Kilkenny GAA Thread

I think that’s the reason for our fade outs in the last quarter, nothing to do with fitness but more about not having any real impact off the bench. It’s an 18 to 20 man game now and we don’t have any finishers if you like to come on and close a game out.

The older players like Richie Hogan and Wally got plenty of criticism on here for staying on the panel too long but they were needed because they still had the ability to impact a game off the bench better than the lads coming through at the time.

I’d definitely be more hopeful if we could get Donnelly and Mullen fit and get some game time into Stephen Donnelly and one or two others.

Blanchfield was frustrating at times last night but he could have 5 from play something byrnes from Limerick regularly does he definitely could have carried the ball forward to make the shot easier or lay it off

There is definetly more scores in that half back line that started last night

On the forwards while the ball isn’t coming in great

Compared to other teams before the ball comes in there’s no cutting jinking or darting from our forwards to take the back by surprise

It’s just a straight line run hip to hip out to the ball

When we do have a runner breaking through there’s not enough players making off the ball runs as an option

When cork Clare or Limerick are in the same position there’s runners coming from all angles

We nearly play traditional when we have three inside, almost too much in our positions, play more centrally and break to space is the norm now. We deliver very few balls bouncing to the outside of our forward

Gillane is probably the same speed as Eoin Cody but breaks from the edge of the square to his left but because the ball in is so good and he times his run so well he creates separation. When the timing is off or if blanchfield has done his two tricks you end up making a longer run and in a foot race which we are losing due to lack of pace.

Our idea of movement inside seems to be for the three lads directly across the full forward line and our movement is just swapping positions as ball is delivered instead of breaking three ways to find space and cause confusion.

He played just over half a match in Clare and did well and came on for 15 minutes yesterday, he might not make it but at least give him a chance. How can he possibly be judged on that?

To upnorth yes I would be a great admirer of the Walsh’s especially Ollie I traveled far and wide to watch this man he was special and when he managed Kilkenny he was special and how he lifted kilkenny hurling when we were at a low and raised players game as for his son well he did win all Irelands and all stars I not sure what your hinting at but at our end of the county we appreciate greatness

To James bond if the selectors were to listen to you we wouldn’t even win a camogie all Ireland molly will not even be on the panel come championship also how can say inside forwards not good enough when the ball they get is limited and very poor our outfield players always take pot shots never look up this comes from the manager so just because I call it as I see it

It’s senior hurling not school boy

Fact paddy Deegan can’t pass the ball just hits it

Billy Ryan 7 years yet to have a good game

Mossy not skill full enough and can’t pass the ball on the run

We are a poor team we are now down with the Carlows and Dublin

As me mother always said if you’ve nothing good to say don’t say anything at all

You cut the back off Cody now lyng and have made some horrendous comments about players on here

Ollie Walsh great player and manager but god that was over 30 years ago your stuck in a time warp

I really wouldn’t rate your judgement on players if you can’t see j Molloy had a great game last night blinded by your own bitterness I’d say

I’d love for the camogie team to win the all Ireland actually because I’m a Kilkenny supporter and will support any Kilkenny team no matter how there going

Tommy shefflin is a very good manager I doubt he needs any input from me nor Derek lyng for that matter

How can you stand up for lads in the full forward line they are getting the world of ball. Donnelly is showing he is up to it and Cody is going well, not burning it up but it's the bloody league. Shine and Drennan have got loads of chances just not delivering , lads on about poor ball in all the time, give over . Shane O' Donnell cleans up with poor ball. Cork went route one last year and cleaned up.

Jordon Molloy had a fantastic game yesterday, Killian Doyle was not up to much beside but that accentuates Molloys performance, he was pick of the 4 midfielders. He is worth way more to the team than Deegan who will be caught out in Croke park come the crunch again

Was Deegan cleaned out in the All Ireland in 2023 or did he play very well that day??

Ignore button is the best option there, click on their username then the blue banner and then IGNORE 👍

tony kelly deserved a red today for that. A flick to a lads helmet after he burns you and busting him open. Ridiculous

Absolute balloney Deegan was outstanding that day even contributing 1.2 from play more than any of our forwards. Really you poked the bear asking where Forchange was a few weeks ago. You are not a whole ton better. Deegan had a fine game again last night, leave it at that. It's only a short time ago you were ridiculing Mikey Carey . What exactly is your game?

A poor show when there was three times more Rossies fans than KK supporters.

We met a lot out that night and a good few in our hotel

Still a big ask for Clare to beat Cork and Tipp and Kilkenny to lose both matches to Tipp and Limerick. Would Tipp be guaranteed top 2 if they beat Kilkenny making the Clare game a dead rubber for them ?

On the plus side, we won't be losing three league finals in a row.

On the down side, we don't look capable of winning a national final of any sort.

Can anyone explain to me why year after year, we run out of steam in the final 20 minutes? Is it because we lack the subs? Is it because we're not good enough up front to keep teams on the back foot? Is it because our shooting from beyond the 45 is generally poor compared to others, so we don't wear teams down? Is it the strength and conditioning?

Is it a combination, whereby teams mark our inside forwards tight, knowing we won't punish them from distance, and just know then they'll burn us with superior conditioning and better subs, and focus their first 50 minutes on holding us before we tire and then let loose? Countless times now over the last few years we have shockingly poor returns from play in the second half or are outscored by 5-10 points in the second half.

Defensively we're arguably only second to Limerick in overall quality, but from midfield on, honestly I just don't know what keeps going wrong. It's been a hell of a time since we've had 4/5 of the front 8 hurling out of their skins against top opposition in the same game, never mind all 8. It must be systemic

It'll be 10 years without an AI title this year, it could easily be 20 looking at our squad and repeated mistakes.

And another thing. Since the miracle year of 2008 (Senior, Intermediate, U21 and Minor), we've won 3 underage AI's. That's a shockingly poor return. Worse still, we've lost 8. At senior, since our last AI, we've lost 4 AI's and two leagues (winning two leagues, albeit one "shared" due to Covid), or two in 6, and some of them have been bad beatings.

I don't know what it is, but we seem to lack belief in ourselves to get over the line, and we have for a long time, and I wonder if that's part of why we repeatedly fall down in thick of it towards the end of a match.

To be perfectly honest, I'd happily sacrifice not winning the AI at senior for the next 5 years if meant we won the minor and U20 at least twice each, just to get that winning mentality back into the next generation.

Not sure what we're doing to be honest, but whatever it is isn't working. Easy to call for change but, we nee a serious plan in the county to re-vitalize underage and schools hurling, because this ten year famine I can see hitting 30 if we waste another generation of players repeating the same mistakes. Granted it was 80 years ago, but Limerick were a powerhouse in the sport and only 5 behind Tipp and Kilkenny in the role of honour before hurling went wayward in the county, and then went 33 and then 45 years between their next titles. Cork are 20 years without a senior title, and they have more numbers than Limerick Tipp and Kilkenny combined. And it may be hyperbolic, but we could head down into the no title in 50 years area if we don't stop the rot quick.

Sorry for the length of it, but watching the same mistakes being repeated as they have been for years again on Saturday just makes you wonder where we're heading, and I'm not sure it's anywhere good.