The thing is the group is so young there will be that huge fluctuation in form in the years ahead that you expect from players who’re in their late teens or early twenties. Provided that the management do actually pick on form there is a real opportunity to create that environment Kilkenny had where internal competition drives standards by itself.
Next year alone, I could see guys like Peter Duggan, Tots, or Shane Golden being major figures in our season as each of them would add a unique dimension to our play. And that constant rejuvenation of a side through new blood is what keeps you at the business end of the season. It’s something that the management has to get right as you can easily lose players if they feel they’re not going to get their chance, but if they do get it right we certainly have a fantastic group to work with and every chance of featuring in September again in the years to come.
Honestly I don’t think many Clare people would have regarded this team, or even regard them now, as being the finished article. There’s a lot of room for improvement as is always likely to be the case with players of their age profile, and if we’ve seen the best of lads like David Mc or Tony Kelly already then something will have gone badly wrong. But the main thing is there’s opportunity there now, not just for us but for everyone else too, to win big prizes in the next few years. That in itself brings a buzz back to hurling that’s been gone for far too long.
[quote=“Watch The Break, post: 839284, member: 260”]The thing is the group is so young there will be that huge fluctuation in form in the years ahead that you expect from players who’re in their late teens or early twenties. Provided that the management do actually pick on form there is a real opportunity to create that environment Kilkenny had where internal competition drives standards by itself.
Next year alone, I could see guys like Peter Duggan, Tots, or Shane Golden being major figures in our season as each of them would add a unique dimension to our play. And that constant rejuvenation of a side through new blood is what keeps you at the business end of the season. It’s something that the management has to get right as you can easily lose players if they feel they’re not going to get their chance, but if they do get it right we certainly have a fantastic group to work with and every chance of featuring in September again in the years to come.
Honestly I don’t think many Clare people would have regarded this team, or even regard them now, as being the finished article. There’s a lot of room for improvement as is always likely to be the case with players of their age profile, and if we’ve seen the best of lads like David Mc or Tony Kelly already then something will have gone badly wrong. But the main thing is there’s opportunity there now, not just for us but for everyone else too, to win big prizes in the next few years. That in itself brings a buzz back to hurling that’s been gone for far too long.[/quote]
I agree. We can win with a big ‘hup ya boya’ effort but we don’t have the smarts to win the big games or big moments in games. Clare are light years ahead of us. It struck me in the semi, Wayne Mac was charging out with the ball like he was setting up a ruck and a couple of Limerick lads behind me shouting “go on, sow it into the bastard”. Those days are over. They were warming up with tackle bags for fucks sake. Practising shouldering each other like Carryharry at a disco.
Listen, I think we can all agree that the game is in a great place presently and Clare winning it will give every other county the belief that they can do it.
Tipp and KK will be back to prove a point. Waterford are only a couple of forwards away from being a serious team and maybe one or two of their minors might step up. Dublin for me are the main threat next year but Galway will always have the hurlers and there’s nothing to say they won’t get back to where they were at in 2012. Wexford, Offaly and even Laois have all made strides too ‘jaysus, there’s great work been done in those counties’… Getting Kerry, Armagh, Down and the likes involved is the next step, I don’t know how they go about it, but Donal Og’s suggestion of an Ulster team ain’t too crazy…
No- The two Cork men have brought a different culture and approach to the game that has been taken on board at all levels, from team to board. The game has moved and and so have we. Granted the right man is still needed but there’s a new culture instilled that will stand to us going forward.
I think o Shea has too in that they are at best level with the other Munster countys, and behind Clare. They struggled to win all Ireland’s when they had the best hurlers. They might struggle even more now. The tipp public seem to think they should be winning every game regardless so he’ll be under pressure from the start.
I thought John Allen was outstanding. Are you worried that the a rifts that he seemed able to heal might resurface, especially if a local is appointed?
Depends who we get. Players reckon they are there or thereabouts, with a decent manager and back room team and bit more tactical awareness they can be in the shake up again next year. Even with a change up in selection you can see immediate scope for improvement in the group.
If they get their heads right they could win an All Ireland considering the Hurling landscape right now. They just let the semi final occasion get the better of them which was a disappointment as they hurled very well in Munster. The skill, fitness & physicality is there, its just needs someone to tap into their mental states & make them believe they can do it. Sheedy ticks all the boxes.
As for O’Shea with Tipperary @flattythehurdler , he needs a clean out urgently. That in effect points to a few lean years but if we are to progress our game we need to feel more pain to reap a gain. In saying that considering the year just gone, he could very well do enough with what we have to win something. But it will be a big ask.
I agree. I would look forward to playing the likes of Clare next year but not too confident. Tipp people always think that we are the best. Take the Munster u21 final this year. Tipp did decent against a brilliant team and everybody thought it was Ken Hogan’s fault. Even in the mid 2000s when Eoin Kelly was basically a one man forward line, people still thought we weren’t too far off Kilkenny and Cork.
