Mod note Post #1 - All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2022 (Liam McCarthy Cup)

They eventually found the chairs 😅.

Didnt realise Michael Ryan was back with Tipp

They won the league with probably 10 of their first 15 out. The standard of the players coming back into their team is very high. Next weekend will tell another piece in the tale.

Fine with me

If this weekend is anything to go by the only throws that are penalised will be between the two 65s. Refs haven't the balls to blow for blatant throws around the goals.

Well the obvious answer is for umpires to call more than just scores. Gillane for instance gets pulled about 10 times a game and umpires stand round like numpties doing nothing about it

Correct. So many throw balls in today's two matches and hardly any blown. Every team may follow suit.

Unless Waterford have about two more gears, in terms of defensive tactics and commitment, they won't beat Limerick in the All-Ireland series. Too big, too strong, too developed in tactical formations and execution. They're a big strong python that strangles the life out of a team's space. All credit has to be given to the management of the Limerick team for taking the league for what it is at this stage of their project and the squad listening to the same voice/tactics, for what six years? Changed it up again, a few tweaks here and there, some fresh faces, a little tune-up on a well-oiled machine. Limerick will get better as the year goes on.

Cork look like a team who haven't grabbed the nettle and got rid of the old characters. Still not enough youth involved to invest in the future. Kingston and his management team ain't up to it. Lehane, club form and all, is not up to it at that Limerick level. Neither is Horgan. Not anymore. A lot of dead wood in that Cork team.

Waterford, unlike Cork, have learned from their Limerick maulings, in formation and approach. But they've never really broken the Limerick lines before, never mind consistently enough to get the goals to really get Limerick worried. Limerick have always shepherded Waterford where they want them to go - contained them. And I can see the same thing happening again.

I know it's only the first round and kinks will be ironed out. But Limerick have not only looked the best team around, they look like the team who can improve most too. Waterford still trading on emotion too much. Limerick are a cold-blooded machine - that's ultimately what it looks like. But it's just smarts on the ball and that's it. I think, what's becoming evident to me in the last year or so, is that the smarts on the field is even better than the smarts on the line and there's no other team that can say that at the moment. You can talk about all the white boards you want, but for me those Limerick players, particularly 1-9 are well able to read the opposition and adjust. It's year 6 and it still works.

There was an overhead throw for Waterford's first goal. Completely ridiculous stuff.

If the refs are to blow for throws or even blatant throws the game would be a never ending free taking competition. Itc crying out for a rule change that is desperately needed. The refs have an impossible job to do.

Jaysus lads there's some shite being spoken here. Firstly, it was only the first round & limerick have already won the AI apparently. Secondly, i can guarantee you if Waterford beat limerick next week, you'll all be saying limerick were just shadow boxing & they'll beat Waterford when it matters. Thirdly, Cork are shite. Fourthly, there is no way anyone can really tell when a hand pass is legitimate. The players are so quick at it now that the strike is too hard to see. Calum lyons was pulled for a throw when there was a clear strike. Somettimes the strike is not even clear in a slow motion so there's not a hope of the ref seeing it in live action.