Kilkenny GAA Thread

I agree a lot with this. TJ is the best ever but we need to play without TJ, spare him for the latter stages of the Leinster and All Ireland next year if he is back and see can new leaders emerge, he is doing so much work and taking away so much attention other players are benefitting. I want to see how good Eoin Cody and Adrian Mullen are without him. We need new leaders and youngsters to emerge and Tj in his pure brilliance is actually slowing down a re build.

Correct. We need the other players to step up. Cody and Mullen wont be able to hide as much if TJ isnt there. Management will also not be able to hide too. How many times hasTJ got us out of jail? The managemnt team will need to create a new way to play.

Does anyone know has the Bord na Nog championship draws taken place , it was meant to happen a few weeks ago but nothing is up on the website

They have up to minor but as you say not on the website yet and to my knowledge no hard dates set which is criminal if true. It'll be very interesting to see how they schedule the minor championship now that these lads can play adult. Once you get past the first week of September the opportunity for midweek games are gone.

DJ played with Kilkenny until 2005.

By then Henry was 26, had played 7 years senior for Kilkenny and had three All Ireland medals.

It's stretching things somewhat to say he only emerged after that.

So looking at the panel this year I would be saying the following should retire or consider their position for various reasons.

Wally, Buckley, Fogarty, R Reid, TJ, E Murphy, Conor Delaney, Tommy Walsh. I would say there is little doubt the first 3 will go. The next three it's harder to know lots of rumour and small talk, I think TJ should walk and not chase numbers. I was always a huge fan of Delaney, I don't think he ever got a fair crack of the whip and neither Cody then or Lyng now seem to trust him. Likewise with Tommy, I think he's a good hurler but I think he's head must be melted and I struggle to see him bouncing back to his best. I think if he was coming through as a hurler instead of Jackie Tyrrell at that time he could have had a similar career, I think the game has moved on and he doesn't seem to suit the modern style or at least how we've been trying to deal with it. I would think he'll stay but I think most would agree we need a new corner back.

My biggest gripe with Lyng was that he didn't trust the young lads and keep them in games when things got tough. They were either subbed or were dropped the next day. Lads are saying Clare had older players too, as did Cork and Limerick. The difference is they all gave young players, good chances over the last few years and weren't quick to discard them when things got a bit tough. Those young lads were all playing well this year. I think the problem is now we need to have a big turnover of players but we've given the young players very little exposure over the last few years.

I think Kilkenny could struggle mightily with so many green young lads starting next year. Not because their not good enough but for any young lad starting out at intercounty you want to have plenty of experienced heads around you so you can ease into it. Unfortunately because of the way the last 2-3 years have been handled player wise, instead of a transition (I fear we'll end up) with a bump in the road, which if its not managed correctly could easily derail our senior team for a good while (years).

All this talk about how we can improve as a county and nothing being mentioned of the wasteland that is south Kilkenny. Clubs like Piltown, Mooncoin, Slieverue and Kilmacow provide nothing for our senior hurling team and haven't for decades. They may as well be in Waterford the use they are to us. Could the county board not employ a development officer down there and even if it leads to finding a few decent hurlers it can only help out senior hurlers long term.