Kilkenny GAA Thread

Tickets are selling fast it seems. The open stand and behind the goals won't be open so the stand will probably be full. There'll be a fireworks display.It should be a good evenings entertainment.Fair play to wexford getting lights up. Our county board are very Conservative when it comes to progressive thinking or getting the optimum from sponsorship. The recent shake up certainly wouldnt give me much optimism.kk have being going outside the county to train pre season which isn't good enough in 2023.

Best of luck to Derek and the lads.Hopefully he'll bring a bit of freshness and new ideas. It will be a big jump from u20 but at least he had the 20s comfortably playing against sweepers and a plan for puckouts.The first match is Sunday week at home to offally. All pre seasons are tough but from talking to a few people training has being very tough. It will also be a big step up for the few u20s that are called in so we'll need to have patience and although having them in around the senior setup now should benefit them some might be better concentrating on the u20 and see how they're going later in the year.i presume that silly rule still applies. I dont think Clifford or drennan are ready to make the breakthrough onto the senior team yet but it would be no harm if they got a bit of gametime during the league.

We all expected a few retirements but it seems everyone is going again.With 4 panel members gone from last year players will get opportunities. Lyng will be hoping David blanchfield and cian kenny fill out a bit and blanchfield and maybe darragh corcoran can nail down these wing back spots.As a former midfielder It will be intresting to see what he wil do with this troublesome position later in the year. The game has changed since his playing days obviously but he needs to try get some kind of balance here. I think Shane Walsh needs to be given a proper run In the fowards.

Great achievement by the Irish handball team in the USA. Two Kilkenny lads, Kyle Jordan and Anthony Clifford involved.

Do we have anything definitive on the underage grades for this coming year? Will it be 2024 before even age grades are restored or will this happen this year coming?

Any progress made on the decision to hire a performance manager that was advertised a couple of months ago?

Great to have a bit of hurling back this weekend. Won't learn a huge amount this time of the year but mikey butler started off corner back in the first round against laois last year and held onto that same Jersey in the All Ireland. Lads will hopefully be mad to grab a Jersey and hold onto it. There's around 60 lads involved at the moment. A number of this and last years u20 squad are in and while alot of this years squad mightnt make the breakthrough this year they're being exposed to heavy training. It will be an experimental team with fringe players,u20s and lads who have being called in after a good club campaign. Fringe players like matt kenny,niall brassill,James bergin,Shane Walsh and conor heary will want to make the next step and break into the matchday squad. Clifford and drennan were the two standout players at u20 so hopefully they will get some game time.

The stand has sold out for the wexford match in round 3. I presume they will open the terrace if the demand is there.

The Boss is back in charge.

Think you’re dead right, a centre back and new midfielders are badly needed! I’d assume there will be a lot of new/young lads used on Sunday and the coming weeks. I think it will help that Ballyhale lads will be back by the end of the month and a few of them might get a good run during the league, hopefully Ronan Corcoran will commit to the panel for the year. Does anyone know when Brian Coady is expected back from injury?

Killian Doyle is one year out of minor. He's nowhere near ready for senior intercounty regardless of his undoubted ability and I seriously seriously doubt Drennan is. On last look he needed another stone to be able to physically compete. A couple of Walsh Cup runs are fine but he's way off being ready for a "prolonged run" unless he's been turned inside out in the last 6 months.

Hard to disagree with this. Richie Reid is one of the best club number 6 in the country but It was a his first year nailing down a spot with the county after being tried everywhere and coming and going from the panel. He will probably hold onto the spot this year but with ballyhale lads gone for the first few league matches someone will get a chance.

We will look back at last year's final and regret not making a switch or trying something with our half back line getting cleaned out.Id be suprised if Lyng presists with deegan wing back.Adrian mullen is covering huge ground around midfield and that could be his best position but finding a consistent partner will be on Derek's wishlist.

Lyng will use the Walsh Cup with a few regulars along with fringe players and try get a bit of balance,hopefully a few clubs players who hurled well like bill sheehan,des dunne,Martin o neill etc get a run because as you said we need to find a few players.

Its a big year for lads like Conor delaney,Billy ryan,Alan Murphy who've being in and out and lacked consistency. Most of us expect corcoran and blanchfield to fill the wing back spots so that will bring its own pressure. Mossy had a good year last year hopefully he stays improving. We need a few fowards to take a bit of pressure off tj i thought his performance in this years final was outstanding.I wouldn't be expecting too much yet from last years u20 but aidan tallis,Sean Purcell and padraig moylan who are overage this year should get a run so now is the time to try blend them in and see how they go. Drennan and Clifford will hopefully get a run aswell.

I heard mick dempsey might be going in with cody as a selector with the village but don't know how reliable that is.

ccc

Is there any chance the game will be streaming anywhere??

Joke of a price for a match like this, a ticket for the game is €10

I don`t get this negativity about Deegan at all. He had a bad day at the office in last years final but he was one of our best players in the semi final. What let him down in the final was he knew he had to stick to Cody`s defensive mantra and Limerick had the tactical awareness to expose that. But he has been one of our best players for a number of years now, plus he has the versatility to play further up the field if required. There is too much hyperfocusing on the negative around here and not enough attention being paid to the bigger picture. It seems to be a feature of social media generally.

Typical Walsh cup match.Conditions tough for both teams. Offally will be dissapointed to come away with nothing. The slow start coupled with a soft goal and 12 or 13 wides probably cost them. KK started well and got a fortuitous goal through Ian byrne. Billy drennan also started very well but offally played some good hurling just the end product let them down which is expected from a team in a lower division. Johnny Kelly Is a good manager hopefully he can get them back in the Liam Mccarthy.

Great to get back at a match again and a good crowd in callan. All teams going through heavy training but some kk players were very tired half way through and they brought on padraig Walsh,butler,Alan Murphy plus a load of other lads. Deegan gave phelan a lovely ball for the goal.

The whole purpose of this competition and the league to try find a few players. Great to see Billy drennan and Co getting a run and most of the players are in good shape.Buckley was on a lot of ball and sheehan and drennan had good moments. Niall brennan also tried hard. Matches will come fast so hopefully there'll be plenty of fresh faces over the coming weeks

Bradsil didn't play or come on

Blanchfield has filled out a bit but some lads don't fill out as much as others. Joey holden is the same shape for the last 10 years. We've being slow with s&c and last year was first time I remember the u20s being more physical then the opposition. Deegan played alot of hurling around midfield today.

The size of some of the kk lads up close even lads like drennan and moylan who came on they looked to have filled out a good bit already.

Im nearly certain padraig moylan and Evan cody came on near the end In defence. Moylan got a point.