National Hurling League 2025 Discussion

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123137548#Comment_123137548

Why does hurling "need" Waterford any more than some off the other teams that could go up or will go down.

My memories of Waterford are mostly of one great team. I didn't even know they were considered a top or fanatical hurling county growing up. Certainly nowhere near the level of Wexford or Offaly (the latter I found out later were also not historically strong).

And looking back they were actually miles off of Limerick.

Glenomra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123137580#Comment_123137580

Actually, when people look back in years to come, the mystery will not be how did Limerick win 5 all Irelands in 6 years; but rather it will be why did they win so little after the 1940s.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123137604#Comment_123137604

Ya there's literally books written about it. For the most part we pop up with 2 Munsters a decade but there is a huge barren spell better 40 and 73 where we only win 1 in 1955. League wise it follows roughly the same pattern.

newhouse87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123137604#Comment_123137604

Well that won't be known for years to come and no way to predict it. Could be a case.of 1 great team like the 30s.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123137641#Comment_123137641

There's a big difference though between the team post 40 and post 73. After 40 we really did go to sht and were also-rans living off the scraps of a few plucky wins. Post 73 we were back in 74, 80 and 81 and were big contenders again the next decade.

We only had 2 truly generational teams but not just 2 good eras and nothing else like most counties.

newhouse87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123137674#Comment_123137674

Yeah look I'd be surprised if ye were anything near that barren again but I'd also be surprised to see ye go on a run like ye just have again . Ye have a core group of v skilful and v big physical hurlers,the perfect combination but I'm not sure what's left in them tbh and underage ye are not pulling up trees not that underage is marker for success per se.

randd1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123137548#Comment_123137548

I'd argue what the sport really needs is Kilkenny to stop regressing, Galway go up a few notches, Wexford and Dublin to go up 10 notches, Offaly bring their minor/U20 form of the last few years to senior, and Antrim put in place a plan to develop hurling more than Waterford not being able to get the best out of their obvious talent once again for whatever reason.

eastie17

doing a last man standing on the league in work but am more of a football man so guessing a bit now after getting through the first 2 rounds.

My strategy has been pick whoever Wexford are playing which might be a bit unfair but who’s ye’re banker to win this week lads?

Was thinking Kilkenny but not so sure as Wexford have a much better account of themselves last week and still not sure about Kilkenny

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123137683#Comment_123137683

Since the 1970's Tipp are usually winning 1 All Ireland a decade. I'de be delighted with that going forward for Limerick and it should be achievable. Looking at the teams we had it's something we should have been doing since the 80's.

HurlingBoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123137692#Comment_123137692

It will be interesting to see how Dublin and Waterford do come championship. Will they suffer from playing in 1B or will teams in 1A be tired from all the competitive matches in 1A. Possibly once a team have 5 points on the board they can relax a bit as they will be safe from relegation which is more important that possibly finishing top 2 and getting to a league final.

breezy1985

What the sport really really needs is for fans to get behind their Joe McD teams. It's a great competition and none of the big contenders have the excuse that they are too busy watching their football teams rip it up.

Oíche Na Gaoithe Móire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123137548#Comment_123137548

Waterford beat Cork in the championship last year and drew with Tipp didn't they?

Oíche Na Gaoithe Móire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123137641#Comment_123137641

Yes. Very hard to know what will happen over the next 30 years. My dark horse, or maybe not so dark, are Tipp in 2025.

Everyone seems to be going for Cork and Limerick.

I still think Kilkenny are lacking to win an All Ireland.

newhouse87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123139130#Comment_123139130

Not a hope tipp will get out of munster I unfortunately predict. Cahill is not the man for the job. No tactical nous.

Oíche Na Gaoithe Móire

The 90s, 1994 and 1996, were a big setback for Limerick, psychologically. We all know what happened in 94. The 96 Wexford team were average enough too.

Oíche Na Gaoithe Móire

I'm actually not sure the comparison is apt but Armagh won the football all Ireland from division 2. Donegal won Ulster from Div 2 and were fine against Galway in the All Ireland series.

Oíche Na Gaoithe Móire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123139133#Comment_123139133

Just watching them v Galway I thought they looked good. Well conditioned. But he does have a habit of peaking his teams to early.

A lot of players to work with though.

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123139130#Comment_123139130

I just don’t understand how anyone can have Tipp as a darkhorse. It actually makes no sense - Panel is actually weaker on paper probably; Munster was a disaster last year.

Other than to be able to do the whole ‘didn’t I tell ya Tipp were there or thereabouts’ thing, I genuinely don’t get it.

challengerbell

Tipp dark horses for the all Ireland - NO

Tipp capable of making it out of Munster - absolutely. And if you make it out of Munster you have as good a chance as any of making a semi final.

It relies on Cahill and he has already made one improvement on last year - he has settled on players positions early. With a full back chosen. Kennedy back. Breen performing well. Morris showing at 11. Bowe back in the forwards and some younger lads already putting their hands up in the backs and forwards, theres a better sense of what the team is. GK, FB, CB, MF and CF all appear to be settled on. So we have a spine and theyre all very very good hurlers.

And also, lets not forget that the assumption of Cork, Clare and Limerick either improving on last year or standing still is exactly that, an assumption. If one of these slip and loses both games against the other two it opens a door for us or Waterford to aim for 4 points quite easily and a head to head advantage. No two consecutive round robin years in Munster has thrown out the same 3 teams.

Looking back, the Clare game in Munster last year may turn out to be a very important one for Cahill as it put Connolly at 3 and Morris at 11 and both were excellent that day.

Limerick will probably turn us over on Sunday, but if we can compete in every game and end the league safe, with a team working hard and performing well theres no reason we cant challenge for top 3 in Munster.

Krazy gang

Just looking at the Flanagan incident it struck me people mustn't have much interest in the match if they are filming a corner back & corner forward with the ball nowhere near them.

Obviously it was a cork " supporter" who put the clip up. But what happened prior to that we don't know. Umpires don't give enough help to refs in general, who have enough to do. A corner back could be mauling a corner forward whole game, no action, forward reacts, red card. Very frustrating, especially for the forward who didn't instigate the incident.

Backs on general get away with murder, conor cleary is one example, always pulling and grappling but rarely penalised.

Billy Ocean

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123134451#Comment_123134451

Also Waterford v Laois live on Tg4 app at 2, deferred coverage on the

billyhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123141871#Comment_123141871

The incident was a case of the valley of the squinting windows.

Mantis Toboggan

Wexford gone way back since Egan left

The White Feather

Wexford have been so bad

YabaDabaDooley

Such a poor game. Wexford have been woeful. I know they are missing a lot of players but to not even register a score from play in a half of hurling in front of your own crowd is ridiculous. Kilkenny totally dominant.

I hope Wexford are not shown on tv for the rest of the league as this has been desperate to watch and they are miles off the standard of the other teams in this division.

castletownman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123149135#Comment_123149135

Absolutely dreadful. We hear about Wexford always raising their game against Kilkenny, jesus in my time they couldn't raise a gallop. And while we've a good record against them recently, KK are going 10 years without an AI, which is a famine for them, and they are well below a vintage team.

YabaDabaDooley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123149144#Comment_123149144

I don't even think Kilkenny have been that good. A lot of sloppy play by them. Could have scored another couple of goals. I feel a bit for Keith Rossiter he looks a bit disillusioned on the sideline.

castletownman

Ursula getting a Laochra Gael episode ahead of her father is some woke nonsense as well

The White Feather

Comeback is on lads! 😅

YabaDabaDooley

Kilkenny look average enough so many misplaced balls and fumbling the sliotar. It's poor enough fare.

The White Feather

That was a beautiful sideline cut in fairness

YabaDabaDooley

Wexford have improved second half but how bad have Kilkenny been? One of the worst halves of hurling ive seen from them they have been woeful.

Mantis Toboggan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123149110#Comment_123149110

In fairness they've battled well in the second half but just leaving themselves too much to do.

YabaDabaDooley

Leinster is wide open this year by the looks of it. I might have a flutter on Dublin. Offaly could take a scalp or two. Galway and Kilkenny not as formidable as other years.

The White Feather

Hard to know what to make of that one. Wexford were so bad in the first half and Kilkenny should have been further ahead. Then Wexford played better in the second but had some awful wides. Kilkenny got the win but seemed sloppy in places. Forwards seemed to disappear in the second half after building up the lead.

Both teams missing players so they seem works in progress still

Krazy gang

Enjoyable game this. Clare started well but galway have stormed into it with Anthony burns and conor whelan causing havoc. Burns with 2 goals.

breezy1985

With all the money put into intercounty teams now it absolutely boils my p1ss that they can't produce an actual match standard winter keepers jersey. If I was ref I'd send the fekers back to the dressing room for having no number on the jersey.

That Clare ejit who keeps wearing red underarmour needs to told to stop too. Rules should be black or kit colour only.

Krazy gang

Clare only 5 of the all ireland team so galway more full strength

Jizique

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123149339#Comment_123149339

Change of guard in Galway but not looking too bad here

C4000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123149517#Comment_123149517

First goal was an absolute beauty

breezy1985

I think Clare (and Limerick tomorrow) are taking a big risk not getting points on the table early.

Don't to be facing into the later league games having to go full tilt to stay out of the relegation zone.

Mantis Toboggan

Is it inconceivable that the all Ireland champions could be relegated?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123149589#Comment_123149589

Away to Limerick and Tipp. Home to Wexford and Cork.

Could easily come out of that with only 2 points. Or have to play your hand early and get your full team out too soon.

Freneys Treasure

At last Mannion done for steps

MattressRick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123149520#Comment_123149520

Yeah goalies should be told to wear the jersey outside the jumper or **** off back inside.

Krazy gang

Lohan naming dummy teams for a league match in February is silly.

Loads of changes to the team released Friday night

YabaDabaDooley

Another abject performance on the road by Antrim. Hammered by Dublin first day out and beaten out the gate here by Offaly. The standard of the Antrim players, the touch and skill has been dreadful. Early days but not a hope they will be getting out of Leinster this year they are miles off the pace.

Krazy gang

Awful start to the league for antrim. How can they be so poor while their clubs put it up to the best in Ireland. I know they're missing Conal cunning, maybe a few more.

Encouraging for offaly without screeney, kiely and Ben connelly

YabaDabaDooley

First 10 minutes of Limerick v Tipp has seen some excellent hurling and lots of good score taking. Ten points in total barely a wide in the game. Its a step up on what we saw yesterday in Wexford Park.

robbiezero

Cracking game this. Tipp have a lot of work done and showing well early in the league.

Good step up on yesterday's fare.