Kilkenny GAA Thread

I think some of those who do or used to have skin in the game regards Dublin vouch for them strongly for 2 reasons. 1. There the only top 9 county where hurling is considered the poorer relation of football so fight their corner more 2. A few have a chip on the shoulder with the 'manufactured hurlers' tag some unfairly place on Dublin in my opinion.

Larkin did say recently that tj was due to get groin surgery so that would rule him out you'd imagine. I know he was struggling since the county final last year so its fair testament to stay going and putting in huge performances despite carrying a serious injury. He'd obviously be a huge loss so we'll just have to wait and see. The serious hurling won't start till the galway game which is probably over two months away. I don't know the time frame of the recovery but I think with padraig going to 11 it had given him a new lease of life and he should be a help to that attack. Wally also out to prove a point and Billy Ryan can hopefully really kick on now. Mossy was a threat Saturday its a pity eoin o donnell didn't play and prunty pulled up with a hamstring he'll probably be out the next day.i think if tj does play this year he'll be left at 14 and won't be asked to put in the huge shifts like before.

I do agree the league will stand for nothing if we lose to Dublin in the championship but we brought huge energy and workrate last Saturday and it was great to see lads playing heads up hurling. Our wing backs were getting up the field and butler is improving at corner back. He's sticky and has pace. Himself and blanchfield need to fill out but that will come.waterford will probably rest a few but cahill won't want to get beaten by kk it'll be a great test because Waterford are probably the form team and they've huge energy and pace and plenty of skill.

It's vital we find a few players this league so far butler,blanchfield,Kenny and Tom phelan have done some good things but we've alot of lads to come back lads like leahy,delaney,browne,fogarty,Richie Reid,eoin cody,mullen, throw in lads like Darren mullen and Shane Walsh who most think has something to offer at this level we mightnt be as far away as some think. I wouldn't get carried away after last Saturday but it was encouraging to see us playing through the lines and playing a bit of head up hurling. A win against Waterford and its a semi final.

Well done to kierans and they've a final on St Patrick's day tp look forward to. I think 5 of the forwards are underage next year including shine. Hard luck to good councel who had a large kilkenny contingent. I hope the u20 panel had a chat with Liam Moore they can't afford not to have him. This team will be backboned by 2 minors who got defeated in a final.

RIP Paul Shefflin. Great servant to the Ballyhale cause. An awful awful loss to so many people. A tough one to take

The criticism of kierans is not based on their pick. They are entitled to take in students from anywhere in the country as are any school. The criticism is based on them contacting players from other schools, including schools outside the county, to transfer into there, when they already have a panel of 37 players.

It may be that Eoin Cody could be the only Ballyhale starter on the Kilkenny team with Adrian Mullen struggling for form, Richie Reid and Darragh Corcoran not certain to start either.

I think a lot of these stories about Kierans contacting players from outside Kilkenny schools is at best rumour and likely garbage.

Where is the evidence for this "policy"?

Of the last 7 AI wins by Kierans, I dont believe a single player from outside Kilkenny started.

Management need to be more concerned about Eoin Cody's wellbeing than his hurling right now. The poor lad has been on the losing side in three major matches recently - with Shamrocks seniors, Carlow IT and Shamrocks under 21s. To cap it all his uncle Paul died this week. Sometimes we've got to stand back and put things in perspective.

I am not being obtuse when I say I haven't a clue whether it is a coincidence, Kieran's is a very good school that happens to have a massive hurling tradition.

If you’re a young lad living 15-20 miles away who is handy and mad for hurling, it is very likely you may want to go there and because it is now a very good school academically (it was a pure kip when I went there in the 1980's), their parents will likely row in and support them even though it probably inconveniences them somewhat.

My point is that I don’t believe there is anything sinister going on, some posters seem to think it's akin to American collegiate sports style recruitment. It isn’t.

The 2022 team does indeed have two good players who came to Kieran’s post Junior Cert,including one from outside Kilkenny but it would appear to be an outlier year as you need to go back almost 20 years to find an AI winning Kieran’s player from outside Kilkenny.

ASR have 4 starters from Clare and at least half their team come to ASR despite plenty closer schools available to them. I would say the rationale is identical, good school, great hurling, the good players will come the extra distance.

To provide a sense of perspective, I started in Kieran’s with Gary Halpin (RIP) and when it became obvious he was a very good rugby prospect, he headed off to Rockwell. I doubt he would ever have played for Ireland if he had stayed in Kieran’s and no one would have begrudged him or finger pointed at Rockwell for "poaching"

I am wholly against any sort of poaching but choices JJ, choices, young lads make choices and parents (certainly today) will support them 100% provided they are also getting a top-class education. This is tough on the schools they might otherwise normally attend but the choice is 100% theirs and I don’t believe in most occasions they need any coaxing let alone poaching.

13 teams (including Naas) in the U17 Roinn A league this year with 2 groups of 9 in Roinn B (including Mt Leinster Rangers and Carlow Town). Those are proper competitions so good to see. Be interesting to see if county players are allowed play for their club.

Why wouldn't they play. Surely club comes first at underage level?

It's great to see so many matches, some clubs disadvantaged more than others with county players missing but it gives management a better chance to see what their panel is made of. The so called lesser stars will have to step up. On another note I hear only two schools in Roinn A (Canices and Gaelscoil) hopefully this has changed but if not it's a sad day for schools hurling in Kilkenny if this is allowed to happen

To be fair, no hurling league this weekend

Traditionally ASR pull players from Sixmilebridge, Clonlara,Cratloe but no further. Now they are getting them from 25km into Clare.. and further out into county Limerick. Kilmallock is 50 mins from ASR on the North circular road. The far side of the city . Its a bit mad in fairness. When I was there we never had that.. And they are still an 'A' rugby school. Its not good for other schools in Limerick. People on here think Limerick city is a hurling city. Its got a tradition and Na Piarsaigh are great but it's not like Kilkenny . Junior soccer and Rugby are alot bigger than hurling.

Would making it a little heavier not make it go further??

https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2022/0310/1285569-gaa-to-trial-smart-sliotar-in-u20-championships/