ye , it was a hard drive up. Offaly started at a very fast pace and we’re 5 pts to no score after only a few minutes it looked fairly ominous but our lads settled into it and were only four points behind at halftime the goal coming from a KK mistake between Lawlor and Blanchfield. HT.OFF 1-12, KK 0-11. On the resumption KK we’re level with a goal scored by Drennan, we made a lot of changes in the second half and from there to the end it was all one way traffic.Best players for KK were again Shane Murphy,Blanchfield,Drennan, Malloy for the starting team best of the subs were Mossy,Kenny,Dunne and again Billy Ryan who was all go.
How was Mackessy at wing back this week?
He wasn’t in the game too much last week in the forwards.
unfortunately he wasn’t great and he was back in his favourite position.
anyone else in the Faithful fields today I think nearly all the pitches are floodlit now ? Some facilities while we still have **** all, we haven’t even a plan.
Sure we are a traditional county we dont need facilities or coaching
Didn't get up as I had to be at schools leinster final in camogie in Palmerstown. I would agree re facilities. We're a shambles when it comes to this. Probably worst facilities in the 32 counties. Whats the answer? Many inter county facilities popping up around the country have private financial bcking at their core.
Bit of a match report
the three blind mice would have more vision than the county board hierarchy.
Everyone knows your views on the County Board at this stage, so maybe give it a rest for a little while. Far too much negativity here about everything. To talk about hurling, what an Exhibition given by Na Fianna in the Club final. Great advertisement for the Club game in the Capital and the province. Sarsfields on the other hand hugely disappointing. I am sure Ballygunner and a few others left scratching their heads. Hard to beat a team with Na Fiannas skill and lightening pace in Croke Park.
that’s the trouble nobody is calling it out and if it’s not called out it will continue, is that what you want? We are in serious trouble and that’s the best you can come up with “give it a rest”-
Everyone on here accepts the Co board are doing a bad job and are at fault for a lot of stuff
And I love a good rant as much as the next person on how poor they have handled things the last few years
But I think what neverbet is saying a bit more focus on the on field stuff around here would be no harm that’s what people are here to discuss not politics of the Co board
Yes the Co board need to be called out but not on here every week as it does get tiresome at times
Yes great performance by Na Fianna yesterday. Absolutely the best team in the country. I was really impressed with them last year, when without Donal Burke they ran OLG ragged and either barely lost or lost after ET.
Has there ever been any update given on the purchase of the land out in Dunmore. I remember at the time there was a big fuss made at count board meeting of moving with the times and finally getting it done but theres been nothing since! I know these things can take there time but you'd imagine some headway would have been made by now. Same with getting flood lights in Nowlan Park, that seems to have gone very quiet also.
I spoke to a couple of people close to this before the convention. The people I spoke to would very much have been in favour of this and been pushing it hard. The vibe I got was that they were banging their head off a wall and that the County Board weren't willing to move fast enough to make it happen. The financial stress of it was making a number of individuals think twice. Now that could all have changed but I would say after a lot of good work done by Phil Hogan and others to get it to where it was back in December it seems that the momentum had fallen out of it. Hopefully not
The best and worst thing to happen Kilkenny hurling was the success from 2002 onwards. Henry Shefflin, Martin Comerford, Eddie Brennan, Riche Powers, Cha Fitzpatricks, TJ Reid, Tommy Walsh , Noel Hickey, Jackie Tyrell , Eoin Larkin, Richie Hogan,JJ Delaney the Walsh's from Tullaroan and many more were products of there clubs, some thrived in schools and others made a name for themselves in Third level, but essentially they were products of clubs hard work.
One thing I can say is that none of these great players were products of development squads, but at the time the county board were running an very poor product they labelled development squads and the media latched onto this and the county board went with it, so the narrative was the county board have done all this work and as a result we got the success we have. It was a pure stroke of luck, and the county board and probably most Kilkenny fans thought this would continue until all the other counties brought coaching and infrastructure to a new level and at home we stopped producing these exceptional talents naturally which is a worry too. We are basically a decade behind some rival counties in coaching and Infrastructure
I would agree with a lot of what you say but I wouldn't be as dismissive of the early success the development squads had. I think your right in saying that with the players you mentioned their hurling and development was formed in clubs and primary schools where teachers did an awful lot to develop hurlers. The development squads, especially early on, very successful and led to a very successful period at minor and U21 where we were regularly winning or getting to finals. The problem, where I see it with the development squads, is that as they were successful our CB thought as long as keep doing the same things we'd stay successful whereas other counties took our basic model and improved it and brought it to the next level where we were still standing still. Another problem we had with the development squads was that as the county was going through such a successful period at all grades everyone wanted to be involved and it led to lots of people who, well intentioned as they may be, didn't have the knowledge or aptitude to be involved at that level. All in all it's led to a decade of underwhelming performances and results under age. Hopefully the new structures in place will improve things going forward.
Ned, you are spot on. This County was first to put in place development squads. Ned Quinn, Pat Henderson, Brendan O'Sullivan and others formed them and as you say they were very successful for a no of years. Many of our All Ireland winners including some (TJ, Hogans, Powers mentioned by village as not benefitting) and others Paul Murphy. Kieran Joyce, conor Fogarty, Cillian Buckley. John Donnelly , Mullens , mick Fennelly, tennyson, rice to mention a few all played under 14,16 minor for KK at that time. The late Bro Damien, Georgie Leahy,Brendan Fennelly were amongst its coaches. Very disrespectful to label the work back then as Luck. Our success at that time can be attributed to a lot of things coming together. We did not keep pace with developments in coaching, facilities , financial input etc, but including the above period in criticism of the present structures is well wide of the mark.
WTF are you criticising the county board “give it a rest”
I'm done here folks, the thread is gone to **** already before the first game 🙄. Best of luck
I get where you're coming from. More talk about Co board, etc than the on field stuff.
Anyway I'll have a guess at the team for Sunday.
Tallis
Moylan, Lawlor, p Connellan
Carey blanchfieid mackessy
Molloy and Shane Murphy
B Ryan, mullin keoghan
Drennan, Cody, g Dunne.
You're dropping Paddy Deegan???
Mackessy dunno about that.probably put in Billy Reid.
Marty Murphy seemed to have a decent pre season. Might bring a different dynamic
To be fair we know what paddy deegan has to offer and he will be there for the Championship but we need to find a few new faces so no point picking the same lads over and over..i
Don't think anyone not playing in first match is dropped. All those lads will get plenty game time in a long league campaign
Any referee named for Sunday, most important.
found it Shane Hynes from Galway I wouldn’t say we had him before?
The team I’d like to see named on Sunday is:
ye it will have to be something like that with five replacements. Is Jeff big enough for the Clare lads ? He’s certainly “bould “ enough.
Tallis,Butler,Lawlor, Murphy,
Reid, Blanchfield,Carey,
Molloy, McDonald.
Mullan, Kenny, Keoghan
Drennan, Hogan, Cody.
Going to Cusack Park think we need a good balance of new and experienced. Really like Vereker and Connellan in the backs and Denis Walsh and Shine in the forwards going forward. Stephen Donnelly if injury free also. Really looking forward to this league.
