Kilkenny GAA Thread

There are a multitude of reasons why we are 15 to 18 points off the top teams. No one is saying that reffing throw balls or funding are going to close this gap. We have to address coaching, style of play, S & C, proper facilities, regaining a fighting spirit, crowd support, development squads. Each of these areas might be worth 3 points. But throwing the ball and funding might be worth 3 points each also. Throwing the ball is one of the easiest things to fix so we should do that with every ball. Then maybe we only lose by 12 to 15 points.

By the way, I detest throw balls but the GAA have zero interest in enforcing the rule as you could see from todays game. It was farcical

Not sticking up for our county board but we need to get real, we are by virtue of our size and location, hamstrung.

The best funded counties in GAA are usually very large population counties and/or ones that have benefactors home and abroad. Saying we need a commercial manager with business savvy to bring in millions is a pipe dream, I am unaware of the sort of individuals in Kilkenny that could part with the sort of cash we are talking about, let alone have the sort of impact JP has had on Limerick.

Look at two small counties that have punched well above their weight in last 20 years, Monaghan and Roscommon, both have benefitted hugely from wealthy benafactors and sponsors and funding iniatives. But crucially they still haven't got national silverware, because, despite having financial muscle they can't compete with the very best at the business end because their playing pool due to their small pick leaves them short.

Western seaboard counties with huge diaspora also do brilliantly off funding from wealthy immigrants, we dont have that luxury.

Look at this from just yesterday, millions pumped into Kerry football from a wealthy New Yorker.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-41865948.html

I have a friend in Boston who went to watch 93 hurling final in a Boston bar and he said he was the only Kilkenny man in a pub of hundreds of Galwegians.

This isn't whining lads, this is the sad reality of a small county with a monumental hurling heritage now struggling to stay at the top table in an increasingly professional set up that they realistically cannot compete with.

There are no easy answers, our best bet is if the one sided farce we saw today becomes so commonplace that the GAA has to step in big time to essentially save the game and insists the game changes (rules and funding), short of that, I think we will do well to stay in top 4/5 hurling powers (which btw, I still believe we are. Despite a horror year, I'd expect us to trounce Offaly and easily beat Dublin in Nowlan Park next year).

Look at the first 70 years of GAA, relatively small counties won All Irelands in both codes, especially football, but once the game became more advanced and coaching and more advanced training came to fore only Kilkenny of the smaller counties (and Offaly sporadically) won titles in either code

the Feile results at the weekend says it all. I know someone with a bit of time on their hands can look up the roll of honour locally and national and I’m sure we would see the decline. John lockes have done extremely well at underage in both codes so I’m not slating them. At one time we were at the business end in all grades now we are not near it.this is surely where our problems are starting. Is there a feile committee within the county if so next year should be vital and every effort used to improve our lot

in fairness grats the reps have little say and are brushed off with the line it has to go back to a sub committee etc. the top table needs to be cleared immediately if not sooner

Isn't that exactly why we need change though? I don't buy this excuse of not being listened to. If you're not being heard, you're not shouting loud enough. Let new reps in to shout and change the executive set up. The staus quo isn't acceptable any longer.

well I’d agree with you on that as I said previously we had that meeting at the weekend and some of the questioaires reflect back on the clubs which is probably right. What did you think of the feile situation? Worrying to say the least

Looking forward to the AI semis.

Limerick have regrouped after 2 poor years and are getting back to their best. They need Sean Finn and Diarmuid Byrnes at their best; Sean was the invincible back before his injury 2 years ago. He is not there yet but getting closer. Diarmuid was taken apart the last 2 years but is back to his best this year. Forwards also need to perform. If they do it, I expect they'll win next year as well.

Cork are on a mission; look just like Kilkenny 2000; "we are not losing 3 in a row". Galway dont stand a chance. Limerick can stop them but only if Kinnerk and the team comes up with a surprising strategy and new approach which Cork fail to counteract; Donal Óg spoke to this Cork curiosity about Limerick's new tactics at the outset; I expect Cork will be much sharper on the tactics. If Cork manage the tactics they'll best Limerick.

Clare are back to their 2024 best. But like Offaly suffered in 2000 for the 1998 robbery, Cork would beat them convincingly too in an AI final. Clare will test Limerick but I cant see them beating a rejuvenated Limerick who have the best defence.

Galway are a team for 2027 provided that young Burke, Rabitte and Niland continue to develop; unlike Tipp's young one year wonders under Cahill: Gearoid O'Connor, Conor Bowe, Darragh McC, Sam O'F and let's hope not Oisin OD; Michael Doyle is an exception. Micháil O'Donoghue seems like the right personality to avoid those mistakes; calm and coherent under pressure; more like a Cody, Gavin or Kiely. But one has to wonder why the 2018 galway panel wanted him gone after the AI final; what a waste of a ralented 2017/18 panel.

The overly passionate managers burn out players; unfortunately Ben O'Connor is no JBM and Cork will rise this year but are are likely to fall back in 2027 like Kilkenny 2001, Clare 2025 and Tipp 2026.

It was the cùl camps last week, so would ignore. We are struggling to find the exceptional players underage that always made the difference for us in the past. With the hoped for availabity next season of those absent through injury and travel this year we will be back competitive at Senior level, though not AI contenders IMO. Coups, revolution, getting rid of have no place in the conversation for change. Not going to happen, simple as. The best place when things are going bad either on or off the field is on the bench or outside the door. That type gets you nowhere IMO. Constructive suggestions with a commitment to action not bluster. Needs to start at all levels and long term commitment 2/3 nights per week and weekends. Everyone up for it ??? Easy to say we have several high profile sponsors willing to part with their cash. " I Heard" counts for nothing. Show me the money and continue to show it. A bit of realism required and getting off the backside and doing OUR bit.

that’s fair enough but you are ignoring the facts that we are slipping big time in all countries. I wasn’t really talking about individual teams as I have praised Callan earlier. It’s just that we were always competitive I’m not saying we should be winning everything but we certainly should be making it to the final stages in all of the grades for a county like us.if you don’t think we have a proper then I would suggest you are delusional. I am not trying to slate anyone here, just worried about where we are heading

It's a perfect storm at present for us

Added to my earlier comments, u17 and u20 dont suit us, u19 would be perfect as it would dove tail with Schools where we are still very strong.

Good to see immediate reaction to the farce in Thurles yesterday both on the panel and today by Jarlath Burns.

If GAA don't step in and address things, the one sided farce games (even late in the Championship) are going tpo become the norm.

Glib comments about "other counties need to up their game" dont help. You can bet Offaly worked their socks off these last 6 months, but they were blown away by a slick well oiled machine. Look at the differences in physique.

It was like watching International Rules from 40 years ago, game amateurs versus seriously tuned Pros.

I'd have to agree. No point in painting everything black.

The point is it’s just another part of our games that the standard has dropped in . I’m delighted that we don’t have to worry about this.

Problem for Leinster is that is had to carry the burden of development, fans from Munster counties who crow about the need for Leinster counties to up their game rather than taking issue with the current Championship format(s) don't know that there would be widespread complaint from Laois/Offaly/Westmeath/Kildare/Carlow/Antrim if moves were made to make the Leinster Championship more cut-throat

The Americans have an old phrase: "Iron sharpens iron". Ever since they've had the round-robin in Munster for Minor, U20, and Senior, I think it has brought the Munster counties on hugely (And some of these don't want to admit that, they'd rather tell Leinster counties to up their game). Fact is you have to be flat to the boards from Day 1 in Munster as if you slacken up a bit, you get beaten and there's next to no margin for error. Munster teams play in at least four dog-eat-dog games at Minor, U20, and Senior each year and that stands to them going up through the age grades

If Leinster teams were to play Munster teams more often, even if they were to get hammered, at least they'd learn where they stand and know what they'd have to improve, would also get accustomed to a more intense game

Munster counties don't want any changes (Well, Cork and Limerick don't, Waterford surely do, don't know about either Clare or Tipp) although at the same time, they love to tell everyone how bad Leinster hurling is and that Tipp and Waterford are a lot better than Offaly and Dublin. These arguments might be true but they don't seem to understand that Leinster has had to carry the burden of developing weaker counties

IMO, there should be 12 teams in the AI; 7 in Leinster & 5 in Munster. 12-team AI series broken down into four pots: A, B, and C. Every team would play two teams from each pot (Including their own pot), it's a bit like the Swiss Model that the Champions League uses. The pots are broken down by Provincial results; Provincial would be knock-out and the four teams to make the two finals would be Pot A, the four Provincial Sem-Finalists would be Pot B, and the four Provincial Quarter-Finalists would be Pot C. What's more, the Provincial games would count towards the overall six games so say you go back to 2020 when KK beat Galway in the LF after KK had beaten Dublin and Galway had beaten Wexford in the LSFs, Kilkenny would be on 4 points and Galway would be on 2. KK would then play one of the Munster Finalists that year (Limerick or Waterford) and one of the Munster Semi-Finalists (Cork or Tipp, I think), and then two of the teams knocked out in the QFs (Let's say Clare, Laois, Antrim, or Westmeath for example)

Top 6 in the overall table would qualify; Top 2 straight to the SFs and then #3 through to #6 would play off in the QFs

11th would play 12th in the relegation final

Think this way preserves the provincial formats, gives everyone games, shares the development burden equally, allows Leinster teams to improve by playing Munster teams, and allows more Munster teams to qualify for the AI series

IMO, this format should be used for Minor and U20 as well, not just Senior

your a brave man saying that, think it but don’t say it out loud you could be lynched for that 😀😀😀