Kilkenny GAA Thread

Was feeling confident but have had a wave of nerves all day today. Worried we're coming in without having had any real challenge that can pinpoint our weaknesses and give us opportunities to develop back up plans. We know our half back line has been iffy but nobody has really exposed it so far this year in championship. The puckouts have been poor and I'm worried that if tipp force us into long ones we will be in trouble.

Only good thing is if we are struggling at the bank we have options off the bench. Blanchfield should be going out with a major point to prove when he comes in.

Would like to see Billy Ryan or Cian Kenny in at center forward at some stage, be willing to move lads around up front. Give Mullen time at midfield as well, keep them thinking, and run at them. Long as we're not predictable and we are at top workrate all day we should be good enough. Any lapse in concentration and they will smell blood and come for us.

I think Shane Murphy might be in line to pick up Jake Morris. He can comfortably play half back, is a tighter man marker than Paddy Deegan and it’s a left handed hurler on left handed hurler so Morris doesn’t have the same advantage in the air as he would on a right handed hurler.

Darragh McCarthy has had a great year but he has appeared to hit a bit of a wall (which is understandable when teams understand his game from having more footage on him). He had a tough time of it on Ivan Bolger in the u20 AI final. I think Paddy Deegan can do a similar job to Bolger and physically overwhelm him.

I've been learning the words all week, TIPP TIPP TIPP!

I rescind my good luck

That's it Dan you don't want to over complicate the chant for those Tip boys. Impressed that it only took you a week to master it 😉

Nerves are well and truly setting in for Sunday. It's a huge game for both teams but probably more important for Kilkenny at this stage. Team is as good as we could hope for, assuming everyone is healthy, with the possible exception of Blanchfield who will be a serious player to bring in, as will Stephen Donnelly who is very unlucky to lose out. I feel a man marking job in this game would have suited Tommy Walsh as well so he's another good option to have in reserve. I wonder as well if Mackessy's long range shooting could yet be a factor in the 2nd half, given Tipp like to defend deep and crowd the attacking zones. 

I still come back to the fact that despite the fact they have made progress and have good players coming, I'm not completely buying the idea that Tipp have gone from no hopers in January (after 2 dismal years) to potential World beaters all of a sudden. The Munster form is highly questionable this year. Waterford made little or no progress in hindsight, and Clare and Limerick were pale shadows of themselves apart from the one off performances from Limerick v Cork. In that context there's an argument to be made that Tipp have really achieved very little so far with their 2 wins v a hapless Waterford (almost no attacking threat) and an injury ravaged and hunger sated Clare side. 

The flip side is when Tipp have played well, they've looked really good, and the most impressive part of their makeup is their togetherness and desire, and that will bring you a long way when you have decent players. 

We'll have a much better idea of the real state of Tipps progress by 6pm on Sunday. I think we'll have too much in defence, attack, and midfield, and I'm a little surprised the odds are relatively generous, albeit we've narrowed significantly over the past couple of days. I might live to regret this, but assuming all our forwards are 100%, I believe we'll win, and possibly win convincingly. I think Tipp will have to be significantly better than the sum of their parts, and we will have to underperform, for us not to be looking forward to an All Ireland final for the 3rd time in 4 years.

I wouldn't be as sure as you about Management change being a certainty in the case of a defeat, this is Kilkenny after all, the normal rules don't apply with the current county board leadership.

I would be flabbergasted if management survived defeat to Tipp tomorrow.

Totally agree. We lost too many all irelands and semi's with this team and management. Im not knocking them but now is the time to throw off the shackles.

Not sure about the managements doubts. Maybe it's fashionable because of the narrative surrounding issues at U17 and U20, but have we really had the players at senior level to topple that Limerick team? I don't think so.

The only real failure in Lyngs term is the 2nd half collapse last year, and the reliance on introducing players who were past their best when we needed a bench impact. Otherwise he's won 3 Leinsters on the trot, and been beaten in an all Ireland and league final. We're naturally greedy as supporters, but a little perspective and realism wouldn't go astray.

We are not talking about losing, all we want is winning everything in sight for a year or two, is that too much to ask.

I remember my 1st all ireland in 1979 and honestly don't remember such a bad run while getting out of leinster. 1983 to 1992 we didn't get out of leinster much but we have 6 leinsters on the trot now and nothing to show. We are kilkenny and make apologies. I and loads of fans i know are fed up of losing in these closing stages.

Let Cork get the hype train going, they will blow themselves up after this

Correct, they weren't in the right frame of mind, but that happens successful teams on the road for a long time

Limerick we're mentally and physically drained. No matter who they met it would have been the same result.