Kilkenny GAA Thread

I thought hey were in FOTA.

I didn't get to go to or see any of the minor match..had a family funeral Saturday evening that put everything in perspective unfortunately ..

Hats off to tipperary in fairness they could very easily have thrown in the towel when things went against them..it is a shame we couldn't take advantage of the extra men but minors are like that. Some days they just don't click..I would certainly not rule out some of them going on to have long careers in a Kilkenny Jersey

Onto the game Saturday..for some reason I'm more confident this year than any of the previous 2 years that we can and will beat clare.. I think last year I had several worries about us and thought we had weak links everywhere. Now its really only 1 corner back that is troubling me..

In the other semi I would fancy limerick to win comfortably.

I think if we hold Roger’s and limit o donnells influence we win it will be very very tight though a lot of the Clare backs are suspect and they tend to foul a lot especially cleary

I think from midfield up we have a better look about us compared to last year

I can see Rodger’s mcarthy and Kelly all missing frees in Croke park I don’t think Clare have an 8 or 9/10 free taker like the other 3 teams left in the competition and it could come back to bite them

Yeh last word on the minor game and the criticism that's coming management's way, some of which is part of the job in fairness particularly under the circumstances. Most is totally over the top and unjustified.

The narrative now tho is that Woodlock is some type of hurling guru and Bergin hasn't a clue, which is very unfair. People would do well to remember that Tipperary struggled badly against a 14 man Galway team, a team that Kilkenny beat by an average of 17pts. Like the Kilkenny team and management in the final, Tipp froze on the day and seemed powerless to figure out the extra man, even against a much inferior team than Kilkenny faced. But for a missed free with the last puck of the game, they wouldn't have even made the final and barely scraped over the line with a last 2nd winner in injury time of extra time. The scrutiny that's at Niall Bergins door currently, court just as easily have been at Woodlocks a fortnight ago. Only a poor wide by a Galway man, with a wind in his back, saved him.

All that's forgotten now though and the winners write history, but sport is a game of fine margins and luck. Woodlock got it, Bergin didn't. Bergin has done a fine job with a much younger team, and his work with the boys should serve Kilkenny well in the future.

On the senior game, I'm worried that we appear more confident than the last 2 years. If we have everybody fit I'd argue that we are clearly the better side but the feeling in Kilkenny is we will win and I always think that's dangerous. The match up of Mikey and SOD will be fascinating, but I reckon it's a lot easier hold TK than it is SOD. There's a good bit more substance to O'Donnell.

Would love to see Shane Murphy getting a run and impressing. He has the cut and physicality to make an impression in a final, as does Mikey Carey. If we get over Clare, which is a big IF, we need to bring something different to a final.

I`m not at all confident either. I think we are disadvantaged by the four week break and the fact that our last competitive game wasn`t competitive. The number of goals we have been conceding is also a concern and on top of everything else Tony Kelly might turn up this year. Anyway, fingers crossed and good luck to players and management.

I know and understand your concerns with the 4 week break, but Kilkenny always seem to manage this break really well over the years. I think our lads will be chomping at the bit and will be raring to go, there will be no excuse for that reason if we don't get over the line.

I am sensing Kilkenny people in general to be even slightly over confident, that would be dangerous as I think Clare have just as good of set of forwards as ours and a few to bring in from the bench also, that Wexford game was one they needed to get over the line but they cruised once they had the extra man, were able to sub some of their top men near the finish as it had challenge game feel to it. But I do think we will really go after the centre of their defence in particular like Limerick did.

If Mikey Butler picks up Shane O'Donnell I think he could really struggle as O'Donnell is top hurler in country at the moment along with Kyle Hayes and Hegarty, be interesting to see what develops here. Equally our half back line against their half forward line is absolutely vital for the outcome, they will Play all of Rodgers, Fitzgerald, and O'Donnell I feel at stages to ask Richie Reid different questions.

I think the 2 games at the weekend in particular ours are going to be out of limelight a small bit now with Davy and Henry's resignations in space of less than 24 hours.

now Chaz have a small bit of cop on. Who do you think is responsible for the minor defeat. The defeat rests squarely on the shoulders of the management there is no point in sugar coating it. They had the team in the dressing room three times THREE TIMES and couldn’t sort it out . You also mentioned the game against Kildare if there heads weren’t right that evening then its management this team is only 15/16 year olds.Niall Bergin took on this role not once but twice he wasn’t pushed into it. I was at all the matches and the same mistakes were being made every time. I won’t be drawn into naming players but if you were at all the matches you would know exactly what I’m talking about.Two years ago Laois bet them up in Portlaoise I was also at that , another record. Who did Laois beat after that. The most frightening thing is the county board could offer him the job again. I can’t wait for your reply because I’m **** livid.

These things happen? When the **** is the last time that happened that 13 bet 15 and don’t mention the 1983 football final. You keep harping on about the u20 management and at the same time making excuses for the minor management who held all the cards and still managed to **** it up. If you remember the u20 management team was fucked over by senior management two years in a row ( now I thought myself they should have done better against Wexford the first year) this year they had to play Offaly in tullamore facing a huge partisan crowd missing one of there best players at this level, both due to county board mismanagement. They were also extremely unlucky on the night and only lost by a point to the eventual all Ireland champions. I agree that some of the choices on team selection weren’t great. And I wouldn’t have that management team in place next year either I hope that makes my position perfectly clear.

Wouldn't say no love lost. there was a lot of goodwill towards him when he took over. For obvious reasons, his tenure didn't get off to a great start, but he didn't have a great deal of luck either. He could never achieve the statement win he needed to move his stint to the next level. The 2022 semi-final could have gone either way, (as usual, poor reffing didn't help), while last year's Leinster final was a bounce of the ball. This year, Eamon O Shea came in as coach, but there may have been a bit of conflict (not animosity) in their playing approaches - O Shea working through the lines as opposed to Shefflin more direct play. Continually picking a number of players off-form didn't help. He was at pains to point out a number of times that training and player-desire was never an issue with the squad. Whatever it was, progress stalled this year for definite. I've a feeling also that he didn't fully grasp how much the squad needed rejuvenating when he first arrived, a requirement that is even greater now.

Anyway, he tried his best, good luck to him.

I don’t think hogan will get away with what he was at in the league final ala cathal Barrett ducking the head loads of steps coming out then the big dramatic dive on the ground

Peter Casey, Eanna Burke and AJ Murphy gave him the world of trouble

Is Peter Casey in reference to last years All Ireland? If so, that's incredibly harsh. Most of the damage was done on Tommy Walsh from memory and Casey was shooting the lights out that day. There was at least one where Butler had forced him out to the sideline under the Hogan Stand and Casey threw over an outrageous score. There was no defending it.

I think that's it although I don't think that's Butler defending him to be fair. Point being, Casey was unmarkable in last years AI. The scores Limerick were throwing over in the second half of that game was a level of shooting I don't think I'll ever see again.

I'm not worried about Butler. His good day/bad day ratio is very good considering who he gets to mark on a daily basis. Is he the best defender in the country? No. Would I swap him. No.

Jesus, will you settle down, you're coming across as deranged. You're "*** livid" over 15/16 year old boys losing an All Ireland??? Give yourself a wobble. Unless you had a son who was wronged in some way? And talking about naming players….. they are children ffs

No doubt things might have been done differently on the line, what would you have done that management didn't do?

But wides, poor onfield decision making and trying to force goals also contributed. No doubt players and management will take a while to get over it but hopefully there are learnings there for everyone

Who Leacy ?

All wrong no involvement, no relations just a KK supporter who invests a lot of time and money going all over the country to support these young lads not like some throwing out comments, it’s quite simple the management on Saturday was totally to blame end of story. As I alluded to earlier the management team volunteered for the job, I didn’t and if one of ye smart asses actually followed the team ye would know what I was talking about.