Kilkenny GAA Thread

Senior looks the weakest it has been for a long time imo. OLG seem to be the strongest with other teams crucified with immigration and injuries. Tullaroan will realise they have a great chance to do something with others in trouble.

Intermediate it looks between 4/5 teams that can win it. Danesfort, Lisdowney, Tullogher, Gowran maybe Dunnamaggin if they can lift it.

"Senior looks the weakest it has been for a long time imo"

I agree. Is it the talent, lack of skill or the way the game is being played though?

Honestly, hurling is still very exciting at times and well capable of delivering 60/70 minutes of top entertainment, but it's become a very stop/start sport with between 50/60 puckouts/sidelines and 30 frees (whether shots for goal or free outs) between the two sides a game. Throw in copious amounts of throwing which, while it keeps the ball moving, is cheating and we all know and see it and kind of shrug our shoulders at it.

I just think a lot of the contest is gone out of hurling, it's playing around teams rather than going to man on man, so many shots are got off easy enough these days. It's exciting, but feels at times more like a game of chess with sticks rather than full blooded contest, even if it has moments of real quality.

Personally, I think the throw is a cancer on the game of hurling. One thing is it's less about the individual and more about the system/possession game, and increasingly the possession game is built around the run and throw, which for me it means hurling seeing less and less of man to man contests, so lads aren't needing to use quick wrists and the hurl or their instincts as much as risk is taken out of much the game. I think the skill levels in general may be better when shown due to increased coaching underage, but certainly not applied anywhere near as much or as regular within games to the level they were even 10 years ago, and I think it's breeding a type of robotic players as opposed to the maverick or instinctive (like a HF turning backwards and throwing the ball to a midfielder to pot shot from 70 yards because it's the safe/coached thing to do, instead of pulling a bit of skill out of nothing turning the defender and popping it over himself or creating a goal chance).

Whatever about the rest of the country, I think think we need to pull a rabbit out of the hat in the county.

Personally, I'd love to see us make better use of the split season, and create a *ruthless county league independent of the championships, and have rules such as one that bans the hand-pass from the same hand forcing players to focus on quick hands and use of the stick, and hopefully force coaches to come up with different tactics than aping the current possession game to combat the stagnant coaching in the county.

*Format - 10 team divisions, round robin format. 3 up/3 down. Bottom 2 relegated, 3rd/4th bottom in relegations playoff. Top 4 of top division into League SF's. Top 2 of lower divisions into league final, 3rd/4th into promotion playoff.

Gone travelling or working away

Michael Cody Andrew O Dwyer Luke Fitzpatrick Conor Hoban

Injured

Victor Costello Darren Fitzpatrick Andrew Fitzpatrick Shaun O Keeffe Adam Fitzpatrick hopefully some of them towards the end of the league

Blacks and Whites have been beaten comprehensively twice in their group. They've lost a few good backs so I think they would do very well to stay up.

I agree with alot of this.I don't think throwing the ball is as prevalent at club level as it is at county although it is creeping in a bit.The throw ball in hurling only stated to become an issue in 2018 onwards because of Limerick,the three worst counties for throwing the ball are Limerick,Cork and Waterford and it's absolutely no coincidence that Donal Og ,Shane Dowling and Derek Mc grath are using their platforms on tv and in the media to encourage referees to ignore throw balls because the players" are just to skilful for them to see ,there's no skill in throwing a ball anybody can do that ,the skill was executing the hand pass properly.

Referees at intercounty level have ignored the throw ball for years now and it's descended into an absolute mess,if you were to be real technical about it the rule says that the ball must be released and struck with a CLEAR striking action therefore in my opinion the onus is on the player to show the referee he has clearly released the ball and struck it with the hand.If it's not CLEAR then a referee would be well within their rights to blow a free according to the rule.

Throwing the ball and steps takes the man to man and tackling out of the game which is exactly what Donal Og and his ilk want ,they want a non contact tippy tappy 38 points to 39 points game with no physicality or defending because that suits Cork style of hurling ,before the All Ireland final he was encouraging the referee to allow quick puckouts (not allowed by rule) because in the semi final this worked a treat for Cork as Limerick had no time to set and the referee on the day incorrectly allowed Cork the quick puckouts.Hurling at the highest level is decending into basketball with sticks.

I saw at least two frees for throw balls at the Junior B match in Inistioge last night. One was fairly clear, the other more questionable. So refs at a certain level are still calling for it.

Rte love the cheerleading,Marty Morrissey having an orgasim as some gym bunny from Limerick hits a sponge ball over the bar from 150 yards.

CAmogie have clamped down on it this year and it's working

At a guess I'd say throwing the ball

Was there a masters fixture list for the club championship with dates for each round published this year? Can't seem to find one?