Hard to read a whole lot into it with Offaly being so bad. Also conditions underfoot very poor with lots of slipping and sliding. Stephen bennett in the form of his life with 16 points (6 from play), one of which was worth the trip alone to see. Dj foran, Kearney, prunty, tdb also all had v good games. We could easily have had 8 goals today
Jjjjjjjbarry wrote: » 2395 they announced. Great to see lots of our scores coming from 65 yards and in. Not as many scores flying over from our own half which can’t be counted on in close games. I’m seeing a different attitude and an eagerness to get the ball quickly to our forwards and not as much of this playing it backwards, run at a man, take the shoulder and hand pass. There’s a lot more freedom of expression which you can see from all the creative passing and flicks. Bennett pulled off some really clever passes. His free taking is the best I’ve ever seen from a waterford player. Not the greatest ‘swing’ but he’s sinking the putts!
Giveitfong wrote: » Waterford 2-28 Offaly 0-7 You can’t read much into this result such was the weakness of the opposition. Only four of the Offaly team featured in their last championship game against Dublin last June. Most of them I had never heard of before. Their basic skills were okay and right to the end they tried to play constructive hurling, but they were simply not at the races compared with Waterford’s pace, strength and conditioning. When they did create the odd scoring chance, their shooting was terrible – eleven wides to just six for Waterford. Four of their seven points came from frees – two from their goalkeeper and two from their left half back. Only one of their starting forward line scored. The quality of the game was further affected by the fact that it was played on a soft, uneven, pitch which had taken a battering from the Tipperary/Clare game the night before. It was a very cold day with a stiff enough breeze blowing into the town goal. Offaly had the wind in the first half which meant they were able to keep the ball down at the Waterford end of the pitch for much of the time, and were only seven points down at half time, 0-12 to 0-5. That said, Waterford could easily have had several goals on the board by then but messed up a series of chances, while Offaly’s goalie Eoin Cahill pulled off two excellent saves. After the break it was lights out for Offaly, as Waterford rained over scores from all angles. Waterford lined out with Shane Fives at full back, Shane McNulty in the right corner and Conor Prunty (rather surprisingly) at right half back. Prunty was doing fine there but when Fives shipped an injury late in the first half, Prunty moved back to the edge of the square, with Jordan Henley coming in at wing back. Kevin Moran was at left half back with Brick at midfield along with Mikey Kearney, although the latter moved into the forwards in the second half with Mark O’Brien moving from centre forward to midfield. Memories of older days from the distant past were revived when Waterford lined out with six defenders and six forwards, the latter rotating all the time. Given the absence of close, physical, exchanges, it may not mean a lot to comment on individual performances here. However, easily the standout player of the day was Stephen Bennett, who ended up with 16 points, six of them scored from play. The only sign that he was human was a mis-hit 65 early in the first half. He gave an exhibition of magical control here, including one second-half point that made the admission price worthwhile. There was also one incident in front of the stand late in the game where, in virtually a single movement, he dispossessed an Offaly player, got the ball into his hand as he fell to the ground and laid it off to Kevin Moran with a handpass which had the crowd gasping in admiration. Here was a man who was clearly celebrating the passing of the Derek McGrath era. Other Waterford players to stand out were Tommy Ryan, whose ball control while travelling at pace was a joy to watch; DJ Foran who notched 1-3 (the goal a brilliant individual effort, soloing in from the right wing and placing the ball in the far corner); and Tadhg de Búrca, who lorded affairs at centre back and, freed from the strictures of acting as sweeper, repeatedly broke forward to link up with his forwards. There were a couple of disappointing performances. Shane Bennett lacked sharpness in some early involvements, and then faded out of the game altogether. Brian O’Halloran got on a lot of ball, but his use of it was very poor, and he was the only starting forward who failed to score. Both were replaced on 45 minutes by Patrick Curran and Jack Prendergast. Prendergast played on the wing and did well, notching 1-1. Curran went into the full forward line, but little ball came his way. It struck me that, while Waterford’s outfield players, with the aid of the wind, were scoring long range points for fun, they would have been better off putting ball into the full forward line to give Curran some useful match practice. With 15 minutes left, Stephen Roche and Colin Dunford replaced Brick Walsh and Mikey Kearney. Given that Waterford were missing Stephen O’Keeffe, Darragh Fives, Austin Gleeson, Philip and Pauric Mahony, Conor Gleeson, Jamie Barron, Kieran Bennett, Darragh Lyons and the soon-to-return Maurice Shanahan, it would appear that they will have a depth of squad going into the championship which many other counties would envy. Waterford: Billy Nolan; Shane McNulty; Shane Fives; Noel Connors; Conor Prunty; Tadhg de Búrca (0-1); Kevin Moran (0-1); Brick Walsh; Mikey Kearney (0-3); Shane Bennett (0-1); Mark O’Brien (0-1); DJ Foran (1-3); Tommy Ryan (0-1); Stephen Bennett (0-16, 10 frees); Brian O’Halloran. Subs: Jordan Henley for Shane Fives (injured, 30 minutes); Jack Prendergast (1-1) for Shane Bennett and Patrick Curran for Brian O’Halloran (45 minutes); Stephen Roche and Colin Dunford for Brick Walsh and Mikey Kearney (55 minutes).
KevIRL wrote: » His instinctive pass to the brother in the first half was excellent and really deserved a goal
Deise_2012 wrote: » Was Shane Fives's injury bad?
Jjjjjjjbarry wrote: » I'd say it'll be a right head scratcher picking the half back line this year. Moran is doing really well there. He's a good lad to catch the ball. Tadhg's fielding has improved a lot too and then Philip Mahony is to come back with Darragh Fives hopefully available at some stage. Prunty is almost too good a hurler to be full back but he's probably the best option or else a definite wing back. I can't see Aussie fitting back into the defence this year which means he's probably fighting for a half forward place and we have plenty of lads fighting for positions there too. Dj Foran was impressive yesterday too and showed well for the ball, made some great catches and took his goal really well.
PTH2009 wrote: » Laois put it up too Galway yesterday
Giveitfong wrote: » Not quite. Galway started with just four of the team that lined out in last year's All-Ireland Final and still were 1-24 to 0-9 up with ten minutes to go. They then went to sleep and allowed Laois to score 2-6 in the closing stages. Galway actually split their panel in two yesterday. One half played against Laois and the other half played a challenge against Ballygunner. I don't know how that game went but it probably was a better workout for the Galway lads.
PTH2009 wrote: » Unusual to have 2 squads they must have some amounts of players playing senior with them How's Ballygunners preparations going does anyone knw ???. Would love too see them do the business Saturday week and play on Paddys day in Croke Park. A lot of people saying Ballyhales forwards will be too strong
hardybuck wrote: » I presume this a foolish question, but do Waterford have any commercial officer or fundraising committee? I note that Wexford have a Head of Commerical Development role, while Tipperary have just announced a new commercial board loaded with lots of senior business figures.
PTH2009 wrote: » The Walsh Park development is such a farce as it should be half way through building now but it's not even started and we could be still playing championship games in it's current state
