Kilkenny GAA Thread

Anyone know if the hurling this weekend is being shown anywhere else bar Clubber? €15 per game on there

You're well named Jimmy ....

No issue for camogie chat to be posted here

Predicting a Tullogher-Freshford final with Freshford to get there and a Bridge -Ballyhale senior final with the Bridge ti pull off a surprise. I'll probably end up way off the mark but there it goes.

Fancy a ballyhale v bridge final, just think the bridge have more firepower than oloughlins

Windgap will be very dissapointed to lose after getting their noses in front near the end but a couple of soft goals and poor puckouts and decision making cost them dearly. They had to work so hard to claw back them goals. James maher had a speculative shot that went straight to the net. I know the sun was strong at times and shane Donnelly was causing trouble but like freshford have being doing most of the year they went out of the game for most of the 2nd half but finished strong to get over the line. I remember looking up at the score board and freshford had 5 points on the board at the 50 minute mark but the 4 goals kept them in the game when windgap were on top

The Boro never turned up or played to their potential and will be bitterly dissapointed. Tullogher were battle hardened coming into this after playing in the stronger group. Tullogher were very good and wally was like a young lad I think he got about 1-5. They still conceded alot ao they have plenty to work on.It should be a good final and both teams probably feel they should be intermediate.

The bridge v o Loughlins should be a good match tomorrow. Blanchfield on Lawlor will be clash of the giants and if Blanchfield can get a few goals they could get over the line.i think o loughlins might get more out of deegan In the fowards himself and heary would add strength to the attack

The village would have to improve alot to cause an upset. Brasil,Scanlon and Kenny will need to be on top of their game. Their backs were leaky the last day and that's something you won't get away with against the shamrocks. I know the village won't fear them but it's about six years since they beat them competitively

The shamrocks are an incredible club and amazing that they're in a semi final down 5 or 6 starters from last year. It probably doesn't look great for the other clubs at senior. I'd expect them to beat the village but the winner of the first one could take them down in the final but that's a big could. They panel wil be very stretched if they pick up a few injuries.

James Hughes caught 3 great balls for bridge in 2nd half and won some good ball for them. Heary going ff made a big difference. He was strong enough to break ball and hold it up for the 2 lively corner forwards and was also able to take hit with ball in hand. Also not allowing d. Blanchfield the freedom of the park like they did in the first half curtailed the bridge (heary again for most of 2nd half) think the olg line will need to up their game as much as the players tbh.

Ht in second game and it's a strange game. Shamrocks very deep and giving Cody loads of room. TJ is thier only option up front, and while village backs are fairly comfortable at times TJ is murdering em. Too much space, no cover and no pressure on r. Ried hitting TJ. Games is defo a step down in pace too it feels.

Enjoyed the first game. Bridge a big team but really think they should have played the long ball to Blanchfield more often and have someone close to him for the breaks. It had great potential for them and who in the Park didn't want to see him going toe to toe with Lawlor under the high ball. They left it behind them really but huge credit to Wall in particular for going for that 3rd goal when he could have just tapped it over.

Physically Loughlins will be under big pressure against Shamrocks. Village just didn't turn up. Looked from the start like a team who didn't think they had a hope. No fight in them really.

It was a non event. I did smile in the second half when both corner forwards were substituted. You can talk about the modern game and the evolution of tactics but as sure as night follows day, if a team is getting a trimming, numbers 13 and 15 will be hauled ashore.

Cody and Mullen are obviously serious hurlers but when TJ and Fennelly are gone they'll be half the team they are now. As good as the younger lads are for club hurlers they're not TJ and Fennelly and once you take those two out teams can clamp down on the likes of Shortall or Kenneally and massively reduce their impact. Obviously you have Cuddihy etc to come back in but no team could continue seamlessly once TJ finishes up and Fennelly eventually calls a halt.

Obviously a tough day for the Village yesterday and look sometimes you get these results against quality teams like the Shamrocks but there 2 very worrying sign's from a Village point of view. The first was how they basically gave up with 20/15 minutes to go and showed very little fight during the game. The second and more worrying thing from their perspective is that when you look through their team there is such a lack of quality in it bar maybe Cian Kenny and Niall Brassil. They have loads of players who are honest and will work hard but their skill levels are really poor, I know Conor Browne and Niall Mullin are away travelling but they will need them back if they are to make any impact on the championship!

Thought the O'Loughlins and Bridge game was good yesterday. Probably the difference between the teams was O'Loughlins taking their goal chances and the Bridge didn't! Thought Jordan Molloy was really good for O'Loughlins and Conor Heary came in to the game more in the second half! Owen Wall took his 2 goals brilliantly! David Blanchfield was excellent for Bennettsbridge and as someone else mentioned Kevin Blanchfield was a massive loss when he went off.

Lastly, I think it was worth the admission price alone to watch TJ yesterday, he was outstanding. His pass to Adrian Mullen for the first goal was magic! I don't think we realise how lucky we are too have a player like him, I know he's getting on in years but I think we should enjoy him while we can because when he goes there will never be another like him!

Who ?

I’ve no doubt Brian will try and go again next year with the Village but the players may not want him.

What are the Ballyhale players doing from age 17 to 21 differently to the Village lads?

It can’t be very different in terms of training that Ballyhale are able to produce more skillful players.

Possibly less distractions in a rural parish so hurling is the only real outlet they have is the only reason I can think of.

I thought the Village's performance in the Co. Final last year was poor, headless stuff (with an extra man) until the last few minutes when they seemed to just 'go for it' and even though they were second best, they were the width of a post from really making the Shamrocks very uncomfortable.

The performance (or lack of one) yesterday will surely have alarm bell's ringing, every team (players) can have an off day but the lack of drive, aggression, after the 2nd goal went in was shocking. It's easy to sit in judgement (up in the stand) but every one around me could not believe that a a Village team would lie down so badly, especially versus the Shamrocks.

Is it the Cody / Shefflin handshake thing or more to it...?

Maurice Flynn won't be reffing the county final anyway. He announced his retirement last night.