Kilkenny GAA Thread

Extra time in Tullaroan/Clara,

Mossy was running through in last min went for goal but should have thrown over the bar.

The way I'd put it is do Bennettsbridge give a damn right now that there league champions.

Must be sickened alright. It's long overdue time to do away with League & Shield Finals. Teams are only interested in, and will only be recognised for, Championship success . If Co Board don't make a move would any club be bold enough to just give a Walkover? Asking them to play effectively a challenge a week before Championship quarter-final is just crazy.

Referring decisions cost the boro today.

1 Bill Sheehan’s effort for goal in the first half , Ref gave advantage and when he put his shot wide no free in was given.

2 Andy Gaffney taken down with a head high tackle (could have been a red card ) Shane Stapleton through for goal , no advantage given.

3 free blown for the village before they got the goal , goal was given.

consistancy?

anyway not the villages fault, I congratulate them on their win.

If you're going to start analysing the ref in the first game then it's going to be a long list and the Village will have plenty to be aggrieved about as well. He didn't favour either team in my opinion. He tried to let the game flow and it just became a bit of a mess

Lisdowney could complain about a few calls that went against them against the Boro last sunday.

What do u know about refferring in kilkenny.what do u know about criteria in kilkenny.what do know about refs in kilkenny in regards to what makes an intercounty ref and how that relates to a club ref.did it ever occur to u that the referees are by far the most let down organisation in kilkenny by the county board.did u ever ask a referee how its run within the county or the difficulties they face #blame the ref because it covers up all ills

Was up in Thomastown last weekend at the OLG and Rower game and I thought the Rower would give them enough of it but they were completely outplayed. Lots of people I talked too earlier in the year picked the rower to go down and I can see why. Joe Lyng at 14 and Joyce at 3 look like lads that never played at a high level before even if they were hung out to dry. I’ve heard plenty of bad things about their management too so I fear for them. The only positive I took from that game was that that the 3 county lads were very big and obvious to pick out. Leahy was class at 12 the decision to move him to midfield was very strange. He hit 2 unreal scores and caught 4/5 balls and looked like his old self, confident and direct but not running into trouble. Paddy Deegan very good on the day playing in the forwards. OLG were very good on the day and backed it up with a good win yesterday.

Sadly the only senior game I saw today was the Ballyhale one. I think one Mullen played maybe? I couldn’t hear the commentary. Whatever anyone says about Colin Fennelly as a county hurler he is an absolutely brilliant club hurler, like Richie Reid and Joey Holden and I’d love to see him back in this year. He’ll be remembered as an extremely underrated hurler, even with KK was an absolutely workhorse when he was younger and always chipped in, apparently hard to handle too so I don’t know really. TJ’s position is prob FF,his skill and work rate and giving the ball to the best lad in the right position is second to none, what a hurler what teammate. I thought BB had a right chance today myself. If Ballyhale win the semi final they’ll win it out but it won’t be easy but as someone mentioned they’ve clutch players all over and know how to win and yet to be at 100%, typical!. With that being said James Stephans are the team to beat them and will give them everything like last year.

is that 3 league finals in a row for Thomastown does anyone know? I think their much better than glenmore but I thought the same last year. Glenmore have serious players but dropping Alan murphy from the frees was very silly. Not sure if true but somebody told me Thomastwon beat the Rapps the week before the Wexford county senior final, any truth in that does anybody know? Enjoying all grades this year, heard today Walter was back in the half back line/half sweeping for Tullagher the weekend. Big win for them as they were struggling. Love the club hurling.

Referees course is a 3 night course and then county board start appointing them to games.there is a rules test once a Yr and a fitness test that can't be failed.that is a system set up to fail.quick suggestions would be group training sessions and a buddy system were new refs would be helped for a Yr by a ref with 5yrs experience or more.fed back to refs from appropriate person on performance in a match not some one going to a cc meeting and slating refs after watching there own club

Genuine question here (as you seem to be involved in refereeing). Why does it take so long for promising referees to get the bigger games? We had John Mulhall as referee at an underage game over 3 years ago and he is still the best referee we had in any game. I was expecting that by now he would be refereeing adult matches but all I've seen of him this year was doing the line at a Junior match. To me someone like that has all the attributes to make a good ref (played the game, knows the players, is as fit as most players and talks as he refs) so why does it take so long to promote him?

In the meantime we have referees still taking charge of underage games where he previously refereed underage games that the coaches played in!

Grow up will you there was not a dirty stroke in the game any Boro player that went down with cramp or anything three lads were running in giving him the kiss off life.

Agree with this, when you see some of the abuse that referees get on here (which could be considered mild compared to what they might receive from the stands), you would have to ask why anyone would even want to be a ref. So how can the county board get more involved. The game is so fast, and getting faster, that referees need to be able to run 10k over the course of the game to keep up with the game.

It's also a lose-lose situation for referees sometimes, as people want an open, entertaining game but will scream murder when they're not getting easy frees.

A number of years ago, it was suggested that there could be two referees on the pitch to marshall each half of the pitch, but this would lead to more issues and inconsistent refereeing, as well as being unsustainable with the lack of referees in the county. So what could be done to help referees? Is there any way to encourage younger referees and former players (such as John Mulhall) to get involved?

AT the match in Kilmanagh yesterday the verbal abuse the ref got from a Callan mentor was disgusting ignorance at its best he should have been told to leave the playing area children as young as five six listening to him.

Absoluteltly this would help but it really needs a fundamental mindset change in GAA. My suggestions

1. Absolute zero tolerance of back chat or verbal abuse. A la rugby. From kids u6 games up to Senior Inter County.

2. Get young players involved to referee juvenile games. I'm talking teenage / transition year age. All juvenile games up as far as 15s or Minor. And pay them well too.

3. Yes pay adult refs handsomely. And find incentives to entice high profile ex players away from their cushy commentary / analysis / podcasts etc to get involved. They tend to be among the most vocal critics yet I rarely see one stand up to the plate themselves.

They must be reading.

Whomever suggested getting transition year students to ref an U15 game are you cracked? You can't have lads refereeing players the same age as them. Completely unfair. Even U13 are too old to have someone 15 or 16 reffing them in competitive action.