All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2025 (Munster And Leinster Championships,Liam McCarthy Cup)

Only yesterday Cork would be lucky to get close to Limerick according to some and now Limerick are finished 🤣

There is a definite lack of sophistication at times when it comes to analysis in the GAA. A few weeks ago we had Joanne Cantwell baiting Dónal Óg about the hype in Cork, as if a county getting behind its team was a sinful act.

Then yesterday Marty Morrissey had to communicate his usual hurried script of pre-prepared drivel as the teams were parading before the contest. It's become nauseating and treats GAA fans as if they are imbeciles. We deserve better.

Also, this thing of commentators/analysts being in love with one particular team, biased against another. I doubt it. They are there to give an opinion, the game has so many incidents and thoughts and ideas are bound to come into conflict on occasions. GAA fans can be quite myopic at times...

As for the treatment of referees - it's time for hurling to introduce a zero tolerance policy. Seeing both management teams race on to the pitch at half-time to abuse the referee was ridiculous. Red cards should have been handed out there and then.

As for the online dudcussion here - the referee was slated during the whole of that match, regarding his decisions and fitness levels. All by posters hiding behind a pseudonym. Meanwhile on RTE he was being praised for his performance. The truth was probably somewhere in between. But the lack of respect for match officials in GAA has got to be dealt with, it's embarrassing at this stage. The man yesterday could have blown for more frees, was unfortunate to injure his hamstring, but in no way did he deserve the vitriol thrown his way.

One final point. The GAA is engaging in an act of self-sabotage by rushing through the Championship. We have few enough top level inter-county hurling games during the season - imagine a replay in a packed Páirc Uí Chaoimh next weekend. It would have been brilliant. Finals should go to a replay, not penalties. Top level inter-county hurling is a thing of beauty, we should cherish it and look after it, not rush the premier competition through just so we can have all inter-county action concluded by July. Madness...

@Clare in Exile yes I find it dissatisfying how they whip through the All-Ireland now. I liked it when it used to stretch out over the summer. I wish they would change it back.

second half yes but not in the first half, he was outstanding then, caught loads of ball and distributed it well. Problem was the Limerick tactics were odd, hit the ff line all the time instead of points. Realise the wind was strong but they should still be able to get them over from 40.second half agreed he didn’t have much of an impact

No way - that reminds me of Father Ted where the nuns want a good long mass. It was ridiculously dragged out. And unfair on club players. It made no sense. It took a pandemic to change it!

Ironically if anything this way shows how parochial hurling is. Very dependent on Munster - with the same matches repeated in quick succession under different names. Hurling will never be a “national competition” in the true competitive sense. I am not sure it will ever happen. It shows up the lack of competitive geographic depth in hurling - big style.

As a non-Munster person hurling is like watching the same programme on repeat. It is understandable why Munster people love it. It is a small bubble. But it does feel very samey. Major problem for hurling if it is ever to grow.

What mentality have people that put themselves forward to be referees. That misfortune yesterday decided he was going to let it go, to give people a spectacle. The problem with that is when he decided to pick and choose what he was going to penalise, both sets of fans felt they were wronged and wanted to cut his throat. The abuse coming in from the management teams on the sideline is a disgrace, it has one objective, intimidation of the poor misfortune with the whistle. How the Gaa are allowing the shenanigans on the sideline to continue is beyond me, it looks so amateurish and the managers look like village idiots. It is physically and mentally impossible for one man to referee a game of hurling, considering playing area size and distance the ball travels. The sooner this is accepted the better. Of course the other issue is, if the rules are enforced the game is a dead duck.

agreed, I suggest changing the hand pass rule so you can actually throw the ball, or ban the hand pass altogether.

and the only illegal tackle is a push with the hands, jersey pull, pull down, strike with the fist or Hurley, or Hurley around the neck. Everything else goes. It does in some games anyway and everyone gets excited when it happens to their team but it’s “great pressure” and “tough hurling” when they do it to the opposition

You say you've no issue with Hayes playing but your main problem with Kiely is that he didn't drop him off the panel.....

Will be interesting to see what we get from Galway and Kilkenny today although the Leinster championship never seems to have the same atmosphere.

Alot of pub talk in fairness, you can't ready much into group games in any sport, counts for little. Cork a very good team, they remind of limerick when they broke onto the scene in 2018. There skill, pace and power is peaking currently. Limerick have been inconsistent at best, alot of miles on the clock and alot of success. Yet they probably could have nicked the game yesterday. They will beat dublin but not a cert they beak kk or Galway and beat cork again providing tipp or leinster looser don't ambush them. Croke park surely will suit cork, they have multiple players to come back and definitely have the strongest panel left in championship 2025.

Both management teams should be banished to the stands for the next game.

Don't think it's been mentioned here but the coverage of the penalties was strange. They had cameras behind the goal and behind the shooters but decided to show it from the old traditional angle where in hurling, basically you're waiting for the crowd reaction as much as anything.

Kilkenny if they play Limerick could knock them out. Never write off Kilkenny.

Kilkenny could also beat Cork, they'd fancy taking Cork out.

Won't happen unless Galway win today.