Kilkenny GAA Thread

Mikey Carey is back training with the county panel.

Yeah it will be hard to get up to that level for another 4/5 weeks, Leinster final might be his earliest target. Will need his pace for Croke Park as we have a few slow lads around. Hard to score goals with the 2 man full forward line and lack of pace around. Really need Billy Ryan for his pace, but he is desperately one sided for an intercounty hurler.

The thing that makes Lawlor such an effective full back is his belief in his own ability to get to a ball first and get possession. So many times you see a back trailing his player and standing off him. Sometimes you cant avoid it because the forward may have a yard or 2 on you starting off but Lawlors belief in getting to the ball with or ahead of his man is how all backs should hurl and hopefully he stays at number 3 for a time to come.

Clifford probably going to play with the u20 next week hopefully drennan will be back

I think it's horses for courses regarding the midfield. We will need options to score long against Antrim so that we can build a lead while things are tight.

Phelan is very athletic - and obviously that's something Lynn wants on the wings at all times (hence Clifford in the last game)

Just talking to a work colleague there yesterday. He was saying that he's getting the impression around his way there's very little enthusiasm for the Leinster Championship this year. I get the same feeling. He's from the north of the county, I'm from the south, so it's not like we're from the same spot. It does feel a bit muted in general.

I was wondering, would a slight change of format help build the excitement?

Looking at the Joe McDonagh, would giving the two finalists promotion to Leinster this year (say Laois and Offaly for arguments sake), and having two groups of 4 next year (open draw for fairness), with the top of each group to the SF's, 2v3 of the opposite groups in QF's, with the SF losers playing off to go to the AI series, and the two bottom teams in relegation playoff?

You'd still have the 5 games to get to the final as we have now (4 if you win the group or are in the relegation playoff), but we'd have less round robin and 6 more knockout games in total. Home/Away arrangements in place until the Leinster Final going forward. It would still be played off in the same time-frame.

I'd have to say, I'd prefer it.

But if would probably mean abandoning the Joe McDonagh from the Liam McCarthy as well, which would be a tough pill for many.

We have Antrim first, then Dublin. A poor display against those teams would change opinions.

Every second league match this year we ended up hammering the opposition. Then at least on paper the Leinster Championship looks the same. So I guess after going through it once it's hard to raise motivation for the same pattern a couple of weeks later. Having two leagues back to back was never going to be a great solution, especially when the first one is generally so tepid because of it's proximity to the second one.

Did Kilkenny CBS hammer st.Kierans in the park today.

A tricky assignment awaits sunday.The league match was a help so they know what to expect. Kk attitude will have to be spot on because if this is close down the final stretch it could be a nervy finish. Kk will give them the full respect and the squad that's named represents that.

The galway match will bring us on and despite not closing out the match we played some good hurling after half time. Management and players will take learnings from that game. Mikey butler will be very dissapointed with some of his clearances and Richie Reid the way he was easily pushed off the last ball. We drove a few poor wides to close out that match so hopefully things can be learnt.For all the giving out that's done about deegan he's workrate was a loss last weekend.

Darragh Corcoran has a chance now to nail down a spot he done well when he went back. It's no suprise midfield is changed again and no doubt it wil be a new pairing in a few weeks time. I know it's being a troublesome position but I thought lyng could of done a bit more to date.derek doesn't have the same faith in Cian Kenny and moving him around probably hasnt helped but he has struggled for form but he has huge ability so hopefully he can regain a bit of form before the year is out.

Alot of people now talking about the lack of goals so hopefully that will change sunday.Space will be scarce so hopefully the radar will be turned on when shooting from distance.

Pity Paddy mullen isn't in the squad or didn't get a run the last day. Alot of managers very vocal about the silly u20 rule. Clifford is a sub sunday and is a senior players first obviously but I wouldn't be suprised if he was available Wednesday night and by all accounts Billy drennan should be also back. Theres nearly a 2 week break then from the antrim match sunday to the dublin match at home so hopefully if the u20 win next week the 3 lads will be available for a leinster final.

Bit of a shock for Wexford in croker. Beaten by 2 points by dublin. Wexford with 19 wides and dublin with 6 wides. The odds are you would expect Wexford to be gone out of championship now provided kilkenny beat antrim tomorrow and dublin at home in 2 weeks.

Can't help noticing that you ignored the Cork v Waterford match last week!

Thought it was crap enough until Corks 3rd goal and then it just became a goal fest. Wasn't half the game Clare Limerick was. Exciting finish all the same. Tipp definitely left it behind them in my opinion.

I think Wexford still have a lot to play for, and can have a huge say in the Leinster championship...

Dublin are currently on 5 points but have to play Kilkenny & Galway. Most likely they will finish on 5 points. But they have caused Galway a lot of trouble in the past.

Galway have Antrim & Dublin left. They'll beat Antrim and so will have 7 points. Then they have Dublin last.

We have 3 at the moment. Hopefully we beat Antrim & Dublin, and that will have us on 7 points with the Wexford match remaining.

Wexford have 2 points currently. They will beat Westmeath. So they will have 4 points going into the last round against us in Wexford park... and a win for them could get them third place overall.

4 goals and could of had another two or 3. Kk have pushed up on antrim and forced them long with puckouts and have murdered them in that middle third.