Allianz National Hurling League 2024

Ye definitely appeared to be a good bit slower than Clare yesterday.

Still though, the last time Tipp and Clare met in the championship, down in Ennis, Tipp won.

The league, is the league, is the league.

The championship, is the championship, is the championship

Its easier get over bad performances when you know the ability is there to turn it around.

The problem is that the ability is not there with this current crop.

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Yeah, this 100%.

Tipp probably don’t have enough top players to string together an All Ireland-winning campaign or, if they do, they’ve done well to hide them. See losing to Waterford last year after beating Clare & drawing with Limerick.

That consistency of performance is their downfall.

But they still have plenty of good players and I don’t think there’s any game where they have absolutely no hope, they have some natural goalscorers.

The league is nice to win but it bears no relation to Championship hurling.

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Limerick were slick enough in league and won it easy but struggled until the Munster final.

Limerick have tailored their championship prep differently this year. Wasnt quite right last year in timing and very nearly got caught

I think it grand without them. It needs a strong Galway, Waterford, Wexford far more.

It needs a strong Carlow and Westmeath ahead of a strong Tipp

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Thats obviously bullshit. @Little_Lord_Fauntleroy can you explain to the new money, why Tipperary is so important to hurling?

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We could do with a strong Laois too pal

I’d say 1998 was the closest we had to a strong cohort of teams all at once. Laois, Wexford, Offaly, Galway, Limerick, Clare and Waterford were all quite strong by historical standards. But then again I think Dublin were a bit of a rabble back then and hurling needed a strong Dublin and Antrim.

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I don’t think Galway ever got back to 80% of level of the team they were back in 2017. 2018 and the glut of games they played that year and injuries picked up seemed to just completely drain them.

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And after 2019 they should have went for a total rebuild but Covid hit and they kept the same lads around which was understandable.

Limerick in 98? Wha?

Ye were in an All-Ireland final in 96’ and won the league in 97’. Ye weren’t completely in the doldrums.

We were very mediocre though. Tipp gave us a good hiding in Thurles in 97 . The league final was in October that year. We beat a very disinterested Kilkenny side in the league semi who were in the middle of a mutiny themselves. That was Nicky Brennans last game in charge.

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Galway were shocking in '98. We got a serious hole-opening from Waterford in the QF.

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I was out enjoying a few pints yesterday for the match but Tipps performance really turned my mood.

When we got it back to 4 after half time I was content enough especially with the strong wind we had.

There are so many issues, on the freetaking situation, Forde should never have been taken off them. The 3 frees he missed were very difficult shots, the situation where you had Willie Connors standing over a free was farcical from management and Forde as a senior player.

Our structure is all over the place, there were numerous occasions in the second half whereby we had no forward inside the 45.

Playing with a wind, we didn’t go long and direct once and put them under a bit of pressure.

Some of our players are simply not up to it but the team would be much better with Breen at 3 and Ronan or BOM at 6. Bowe is not related to a wing back at county level, play him at 10. GOC didn’t look right after his concussion v Limerick, I’d be hopeful he’d improve.

Forde is infuriating at this stage. It may be time to consider playing him in a deeper role or not play him at all presuming GOC hits the frees well.

Sean Ryan has had enough chances, he’s not up to it

My team for championship would be along the lines of:
Shelly
Barret, Breen, Morgan,
Dan, Ronan, BOM
Noel, Connolly
Forde, GOC, Bowe
Morris, Kehoe, Kenneally/Stakelum/Tynan

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Best Forde has ever looked was at 11 drifting off Hannon- first halfagainst Limerick the day Kyle got that goal.

He doesn’t have the aggression for anything else other than drifting onto ball and being a sharpshooter.

He has to play I think. Just have to hope the game suits him and his eye is in. Playing him inside is a waste of time.

Probably too late now-but I wouldn’t have minded seeing him at 6 as his striking is so good.

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He was a very good 6 for UL in the fitzgibbon cup but maybe that time has come and gone. He struck two wides yesterday from the middle of the field without looking at the posts, ridiculous stuff.

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