my gut says Kilkenny. and handy. Tipps midfield might be better, but Kilkennys is undoubtadly better. Cha and Lyng are both struggling to start, due to Rice and Fennelly both starring. Rice will prob end up at centre forward, and Cha to start, but it is some serious depth there. Their full back line is far more solid than last year. TJ Reid is a huge addition in the half forward line. And looks like Brennan could struggle to make his place too, with Guinan and Richie Hogan chomping at the bit to get in.
Don’t know about Guinan but Richie Hogan isn’t going to start. Shefflin is starting. You are right about Eddie Brennan, he might not get the nod.
The team I think might start
PJ
Dalton
Chopper
Jackie
Tommy
Tennyson/Ryall
JJ
Cha
Fennelly
TJ
The King
Larkin
Gorta/Fast Eddie
Power
Taggy
I’d be shocked if Rice did not start.
What I’m hearing is:
PJ
Dalton
Hickey
Jackie
Tommy
Tennyson
JJ
Cha
Fennelly
Rice
Shefflin
Larkin
Brennan
Power
Taggy
Bench: Kavanagh, Ryall, Lyng, Reid, R Hogan, Guinan, Comerford, Mulhall, P Hogan
As Locke & cluaindiuic said, Shefflin is definitely starting.
As usual i disagree with alot of your analysis. I don’t think KK’s midfield is that much better, if at all, than Tipps. Forward wise there isn’t much in it anymore, but at the back i think KK are still better.
Cha is expected to start i thought, and if he does i think he could struggle with the legs of Maher and McGrath.
I don’t rate Ritchie Hogan that much, and while Reid is a good player, i don’t think he’s fullfilling his potential at all yet.
Their corner backs are better than last year, but i don’t think you can say Hickey is solid.
I see it being just as close as last year, but have yet to totally make up my mind which way. If Tennyson and Shefflin start then i’ll be erring on the Tipp side, far too risky thing to do and i’d honestly be surprised if Cody played Tennyson, whatever about Shefflin.
I think far too many lads on here judge Tipp games with their heart, as in they want them to lose so much they look for everything in the opposition to find a way of putting Tipp down. The punditry on here for the semi final was of a very low standard due to that shite. From a KK point of view i think the style they are playing with this year is actually clouding peoples view slightly, saying they are even better this year. I still feel they have been more effective in the past, and the more open the game the better it will suit Tipp. People should write the Cork game off, i’ve watched it twice on tv since and they were really really bad, the worst performance ever in my lifetime. They handed KK at least 3-07, if not more. Now i know KK have to finish them scores, and no better team, but any county, from Limerick/wexford/Clare kinda standard would have beaten Cork that day, and handy.
I have no real personal favourite this sunday. Last year, and normally i’d be all Tipp, but this KK team almost deserve the 5 now, to make sure they are regarded without any doubt as the best ever. I just hope its as good if not better than last year. Hurling has been awful this year.
nah I still think the KK midfield is a good bit better. and you agree with me the backs are better, which I think is a major point. KK are completely stifling other teams this year. In my boredom/stupidity/interest whatever, I’ve gone to a couple of kilkenny training sessions lately. Reid has been superb, and what I saw of Richie Hogan and Eoin Guinan, I’d be suprised if they werent around. Altho Reid could lose out to Rice if they play Shefflin at centre forward. Brennan and Mulhall were probably the weaker of forwards I saw playing. Hickey had been marking Power in the sessions I saw, and got the better of him. Now that might not be much of an indicator, as I’d say if you went full bore on Hickey at training, you could end up injured, but he looked impressive.
cant say I want Tipp to lose, wouldnt really bother me, dont exactly have any hate for them. I know you scoffed at me when I suggested before the Cork game that Tipp could lose thru disinterest and an eye for later in the year, but I think looking back on it, that they planned their year to be peaking later. And it has worked. They have got progressivley better with each game. I just think there is too much frailty in their side defensively. Galway racked up a big score through really poor defending and tactics. And even at that, Galway didnt have Canning contributing much from play, and an ineffective half forward line.
Apologies to all who have PM’d me asking for my thoughts on the big game-I have been rather busy of late but I will get to my prognosis in due course.
Thanks.
Prepare to be shocked then I’d say
I’ve heard that Comerford and Rice start, no Brennan. I’d be shocked if Brennan wasn’t to start.
brennan will start of that i have no doubt- he has been flying in training - reid had a couple of sharp words with comeford in training which cody overheard- shefflin doesnt know how this will play out so he sopke to tommy walsh who said that cody was unhappy with comeford for not responding to reids sharp words but cha isnt so sure as he feels that the cody might be annoyed that reid spoke out of turn- tennyson was non committal on the matter
I’m hearing Brian Hogan starts
You have some explaining to do I believe ?
:lol:
Honestly though, 10,000 people going to watch a training session? Even if you have little else going on in your life, there’s pretty much always some actual live sport you could watch on TV. This is the kind of shit you’d expect before electricity was rolled out.
I’m hearing John Power and Charlie Carter to start, Cha Fitzpatrick poked himself in the eye with a fork and Brian Cody had stew for dinner.
:lol:
im hearing cha stopped off for one in the spots on the way to gowran & he bumped into brian hogan there- hogan says he thinks that PJ & JJ will play a big part in th final
What about Taggy?
im hearing taggy feels chopper needs to step it up a couple of gears for the final
You don’t seem to rate them though. Anyway we’ll see sunday. I think KK’s selection is huge, i can see Cha been over ran, if he is they’ll either have to whip him or lose, as Tipp are a serious side when the midfield are flying.
Not you now Gman, but others have been talking down/questioning Eoin Kelly, which seems ridiculous seeing his form in last years final and this years semi.
Gman - I can tell you, not from experience, but from good sources in Tipp, that they are all flying too. In fairness, thats what your going to get this time of the year. Judging anyone on training now isn’t really a great barometer, especially as i believe that this KK panel isn’t as strong as it has been made out to be.
Would be some shock for Brennan not to make it.
why would it be a shock …not to anyone from kilkenny…word has it team was named tonight and hes dropped…he was very poor in semi against cork… actually been poor all year really…still he could be a great asset coming off the bench fired up with a point to prove though…as for cha being overran get a grip he will hoover ball up all day long while macgrath is running round like a blue arse fly…match up of the game has to be fennely and maher im assuming they will end up on each other . .should be a ferocious battle…kilkenny to beat the handicap and im thinking give tipp a nine or ten point trimming…the closer we get to it the more sure of this i am… cant see the tipp half forwards living with kilkenny…o brien will be off after 40 minutes after being anonymous…think tennyson will snuff out macgrath if he starts centre also…im boldly gonna predict corbett gets no more that 2 points and that hickey holds kelly to about the same…five in a row here we go… 