Kilkenny GAA Thread

I'm also a big fan of John Donnelly and I'd have him in from the start. Billy Ryan frustrates the life out of me, I keep waiting for this lad to catch fire. The chap has all the tools and is capable of so much more than he has shown so far.

he just doesn't start well, dont know why. Would prefer to see Billy Ryan starting if he's to play at all, he's not going make any great impact coming on as a sub, some day it will click hopefully

Is Fogarty our only midfield player to last a full match in months?

gonna have to double check my scores but I have Billy at 3-15 and Donnelly at 1-6 this year from play. Billys got a lot more game time to be fair but I dont think Donnelly has been going all that well so far, hopefully he can pick it up, when going well I would prefer to have him playing, no comparison in being able catch a ball too

Was interesting to hear Cody's quotes about not having a settled team at moment in contrast to every other team....We are always chopping and changing our midfield's and forwards in particular it's frustrating when we've lads who will go to town one day but won't be seen the next.

The Form of Billy Ryan and Wally in particular last few games is a concern, Wally's bit of bite, hunger and aggression that he was showing in spades this year has disappeared, John Donnelly was hurling much better in his 1st 3 years on panel than the last 2.

Padraig Walsh I would definitely have back in team aswell most likely in half forward line in my opinion. Will be interesting to see where Cian Kenny plays in semi final and I assume Fogarty will play it'll be just a matter of who is alongside him.

From the outside looking in Kilkenny just need to get their most accurate shooters on the field from here on in. Padraig Walsh is definately one of them, Donnelly I'm not as certain on. Against Clare and Limerick and even Wexford Kilkenny won't have the bulk of possession but accuracy is what beat Limerick in 2019. That and an early goal. Alot needs to go right for Kilkenny to beat a Clare but who's to say Eoin Cody won't catch fire and score 2 goals. Definately they have work to do but Kilkenny are in a good position. If Cork beat Galway and Wexford beat Clare then it's Cork v Kilkenny. Iv said it before, I don't see Kilkenny living with a Cork. Everyone else are beatable for ye.

I saw Richie Reid in a photo of challengers left in the All Ireland series. He's a fine player and played well the last day but in comparison with the other guys he doesn't look athletic.

Think i would have leahy in ahead of browne or blanchfield in midfield. Billy Ryan to start if he's to play, he's not an impact sub. No Padraig Walsh?

yeah, be happy enough with deegan in midfield. Was Leahys first game in a long time, thought he did ok considering the amount of time he missed. Padraigs got 27 points so far this year, he wasn't going to get anything lumping ball into him in the middle of that Dublin half back line, assume its due to that game he hasn't played much if he didn't pick up an injury, not sure we have many great scoring options

I agree on Leahy. It's just frustrating, especially for himself, to watch him underperform or pick up an injury so often. He'd be an enormous addition if going really well. Were most of P Walsh's scored in the league when the experiment worked?

himself browne and delaney have missed so much time with injuries, doesn't seem like they got close to their potential. Always thought delaney would have nailed down the full back spot before now, never worked out. Maher in midfield has gone back a long long way from where he was too.

A lot of the scores were league alright but he was pretty consistent overall, 0-5 vs waterford, 0-2 vs cork to pick some out, not all against poor opposition. Championship he got 0-4 vs westmeath, 0-4 vs laois, 0-2 vs galway in first game, nothing against dublin and hasn't played much since, a point in both the wexford and galways games

August 2021

Henry: Brian, I will take you up on your offer to join your management team.

Brian: Good man, Henry. There is a problem though, the players we have at the moment are poor. Any other manager would be struggling to get them to beat Westmeath or Laois. We might beat Wx or Dublin but not a chance we'll beat Galway. Would you go up and manage Galway?

Henry: Put the breaks on them? Hold them back? We'll never get away with that. Everyone knows that we are good mates.

Brian: Don't hold Galway back during the round robin match. After the match, I will hold on to your hand for a few seconds longer than normal and everyone will think that we are at loggerheads.

Henry: Surely people will not be fooled that easily?

Brian: Trust me, Henry. In the final then, Monaghan is a good midfielder. Play him at half forward. Play Cathal Mannion in the corner. Bring on Jason Flynn. That should do it.

Henry: And hold on to the handshake for a few seconds again?

Brian: No. I will shake hands with everyone in the stadium and ignore you. Then, you come up to me with a sour puss on you.

Henry: That will win Leinster for us, Brian. What about the rest of the campaign?

Brian: I have it on good authority that Tipp are sending LC into Waterford to bring disruption to their team. In 2023, we are hoping to send EB into Lk. He will have everyone up there fighting each other. Jackie could do a job on Limerick, MF could hold back Tipp, DL has volunteered for Cork, DH for Clare.

Henry: You are a genius, Brian

Glad Fahy was caught. Stamping on an injured player like he did deserves the two match ban.

As for the other two incidents, so much for letting the game flow while ignoring so many minor fouls, yellow card incidents and sending off offences.

I dont remember anything as high profile as this happening but I suppose the fact that these players weren't booked on the day gives them the scope. We have to go down the route of tmo sooner rather than later.Players are putting in so much now. It took a few minutes the other day to check hawkeye in Thurles and it didn't slow the game down that much. I was sitting in croke park Saturday night and I didn't see the stamp but within a few minutes it's was everywhere circulating on WhatsApp.Everyone is hooked up to microphones so stop the clock and check these incidents.

I'd have no problem reviewing the 3 or 4 controversial incidents during the match. Stop the clock and review it. We certainly need to try something because players and management are putting so much into it. Clare will feel aggrieved tonight but the appeal process is a bit of a joke they could get away with it.It was a clare man that dived a few weeks ago and got hegarty sent off this should of being investigated at the time because no one likes to see players feigning injury.Fahy will have to take his medicine that was dirty and he deserves to miss a few games.

Thurles took about two minutes and yet only 2 minutes added at half time which was a joke. I know I agree it was and is slow but the point I make is over the two matches hawkeye was only used twice and for the controversial decisions its only a a few per match and I think most players would agree we have the technology and we could do worse things than try it next year in the league but then we'll have the debate the lower divisions put in the same effort will they have the technology available? I think its only a matter of time before we see it. Hegarty got sent off for nothing against clare and if that was our player In a 3 weeks time we'd be disgruntled.