Hasn’t affected his shot stopping ability anyway…
Brian Murphy proved my point today - destroyed by Mulhall while Cadogan is NOT a full back, too loose and too quick to foul. Both our worst defenders on the day.
Cork are fairly hungry this year but don’t have the forwards. Walsh will be happy with the win but disappointed with that Gardiner was the top scorer
Kilkenny backs were very good though, especially John Dalton & Tommy. PJ Delaney needs to step it up a notch and Willie O Dwyer is a paasenger at this stage. I was surprised that Grace was the only one sent off but maybe I missed something
Not in my memory anyway. They’ve always had trouble with the pitch, though the drainage has been better in recent years. It did look bad today, and detracted from the game I thought. At least it’s easier to get away from the place after a match since the tunnel was built. You could be stuck there for ages even after a moderately well attended club games in the past.
Which one was that, the one driven right at him, or the one he turned his arse to?
Only saw the second half, but both looked good enough to me. You might start laying off Gardiner and Curran too. Cork will achieve nothing this year unless these two get back to their best, and they both looked good today, especially Gardiner obviously.
Anyone at the game in Ennis? Seems like we might have rediscovered that thing hidden in our rib cage.
If you threw a bale of hay at him he’d find a way to miss it
Mulhall got 1-3 off Brian Murphy. Cadogan played alright, my point very obviously is that, because he is a little loose and a little ill-disciplined, he is being played out of position.
I, and every other Cork supporter, would ‘lay off’ Curran and Gardiner if their form over the last three years hadn’t been so poor. Gardiner was excellent today, although I thought his best work was further up the pitch, possibly a midfield berth come championship and lets hope the fact that he isn’t captain now has a good effect, takes some of the pressure off. I don’t know why you think we need Curran, he simply isn’t the player he once was, lost a lot of the pace and aggression he once had. Gardiner can still put in a vintage performance, Curran…less so.
I think we need him because I can’t see a viable alternative. I know you advocate moving Cadogan out, but I think that causes more problems than it potentially, and it is only potentially, fixes. I don’t share your misgivings on him at full-back, I think he looks very good there. I don’t see why Curran shouldn’t be able to put in a vintage performance either. He should be at his peak around now and from what I’ve seen so far, he’s looking better than he has in previous years. I still don’t think there’s an all-Ireland in that team, but I’m more optimistic than I have been for a while. A lack of scoring forwards is still going to kill us when it really matters.
I haven’t quite made up my mind on where I’d like to see Gardiner playing. If Seán Óg is fit and ready, I’d probably put him in there and move Gardiner to midfield. For what it’s worth, I would also like to see Brian Murphy and Shane O’Neill swapped.
Fair enough Braz. We can agree to disagree regarding Curran and Cadogan, the latter is a cracking player, and will do alright at full-back, but like Shane O’Neill, I can’t help but think he is wasted somewhat in the full back line.
DW actually has bit of a headache selection wise as Shane Murphy has been one of our best defenders so far, it would be cruel to drop him come championship to make room for Jerry O’Connor and Sean Og.
Ye’ll know better lads but do ye really think Curran is only hitting his peak?
It looks to me like he’s nowhere near his form or three or four years ago. I know lads who were in CIT with him who think he was hurling better then than he is now.
I was dissapointed for Grace obviously,it was tough on him being sent off considering he was having a very good game up to that point having scored 0-2 from play and won some hard ball,he can have no complaints really having struck Brian Murphy in the head with his hurl but Brian Murphy should most definitely have been at least yellow carded for being 3rd man in to the row between Grace and Shane Murphy,Shane Murphy got away with striking aswell,Grace probably had to go but it wasnt a great bit of refereeing by Dickie Murphy all the same,not even a yellow for any Cork man after the melee.
Our backs hurled well again in fairness,Hogan and Jackie Tyrell hurled well down thev middle again and Dalton did well in the corner,Tennyson was ok i thought,PJ Delaney struggles for pace at this level and often doesnt get the ball away quick eneogh,we’ve suffered over this in the last two games.I said it after the last match and ill repeat it again now,how the fuck is Willie O Dwyer still on the panel??,its a joke at this stage.Fogarty has been struggling to hit scortes lately but he triedv a bit harder today,its just not happening for him,Larkin still seems way off his best but its the right time of Year for that.
Power was middling,Mulhall in fairness to him is flying,hes a little headless and could do anything with ir sometimes but hes a worker to be fair to him,Grace was going well until sent off.We were always going to struggle with 14,losing two in a row is new to us but i wouldnt be overly dissapointed or worried,Cork were 2 players away from full strength today,we were around 8.
I’m not going to talk for Braz, but I think his point is that Curran, going into his late twenties, should be hitting his peak right now., rather then is hitting his peak right now.
Your reading of Curran right now is spot on though - he has lost pace, which makes him less aggressive, which in turn effects his ability to track players and his ability to distribute the ball going forward. If people watch him closely again Offaly and over the championship during the last few years I’ll think you’ll note that his distribution went to shit because he is so often striking the ball whilst going backwards rather then forwards - to me, this is down to a loss of pace and aggression over the years.
Still, because he reads the game exceptionally well, because he has excellent instincts and because he is decent enough in the air, he is a good option at center back, but I think there are better. My feeling is that we need to completely re-vamp our center back line to get near an All-Ireland. Very simply, center back is the most important position on the pitch, and the center back line the most important line (I shouldn’t have to repeat this, unfortunately Kev for one doesn’t get it). Our most talented defenders have to be on the forty - Shane O’Neill, Eoin Cadogan and Sean Og basically.
[quote=“Turenne, post: 433900”]
I’m not going to talk for Braz, but I think his point is that Curran, going into his late twenties, should be hitting his peak right now., rather then is hitting his peak right now.[/quote]
Yeah, that was my point alright. I wouldn’t come close to suggesting that he has been anything like the player of 2003-6 in the last few years. I still think he’s our best option at 6 though, and I think he can come back to something like his best.
When Seán Óg comes back I’d probably play Gardiner midfield and leave Shane Murphy alone. I’d chance Naughton half-forward instead of Niall Mac, whose time should be gone at this stage I think. I’m not sure Jerry is worth a starting place any more. His game has always been so dependent on his running, and he just can’t do that for 70 minutes at inter-county level any more. He would be well able to do a job from the bench though. With himself, Páidí Sull and Cussen/Aisake on the bench, at least there are credible options that could potentially do well in the forward line on the bench. We’re still very thin up front though, and it’s a much bigger worry than the half-back line in my opinion.
Heres to you Niall Rigney 
Went down to Dungarvan yesterday, lord jaysis it was poor. Limerick need to sort things out and fairly shaprish, as they didnt have onesingle hurler who looked like he might be up to it come championship. The were level at half time by virtue of two poxy enough goals, and waterfords spurningo f3 clear goal chances and a plethora of wides. Waterford made a few changes then, bring in Seamus Pendergast for Tommy Connors before halftime and John Mullane for the absolutely useless Eoin McGrath at half time, they steped it up a notch then, and once Kevin Moran scored his goal it was game over.
Waterford can be happy with a few things tough. Moran is a viable centre forward. Richie Foley is starting to fulfill the promise at midfield, and Jamie Nagle was excellent.
Looks like Gary Hurney is gone as he didnt make the 24 yesterday, but he would be far more use to the footballers who had an excellent win over Limerick Saturday evening. Shane Sullivan was stone useless as well yesterday, hit a lot of ball but most of it aimless, played like a lad they knew he was only keeping bricks jersey warm. Saying that, they played a final game to cut the panel the previous weekend against Carlow and Stephen Daniels was excellent, would much prefer to see an u21 in there now at this stage to get some experience.
Never saw this post HB, would have told you to put the house, car and wife on it had I seen it. This Laois side is going places and I’m absolutely delighted for all involved. Being a Laois hurling man has been a thankless task in recent years.
By the way, you should thank Willie Hyland, 12 points yesterday, 9 in the second half. And a nod to Tommy Fitz. Can’t wait to get Joe Fitz and Zane Keenan back too.
Great stuff by Wexford. 10 points down at one stage I beilieve. Liam Spratt and co were saying that the referee rode us completely. Clare got way too many scores from frees and the lads were saying Harry Kehoe and Colm Farrell lorded it in midfield in the second half. That’s twice we’ve gone to Clare now in the last 3 years and come away with something (won 2 years ago). Great to see us getting a good score on the board too.
The surface was bad. The weather doesn’t help, but why are they not watering pitches? The Pairc is a great stadium as it is itself, it can produce a brilliant atmosphere when even 3/4 full because of the bowl. There is no doubt though its a nightmare to get in and out of, and it could do with a lick of paint, but outside of that its fine.
One of the best atmosphere’s i ever experienced was in 2002 when Tipp and Waterford played Munster final, the place was absolutely rocking. The Munster Council prepared well for it, the music was very apt and got the crowd going, after that they abandoned it, could never understand that.