Kilkenny GAA Thread

I think there are lots of positives to be taken from yesterday. The first 20 minutes were dour enough and our poor shooting kept Galway in the game, from the 20th minute on we found our feet and started to play some good hurling in patches. Our defense looked solid through out but for that shaky period near the end but never looked like conceding a goal and we were always able to get a score when Galway brought it back to 3/4 points. For me there was 2 standout moments for us yesterday, the first being when Galway got the goal and a couple of points to get it back to 4 points TJ came from behind 2/3 Galway defenders to catch a puck out, laid it off to Mullen for a brilliant point. The second, Galway in search of a goal, dropped a ball on the square Huw came out, caught it and drove up the pitch before handing it off to Billy Ryan for another brilliant point. 2 great leaders standing up when they were needed most and 2 quality finishes from Mullen and Ryan. I was very happy with how the midfield went yesterday too Kenny and Molloy got through an awful amount of work and when they get the ball in hand they are always looking up to pick out one of the forwards. It was good to get another full game into Mullen and he is slowly getting his sharpness back and played well yesterday. Mossy and Billy carried on their good form and the confidence and directness they are bringing is unsettling for the opposition defense. Huw was deservedly MOTM and I think he is the best full back in the country, he allows our half backs and corner backs to be aggressive as they know they do not need to worry about giving him protection. It's hard to say anything about TJ that hasn't already been said but what a man he is to be still going and affecting big games at his age! He is one of, if not our best ever players and it's a privilege to be able to go watch him! We should enjoy him when we can, because when he's gone we might never see one as good as him. There's still a lot that will need to be worked on but we are where we wanted to be at the start of the Leinster championship and if we can get everyone fit and firing will be a match for anyone, we will be underdogs going in against, more than likely, Limerick but we won't fear them and on our day are a match for anyone.

Also, congratulations to Brian Dowling and his back room team on their win yesterday. They had Kildare set up really really well and were by far the better team yesterday, it's good to see a new team come up to Liam McCarthy level and there is massive scope for developing hurling in Kildare. On Brian's backroom team, are there any other Kilkenny people involved with him?

Why pick Wexford Park of all places, toss for home and away and get a crowd at the match

I did a small exercise to see the average age of both Limerick and Kilkenny teams that started the weekend taking into consideration each players age during 2025. It worked out that exactly 28.5 years old for both. The age dynamic would really highlight that both teams are in there absolute peak age at present. Limerick are in a really good position after being tested in every match. Kilkenny have strolled through a weak Leinster, the decline of Galway and Wexford is doing no favours to Kilkenny

If you take out the oldest player for each side what's the average age out of curiosity? I'm wondering if TJ is something of an outlier as he's probably one of the oldest active players atm.

Daly made a good point. The teams that go 15 v 15 are the only teams that have success v Limerick. Cork and Clare to certain degree have proved this. If Kilkenny play with Reid as a sweeper and Adrian Mullen deep will only be inviting trouble on. Kilkenny's best chance is is go straight for juggler

Is that not what KK did when playing Limerick in the All Ireland? ? I would have thought the opposite as we all (including me) blamed Cody's style of man on man as crazy and we needed to try to keep our shape but as Daly said Cork and Clare have had great joy going at them.

Was the great man right after all??

Comparing Kilkenny 2025 with Kilkenny 2022 to 2024

Eoin Murphy possibly slightly weaker as a shot stopper, possibly slightly better on puckouts

Mikey Butler better than 2023 and 2024, not as good as 2022

Huw Lawlor playing better than ever

Tommy Walsh still struggles, Shane Murphy might be an improvement if he is picked.

Blanch was very good in 2023 and 2024, less so now. Need him back in form.

Reid same from 2022 to 2025

Carey similar

Midfield seems to be an improvement, but huge physical challenge against Limerick.

Mullen struggled in 2024, signs of regaining 2022 to 2023 form

Donnelly has not regained 2024 form yet, still works hard

Billy Ryan's best season 2025

Mossy best season 2025

TJ slowly declining but still important

Eoin Cody, not back to previous years

Subs Stephen Donnelly, Luke Hogan, Mackessy, Deegan/Blanch, Walsh/Shane Murphy gives us better options than previous years.

Tactics. Hard to say there is much improvement

Overall we are probably of a similar standard to 2022 to 2025 which wasn't good enough. Maybe Limerick have slipped slightly from 2023 but they are odds on to win

Dublin absolutely will not beat limerick, I'm totally confident in writing them off. If they keep the deficit to single digits against limerick I will be surprised. Would love love love to be wrong for so many reasons, but I won't be.

Andy is very passionate and doesn't really care what anyone thinks of what he says. That's a good chat they have with him every Monday. I always like listening to it.

He definitely says what he thinks and doesn't pull any punches.

I wasn't at it but my wife brought our son and said it was horrific. Not enough stewards, no organisation and kids being squashed, feeling really uncomfortable. She got separated from our son during a surge. He ended up on the pitch while she was left in the stand when a gate was closed in her face. The ignorant pr*cks wouldn't let her on so she had to shout at him to stay where she could see him. It was a farce. They were lucky than nobody was seriously hurt.

The organisation around nowlan park this year in and around matches etc has been poor gates locked after games no stewards around in certain areas there’s a general air of people don’t know what there doing which is strange

Trains from Cork and Limerick to Dublin on All-Ireland hurling final day have already sold out according to social media reports from the Hogan Stand magazine. Great to have that article pinned to the wall in the dressing room for the next month.

Not knocking volunteers at all I think it’s training and proper procedures being put in place and that comes from the top down

Just something I noticed this year is all

The u20 round robin game against Dublin for example no signage or information that entry was only via the old stand side loads of people trying to go in paddy grace stand side and no one there to direct people to the other side

One gate left open for everyone to exit after a few league games this year

Only small things but how you do anything is how you do everything

This is totally understandable. You book now and can cancel them if they don’t make it. Every other form of transport will be impossible too which leaves just the car. This means both sets of fans, should they make it, trying to get through the Portlaoise toll booth at the same time which was a disaster last year.