Waterford GAA Discussion Thread 2011-2012

Limestone1

Mountainlad wrote: »

Awful does, really hard to take but there's no doubt that they all tried hard. One thing that annoyed me more than the ref today though was coming out of the ground, a man and woman mentioned Antrim next week and the woman said "They'll probably lose that too". Don't care how serious she was being, the lads deserve far more respect than to have flippant remarks like that thrown their way.

Probably more to do with the fact we don't seem to be getting the breaks in the last few weeks. The wind even turned against us for a while in the 2nd half tonight !
Having said that Limerick deserved to win so well done to them on doing the Senior and Minor double.

Deisegodeo

Incredibly disappointing performance tonight. Limerick deserved the win, no doubt about it and would have won by more were it not for Stephen Bennett's goals keeping us in the game. For a team that was scoring big points totals in all the games up to now, 8 points is a poor return and illustrates how dominant Limerick were. We could just not get going but the title was lost the first day, 8 points up with about 8 minutes left and not to win is really, really disappointing.

Is it just me or have we had a poor of a ref in nearly every game this year? While it probably wouldnt have affected the result and the performance of the team was the main issue, I felt he was really quick to give Limerick frees but waived away blatant fouls on Waterford players. I'd be very curious to see the free count at the end.

Another frustrating evening seeing a Waterford team in action. Think I've had enough for the year now, cant take anymore!

culbaire

doz wrote: »

The lads would have no fear playing KK at this level, we've beaten them recently in minor and a number of these lads have beaten them in the colleges this year. Haven't seen KK play at minor level this year but the general media consensus (which is all I can go by) was that the Leinster Championship was far inferior to Munster in terms of quality.

In any event we have a quarter final to win first and it will be a big job for the management team to raise the lads after tonight's defeat.

If Waterford beats Antrim it is facing very tough opposition in Kilkenny. Intercounty minor hurling is of a higher standard than colleges hurling. Underestimate Kilkenny at your peril. Indeed Kilkenny people are very confident that their minors will reach the All Ireland final. It is time for Waterford to stop underestimating opponents.

Cake Man

Disappointed, that was a tough one to take. It really hit home home much we blew that 8pt lead in the first game. In recent years, Waterford teams at all age groups seemed to be masters at closing out tight games, we always seemed to fall on the right side of those games where there was only a point or two in it but in the last 10 days, the seniors, U21's and now minors have all been beaten by a puck of a ball in each game. Really tough to swallow that.

No criticism of the lads, they tried their hardest and were just beaten by a Limerick team who I feel were just more up for it. Can't help but feel some of our lads were still in a bit of shock having to even play this game having had the first game in the bag. This was always going to be to Limerick's advantage and was going to be difficult to get the lads up for it.
Their not out yet though, should take care of Antrim (where is this on?) although I hope there are no injuries and that fatigue doesn't affect players.
Should we beat Antrim, it'll be an AI semi on the 11th. That'll be the day Dublin seniors are out so the good news would be the KK seniors wouldn't be involved (if they win their quarter v Cork) to shout on their minors. Still all to play for and I think the lads will want to put right the wrongs of the last 2 games.

doz

culbaire wrote: »

If Waterford beats Antrim it is facing very tough opposition in Kilkenny. Intercounty minor hurling is of a higher standard than colleges hurling. Underestimate Kilkenny at your peril. Indeed Kilkenny people are very confident that their minors will reach the All Ireland final. It is time for Waterford to stop underestimating opponents.

I don't think I've ever seen any Waterford supporter ever underestimate a KK team and if you are suggesting that I am then you are miles off the mark. The point I'm making is that our lads should not fear KK the way they might have 4-5 years ago. Those days are gone and if we beat Antrim we should be facing into a semi-final with every confidence of winning.

And in fairness, stating that KK people expect their minor team to reach the final is hardly some grand revelation!

robopaddy

Cake Man wrote: »

Disappointed, that was a tough one to take. It really hit home home much we blew that 8pt lead in the first game. In recent years, Waterford teams at all age groups seemed to be masters at closing out tight games, we always seemed to fall on the right side of those games where there was only a point or two in it but in the last 10 days, the seniors, U21's and now minors have all been beaten by a puck of a ball in each game. Really tough to swallow that.

No criticism of the lads, they tried their hardest and were just beaten by a Limerick team who I feel were just more up for it. Can't help but feel some of our lads were still in a bit of shock having to even play this game having had the first game in the bag. This was always going to be to Limerick's advantage and was going to be difficult to get the lads up for it.
Their not out yet though, should take care of Antrim (where is this on?) although I hope there are no injuries and that fatigue doesn't affect players.
Should we beat Antrim, it'll be an AI semi on the 11th. That'll be the day Dublin seniors are out so the good news would be the KK seniors wouldn't be involved (if they win their quarter v Cork) to shout on their minors. Still all to play for and I think the lads will want to put right the wrongs of the last 2 games.

KK seniors would be playing that day aswell

grenache

robopaddy wrote: »

KK seniors would be playing that day aswell

They could also be playing on the 18th. It depends who wins the Clare-Galway game, and of course if KK beat Cork.

robopaddy

culbaire wrote: »

If Waterford beats Antrim it is facing very tough opposition in Kilkenny. Intercounty minor hurlingAo is of a higher standard than colleges hurling. Underestimate Kilkenny at your peril. Indeed Kilkenny people are very confident that their minors will reach the All Ireland final. It is time for Waterford to stop underestimating opponents.

No one is underestimating kk. All he is saying is that we shouldnt fear them and believe we can win. Lighten up

robopaddy

grenache wrote: »

They could also be playing on the 18th. It depends who wins the Clare-Galway game, and of course if KK beat Cork.

Im pretty certain its already set in stone. The Leinster winners play the winners of the quarter final involving munst runners up and vice versa

Martin567

robopaddy wrote: »

Im pretty certain its already set in stone. The Leinster winners play the winners of the quarter final involving munst runners up and vice versa

Not so. If Kilkenny & Clare win next Sunday, Kilkenny will play Limerick while Dublin will play Clare.

Deskjockey

Disappointed with the performance from the minors tonight, the team never got going, 20 scores to 12 tells its own story, just shows the "goals wins games" theory doesn't work when you only score 8 points. Fair play to Limerick they played well, thought the ref gave them some handy frees but I could be a bit one-eyed in that respect. Stephen Bennett is a great hurler, one of the points he scored in the first half was worth the admission money alone (in fairness €10 in for me and three kids was good value ), never mind the goals. Besides Bennett, Cormac Curran did well when he came on I thought, Micheal Harney from Bonmahon had a good game as well I thought, won't go mentioning out u-18 players who didn't have a good game, they all tried their best I'm sure, sometimes sport is like that, things don't go your way. Pity it was left behind them the first day but hopefully they can process that disappointment from a fortnight ago and tonight into storming into the next game against Antrim and see where that takes them. Was quite similar to the WD - KK match recently where we were depending on goals to get us out of a hole.. they only get you so far.

Big crowd of Limerick fans there tonight, it has been a great year for them and you wouldn't begrudge anything to them now that the game is over, they are great supporters in my experience and really get behind their team. I wouldn't underestimate Antrim at all, always remember the time that Mount Sion got beaten by the Antrim team who were 10/1 on the day, so the players need to forget all talk of Kilkenny for now and just go and do the job the next day, they won't have become a bad team overnight.


Up the Deise and hopefully we will have no more games in Thurles this year as, as venues go, its been a bollocks for us Just to add the organisation was a shambles there tonight, I was bringing a few smaller kids with me (thinking smaller crowd, nicer atmosphere, less cider heads etc) however on the way down in the car I was having the chat about in the unlikely event that they ever did get lost in a crowd that they should go to a garda, however I don't think I saw one guard there, and a miniscule amount of stewards. A joke. 6,000 in attendance my arse.

Cake Man

Martin567 wrote: »

Not so. If Kilkenny & Clare win next Sunday, Kilkenny will play Limerick while Dublin will play Clare.

Yes, that's what I was going by. KK can't meet Dublin again....or can they? Dublin will ef be playing the 11th as being Leinster champions.

WumBuster

impossible to read too much into it due to the quality of oppostion but Antrim have had two fairly sizeable wins already in Ulster, would be foolish to understimate them. Antrim teams have caused upsets in the past and will see this as an ideal time to get us, with confidence bound to be knocked back a bit slightly. Hope there is no messing about on Saturday, just go out fight for every ball as if there lives depend on it, stay focussed for the 60 mins and get the job done.

Btw: Parnell park it is on Sunday, 2 pm.

Mr Tibbs

Deskjockey wrote: »

Disappointed with the performance from the minors tonight, the team never got going, 20 scores to 12 tells its own story, just shows the "goals wins games" theory doesn't work when you only score 8 points. Fair play to Limerick they played well, thought the ref gave them some handy frees but I could be a bit one-eyed in that respect. Stephen Bennett is a great hurler, one of the points he scored in the first half was worth the admission money alone (in fairness €10 in for me and three kids was good value ), never mind the goals. Besides Bennett, Cormac Curran did well when he came on I thought, Micheal Harney from Bonmahon had a good game as well I thought, won't go mentioning out u-18 players who didn't have a good game, they all tried their best I'm sure, sometimes sport is like that, things don't go your way. Pity it was left behind them the first day but hopefully they can process that disappointment from a fortnight ago and tonight into storming into the next game against Antrim and see where that takes them. Was quite similar to the WD - KK match recently where we were depending on goals to get us out of a hole.. they only get you so far.

Big crowd of Limerick fans there tonight, it has been a great year for them and you wouldn't begrudge anything to them now that the game is over, they are great supporters in my experience and really get behind their team. I wouldn't underestimate Antrim at all, always remember the time that Mount Sion got beaten by the Antrim team who were 10/1 on the day, so the players need to forget all talk of Kilkenny for now and just go and do the job the next day, they won't have become a bad team overnight.


Up the Deise and hopefully we will have no more games in Thurles this year as, as venues go, its been a bollocks for us Just to add the organisation was a shambles there tonight, I was bringing a few smaller kids with me (thinking smaller crowd, nicer atmosphere, less cider heads etc) however on the way down in the car I was having the chat about in the unlikely event that they ever did get lost in a crowd that they should go to a garda, however I don't think I saw one guard there, and a miniscule amount of stewards. A joke. 6,000 in attendance my arse.

Dunloy, I still have nightmares about that day up in Mulingar. Just like tonight their supporters were very vocal and came in large numbers. I thought it was crazy when the game was delayed for the crowd, that the Waterford team stayed out pucking around burning up energy while Limerick went in and came back out to a great cheer. Better boost than a puck around. You would really have to wonder why so many of the lads were so flat tonight and were pushed of the ball way to easily.

amber69

Cake Man wrote: »

Yes, that's what I was going by. KK can't meet Dublin again....or can they? Dublin will ef be playing the 11th as being Leinster champions.

If Galway win they can't meet Dublin so if Kilkenny and Galway win Kilkenny senior and minor will both be out the same day.

Waternut

Disappointing result tonight, though I wouldn't underestimate this Limerick team. They beat Tipp, a team we struggled against and have some really good hurlers.

noiniho

Brad1234 wrote: »

Thats what they get the last day for showboating when they had the game one.. Some of the 'stars' didnt do a whole pile tonight.. Lay off bigging fellas up before they do it at their own level..

Lay off turning on young players after a poor performance, thats hurling ya cant have it your own way all the time

Speak Now

WumBuster wrote: »

Think we could be up against it if we meet Kilkenny. they won their leinster matches by pretty large margins this year. disappointing not to be able get over the line in the two matches against Limerick, who knows we might meet them again in AI final

Kilkenny beat Laois by a large margin (Twice). They actually lost to Wexford who in turn lost to laois (Who also beat Offaly). Laois v Galway this weekend may or may not give some idea to the form lines.

doz wrote: »

Haven't seen KK play at minor level this year but the general media consensus (which is all I can go by) was that the Leinster Championship was far inferior to Munster in terms of quality.

Seems to be the media consensus most years often doesn't show in the later stages though.

Galway,KK and Tipp have shared the last 11 minors. (4,4,3)

Minors are so hard to predict really in fairness from match to match.

suitcasepink

Looks like the 2 club games are called off again this weekend
https://twitter.com/WaterfordGAA/status/359997403161571328

Mr Tibbs

Waterford Minors will play Antrim in Parnell Park at 2pm on Sunday next and the winners will play Kilkenny.

tus.maith

CCC to meet tomorrow with the minor match likely to be switched to Ashbourne for a 2pm start on Sunday

Mountainlad

tus.maith wrote: »

CCC to meet tomorrow with the minor match likely to be switched to Ashbourne for a 2pm start on Sunday

Where is that?

tus.maith

Co Meath, 25 mins north of Dublin

Backstreet Moyes

Interesting anyway that the bookies still make the minors favourite for the all ireland.

Speak Now

Nuts102 wrote: »

Interesting anyway that the bookies still make the minors favourite for the all ireland.

Really? Thats a surprise for a team already after been beaten twice. Maybe the bookies have alot of money taken on Waterford from earlier rounds. Who is second fav? Galway or Limerick?

KevIRL

Nuts102 wrote: »

Interesting anyway that the bookies still make the minors favourite for the all ireland.

PP have them as 3rd favs, and the odds lengthening significantly from the 10/11 available prior to the Munster final

Limerick 2/1
Kilkenny 2/1
Waterford 5/2
Galway 3/1
Laois 40/1
Antrim 66/1

Not too surprising either given that in bookies terms Waterford minors have only won 1 out of 5 games played this championship season, thats a pretty poor return. Not a hell of a lot between the first 4 though

Mr Tibbs

KevIRL wrote: »

PP have them as 3rd favs, and the odds lengthening significantly from the 10/11 available prior to the Munster final

Limerick 2/1
Kilkenny 2/1
Waterford 5/2
Galway 3/1
Laois 40/1
Antrim 66/1

Not too surprising either given that in bookies terms Waterford minors have only won 1 out of 5 games played this championship season, thats a pretty poor return. Not a hell of a lot between the first 4 though

Two out of five, Cork and Clare.

KevIRL

Mr Tibbs wrote: »

Two out of five, Cork and Clare.

Cork was a drawn match for the purposes of a bookie match bet.

alllcounty

I was listening to John Mullane on Sportstalk Off the Ball earlier and he was saying he was open to a phonecall before the Kilkenny game. That was the one game he would have loved to have played in. He'll be 33 in January but I think there is still another year left in him if he can be asked back. If he was available for the last 2 games of the league next year he would be a massive addition to our attacking options up front. I hope that door wont be closed next year as we need our best players on the field if we are to take on those above us in the pecking order for silverware.

WumBuster

alllcounty wrote: »

I was listening to John Mullane on Sportstalk Off the Ball earlier and he was saying he was open to a phonecall before the Kilkenny game. That was the one game he would have loved to have played in. He'll be 33 in January but I think there is still another year left in him if he can be asked back. If he was available for the last 2 games of the league next year he would be a massive addition to our attacking options up front. I hope that door wont be closed next year as we need our best players on the field if we are to take on those above us in the pecking order for silverware.

Im also open to a phonecall from the ex but she never takes up the option to ring me. pity.Why couldnt he pick up the phone himself. he made the decision. Would love to see him back in a waterford shirt though.

robopaddy

alllcounty wrote: »

I was listening to John Mullane on Sportstalk Off the Ball earlier and he was saying he was open to a phonecall before the Kilkenny game. That was the one game he would have loved to have played in. He'll be 33 in January but I think there is still another year left in him if he can be asked back. If he was available for the last 2 games of the league next year he would be a massive addition to our attacking options up front. I hope that door wont be closed next year as we need our best players on the field if we are to take on those above us in the pecking order for silverware.

what a completely stupid thing for him to say. at the start of the season he kept harping on about how his decision was final, no regrets and he wants his decision to be respected etc etc that was fair enough and Michael Ryan and co just accepted his decision and moved on but said the door was always open.. but now he turns around and says that. I grew up looking upon him as an idol and a legend but the guy is seriously going down in my estimation lately

alllcounty

When a glamour game is played in the summer anyone just into retirement in their first year will always feel that urge to play even if their mind was set in stone during the winter months. There's a serious commitment nowadays for intercounty players to put in, especially over a decade of commitment to the cause. I wouldn't be too harsh on him as he's human at the end of the day and mental fatigue does set in after years of serious commitment and no all irelands to show for it. Hopefully with a years rest he might feel more engerised next year.

seananigans

If he comes back, he should do as a soldier leave the interviews and the news column out .

while hes at it give eoin kelly a puck around the jaw and tell him to cop the **** on

doz

robopaddy wrote: »

what a completely stupid thing for him to say. at the start of the season he kept harping on about how his decision was final, no regrets and he wants his decision to be respected etc etc that was fair enough and Michael Ryan and co just accepted his decision and moved on but said the door was always open.. but now he turns around and says that. I grew up looking upon him as an idol and a legend but the guy is seriously going down in my estimation lately

It's an incredibly naive thing for him to say on the radio. He knows where the phone is if he chooses to make himself available again and he would be welcomed back with open arms if he made the call, simple as that. He'd have to give up the column though, Davy and in particular Lar are proof that writing and being involved at the same time does not work.

Can you imagine the furore though if he'd been brought back in for one game mid-season? Given some of the things he wrote I'd imagine there would have been a couple of unhappy players in the dressing room!

alllcounty

In fairness all he said was the Offlay game had huge importance as a defeat could set us back years. He was looking at it in terms of how Limerick got knocked out of the championship by Offaly in 2008 and it set them back 5 years. He didn't think it was putting pressure on the team when he wrote the article. His intentions are good even if they may not come across as that in the columns in the irish independent.

Deskjockey

WumBuster wrote: »

Im also open to a phonecall from the ex but she never takes up the option to ring me. pity.Why couldnt he pick up the phone himself. he made the decision. Would love to see him back in a waterford shirt though.

He couldn't pick up the phone as he'd be told to shag off.

Cake Man

Mr Tibbs wrote: »

Waterford Minors will play Antrim in Parnell Park (or Ashbourne) at 2pm on Sunday next and the winners will play Kilkenny.

I'm going to sound like a broken record at this stage but anyone any idea if WLR will be doing it live again? I would think they'd only be doing updates given they covered the last 2 games and the fact that it's not exactly a high profile game but said I'd ask anyway.

quintain

Mullane was one of the all time great players and characters. I hate all this controversy he gets himself into (and I have to say imho some of the stupid things he says).
I'm going to remember him as a player, one of my favourite Waterford players and favourite sportsmen of all time.

Giveitfong

WumBuster wrote: »

Think we could be up against it if we meet Kilkenny. they won their leinster matches by pretty large margins this year.

Kilkenny lost to Wexford in the first round of the Leinster championship. Got in by the back door and beat Laois (who beat Wexford) in the final.

tus.maith

Minor game switched to Ashbourne Co Meath with a 2pm throw in

Mr Tibbs

tus.maith wrote: »

Minor game switched to Ashbourne Co Meath with a 2pm throw in

Why was this game changed to Ashbourne. I'm sure it was Antrim put in this request as it would put a lot of Waterford supporter's off traveling to this venue. As far as I know the best way there is through the Phoenix Park.

seananigans

not really,can swing off the m50 onto the n2, it's motorway /dual carraigeway all the way

https://maps.google.ie/maps?saddr=Waterford&daddr=ashbourne&hl=en&ll=53.412052,-6.311324&spn=0.010731,0.01929&sll=52.25227,-7.127206&sspn=0.088169,0.154324&geocode=FW5OHQMdWj-T_ylN5NljnMZCSDH7uWeLiIG7xQ%3BFfqDMAMdOmKe_ymtdt9hxBRnSDHA7DGXqccACg&t=h&mra=ls&z=16

fricatus

Mr Tibbs wrote: »

As far as I know the best way there is through the Phoenix Park.

Only if you're starting from the centre of Dublin.

Getting to Ashbourne is simple enough. Just go up the M9 and M7 to Dublin, then left on the M50, just as you would for the airport, however you get off a bit earlier (M2 northbound). Ashbourne should be signposted from there.

No idea where the ground is after that, but it shouldn't be huge hassle to find it once you're there.

robopaddy

Mr Tibbs wrote: »

Why was this game changed to Ashbourne. I'm sure it was Antrim put in this request as it would put a lot of Waterford supporter's off traveling to this venue. As far as I know the best way there is through the Phoenix Park.

Parnell Park wasnt available and the next obvious choice, Navan wasnt available either. So Ashbourne was seen as a happy medium. apparantly there is fantastic facilities there in the Ashbourne/Donoughmore GAA Grounds well capable of hosting intercounty games.

I dont think they'll expect a big crowd especially considering it clashes with the Cork/Kilkenny AI quarter final given how far apart both counties are.

As for your reference to the Phoenix Park if you do find yourself driving through it on the way to Ashbourne its safe to say you have gotten lost!!!

Mr Tibbs

I was in Ashbourne as a passenger in a car with someone who knows the area quite well and he went through the Pheonix Park out to the Navan Rd. He said the M50 can be a nightmare sometimes but for Sunday the M50 would be ideal. Thanks lads. Just wondering what was wrong with Portlaoise or Tullamore, as Ashbourne is a lot nearer fot Antrim than us. I never find that M50 handy.

Mountainlad

Mr Tibbs wrote: »

I was in Ashbourne as a passenger in a car with someone who knows the area quite well and he went through the Pheonix Park out to the Navan Rd. He said the M50 can be a nightmare sometimes but for Sunday the M50 would be ideal. Thanks lads. Just wondering what was wrong with Portlaoise or Tullamore, as Ashbourne is a lot nearer fot Antrim than us. I never find that M50 handy.

Its actually shorter from the City apparently than it is from Antrim. You must remember that most of Antrim's hurling strongholds are at the North of the County, and therefore the very north of the Country. It'd be about the same journey from Tallow as it would from Dunloy, and Cushendall is even further north. Sounds like a very good choice of venue if the facilities are as good as stated.

Mr Tibbs

Mountainlad wrote: »

Its actually shorter from the City apparently than it is from Antrim. You must remember that most of Antrim's hurling strongholds are at the North of the County, and therefore the very north of the Country. It'd be about the same journey from Tallow as it would from Dunloy, and Cushendall is even further north. Sounds like a very good choice of venue if the facilities are as good as stated.

It could be worse, it could have been fixed for Mulingar, bad memories of an Antrim team and a Waterford team there.

Hslaw

Mr Tibbs wrote: »

It could be worse, it could have been fixed for Mulingar, bad memories of an Antrim team and a Waterford team there.

lets not speak of omens :-D

robopaddy

Hslaw wrote: »

lets not speak of omens :-D

dont think its anything to do with omens. mount sion thought all they had to do was just show up that day but Antrim club hurling is a lot stronger than given credit for

Hslaw

robopaddy wrote: »

dont think its anything to do with omens. mount sion thought all they had to do was just show up that day but Antrim club hurling is a lot stronger than given credit for

im not underestimating Antrim at all. while they are by far the biggest outsiders according to the bookies. they could pull of a shocker.
and really we shouldn't be in this position we should be Munster champions. but blew it.

i dunno what is going on with our minors.this is possibly the best minor team we have had in a few years. so i would be expecting us to win this game. im not looking beyond this Sunday.