Kilkenny GAA Thread

why is that fazylucker is dead on we don’t get a fair hearing at all very frustrating going to matches and being killed by referees and include James Ownes in that even kills us doing the line and falsified the refs report on the all Ireland semi final last year. When honesty and impartiality was needed most.

did I say something that’s not true?

We are probably lucky; if we came across Cork or Limerick it could very ugly very quickly, very little between ourselves and Offaly going off results and performance to date. I would fear for Offaly in the QF. We would get a similar beating

Altered his report in what way?

• reply to Realt Dearg Secs post re minor team

I was listening to the KCLR podcast, Ronny and Taggy were watching the warm ups for the Minor match as they were discussing the disastrous hurling year. They noted how flat our warm up was, how lacking in intensity the drills were and how static our players were receiving the ball. That was in contrast to Corks dynamic and speedy warm up which had huge movement and contact. They were worried about the game before it started and they were right.

We are most likely heading into a new Senior management team for 2027. It's absolutely crucial that we get it right. Despite how the year ended up for the 20's, I believe the calibre of the people there is top notch and they'll learn from this year and hopefully be better for it next year.
I believe we got the minor management badly wrong and I was uncomfortable with it from the start. After the criticism Niall Bergin and his team got, we needed to make a statement there and leave no stone unturned. We eventually ended up having to settle for people that came through squads and Celtic challenge, when we needed people of far more substance and track record. Fair play to all of them they give their time for free and I fully respect that, but to take on one of our 3 elite teams we have to be expecting far better.
Thats why we cannot afford to mess the senior appointment up. I know Derek Lyng hasn't signalled his intent, and he deserves the right to consider his options, but if ever there was a case of an interview that betrayed someone's unstated intentions, the RTE chat with Damien Lawlor after the match was it. I'd be extremely surprised if he stayed on.

We're most likely not going to go outside the county. There isn't that many names sticking out, and Eddie Brennan is the obvious choice. I think that would be a mistake. All due respect to Eddie and everything he has achieved but I don't think his and Niall Corcorans addition to the coaching team and our serious regression this year, was a coincidence. I may not be 100% right about that but I do believe the whole thing needs complete refreshing and overhaul. If it means interviewing players and getting their thoughts then so be it. We cannot get this wrong.

Brian Dowling is the other obvious choice. He has been successful with every team he has coached and seems to get serious buy in from players. He seems to be a progressive individual and is very passionate and energetic. He knows the vast majority of young players in the county as well having coached Kieran's and coached against the other top school teams like CBS, Good Counsel and Johnstown, so he has his finger on the pulse. I think he is the best candidate we have in the county at the moment.
I haven't mentioned Henry and Brian Hogan as I would leave them both with the 20's and finish that 3 year plan. Upending that ticket just causes another problem elsewhere.

Would we go outside? I'd have absolutely nothing against that if we did. We want the best candidate to get us back on track, and if he happens to come from Timbuktu it wouldn't cost me a thought.

I agree with you KK that would be my choice.

I wasn’t at the minor match against Cork but I couldn’t believe how relaxed the warm up was in one of the earlier games . Kilkenny players were rising the ball by flicking it up with the hurl off the boot … which looks lovely and skilful and everything but you’re absolutely never going to attempt that during the game so why the f**k do it in the warm up?…. drove me mad to be honest.

As they say… you have to train for what you’re facing… whether thats a full training session or especially the warm up where you’re going through the last preparations for battle. It’s so important and can be the difference between hitting the ground running or taking an age to settle.

Brian Dowling would be my choice but would be happy with Tom Mullally either. Maybe get David Herity involved as well.

Imo Kilkenny Senior team are now ranked 9th in the country team with the U20's and minor teams ranked 7th or 8th. All teams exited the championship before the end of May. A long, long way to the top of the ladder. Dark days for Kilkenny hurling

Fair enough, I suppose we forget that minors these days are only chaps really. Anyone who thinks (not you Marrooned) a warm up isn’t important is living in the dark ages though.

What did you see from the u20 management that you would want to persist with as opposed to the minors that you don't? I saw very little positive from the u20 this year tbh, people even calling for Henry to take over the senior is mind boggling to me after the year he just had.

This is my first time to post although I do read the comments on this forum fro time to time.

I have two points to make

I think that Henry Shefflin was one of the greatest hurlers of all time.

However he failed to get very much out of the u20s this year. Our performance in the Leinster final was as a poor as I’ve seen from any Kilkenny team in a long time - poor first touch, no game plan, players playing as individuals going for their own scores.

This much vaunted management team have to take a lot of the responsibility for this.

I have no allegiance to the Boro but Mark Dowling was castigated on this forum over the last two years but Henry gets away pretty much scot free even though it could be argued this years performance was as bad if not worse.

We made no headway against a Galway defence that was opened up at will yesterday by Clare.

Now some lads are saying that Henry should be the next senior manager - I fail to see it based on his recent record.

My other point is that I think that Jim Fennelly is odds on to be next chairman as the old boy’s club will just swap jobs as usual at the next convention and despite what people are saying about change being needed (which I totally agree with) unfortunately I don’t see it happening. If he does get the job there will be no change and we will continue to stagnate both on and off the pitch.

I would go with Henry because I think we need a leader ..Alternative would we go for a martin o neill style Cody back for a year with young coaches with him.Dowling etc

welcome aboard. I just think we posters will just have to keep on and on about the CB and I would be confident enough that people somewhere are having a conversation about our set up and what needs to change. We are vital to help spread the message.

From the matches? Not much is the answer. I think they were impressive for 30 minutes against an admittedly terrible Offaly team, and did a lot right against the Dubs as well. Ironically those easy matches probably contributed to their poor performance against Galway as they brought a completely different intensity. I think they got a lot wrong with team selection as well, surprised some lads started, surprised some lads made the 24, and surprised some lads didn't.

I do know though that Henry was the greatest leader I've ever seen in hurling, and knows what it takes. He's backed up by another Kilkenny great and both have experience playing with teams at the highest level and both have had success as coaches/managers. It was a 3 year plan and given how poor the equivalent minor team were 3 years ago, it was a bit of a free hit this year even if nobody involved would say that out loud. They won't have that luxury next year and we'd expect a hell of a lot better.

Comparing the U20 set up and the Minor set up is chalk and cheese.