Kilkenny GAA Thread

Yes, fair play to all those players who have accepted the invitation from D Lyng, knowing that there is no guarantee but willing to give it a go anyway. And best of luck to all, including management, and to those who turned it down for their own personal reasons. Let the competition for places begin!

Why they couldn’t call it off at 12.30 is beyond me. Then Carlow hurling club charged €3 for parking and no one there to refund us after now the money wouldn’t be a worry but it wasn’t right either after travelling down.

Same shite went on in Mallow today,match called off 15 min before throw in when everyone was there

Off again Tuesday night.

It's what you get trying to play hurling the wrong time of the year

Didn't see much of Landy or Maher in the junior championship so can't comment on them, but I'd agree with you regarding Scanlon, he was good in the group stages for the Village but in the semi final against Shamrocks when he was really needed he was anonymous! A talented hurler but his time has been and gone.

Be interesting to see if we stick with the same team for tomorrow night, the team we had out had a good look to it and a nice blend of young lads and a few more experienced lads who need to nail down a place this year! The Carlow team named was strong on paper but they were only back from a team holiday on Wednesday/Thursday of last week so the extra couple of days will be a help to them also. If we win tomorrow night are we out again at the weekend?

Maher is finished as far as county hurling goes problems with the knee he had the farm accident a couple of years ago.

You can get **** weather pretty much any time of the year in Ireland, if my memory serves me right there was club games played in KK on a Friday evening in late August in horrendous rain and probably shouldn't have went ahead.

I would disagree with you on your last sentence. Yes Buckley is very committed but others have served their time and were just as committed when they were in the setup and maybe in their own minds they didn't a get a fair crack, especially when your own club man was in charge.

Evan Cody has probably spent 4-5 years of the last 9 on Kilkenny panels, dropped this year.

Aidan Nolan and Tom Kenny did a couple of pre-seasons and leagues with Kilkenny and were dropped.

Bill Sheehan has had 3 or so years with Kilkenny panels but didn't survive past the league either.

Last year P Moylan was cut after the Walsh Cup and worked hugely hard since and has improved a ton and is back in the setup again this year.

Timmy Clifford and Niall Rowe gave the whole year to the Senior and U20 setup. Their both back in with the seniors at the minute, along with Harry Shine.

Cillian Hackett was called but was injured and missed his chance this year by the sounds of it.

As far as I'm aware Liam Moore wasn't called in this year or last and I would say he was probably a small bit below the level needed to be called in. He can easily get to the level if he wants too. He has loads of hurling, the size, power and pace, from what I've heard Liam doesn't like to take hurling overly serious and that's fair enough. If he wanted to apply himself fully to it, he would likely be a part of solving the midfield puzzle for Kilkenny for the next 7-8 years. However he doesn't currently seem to want to give up his life to hurling and to be honest with the level of commitment needed to play at intercounty these days, I can't say I blame him. If he is doing it consistently for the Boro, he'll be in with the county and if he wants to, the opportunity is there for him.

A few Boro lads were called in under Cody, some left with a poor experience from what I've heard. I'd be hopeful that the current crop of underage talent will provide a few players to the Kilkenny setup for a good few years to come. Intercounty is not for everyone and the Boro often stuggle to keep players after they leave college, as many go into demanding jobs and they can't find the time for the club, let alone the county. This is a shame in my opinion but it's a reality the club need to try and change.

Other Boro players to get the call in, in the last 10 years would include Michael Fagan, Robbie Fitzpatrick, Conor Doheny and Andy Gaffney. Fagan was dropped early enough, the other three were injured (or struggled with long term injuries) the years they got the call (2017 and 2023). Fagan and Doheny definitely had the ability to make the grade but they weren't called again for whatever reason.

When called, the Boro players answered the call. All but Buckley didn't make the grade for whatever reason, an underlying bias that "Boro lads" just aren't good enough, tough enough, might have been an issue previously. The only Boro lads who haven't answered the call are Andy Gaffney last year, he went in, tried to do the level of training but he's long term injuries started to catch up with him and he dropped himself, when he realised it wasn't possible. Tom Kenny was asked the last two year and as I've said on here numerous times he has his own reasons for not accepting but he accepted before and I suspect it was he's poor experience at that time that put him off the idea of intercounty hurling. He has tried it and committed to Kilkenny but it didn't work out.

Name me the Boro player that has been called into the setup, that didn't at some point fully commit to the Kilkenny panel? There are none that I'm aware of.

Good win last night but Carlow looked exceptionally bad, I know they were only back from the team holiday on Wednesday but they did look really really poor! As Todd_UnctiousGael said we looked well drilled and tried to do the right thing, Billy Ryan was excellent, took his goal well and got some nice points. Paul Cody looked impressive and he seems to have improved again on some decent outings last year. I thought Darragh Corcoran looked comfortable at centre back so hopefully he'll get the league there to nail down the spot. Thought Darren Brennan did well in the goals too, his puckouts were good even if he wasn't too troubled other than that. Can't read too much into last nights game but our fitness levels looked very good and they're trying to do the right things hopefully as lads start coming back and the opposition gets better we'll stick at it and get results!

There is absolutely nothing, positive or negative, to be read into last night. Nothing.

I'd agree that the conditioning of Kilkenny looked good, but it was a useless game tbh.

Speaking of conditioning, even though it was mostly a 2nd string, Limerick's size and conditioning last night was simply terrifying. I don’t know if they can be beaten for skill, but I do know, ever other county is miles behind them on S&C.

Shane O' Brien was an average build 18-year-old chap when I saw him for ASR in colleges final last year, now he is a well built athlete.

The progression of the Limerick minor team players (many who lined out last night) that were well beaten by KK in 2019 is light years ahead of the comparable players from their Kilkenny equivalents (and light years ahead of the Galway team that was well better than both us and Lim).

Furthermore, Limerick played with the arrogance of a winning set up, shooting from crazy distances and angles and not too worried whether it went over or not, because they knew the next chance would come along very quickly. To emphasize this, Shane O' Brien won MOTM despite shooting 7 wides and fluffing handy goal chance.

Allied to this is a level of professionalism and cynicism in coaching that is streets ahead of all other counties. the physicality to stand up players with just pure strength, and if that doesn’t work, in comes the little tug. Not a big tug, just a little tug to check the momentum of the player in possession. A tug perfected to stall but (usually) not enough to compel the whistle, because they study refs and understand refs are petrified of giving soft frees, especially late in the championship with 40,000 fans on their back for “ruining the game”.

Puck outs taken before the ball is even waved wide to capitalise on opposing teams not been set. Steps and throwing aplenty too (both teams in fairness). the first 3 "handpasses" by Limerick in a triangle last night in 1st min were all blatant throws. I'd imagine that was to test the ref, see what the lie of the land was, and he showed no interest.

Kinnerk knows if this stuff is being largely ignored in Jan/Feb (when refs and rules officials usually try to stamp out stuff), it will be totally ignored come summer. The ref could easily have awarded 50 plus frees last night but Kinnerk (and others too in fairness) know no ref will do this, and they will instead allow minor rule breaches repeatedly to ensure the game "flows" and they dont cop flak. The number of frees awarded for throwing and steps in all matches, declined noticeably the further the 2023 season progressed and was all but absent in closing stages.

This is coaching professionalism and pushing the boundaries like we have never seen in hurling. And when you marry that with serious hurling talent and backed up by huge financial resources, it is ominous for all other counties.

You could say the same about Galway and a few other counties, but for me we are comparing ourselves with Limerick, and I'm sorry, but that level of professionalism, attention to detail and savage s&c progression is unattainable to us and I'd imagine, every other county too.

I think we will go ok this year in all ages, including senior, but we won’t match Limerick’s programme, becauseit's not possible with the resources we have.

If Limerick get beaten this year, it will be a team that can match their skill but out dogs them (note: not outmuscle, because they will not be beaten physically) and a ref that goes hard on Limerick.

I agree. Our focus needs to be concentrated on the Leinster championship teams. We can only hope that Limerick will eventually be beaten in Munster and then be prepared for every other team.

Regarding throwing the ball, join them is my answer.

I have been very impressed with Kilkenny seniors s&c under Lyng, as good, if not better than any county, bar Limerick. That's my point, Limerick's level is not attainable at present, not just by Kilkenny, but every county, so it's not fair to just say "lads we must match Limerick physically and in s&c" as if this can easily be achieved with a bit of hard effort. They are as close to a professional set up as makes no difference, their set up now is on a different level to everyone, even the Dubs football squad.

The county structure that served the GAA for over 100 years is now an unequal mess. Limerick and Dublin's senior team expenditure would be 3/4 times that of some counties that are expected to try to beat them, and 20 times that of the real minnows.

Look at proud football counties with great traditions like Cavan and Offaly, not a hope in hell of even getting within an asses roar of All Irelands they for decades proudly competed for and won, now, also rans. I dont see the same happening with us, we still produce excellent hurlers at all ages and grades, but we may have to accept a much lower harvest if the massive financial resources chasm between competing counties is allowed to get further out of control.

And counties raffling houses to raise a million quid to train their senior teams is no long term solution, it's just making the problem worse. A race to the bottom as the big counties will just respond by pumping even more cash in to maintain their dominance.