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

I think Limerick are going to need injuries to a few key players for anyone else to win.

The compressed season will help them I think, with it less likely they will go stale. 3 months more hard work and the immortality of being a 3 in a row team awaits.

Always the possibility of getting caught like they did in 2019 but I don't think it's probable.

It's other people complaining about hand pass decisions, not me. So it's the ones complaining about it who probably need to supply the solution.

Being "very good at it" is irrelevant. My understanding is that a definite striking action needs to be shown. If someone is so "good" at handpassing that they don't show this then it's an illegal handpass. That should be part of the coaching process rather than coaching an essentially illegal handpass.

Yes it means having to coach the players to slow down the pass to 'exaggerate' the strike. Feels wrong to be coaching a less effective technique.

Ciaran is the stand out from that Limerick team.

What would go against him is that he was very one sided but he was one of the last from the pure knockout era and performed so that has stood to his legacy.

I'd agree fully on Horgan.

Other than Kilkenny in 2019 his record in the big/knockout games leaves a lot to be desired.

How do you keep any striking action 'visible to the ref' if he is behind the player & cannot see his hand? So if the referee is unsighted, he has to blow up for a throw?

Well we can't have teams who were good enough to win All Irelands on lists of best teams to never win All Irelands now can we.

Kinda redundant to say the best team to never win an All Ireland were not good enough to win an All Ireland.

I thought that Waterford had a number of great individuals playing for them in the noughties but that is what they were, they never played as a team. They would go for their own score rather than pass it to a teammate who was in a better position. You are talking about Eoin Kelly in particular but also John Mullane and Dan Shanahan. Paul Flynn was another from a slightly earlier era. I remember a photo of Eoin Kelly (Waterford) with his arms outstretched milking the applause after scoring a goal against Antrim, it was more like a celebration that you would expect from a soccer player

Fabulous performance from Limerick. To be able to turn up like that and turn it on is impressive.

Cork, still on their day can beat anyone, maybe except Limerick at this stage. We found that out in Limerick in 2019 but we're a different team now. Them being built up they way they have, in the cold light of day, didnt make sense.

2018 they folded against Limerick in the last 10 mins, 2019 they folded against Kilkenny after 30 minutes, 2020 they folded against Tipp with 20 to go. 2021 they didnt lay a hand on ourselves twice and to get to the final they scraped past Clare who I felt were more worth the win, an average Dublin and nearly folded again against Kilkenny. It was an easy and fortunate path to a final that they made a hard road of for a team muted as challengers.

They have given up their home advantage against Clare now and have to travel down to Waterford and up to Tipp. No more home games this year, confidence has to be dented after these last 3 big game performances.

Limerick Waterford next week is huge. More so for Waterford I feel. Cork are not gone yet and a loss here means a really important match against Cork. Their path isnt guaranteed. People said they were nervous and didnt play well. I though Tipp were the more nervous side there to start but once they settled they didnt allow Waterford to play more than Waterford played poorly. I think Waterford are not as good as people thing and Tipp are not as bad. I watched it back yesterday. Both Waterford goals should probably have been free outs, but I didnt think Kiely swing was a red. The ref was a bit of a home towner though. The two big subs at half time made a big difference but in a lot of ways Tipp had the better opportunities to win that game. Loved Cahills dig at Derek and probably Mullane (though not as much) aswell. Both these sides, if allowed, could really grow into this championship.

Clare might have a surprise or two in them yet. They way this year has panned out, it really couldnt have given them a better opportunity. Cork giving up home territory, Tipp in semi transition/missing a lot of big players, Limerick at home probably after already qualifying for the Munster final and will probably rest players. Clare should be aiming for minimum 2 wins from 4 here. If Waterford lose on Saturday, I still couldnt commit to who will be 2nd and 3rd.

Thought Galway looked comfortable, but really threw that game away. Dont fully buy these second by second comparisons for the frees at the end. Chin was striking his before Cooney was even close to hitting it. Plus the ref blows his whistle before Cooney even gets around to placing it, Chin has it placed 3 seconds before the ref blows his whistle. Losing Whelan is huge for them aswell but I think they will get through.

Kilkenny, I feared for earlier this year, thought they would struggle but they have turned things around and I am sorry to say Wexford and Dublin are not as close as I and many thought.

The handpass is an issue. Derek McGrath, for an English teacher cant seem to distinguish between 'Clear Striking Action' and 'small separation' and hes now dodging the conversation on Dalos podcast and TSG by trying to make a joke about having an hours long debate. He is wrong about this in my book 100%.

Limerick

Waterford

Kilkenny, Tipperary

Cork

Clare, Galway

Wexford

Dublin

Laois

Westmeath

Is how I see it at the moment, with a big gap between Limerick and Waterford, but from Waterford back to Clare/Galway the gap isnt that great. Cork behind Tipp/KK as they have a harder path out and that was a confidence hammer blow last Sunday. Galway and Clare behind Cork until both prove their credentials. Wexford/Dublin were both poor last weekend.

remember a photo of Eoin Kelly (Waterford) with his arms outstretched milking the applause after scoring a goal against Antrim, it was more like a celebration that you would expect from a soccer player,

That was against Cork in the Munster final 2004.

Agree with that.

Waterford are closer to the chasing pack than they are to Limerick.

This limerick team are like the Dublin footballers once were.

It's unlikely anyone will rise there game enough to match them, we just have to wait until Limerick's standards drop.