It looked like Kilkenny needed TJ to make a miraculous catch and Limerick obviously knew that too and would do anything to stop it. Kilkenny didnât really have any real options when they did go short, itâs a tough gig to play through the lines when the opposition are ready to press right up because they know you canât go long.
I still think the balance of the Kilkenny team is slightly off. John Donnelly at this point is not a workhorse midfielder and wasnât a good replacement for Fogarty in midfield. And then Fogarty wasnât a good replacement for Blanchfield either, Blanchfield having been KKâs best half-back all year long, a massive loss. I think Cillian Buckley would have been the best replacement tbh, but obviously the wedding aspect wasnât ideal.
And I think that, while Mullen can get space to shoot from midfield, he was needed as a forward today. I donât know whether Kilkenny have a linkman type midfielder, I know they have legs in the likes of Cian Kenny⌠I donât rate Alan Murphy tbh, I think it was a crazy sub bringing him on, not suited for that kind of battle.
But tbh, the puckout thing into the wind. Thatâs not really an individual thing, thatâs a shape/structure thing⌠obviously you need individuals who can contest in the air and also win dirty ball, and a goalkeeper who can put puckouts with the right trajectory on them and make the right decisions. But itâs difficult for all teams, and Limerick are a lot further down the road with this group of players than Lyng is with his side. That part may improve in time. Is Murphy the best goalkeeper for that? Iâm not 100% sure, I think his decision-making on where to land puckouts can be questionable at times⌠but then he can produce miraculous saves.
I really like Tom Phelan, he caused Byrnes serious bother in the first half particularly. But there is still a bit of a reliance on TJ as a playmaker that youâd be a little worried when he goes. Are the likes of Timmy Clifford & Billy Drennan going to fill the void in the next couple of years?
@Locke do not retire your username. As an esteemed and much respected poster to the forum, youâll be a terrible loss. Commiserations e-pal.
Lets settle this once and for all, if, and the big if Limerick do 5 in a row, you can buy and wear a Limerick jersey as a forfeit. Looking forward to the power rankings after the first round of the NHL in 2â24.
Iâm good with that. If the leader of the @limericks@balbec gives the all clear then we have an agreement.
Maybe Iâm paying a bit off the forfeit already; Iâve our Limerick nephew here sleep in the nook of my arm after minding him for the night. Heâs 11 months old and if he isnât a prop for Young Munsters in 20 years time Iâll be amazed. The size of him!!
Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, rain, sweltering heat, front door, back door, round robin, full house, Big Rob Ryan, mullockers, tippy tappy teams, ACLs, ten points up, ten points down⌠whatever the challenge these boys deliver. What a story
Itâs the best team of my lifetime anyway playing at its peak. Remarkable team. Kilkenny played well too, gave everything they had. Made no difference. Iâd imagine itâs the best team to ever play the game apart from Galway in 1980, but itâs all opinion only.
I wondered the same. Limerick seemed to have an extra man in every line by the end, like they did against Galway, but like kk in their pomp, they absolutely dominated the Half back line, and kk just kept pucking it at them. Simple enough call to push up and stack the hb line when herity was pucking into that wind, but still.
Honestly just a great side at their peak. I though kk were game as dogs, but to have a chance you need absolutely minimal wides, and every bit of luck, which didnât happen. The only chance youâd have is to put enough daylight between the teams that you could weather the storm which would be 10 points Iâd reckon.
Big question really is whether minor sides coming through other counties want it enough to make the sacrifices necessary to get big strong and fit enough to match them. Galway, Iâm not sure we are ever really driven enough tbh.
Thereâs not that much dirty ball once Limerick hit their straps, they catch everything, and itâs hard to repeatedly compete in the air against a lad 4 inches taller.
In fairness to Kilkenny they have a top class goalkeeper and corner back. Lawlor is a Rolls Royce of a full back. They have a serviceable half back line and midfield but their forwards are not up to the level required. The starting forward line got 1-4 from play. 4 starting forwards didnât score from play. The forwards scored 0-7 from play in last years final. Work rate and hooking and blocking is all well and good but forwards have to score as well.
Doesnât matter what era it is, if youâve a dominant Half back line you will go a long way to winning a game. Limerick completely shut down Kilkenny. Byrnes made a few brilliant catches, WOD settled down after his yellow. I thought for a few minutes after that he might lose the head and Hayes was Hayes. Imagine being a goalie and looking out at those three wondering where youâre going to put the ball. Monsters of men.
Peter Casey is a great player. Would have definitely been MOTM two years ago only for his injury. As someone said, all his points were different yesterday but equally brilliant and important.
Itâs going to take a huge effort from whoever to take them down. I donât know who will. The only chance is if Limerick take their eye off it in Munster.