Kilkenny GAA Thread

Typical Galway, absolutely pathetic. The absolute state of them for 60 mins, they are an embarrassment. Tipp will put them out of there misery

People will say Galway were poor, like every kilkenny match it's the opposition are crap and just ignore the work rate and effort we put in to stop others playing.

TJ exceptional in the air again what a warrior, add Cody back into that forward line and we can match anyone.

Huw simply outstanding, the best defender in the country.

The team are right where they need to be and had strength coming in off the the bench. Good kilkenny crowd in Dublin after all the talk. Winning Leinster never get boring.

Hon the **** CATS!!!

GGood Kilkenny crowd in croke park and vocal.watching Kilkenny play since 1971 and have never seen z better full back than Huw Lawlor.Brillant also from TJ today.Hope the minors can drive on next weekend in wexford

That 10 minute scare at the end of the second half aside we were much much better than Galway in the 2nd half and deserved the win. Still have a frustrating habit of going out of the game for periods of halves and we've really poor scenario defending (the Galway goal should never have happened, the whole defense should have been much deeper and there should have been no other option but to hit it over the bar) but our best is very good.

Thought the midfield and half back line were immense today particularly Kenny and Molloy. The two lads got through a massive amount of work and more importantly used the ball well when they got it. Carey bar one bad shot in the 1st half also had a good game and Deegan while he made a few errors hit an absolutely monster point in the 2nd half. Richie Reid as a sweeper and spare man is really useful and he has a good eye for keeping the play flowing but when teams push up he's a liability and that a really awkward choice for Lyng and Co next time out.

Lawlor was a colossus in the full back line today. He made some incredible catches in both halves, used the ball really well also. Tommy Walsh had a tougher afternoon and was under pressure before he was subbed.

In the forwards Mossy got 2-2 from play and was heavily involved in TJ's goal. TJ himself was very good and much better than the Wexford match bar a few missed frees. The ball into him has to be on the money, he's not the play of five or so years ago that could make anything happen regardless of the pass but when he gets the ball he's still dynamite. Mullen scored 4 points from play and stood up when we were under pressure at the end. John Donnelly and Billy Ryan put a lot of effort and work in and were much better shooting than I initially thought. Stephen Donnelly will also have better days ahead of him and he still scored two from play.

Overall, it's always nice to win Leinster, not a performance to put the fear into Limerick or Cork but we've four weeks to work on the Semifinal now.

Not sure what to make of that game. Great to get the win but still plenty to work on. The switch off again after the 2nd goal is a big worry. Lawlor is a beast. To be honest I thought our half back line was pretty anonymous. Carey showed some flashes but we need huge improvement there all round. We did look weak through middle. Midfield was good, Kenny has turned into a real leader. Mullen played well but not sure I like him dropping as deep as regularly as he does. Ryan steady again. John Donnelly decent but below last year's levels at the moment. TJ and Mossy did well off scrappy ball. Stephen Donnelly was OK but probably needs another year or 2 to fully bed into this level.

Time now to build for semi, plenty to get right. Hopefully they can get up to another level

Ha ha! 😂 Fair play for admitting you fell asleep alright. That second half was a hard watch.

Jj was outstanding but he didn't have lalors pace. Himself and gillane will be some battle if it comes to pass.

No, Mackessy didn’t get a run. The only forwards who came on were Luke Hogan and Harry Shine.

A good chance now over the next 4 weeks to get Eoin Cody back fully fit as he will be needed for what looks like an All Ireland semi final v Limerick.

Limerick are beatable, a lot of their players looked tired yesterday but the level will have to up again from today.

Encouraged by the impressive form for the first 25 mins of the 2nd half; higher gear; great work rate throughout the field; controlled the game; some great points; 2nd goal was a vg turnover and Mossy laid off the pass to give TJ lots of time.

We know Galway are decent when given space in their usual last 10 min surge and we strangely dropped a couple of gears after the 13 point lead. We did recover when they cut the lead by 9. As Eoin remarked to RTE, we need to play for the fill 70.

Cian Kenny and Huw Lalor outstanding today. Mossy showed great poaching skills and alertness for 2 goals. All the other players had a good time.

Hopefully, all are fit and we are flying for the semi in 4 weeks. Limerick yesterday were well off their peak of 3 weeks ago and only time will tell if mileage is catching up with them or they decided to hold back for the Croke Park games - their favourite venue. Munster games much tougher route again and this may sharpen or hinder Cork, Limerick and Tipp; still 6 Leinster games in a row with little rest is demanding and may result in better endurance than 2022-2024.

TJ won his 14th Leinster senior Inter-county medal today... I think he holds the record outright now

Edit: Mea cupla... Noel Skehan has 14 Leinster medals also.

TJ might go for a 15th next year 😉

Would Noel skehan have 12 or 13 Leinster medals ?

Was thinking he would have been in and around that with so many all Ireland medals and no back door back then

stopped hurling with 10 to go made it close enough but we done enough thank god. Plenty to work on and IMO Galway are poor but still. Tactics again tho we’re strange, going short puck out in first half and letting them go short? First half was bad now I thought but when the chips were down who showed up? TJ again, before the goal got a savage catch was 3 vs 1 unlucky nuff be blown for steps I thought, very next ball got it caught it hit good strike which mossy tapped in, ( sums up TJ imo if had to score be on highlights everywhere but he sets everything up). Mullen brilliant and Huw Lawor deserved player of match. Been going Kilkenny games for 20 odd years I’ve never seen anybody like him. What a hurler, best defender in Ireland and has been for a while. We need Cody back but look we’re there again 4 weeks off bring on Limerick. TJ scored a goal every game he’s played in championship this year? Missed a few frees today but next day id want nobody else standing over em. Bad weekend last weekend but seniors is where it matters, up the cats. Also thought scruff hit few decent puck outs in second half! But the goal was shocking lawor was lazy then passed him onto Reid who was just as lazy marking him

Lawlor never has a problem with Gilliane. Will be great match. Limerick will bring 45,000 themselves. Very underwhelming Leinster championship, can't think of one great game. It's still hard to judge Kilkenny as Galway were dreadful, 12 points on board after 59 mins, embarrassing. I couldn't believe the lack of work rate and intensity from them in the first half, with exception of Whelan. I'd be seriously concerned as a Galway supporter.

One thing that's definitely come out of this Leinster and League is I feel that we finally have our midfield pairing sorted which has been a massive problem for a long time.

I also thought Limerick struggled in Midfield v Cork, so hopefully this is somewhere we can make hay in 4 weeks.

How do we think we will match up against Limericks 6 forwards?

10. Hegarty

11. Lynch

12. Morrissey

13. Gillane

14. Bull o Brien

15. Reidy

We need a mix of man marking and possibly start Blanchfield on Hegarty?