Kilkenny GAA Thread

I’d say nobody else will be rested because there will be huge competition for places with every position up for grabs.

I tend to agree with you.

I have been reading here regarding lots of players being brought in. Clearly management recognise the fact that new players are required. Asap has already happened!

You'd imagine that the team for Sunday will be fairly experimental, I wouldn't expect to see any of the main players playing and lots of new lads tried! Tallis will more than likely get a run in goal, I'd expect to see Niall Rowe, Padraig Moylan, Joe Fitzpatrick, Denis Walsh, Cathal Beirne, Billy Reid and Ian Byrne getting a run and a chance to stake a claim for the team before some of the bigger names and the O'Loughlins/TTown/Tullogher lads are back also. Carlow won't be bad as they don't have the scope for experimenting as we would so it should be a good test for our young lads!

Good enough to beat Clare obviously!!!

God knows what kind of team is put out sunday but its great to have it back all the same. We'll have the club then to support the following week and there'll be woeful doom and gloom here then when we lose a few league games in February. The bite is definitely gone out of the league with the condensed season. Limerick were slow to get going after the league final in munster. Munster teams especially will be happy enough to just get through it. Leinster teamsu can afford to go further because of a few softer games. Galway,wexford,dublin would like to win some silverware and kk wouldnt say no to it either.

Derek is a smart man and he will know that the team cody had wasnt good enough to win an all ireland. He has to put his own stamp on the team now and theres a bit of surgery required. He will have to try blend a bit of youth into the team even if that means a bit of suffering. Weather we have the players or not at the moment is another thing but new players have to be tried.

Darragh Corcoran had a good season at full back for the shamrocks it would be no harm trying him at full back. Niall rowe is definitely worth a look at corner back and david fogarty will no doubt get a look later on. Huw is probably too good to take out of 3 but he would make a good 6. Deegan has being the next best 6 at club and will give you absolutely everything everytime he goes out and will plug holes but hes prone to silly mistakes like the leinster final 2 going for the one ball and whelan just waiting for it and buried it.He needs to be further up the field plus carey and blanchfield will be a help. Moylan and Clifford had some good moments for the boro and deserve a few games in defense.

Billy ryans days as a forward are probably finished and he could be tried around midfield. Hate being critical but he's after being given loads of chances and just hasnt delivered. Its a pity kevin blanchfield wasnt brought in a few years ago because hes a good athlete . Cian kenny is a few years around the panel and he needs to cement a place.

Georoid dunne showed a bit of promise last year and lyng has good time for ian byrne.paul cody from clara is big and strong. Billy drennan had a very good league and got an important point in the leinster final so it will be interesting to see how he goes this year now that the suprise element is gone. His form at club level wasnt good so hopefully he can make a good start this year and kick on.

Its probably a year or two early for a killian doyle or harry shine but i think shine could do well in around the senior environment. Denis walsh has being cursed with injury but it would be great if he got a few runs.His clubmate joe fitz could get a run in attack.

The walsh cup will give new lads exposure and lyng has a good few of his u20 team two years ago so id expect to see a few of them sunday with a sprinkle of more experienced lads. Carlow are only back from their team holiday but have a smaller settled squad although only the walsh cup they will look forward to this game.

Agree with everything you said .Just on the players who are still U20, I think they should be left to concentrate on their own age group.Billy Drennan was very Poor for his club in the campaign just gone Killian Doyle only ok for his club,Geraoid Dunne hurled well in fairness,the young Tullogher ,Thomastown and Dicksboro players have all played very well.I think one more year hurling at their own age group would do them all no harm.

Limerick's to lose they'll only be stopped if they drop a level, nobody can match the heights they reached in Croke Park this year, big difference in the Limerick era and your peak is Cody added a new player or 2 every year Limerick have had the same core 20 or so players since 2018 bar Cathal O'Neill, don't think Limerick will do an 8 in 10 years like yourselves, what ye done 2011-15 is completely overlooked in my opinion.

Limerick have a few lads to add in and the injuries are starting to happen a little more regularly now. However Kiely and Kinerk seem to trust the same 17-18 players and very few else start unless forced. Caroline Currid could be a loss but they should be able to take all she's thought them over the years and use it going forward. I don't think their that fragile and when you've learnt how to win like they have, it can nearly be hard not too.

Hayes will almost definitely see time inside, after getting two convictions. Talking to two high ranking Gardai over the Christmas and they said a regular Joe off the street would get somewhere between 2-5 years for what he's been convicted of usually with a year or so suspended. They both thought he'll probably get less but that the court would find it very hard to justify not giving him a custodial sentence. They both reckoned he could miss a significant amount of time for Limerick this year. One raised a valid point that while he might keep fit if he's in prison he likely won't be hurling and most lads heads are a bit all over the place after getting out, especially after a first conviction. Even if he's available for Championship he might not be the player he has been up to now and it might take him time to re adjust. Those are all hypotheticals and we'll know more once he's sentenced on the 19th of this month. Hayes missing probably wouldn't be any major difference for the rest of the team, than when Lynch or Hannon were missing in the last while. The question is can anyone else take advantage of it, and if they get injuries to 2 or 3 key men like they have had in the last few seasons will they have the depth and experience to get them over the line. I think they will but it'll be mighty close. It's usually injuries that stop great runs like there's and ours.

I would hope we're in a bit of a rebuilding year and that our veterans who are returning will be in supporting roles this year (bar TJ). Teams with lots of youth can come and win an AI so I wouldn't rule us out at all. We should really be getting to a semi final regardless but have we enough to take down Limerick at the minute, unlikely but I'll never rule it out you just never know what can happen on a day.

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Eoin Guilfoyle was outstanding for the village in the club championship at Senior level yet is only number 23 on a Walsh cup panel? There's 5 or 6 players starting on that team who were very poor for their clubs.

The first thing Brian Cody got rid of in Kilkenny in his first few years was this thing of having a "name",every time you took the field you had to put it in no matter if it was for club,county or even training you were picked on form all the time and had to earn the jersey.

I just hope we're not going down the road again of picking players on reputation or things they've done in the past.

Thomastown lads not available tomorrow with the all ireland next weekend.

Tom Kenny was asked last year and this, by Derek and turned it down both times. He didn't enjoy his time in there under Cody from what I've heard and perhaps has decided that life is not for him.

Luke Scanlon has had a lot of chances and while I would agree he had a great year I'm not sure his physique allows him to show his skills to their full extent at intercounty. That's no a slight on him he has worked very hard and is in great shape but I think his frame is just too small to put enough muscle on.

Not sure on James Maher he was never the same after he broke his knee with the farm gate. He might not be interested but I don't know that.

Luke Connellan will hopefully get a run when Thomastown are finished.

Emmet Landy was in there before and couldn't get to the level then maybe he could now.

Liam Moore played very well for the Boro but I think he's going to the States for the summer. If Liam decided intercounty hurling was for him he could easily be part of our midfield or half forward line he has the skill, power and pace.

Eoin was good alright but in the match that mattered Scanlon and Gilly couldn't match the Ballyhale lads. Unfortunately if you can't perform against the Ballyhale lads you probably can't do it at intercounty either, but Gilly will get chances. This is only the first game there is still a big panel at the minute and lots of lads will get a run. Gilly will likely get 30-35 minutes knowing the Walsh Cup matches go. You say 5-6 starters didn't play well for their club this year (I'd like to know who, I only know of two) and then you go on to say that we shouldn't go down the road of picking players on things they did in the past.

It's the first round of the Walsh Cup, I wouldn't get too excited about who's starting and who's on the bench there are loads more lads not even in the 26. Those picked are the lads that the management want to have a look at for their own reasons. Some the management will expect and hope will take the chance and try and hold onto a jersey and others will be given the chance to stay but they might just as easily play themselves off the panel.

Yeah it is on Clubber tomorrow, €11.99.

Let all the new lads wear the jersey first before judging them and even then consider would you like to be out there playing today or watching it on clubber at least if your going to complain about players stand on the same ground as them. Isn’t that right Paddy.