Kilkenny GAA Thread Part 2 **MOD NOTE POST 1***

Nedflanders02

There touch has been absolutely terrible so far, Shane Walsh not in the game at all if Leahy is fit get him on as soon as possible. We need to get Blanch and Ryan into the game more, Blanch looks to have the beating of his man, 2 great points from Pat Lyng keeping us in it, we need a massive second half here

JaffaP

Woeful so far, but that's only a continuation of how they were against an abysmal Dublin team.

Westmeath aren't up to much, and if we get it together we should still win. Brennan seems fairly clueless.

Faugheen

Regardless of what happens, the lack of basic skill on show here is frightening..

dobbs2210

Westmeath after missing a mountain of scores. This is utterly shocking. Jason cleere getting cleaned out pulled and dragged all over the place. It's terrible.

what Liam Blanchfield did with the pass from Richie Leahy was awful.

JJs Left Hand

Why is Darren Mullen still on no. 12 and he getting roasted under every puck out

Faugheen

Richie Leahy a class above here.

JJs Left Hand

Didn't deserve to win that by 10 although we were obviously the better team

Worrying lack of an ability to read a game and when the game was tight we really struggled to win any clean ball with a good first touch

JaffaP

Awful match.

If we'd met a decent side tonight we'd have been beaten out the gate.

Faugheen

11 point win but it flatters us big time.

There's something very wrong with the underage/club system. Our fitness rather than skill level won us that game. Westmeath more than a match skill-wise.

We need to start promoting the skills of hurling again. Far too many athletes rather than hurlers coming through.

sasta le

Brian Kennedy he still on senior panel?

brookville

sasta le wrote: »

Brian Kennedy he still on senior panel?

No he was dropped after last year's league

dastardly00

dastardly00 wrote: »

PP have KK at 1/20 to win and Westmeath at 10/1 to win. Seems a bit nuts considering the result last year and that at the end of the day it's still a two horse race...

I still can't believe the odds that were being offered...
Anybody know what what the handicap was?

Rasputin11

dastardly00 wrote: »

I still can't believe the odds that were being offered...
Anybody know what what the handicap was?

PP opened at -8, Boyles at -10 and PP matched them this morning.

babyjesus14

Faugheen wrote: »

11 point win but it flatters us big time.

There's something very wrong with the underage/club system. Our fitness rather than skill level won us that game. Westmeath more than a match skill-wise.

We need to start promoting the skills of hurling again. Far too many athletes rather than hurlers coming through.

So i assume you are involved in the uderage/club system since you know "there's something very wrong"?

So when did we stop "promoting the skills of hurling"?

Realt Dearg Sec

babyjesus14 wrote: »

Faugheen wrote: »

11 point win but it flatters us big time.

There's something very wrong with the underage/club system. Our fitness rather than skill level won us that game. Westmeath more than a match skill-wise.

We need to start promoting the skills of hurling again. Far too many athletes rather than hurlers coming through.

So i assume you are involved in the uderage/club system since you know "there's something very wrong"?

So when did we stop "promoting the skills of hurling"?

Do you think there's nothing wrong?

babyjesus14

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Do you think there's nothing wrong?[/QUO

Are the players coming through at the moment as good as in the mid noughties only time will tell but it doesn't look like they are. That doesn't mean there is something wrong, these things go in cycles. I have been going to Kilkenny hurling matches for over 40 years and believe you me i have seen some very ordinary hurlers play for Kilkenny.

I am also involved with underage coaching and have a close relative involved with the Kilkenny Development squads for the last two years and i have a very detailed knowledge of what goes on. And everything they do with the development squads bar a one hour gym session a week for core work during January and February, is done with hurl and ball. It's all skills based!

dzer2

babyjesus14 wrote: »

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Do you think there's nothing wrong?[/QUO

Are the players coming through at the moment as good as in the mid noughties only time will tell but it doesn't look like they are. That doesn't mean there is something wrong, these things go in cycles. I have been going to Kilkenny hurling matches for over 40 years and believe you me i have seen some very ordinary hurlers play for Kilkenny.

I am also involved with underage coaching and have a close relative involved with the Kilkenny Development squads for the last two years and i have a very detailed knowledge of what goes on. And everything they do with the development squads bar a one hour gym session a week for core work during January and February, is done with hurl and ball. It's all skills based!

You could possibly be right about the squads training. But of little use if most of the skilful players are sitting at home.
When was the last time a player came through onto the senior team that didn't play with the squads.

If you think no player was missed by the squad system fair play to ya

babyjesus14

dzer2 wrote: »

babyjesus14 wrote: »

You could possibly be right about the squads training. But of little use if most of the skilful players are sitting at home.
When was the last time a player came through onto the senior team that didn't play with the squads.

If you think no player was missed by the squad system fair play to ya

And where did i say no player was missed by the squad system? It's the clubs who send in their best players. Obviously some players develop at different stages that's why they are continually monitored from under 14 through to Minor. Size can be a major issue in teenagers, a guy who is too small at 14 could be a completely different animal at Minor.

JJs Left Hand

The squads system is a bit of a farce. This years U14 panel was picked on the basis of the Feile weekend in April or May. Are development squad coaches going to games during the year? How many are with each squad? Surely players should be getting drafted in and out on a regular basis at that age? Surely after that "original" U14 squad is picked there should be additional North and South development squads picked with weekly or fortnightly sessions with the best 3 or 4 players from each club sent into them?

dubcat51

Diddnt see the game but backed kk at evens -10.just my luck to qin by 10.got to beat wexford now and push on.who stood out for us in what seems to be a poor performance.

Cornerback1

A win's a win. We've no God given write to beat anybody at anytime. This relates to underage or seniors. We can go out and beat what's in front of us and this has happened i.e. Dublin and Westmeath U21's. A lot of these lads are in with the seniors so they are getting plenty of hurling.

The match tonight happened - poor first half but way better in second half. Westmeath probably deserve a bit of credit also in fairness. If we have a poor game, there's lads who'll want to change the whole structures of hurling in the county.

I'd say there'd be lads on here complaining if we beat Westmeath by 30pts. We're in a Leinster Final now in 2 weeks. Let's see how that goes.

JJs Left Hand

babyjesus14 wrote: »

dzer2 wrote: »

And where did i say no player was missed by the squad system? It's the clubs who send in their best players. Obviously some players develop at different stages that's why they are continually monitored from under 14 through to Minor. Size can be a major issue in teenagers, a guy who is too small at 14 could be a completely different animal at Minor.

It was changed this year. Clubs didn't choose anyone. As above it was based on the Feile weekend and I assume schools hurling.

dzer2

babyjesus14 wrote: »

dzer2 wrote: »

And where did i say no player was missed by the squad system? It's the clubs who send in their best players. Obviously some players develop at different stages that's why they are continually monitored from under 14 through to Minor. Size can be a major issue in teenagers, a guy who is too small at 14 could be a completely different animal at Minor.

Your the one advocating the system and the coaches

I have dealt with a lot of them they couldn't see the woods for the trees in a lot of cases and are blinded by each others ideas. But as jjs hand says squads are a farce along with the go games.

After 10 yrs of it the weaker players are still gone in our club to an extent that we have no minor team and the under 14 is worse. The u12s are little better its down to coaches following their kids and promoting them beyond their capabilities.

dzer2

JJs Left Hand wrote: »

babyjesus14 wrote: »

It was changed this year. Clubs didn't choose anyone. As above it was based on the Feile weekend and I assume schools hurling.

4 yrs I have being promoting this unfortunately they haven't taken it through the ages calling in the same players.

babyjesus14

JJs Left Hand wrote: »

The squads system is a bit of a farce. This years U14 panel was picked on the basis of the Feile weekend in April or May. Are development squad coaches going to games during the year? How many are with each squad? Surely players should be getting drafted in and out on a regular basis at that age? Surely after that "original" U14 squad is picked there should be additional North and South development squads picked with weekly or fortnightly sessions with the best 3 or 4 players from each club sent into them?

You clearly know absolutely nothing about it!!! Every club in the county is asked to send their best 3 players with some of the bigger clubs sending in more if they feel they are up to it. It's not "picked on the basis of the Feile weekend", the Under 14's first go together at the end of March. They are split up into North, South and Central regions and are kept on the go the whole Summer until the Tony Forristal and Sonny Walsh squads are picked in August three weeks before the competitions at the end of August.

nice_guy80

just on this, I was down at Feile at the weekend
I saw a lot of Div 2 and Div 3 games, many involving Kilkenny teams in Ferns

my impression of a lot of games is that the club teams from Kilkenny relied on one or two big boys to overpower their opponents, with size being a priority and that there was no difference in the level of skill and that was in games vs Antrim, Wexford and Laois opposition

dubcat51

Well what I saw of dicksboro u14s their not that big but fast and skillfull.

dzer2

babyjesus14 wrote: »

You clearly know absolutely nothing about it!!! Every club in the county is asked to send their best 3 players with some of the bigger clubs sending in more if they feel they are up to it. It's not "picked on the basis of the Feile weekend", the Under 14's first go together at the end of March. They are split up into North, South and Central regions and are kept on the go the whole Summer until the Tony Forristal and Sonny Walsh squads are picked in August three weeks before the competitions at the end of August.

This is the way it was all along with A teams sending in 4 coaches sending in their sons and the sons of their friends. Better players left at home.

babyjesus14

dzer2 wrote: »

babyjesus14 wrote: »

Your the one advocating the system and the coaches

I have dealt with a lot of them they couldn't see the woods for the trees in a lot of cases and are blinded by each others ideas. But as jjs hand says squads are a farce along with the go games.

After 10 yrs of it the weaker players are still gone in our club to an extent that we have no minor team and the under 14 is worse. The u12s are little better its down to coaches following their kids and promoting them beyond their capabilities.

As opposed to your ideas which are?

JJs Left Hand

babyjesus14 wrote: »

You clearly know absolutely nothing about it!!! Every club in the county is asked to send their best 3 players with some of the bigger clubs sending in more if they feel they are up to it. It's not "picked on the basis of the Feile weekend", the Under 14's first go together at the end of March. They are split up into North, South and Central regions and are kept on the go the whole Summer until the Tony Forristal and Sonny Walsh squads are picked in August three weeks before the competitions at the end of August.

I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that our club was told the clubs don't select them anymore and that the U14 selectors would be at the Kilkenny Feile weekend and the panel was to be picked after that.

dzer2

babyjesus14 wrote: »

dzer2 wrote: »

As opposed to you ideas which are?

Bring them all in and give them a trial at under 14. most clubs have 10 up to age players at that age apart from the city teams. about 50% wouldn't be interested anyway. So in april they will have give anyone interested a shot.

3 sections by 4 weeks lets every club send in 12 players.

babyjesus14

JJs Left Hand wrote: »

I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that our club was told the clubs don't select them anymore and that the U14 selectors would be at the Kilkenny Feile weekend and the panel was to be picked after that.

There's been three squads Central, North and South training for the last two months. Maybe there's no under 14's in your club good enough!:D

dzer2

babyjesus14 wrote: »

There's been three squads Central, North and South training for the last two months. Maybe there's no under 14's in your club good enough!:D

There is 3 lads in there from the club and 4 better hurlers skill wise and 2 of these are bigger chaps but they are at home:cool:

babyjesus14

dzer2 wrote: »

There is 3 lads in there from the club and 4 better hurlers skill wise and 2 of these are bigger chaps but they are at home:cool:

Which is your opinion! Obviously not the opinion of the management of the ye're under 14 team!:) I bet if you and i picked the Kilkenny team for next weekend our teams would be different and the team which BC and his selectors pick would probably be different again and that's the only team that matters.

dzer2

babyjesus14 wrote: »

Which is your opinion! Obviously not the opinion of the management of the ye're under 14 team!:) I bet if you and i picked the Kilkenny team for next weekend our teams would be different and the team which BC and his selectors pick would probably be different again and that's the only team that matters.

Hey lad its easy to see where your coming from. Its amazing that the best 3 players are the coaches kids. Believe me I know a hurler in the making. I don't post here to often but keep an eye out.

In the last 6 yrs not a player from the club have made any under age county team. Club were asked to send in players for under 16 this year. The same players were sent in as were sent in at under 14. These players were sent home at under 14 and again this year.

I will leave it at that

v3ttel

Cornerback1 wrote: »

A win's a win. We've no God given write to beat anybody at anytime. This relates to underage or seniors. We can go out and beat what's in front of us and this has happened i.e. Dublin and Westmeath U21's. A lot of these lads are in with the seniors so they are getting plenty of hurling.

The match tonight happened - poor first half but way better in second half. Westmeath probably deserve a bit of credit also in fairness. If we have a poor game, there's lads who'll want to change the whole structures of hurling in the county.

I'd say there'd be lads on here complaining if we beat Westmeath by 30pts. We're in a Leinster Final now in 2 weeks. Let's see how that goes.

+1 on all of this. Morrissey, Leahy, Donnelly, Lyng and Scanlan all picked off fine scores tonight.

Won tonight by 10 points, could easily have had another 2 or 3 goals on top of that, even despite not showing up in the first half. It was the same negativity the last day after beating the Leinster holders by 5 in a fairly comfortable win. Let's see how the next day goes.

Reading the reaction after both U21 games so far, you'd swear we were beaten out of the gate in both games......"awful", "woeful" & "lack of skill". I guess I shouldn't be surprised given that all-star hurlers were compared to Christy Ring players here the other day. There's a generation that aren't used to Kilkenny not being dominant and everything needs ripping up if it's not a 20 point win because they know better than any coach. Kilkenny don't have a right to show up and win any game uncontested. Wins have to be earned and teams are not going to roll over and have their tummies tickled for us.

The likes of Leahy, Scanlan, J. Walsh & Donnelly (there are plenty more too but) are very talented and could all be excellent senior players in the future.

babyjesus14

dzer2 wrote: »

Hey lad its easy to see where your coming from. Its amazing that the best 3 players are the coaches kids. Believe me I know a hurler in the making. I don't post here to often but keep an eye out.

In the last 6 yrs not a player from the club have made any under age county team. Club were asked to send in players for under 16 this year. The same players were sent in as were sent in at under 14. These players were sent home at under 14 and again this year.

I will leave it at that

And what is your involvement? Have you been to all your clubs under 14 and under 16 matches and training sessions? If you feel the whole system is so wrong why not get involved yourself? Change things from the inside out. I have yet to meet a club who is turning away mentors at under age level!

dubcat51

Lads im involved with a dublin camogie squad.in dublin each team could send in 4 players and teams with 2 teams at the age could send 5(obe club sent 10)anyway we eventually got a squad of 50.we told the girls who didnt make it we would watch them at club level and if they improved we would have aother look at them with the squad.tonight we brought 10 players back in to have a look(some were injured during original trials so couldnt come,others we have seen with their clubs and have impressed us).so the point is if you watch games you should know who the best players are.in our case I can honestly say we know all the girls at the age were involved in.how good rhey will be time will tell.but from the 50 we have now about 10 will change between now and january.

Faugheen

babyjesus14 wrote: »

So i assume you are involved in the uderage/club system since you know "there's something very wrong"?

So when did we stop "promoting the skills of hurling"?

Don't talk to me like that. I have a huge interest in Kilkenny hurling at all age levels. You can take your sarcasm and jog on if you can't put a point across without throwing in the whole 'you must be involved so' nonsense. You don't have to be involved to see what's going on.

The last 10 years, overall, the standard of hurlers has gone down. There's plenty of quality hurlers who aren't getting the breaks. To name one - Andy Gaffney. To name a second - Andy's older brother Martin when he was that age.

That's not to say we haven't found any good players, but we had a team with a number of players on the senior panel tonight and with the exception of Scanlon, Donnelly and Leahy, they just didn't look like hurlers. Others like Jason Cleere relied on work rate to get by and I haven't seen anything from him to suggest he's more hurler than hard-working athlete.

Again, the likes of Scanlon are being kept out of the senior XV by hard workers such as Lester Ryan and Wally.

The underage thing has been done by others in this thread, I've little more to add other than the quality hurlers at underage in my club were shunned out.

I'll tell you one story. U12s (not my U12s but this is when it started for this particular crop), the manager tried to make sure his son was given every chance so kept putting him on frees and building a team around him, when there was one player who was clearly head and shoulders above him who was completely shunned out, because God forbid his son would be upstaged.

His parents got sick of it because their lad was getting upset, so they pulled him, and when they moved to U-14s this man (who was no longer manager) used his influence to try and prevent that boy going back to play the game he loved by getting the club to shun him out and come out with this bull**** that because he quit he couldn't just waltz back in. You're either in or your not.

The club folded when the lads older brother (who was a starter for the Kilkenny minors) threatened to walk as well.

This player went on to play for the Kilkenny minors and appeared in many schools finals. Imagine if he didn't love the game so much? He could have fallen through the cracks completely.

Go ahead and tell me there isn't a problem based on that? And based on what other people say here, my club isn't the only one this sort of bull**** happens at.

dobbs2210

Eddie Brennan needs to have a serious discussion with Jason Cleere about all these blind alley solo runs that he has a massive habit of going off on. Running off on blind runs losing the ball, getting dispossessed and running balls out over sidelines.

Needs to be irradiated from his game.

A win is a win, home venue for the Leinster final against Wexford should help but Wexford will be a much more clinical side that will not spurn that chances that Westmeath did.

nice_guy80

dubcat51 wrote: »

Well what I saw of dicksboro u14s their not that big but fast and skillfull.

thats Division 1 - one Kilkenny club

I was watching games in Division 2 and 3
saw about 5 kilkenny clubs playing

babyjesus14

Faugheen wrote: »

Don't talk to me like that. I have a huge interest in Kilkenny hurling at all age levels. You can take your sarcasm and jog on if you can't put a point across without throwing in the whole 'you must be involved so' nonsense. You don't have to be involved to see what's going on.

The last 10 years, overall, the standard of hurlers has gone down. There's plenty of quality hurlers who aren't getting the breaks. To name one - Andy Gaffney. To name a second - Andy's older brother Martin when he was that age.

That's not to say we haven't found any good players, but we had a team with a number of players on the senior panel tonight and with the exception of Scanlon, Donnelly and Leahy, they just didn't look like hurlers. Others like Jason Cleere relied on work rate to get by and I haven't seen anything from him to suggest he's more hurler than hard-working athlete.

Again, the likes of Scanlon are being kept out of the senior XV by hard workers such as Lester Ryan and Wally.

The underage thing has been done by others in this thread, I've little more to add other than the quality hurlers at underage in my club were shunned out.

I'll tell you one story. U12s (not my U12s but this is when it started for this particular crop), the manager tried to make sure his son was given every chance so kept putting him on frees and building a team around him, when there was one player who was clearly head and shoulders above him who was completely shunned out, because God forbid his son would be upstaged.

His parents got sick of it because their lad was getting upset, so they pulled him, and when they moved to U-14s this man (who was no longer manager) used his influence to try and prevent that boy going back to play the game he loved by getting the club to shun him out and come out with this bull**** that because he quit he couldn't just waltz back in. You're either in or your not.

The club folded when the lads older brother (who was a starter for the Kilkenny minors) threatened to walk as well.

This player went on to play for the Kilkenny minors and appeared in many schools finals. Imagine if he didn't love the game so much? He could have fallen through the cracks completely.

Go ahead and tell me there isn't a problem based on that? And based on what other people say here, my club isn't the only one this sort of bull**** happens at.

"You don't have to be involved to see what's going on", seriously please explain to me how so because i might try and apply that to my work life so i don't actually have to go in!

So you have one anecdote about an under 12 and that's your proof that there is "something seriously wrong"? Listen i don't deny that there can be issues within clubs when it comes to nepotism but here's the thing the reason this exists is because of a reluctance of impartial management and mentors to get involved. It's amazing at our AGM when the Chairman canvases the room for the upcoming season for new Mentors the number of people who discover a speck of dirt on their trousers or shoes that need attending to. And thus it's left to the same handful of parents to take the thing forward for another year. And yet come Championship time they'll all be out in force thinking their little Johnny or Jane are the next Richie Hogan or Denise Gaule and the management haven't a clue!

And about Martin Gaffney, i have been watching Martin Gaffney since he was 13. He was the outstanding forward on a Forristal winning team along with James Gannon was an All Ireland winning Minor as an Under 17 and yet when it came to his Minor year in '09 he couldn't make the team because he hadn't progressed. He only made the final because of an injury to Ger Alyward hurled very poorly culminating in driving a 21 yard free wide and was withdrawn. To use him as an example of someone who didn't get the "breaks" is beyond ridiculous. The fact of the matter he is just not good enough for inter county level. His brother Andy is a good prospect who still has another year at under 21 who has been involved the whole way up and will be given ever chance to prove himself!

Oh and don't be so precious.. "don't talk to me like that"

Village87

Nothing on the u21 last to make a breakthrough for the seniors this year Leahy sticks head and shoulders above anyone else on the field, he is our only hope, depressing stuff.. Donnelly is strong and skillful but hard to see him lasting the pace of championship matches in Thurlus and Croker, looks very one paced

Tombo2001

babyjesus14 wrote: »

You clearly know absolutely nothing about it!!! Every club in the county is asked to send their best 3 players with some of the bigger clubs sending in more if they feel they are up to it. It's not "picked on the basis of the Feile weekend", the Under 14's first go together at the end of March. They are split up into North, South and Central regions and are kept on the go the whole Summer until the Tony Forristal and Sonny Walsh squads are picked in August three weeks before the competitions at the end of August.

Just on this....

'send their three best players'.....

This seems to be the way that county development squads are picked up and down the country.

My guess is that (I) this is system is open to abuse; how often is the mentors kid one of the three best players and (ii) you could have a kid who is brilliant at one thing; but not necessarily one of the three best players. For example we have a young kid in the club - not a great tackler, needs more physicality in his game - but he does one thing brilliantly compared to all the rest - which is when he has a shot on goal, he always makes the right choice - go for goal or go for point; and if he goes for goal he almost always puts the ball in the right spot. That's a presence of mind that none of the other kids have. But overall he's not one of the three best players; and he probably wouldn't be one that would be picked for any trial.

Now stepping back from that, whats the message here.

Kilkenny had lets say stronger players coming onto the panel 7/8 years ago than they do today. My guess is that there are a lot 28-30 year olds in the county that are better options than some of the young lads coming through the juveniles - at the time they were coming through against Richie Hogan or TJ Reid - and they might have been overlooked. If I was one of the KK selectors I'd be looking very closely at this group - get a decent player at 28, still has 4 or 5 good years.

kk.man

Kilkenny had lets say stronger players coming onto the panel 7/8 years ago than they do today. My guess is that there are a lot 28-30 year olds in the county that are better options than some of the young lads coming through the juveniles - at the time they were coming through against Richie Hogan or TJ Reid - and they might have been overlooked. If I was one of the KK selectors I'd be looking very closely at this group - get a decent player at 28, still has 4 or 5 good years.[/QUOTE]

I agree with your point and see how you came to make it however it is easier said than done. Some of these guys may have lost interest or let themselves go. It also takes a few years to reach peak standard which may have surpassed a 28 year old in terms of fitness, body building, conditioning etc. It was done in the past but it was an exception rather than the rule.

droppingball

Liam Blanchfields is struggling, he should be flying in these games if he is to be starting for the seniors. There is potential there but doesn't seem to be sharp enough

Village87

kk.man wrote: »

Kilkenny had lets say stronger players coming onto the panel 7/8 years ago than they do today. My guess is that there are a lot 28-30 year olds in the county that are better options than some of the young lads coming through the juveniles - at the time they were coming through against Richie Hogan or TJ Reid - and they might have been overlooked. If I was one of the KK selectors I'd be looking very closely at this group - get a decent player at 28, still has 4 or 5 good years.

I agree with your point and see how you came to make it however it is easier said than done. Some of these guys may have lost interest or let themselves go. It also takes a few years to reach peak standard which may have surpassed a 28 year old in terms of fitness, body building, conditioning etc. It was done in the past but it was an exception rather than the rule.[/QUOTE]

Pick the best players to play, obviously not been done. Kilkenny cant have gotten to that bad a standard over night

Tombo2001

kk.man wrote: »

Kilkenny had lets say stronger players coming onto the panel 7/8 years ago than they do today. My guess is that there are a lot 28-30 year olds in the county that are better options than some of the young lads coming through the juveniles - at the time they were coming through against Richie Hogan or TJ Reid - and they might have been overlooked. If I was one of the KK selectors I'd be looking very closely at this group - get a decent player at 28, still has 4 or 5 good years.

I agree with your point and see how you came to make it however it is easier said than done. Some of these guys may have lost interest or let themselves go. It also takes a few years to reach peak standard which may have surpassed a 28 year old in terms of fitness, body building, conditioning etc. It was done in the past but it was an exception rather than the rule.[/QUOTE]

But there are bound to be guys who are later developers. Surely in KK (and I'm not from there but I know it pretty well) the club scene is strong enough that there are players who will stand out, but aren't on the county team.

Clearly there is a gap between Senior County and Club. But there's also a gap between Senior County and U21, and that's currently what the feeder is. You wouldn't be starting from scratch with these guys, they would be in pretty good shape.

Ceist_Beag

The discussion on underage has been an interesting one. It's all very easy for lads to make general sweeping statements (and there have been some very sweeping statements in here!). There will always be anecdotal stories about good lads getting left out and nepotism - but something tells me this has always been the case. I still think if lads are showing well for their clubs they will get a look in, however it falls back to the clubs moreso than the county board to push for their lads I think personally.
One thing I can say is that from what I have seen (and I would not be someone in the know here so this is very much just my personal opinion for outside), there are a lot of things being down at county level to try and give young lads every chance. This year saw club regional squad sessions being held on the same night as development squads in an effort to get more young lads involved. It is a bit early to comment on these yet but it looks like a step in the right direction.
FWIW I thought the U21s hurled really well in the second half last night and to me they look like a team starting to come together as a unit.

brookville

dobbs2210 wrote: »

Eddie Brennan needs to have a serious discussion with Jason Cleere about all these blind alley solo runs that he has a massive habit of going off on. Running off on blind runs losing the ball, getting dispossessed and running balls out over sidelines.

Needs to be irradiated from his game.

A win is a win, home venue for the Leinster final against Wexford should help but Wexford will be a much more clinical side that will not spurn that chances that Westmeath did.

I was disappointed with some of the needless frees we gave away players lunging in high instead of just standing their opponent up.We probably had more skillfull hurlers but they out worked us on many occasions and they drove 3 handy wides in the 2nd half before we pulled away.Leahy made a big difference and getting him along with walsh will be very important for the next day.This isn't the best wexford team of the last few years but there putting up big scores.We have to improve considerably because a win the next day sees us against a northern team so it could be a great chance to get to a final where anything could happen.
Maybe it was nerves last night but I was expecting more from this team or maybe we're to critical and judge them after the final.Home advantage should help and as I said if we get leahy,John walsh and huw lawlor they should all strengthen the team.There's still a few issues to sort out on the team corner back is 1 I'm surprised mullen wasn't tried there.