Kilkenny GAA Thread

blackcard

Galway are fairly strong favourites for Sunday, Mullen missing is a big blow. If Butler is missing also, I presume that Conor Delaney will replace him. I have no idea who is going to play midfield. A loss against Galway would probably mean a quarter final against Tipperary. We probably need TJ to have his best match of the year and a few others similarly to have a shot

babyjesus14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120681729#Comment_120681729

The ball was on the ground and out of play and Adrian's hand was on the top of his hurl, the pull was high and late. He's been left with a tumb with seven different fractures and breaks in it and won't play for months, i think we can safely say it wasn't within the rules of the game!

blackcard

In the Round Robin match against Galway, we dropped players deep and allowed Galway space and time to work the ball forward to midfield where they picked out runners in their forward line. We improved when we pushed up on their puckouts and I hope we do similar on Sunday

brookville

From what I heard they're hoping Mullen will be back In a few weeks and it's blown up a good bit in the media. Im not a doctor but id say If it was the all Ireland next week he would probably be on the field. I heard elsewhere he hasn't being ruled out sunday but that would be very tight you would imagine

Richie Reid and deegan were more precautionary and mossy and butler are expected to be back. Adrian is obviously a huge loss from memory did he get 4 or 5 points last year but his ability to pop up in defense and then in attack will be sorely missed along with a few points he chips in with. Every team is struggling with injuries. Tipp have a load. Limerick lost Sean Finn,clare conor Cleary etc. Time for a few lads to step up.

The pressure is on galway they haven't got a great record against us since joining leinster.cooney and whelans form appears to have dipped but our full back line hasn't recovered from the league final it appears. We have being very jittery especially under the high ball

Eoin Cody is in form at the moment but I dont know how much more they will look at Billy Ryan If he doesn't deliver a big game. Tom phelan has being very good to be fair to him but this will be a much bigger test in croke Park. Midfield will probably have deegan and God knows who else.

I know galway could beat us by 10 points but they're also capable of throwing in a stinker.it will be shocking if we haven't learned from the day in the park and push up on them. We will also be anxious to try finish out games if we're In a winning position. I was at the wexford match and we should of controlled it better after the great start we got.

It's a huge game for management. It's their first year and will be given Time but some of the tactics and game plans along with substitutes haven't being great. They have had a long time to try get a midfield pairing for example and we still haven't a clue of our best team.

Frankie Machine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120684389#Comment_120684389

I wouldn't run away with the idea that the pressure is on them just on account of the head-to-head record since they joined Leinster.

Since we last won the All Ireland, which is unfortunately long enough ago to be statistically valid...

1. 3 July 2016 Kilkenny 1-26 - 0-22 Galway
2. 27 May 2018 Galway 1-22 - 2-11 Kilkenny
3. 1 July 2018 Galway 0-18 - 0-18 Kilkenny
4. 8 July 2018 Galway 1-28 - 3-15 Kilkenny
5. 9 June 2019 Galway 2-22 - 3-20 Kilkenny
6. 14 November 2020 Kilkenny 2-20 - 0-24 Galway
7. 1 May 2022 Galway 1-24 - 3-17 Kilkenny
8. 30 April 2023 Kilkenny 0-28 - 1-25 Galway

...four wins and two draws for them. The draws in Croke Park and Nowlan Park.

Your last two paragraphs, with which I agree, suggest to me that there is as much pressure on us, as is on Henry.

brookville

Henry came with a big reputation and is In his second year and knows the minimum that's needed is a leinster final. Derek will get the benefit of the doubt this year trying to follow the huge shoes left by Cody.

Of course there's pressure on lyng and to be honest the last few tests we had this year we've failed fairly badly. TIpp league match and league final,galway game was in a winning position and a bit of a collapse against Wexford granted 5 starters were missing.I wouldn't be overly happy the way he seems very loyal to alot of players. Some lads can't get a look in and others find it hard to get dropped.

The real hurling is starting now so this is where he is going to be judged Management have being niave and slow to react so It will be intresting to see how we set up and I'd be very dissapointed if we learnt nothing. I do believe there's a bit to be learnt in defeat the last day.

Another thing which is missing is the huge workrate from the fowards that was a given with Cody isn't evident In a good few games. This needs to go through the roof sunday but there's lads on the team who know their positions are safe and can afford to put a couple of poor performances together. lyng will have to make a few big decisions and not be so safe bringing on all the older lads.

randd1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120684708#Comment_120684708

The 2019 was Kilkenny 2-22 and Galway 3-20

You forgot to add in last years Leinster Final as well, Kilkenny 0-22 to Galway 0-17.

That would leave it standing 4-3 to Galway, with two draws.

Frankie Machine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120685291#Comment_120685291

Ah, thanks for that. A careless Wiki copy and paste job out of me.

dastardly00

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120684734#Comment_120684734

I would suggest that the minimum required for Henry to achieve in order to stave off major criticism would be either:

1. A Leinster final win and a good performance in the All-Ireland semi-final
2. Reaching the All-Ireland final (in the advent of losing the Leinster final)

Anything less than the above, and there will be a lot of Galway people who would be happy to see Henry move on

hogans heroes

Winning or losing in the group stages doesnt bother me as long as we qualify just ask wexford. Now is where things get serious and the carrot of a semi final awaits.anytime ypu pull on a kilkenny jersey their is pressure because of the achievements of the players that have gone before down through the years

Village87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120685880#Comment_120685880

Galway were absolutely terrible v Dublin in there last match, I am far from convinced by them. I fully expect a Kilkenny win.

kk.man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120686093#Comment_120686093

I hope your right village. Imo anything could happen...we even could be in for a thriller

tbiggertycome

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120685880#Comment_120685880

Do Galway people want to win and AI? Definitely

Do they want to win a Leinster final? only to get straight to an AI Semi

Do they expect to win these this year? - not so sure from the 3 or 4 Galway men I know that are heavily involved with the club game up there, they reckon Henry is getting the max out of them and he's given plenty of players a shot. They were very happy with how last year panned out. They don't think he's left anyone out, from their point of view there isn't enough quality players there at the moment for Henry to be doing much better. I'm sure others up there would think and say otherwise but these lads reckon most they meet at club matches have a similar opinion and the general feeling about Henry is that he's doing a good/very good job with the resources he has. I think another really strong AI semi final loss to the eventual winners would be enough for Henry to get year 3 if he wants it which I'd say he does at this stage. If they get to and AI win or loose he'll be kept on. By the way I don't think Henry his management group or the players would be happy with those but I'm just trying to relay the level of expectation I've been hear from that direction.

The odds are in Henrys favour at the minute, a final against a diminished KK to get to the Semi. Then a few weeks on the training ground to get ready for the quarter finalists to come through. Hopefully Kilkenny go out and win but you'd have to say even if we get all or most of our injured lads back their unlikely to be at 100%. Hopefully Lyng is comfortable to use the panel and not to risk lads who are still injured. I did hear a mad rumour that there was talk of strapping up Adrian to play this weekend. I would hope it's only a mad rumour as I've no doubt Adrian wants to play but it's the managements job to protect the players (and often from themselves).

Rosita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120685291#Comment_120685291

Shocking then from a Galway perspective that a Kilkenny team with that record against Galway and several championship defeats against Wexford also in recent years is now going for four in a row in Leinster.

A team doing that should be dominant, significant outside the province, and not losing regularly within the province. But somehow Galway's inconsistency and lack of a game-plan has allowed this to happen. Very little evidence so far that Shefflin has improved Galway (admittedly a team with a core of players who have seen better days) enough (or at all) not to have more of the same.

jamesbond2022

If Conor whelan is tied up have Galway the supporting cast of forwards to get the scores to win I’m not so sure

Nedflanders02

I think what Galway have showed over the last few years is how poor an indicator success at minor level, especially since they've moved it to U17, has been. In the last ten years they've won 5 minor titles and lost 3 more finals but they haven't got any real stand out star players of those teams. I know a lot of them are still young and have time on their side but I would have thought they'd be beginning to kick on by now. If you were to take out the older players like Padraig Mannion, Daithi Burke and Conor Whelan from the team theirs not much else there you'd be too fearful of which must be a concern for them.

With regards to Sunday, I think Adrian will obviously be a massive loss and it's hard to know who will replace him at midfield. Personally I think Mikey Carey could do a great job there but maybe it's taking him a bit longer to get up to speed than they expected, which in fairness is understandable after being away so long. Eoin Cody has really played himself into form over the last few games and always seems to have a big game in him against Galway, TJ has looked very leggy all year but I remember thinking the same this time last year and he exploded in to form after that, but at 35 we can't keep expecting him do it on his own and the other forwards need to step up. This will be a big test for our half back line, the first game against Galway they stood off Galway for long periods but before half time they began to be more aggressive and cut down the space and after that it got us into a position where we shouldn't have lost the game. Last year, to varying degrees of success, we started Buckley corner forward and let him come out around the middle of the field to act as a 3rd midfielder, I wonder would this be the perfect role for someone like Padraig Walsh? I don't think he has the legs for half back anymore but even if legs are going he still has the hurling brain and is a very accurate shooter that could do a job for us out there,

MfMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120689368#Comment_120689368

Equally shocking is it not that a team going for a four-in-a-row haven't dominated outside the Province either? Also a sign of inconsistency?

Marrooned

The GAA only care about money now, no thought for the travelling public only the real fans who will watch it in the pub on Sunday afternoon these same people will never go to a match or contribute a single cent to the GAA in their lifetime and the time will suit them down to the ground.but soon they will be looking to know where everyone is going. Even in the Park there is a notable absence of support.

Rosita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120690045#Comment_120690045

Well that's the flip side of my point - yes, you would expect a team that is going for four in a row in a province to be generally stronger which should show outside the province.

But I would argue that Kilkenny have not been "inconsistent" outside the province. Their ups and downs outside the province in the past three years in fact is perfectly consistent with their problems with Galway and Wexford in recent years.

Realistically if the panel Galway had 2016-18 had been added to and better coached and organised since, a Kilkenny team in steady decline should not be approaching four in a row given the level so many of their results (inside and outside Leinster) suggest they are at.

That says more about Galway than Kilkenny. Shefflin has little credibility left if they blow this provincial final again but the displays in Nowlan Park and against Dublin will need dramatic improvement. Hard to see where that improvement's coming from.

It'd be great to see Galway win as a potential Tipperary-Kilkenny quarter final in Thurles would be a nice throw back sort of match. Either way let's hope one of these teams produces a display to justify being just 70 minutes from an All Ireland final at the end.

usualstripes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120681729#Comment_120681729

You say you weren't at the match so it's a bit rich and fairly foolish saying members are deluded if they criticised the ref afterwards. Wexford won the match and fair play to them but there were several incidents that to be fair needed to be criticised. From where I was it looked like a wild pull but there were many more incidents that were not dealt with correctly. We've moved on but can still comment surely without being called deluded.

Grats

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120692324#Comment_120692324

Couldn't agree more. I thought this poster just had a problem with B Cody but it seems the problem is Kilkenny!

Marrooned

He I agree with the above. As I said before it’s a great help if you were at the game. You wouldn’t make a great murder witness if you weren’t at the murder.

Freneys Treasure

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120691088#Comment_120691088

Either way let's hope one of these teams produces a display to justify being just 70 minutes from an All Ireland final at the end - Whoever wins will have justified being 70 minutes from an All Ireland final, irrespective of performance

MfMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120691088#Comment_120691088

The Galway team in 2017 was well seasoned and balanced, and with more careful management should also have won in 2018. However, for a variety of reasons, post-2018 saw them in decline. Players retired, e.g. goalie Callinan, Harte, later midfielders Coen and David Burke, Joe Canning; John Hanbury and Jonny Glynn went working abroad, Adrian Tuohey has been plagued by injury etc. Others such as Conor Cooney and McInerney struggled to recapture their form from 2017. So of that 2017 starting team, 7 are no longer available to Sheflin, and of those that are, Tuohey and Cathal Mannion is having an injury-disrupted season, Padraig Mannion, Whelan, again C. Cooney and McInerney are up and down form-wise. Only the admirable Daithi Burke and Joe Cooney are playing to their standards.

The point of all this is that Sheflin inherited a team well into transition, perhaps even more than he realised initially. It's his challenge to blend in the newer blood coming though, as yet unproven, to form another winning side. In fairness he has given chances to to a great many players who have shown good form in the club championship (and third-level comps), and some of these have responded well to their chance. Their challenge is to push onto the next level, hopefully starting this weekend!

Rosita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120692497#Comment_120692497

Not necessarily. They'll be 70 minutes from an All Ireland final. Potentially they'll have got there because of a nice soft draw. Kilkenny had two things to do - beat Galway at home and Wexford away and did neither. They will have justified Jack if they don't step up at the weekend.

brookville

Mikey Butler and mossy are OK to play Sunday.richie Reid and Paddy deegan also ok. I would like like to see one or 2 changes but our panel probably isnt that deep.Adrian's injury went from a season ending injury to possibly playing. I don't think he will take part.Cathal mannion looks to be out for galway.Kk were away last weekend hopefully alot of work was done on gameplans and puckouts.oppositions still know we're very jittery working the short ball and limerick destroyed us in the league final.Id be suprised if Galway dont try do this. They would also want us to go long and they would back their half back line but we have a few fowards who are good in the air. Its fair to say kk are getting more from their younger players than galway are. We really need big performance from Donnelly,mossy and Cody. Theres probably a bit of a dilemma where do they play tj. He definitely looks tired this year.still a incredible player and vision but i dont know if he will be do alot of the heavy lifting again this year.He will probably float around and will always take minding.Huge match for both teams,a few weeks for the winners to sharpen the pencil. The loser could be under pressure

barneygumble99

Not sure how true this is. Nothing from Kk official

Village87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120693094#Comment_120693094

Thanks Brookville on the injury update. Cathal Mannion's loss should swing it towards Kilkenny. As stated above I missed the Kilkenny match v Wexford (the one we lost to due to the bias Referee and dirty opposition, some members sound like they are over under 12 teams here). I watched the Galway game v Dublin and Galway just looked a bad team. Padraig Mannion a player I rate highly has been poor this year and again looked sluggish, Conor Whelan was dreadful like he was against Kilkenny in Nowlan Park. Evan Niland and Brian Concannon rarely play well for Galway, Conor Cooney looks well past it at intercounty level, I just cannot see how they can hurt us the weekend. They have a dodgy keeper, TJ Brennan, Grealish and Morrissey are bang average. Ronan Glennon and Tom Monaghan are ok at best. I hope they play Fintan Cooney because he cannot cover the ground in Croke park, way to slow, especially with the other slow backs they have.

The one team Galway are primed to play is Limerick as Limerick wont kill you with pace.

Hurlarious

The lineup for Sunday

Kilkenny

No. 1 Eoin Murphy

No. 2 Mikey Butler

No. 3 Huw Lawlor

No. 4 Tommy Walsh

No. 5 Mikey Carey

No. 6 David Blanchfield

No. 7 Darragh Corcoran

No. 8 Richie Reid

No. 9 Paddy Deegan

No. 10 Tom Phelan

No. 11 John Donnelly

No. 12 Billy Ryan

No. 13 Martin Keoghan

No. 14 TJ Reid

No. 15 Eoin Cody

Bench

No. 16 Aidan Tallis

No. 17 Conor Delaney

No. 18 Cillian Buckley

No. 19 Pádraig Walsh

No. 20 Conor Fogarty

No. 21 Alan Murphy

No. 22 Cian Kenny

No. 23 Timmy Clifford

No. 24 Walter Walsh

No. 25 Richie Hogan

No. 26 Billy Drennan

Grats

Will you go away. Building Kilkenny up for a desired fall and then let loose! Same old, same old.