Allianz National Hurling League 2023

I was chatting a few months back with a lad involved in GAA in Louth. He said at the time they had goalie bother. Some lad who had never played in goals before, and was a peripheral figure around panels for a few years as a half forward, was tried there for a few league games (not sure if heā€™s still there). I asked had they any lads who were actually goalies. He said theyā€™d one big lump of a young lad with a mighty kick out but heā€™d suffer with his confidence in games.

We are just putting the sandwiches in our pockets to be more environmentally friendly (and to save a few quid) these days

Cc @Little_Lord_Fauntleroy

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Kilkenny by 5, Limerick by 7. Limerick win the final by 10.

Limerick v Cork final

Limerick are too good to lose, Cork need a trophy and weā€™re fucked altogether, sure.

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You bad bastard :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

I heard at the weekend that Waterford are 10 to 1 with one of the bookies to lose all 4 of their round robin games.
Given our track record in those games previously and how we currently seem to be going compared to others, thatā€™s seems a good bet to me.
But as a non betting man, are those odds good.?

Iā€™d make them 4-1 to beat Limerick, 6-4 to beat Tipp, 5-4 to beat Clare and 7-4 to beat Cork.

Is the league now box office?

They could very easily collapse if they lose that first game to Limerick and no home games, throw in how easy Davey makes it to sour it could be a great bet.

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Iā€™m told it has not been plain sailing so far between management and certain members of the panel in blaa land

If they play like they did in the league I would expect Limerick to beat them handy. Sweeper is no good against Limerick and the more sweepers you play the worse it gets. Nash, Byrnes, Hannon, Hayes will destroy you from out the field. Hego and Tom will drop back into the space as well. The system is literally designed to play against this style.
If Davy doesnā€™t know this and adjust for it then you may as well sack him on the spot

Then the question is, it doesnā€™t suit vs Limerick but can that game plan drag other teams into the pit and have they the same range of scorers from further out. Any team overly reliant on inside forwards scoring or needing goals will struggle.

Iā€™ll be honest, I know very little about this new look Tipp team and what they are and arenā€™t good at.

Cork seem to get their scores from the FF line, and are trying to get goals. Not ideal vs this setup, have they the players to adjust? Iā€™m not sure tbh. Think they could win a lot of their other games, but think Waterford might just not suit them. Now Waterford/Davy could be more or less gone at that stage and it might make no odds.

If he can shackle TK, and restrict the Clare inside line, then will Clare be able to get the scores from further out? If it is a low scoring contest. Waterford could pip them.

Ultimately I think Waterford will be well short of what is required to win an all Ireland, but it is a system that could work in some games. Especially against inexperienced teams or if conditions are bad. Your shooters or freetaker have an off day then you are in trouble.

If he actually plays Dessie Hutchinson out the field then the Waterford fans should storm the Waterford County Board offices and tar and feather everyone of them

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Munster rubby have a test match at the same time in Thomond so you might need to plot your route wisely

Rafferty is quality

I would say Rafferty was to blame for the goal Armagh conceded at the weekend and his actual goalkeeping in general is poor enough. Rarely makes any real saves. Armagh should focus on getting the ball to Rian Oā€™Neill and even play Rafferty up the field if heā€™s that much of an attacking weapon.

How many goals are scored nowadays in football because the keeper has gone walkabout?

Thereā€™s a couple most weekends.

Rafferty is a nuisance.

It works both ways. He scored a goal last weekend from a brilliant ball in. If the defenders were tuned in for the final minute in the quarter final last year, they would have won thanks to a brilliant Rafferty solo run.

He brings a lot going forward and nobody ever picks him up when he bombs up

I think theyā€™d be better off playing him outfield and put a proper goalie in between the posts.

Kerry will probably win the All Ireland again this year because their goalie isnā€™t an accident waiting to happen. They barely conceded a goal all last year and Ryan being a safe pair of hands had a lot to do with it. Everyone else now wants to be ā€˜redefining the gameā€™ rather than simply doing their job.

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Ah here, it was a fucking lumped in ball to the square!

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And it worked didnā€™t itšŸ˜€

If thats what you define as ā€œbrilliantā€ā€¦