GGA Player Power Part II

All this coming from a Clare man too lads. :rolleyes:

This is an eye opener about Flannans too I must say.

[quote=ā€œKIB manā€]If Wexford play lads like Willie Doran or Stephen Nolan this summer it will prove they arent rebuilding. At least put lads in with some bit of potential if rebuilding is the aim.

I reckon Wexford are a bit like Connacht in rugby. Generally shit but on their day can match one of the better sides. the main factor being the quality or lack of in their ranks. Sad to see actually.[/quote]

Wexford canā€™t compete on a physical level though. Way too light all over the pitch. Now Clare went too far the other way, but wexford have loads of players with good touch and wrists but few if any that can forcefully dominate their own patch. I remember them warming up before the waterford game last year and they look like a schools team. If we could amalgamate with ye weā€™d have a serious outfit though!

You have it there alright WTB. Too light and too small and not near good enough in the air.

I agree with Gmanā€™s take on things here. Weā€™re wildly inconsistent but are capable of matching anyone (bar Kilkenny) on our day and have done so relatively recently too.

I donā€™t dispute what KIB man says about our lack of quality either (I reckon we have some very good players though nowhere near the depth of other counties) but commitment, organisation and good management can go a long way to bridging that gap. So Iā€™m interested to see what Bonnar brings to the table.

I thought our 2003 side was pretty good. Youā€™re talking about a spine of Damien Fitzhenry, Darragh Ryan, Declan Ruth, Rory McCarthy, Adrian Fenlon, Larry Murphy and Paul Codd. Liam Dunne was signing off with a memorable season and the Jacobs were looking good too. Mitch Jordan was dangerous and you had Stamp and Doc Oā€™Connor providing youth and Larry Oā€™ was bowing out so there was a good mixture.

As an aside, I was watching this Sport Matters thing on Setanta last night and they were reminiscing about how hurlingā€™s revolution in the 1990s with Offaly, Clare, Wexford and Limerick all contesting finals at the expense of the traditional super-powers. Itā€™s actually mad to think Offaly beat Kilkenny by 11 points in the 1995 Leinster Final.

I didnā€™t want to bring it up because bandage would come in with his usual Clare mullicker jibe but Clareā€™s physical presence was one of the main reasons we gave wexford the two heavy beatings in 2005 and 2006ā€¦I remember in the 2006 game Gerry Quinn was busting through the Wexford forwards for funā€¦

I remember it too. And Carmody

[quote=ā€œBandageā€]I agree with Gmanā€™s take on things here. Weā€™re wildly inconsistent but are capable of matching anyone (bar Kilkenny) on our day and have done so relatively recently too.

I donā€™t dispute what KIB man says about our lack of quality either (I reckon we have some very good players though nowhere near the depth of other counties) but commitment, organisation and good management can go a long way to bridging that gap. So Iā€™m interested to see what Bonnar brings to the table.

I thought our 2003 side was pretty good. Youā€™re talking about a spine of Damien Fitzhenry, Darragh Ryan, Declan Ruth, Rory McCarthy, Adrian Fenlon, Larry Murphy and Paul Codd. Liam Dunne was signing off with a memorable season and the Jacobs were looking good too. Mitch Jordan was dangerous and you had Stamp and Doc Oā€™Connor providing youth and Larry Oā€™ was bowing out so there was a good mixture.

As an aside, I was watching this Sport Matters thing on Setanta last night and they were reminiscing about how hurlingā€™s revolution in the 1990s with Offaly, Clare, Wexford and Limerick all contesting finals at the expense of the traditional super-powers. Itā€™s actually mad to think Offaly beat Kilkenny by 11 points in the 1995 Leinster Final.[/quote]

well to be honest with ya, ye were in great form on the first day v Cork in 03.

And yeā€™ve a sneaky way of snatching holy mary goals. As well as scoring some savage ones. There must be a bit of Meath in ye.

[quote=ā€œMairegangaireā€]well to be honest with ya, ye were in great form on the first day v Cork in 03.

And yeā€™ve a sneaky way of snatching holy mary goals. As well as scoring some savage ones. There must be a bit of Meath in ye.[/quote]

That is some insult.

only you Pike

I would take it as a compliment. I think.

Puke, fair point on the beatings Clare gave us. They overpowered us all over the field. You often see strong defenders swatting some shitty little corner forward out of the way, but Clare were physically strong all over the park. You had forwards like McMahon and Carmody and Nugent who were stronger than their markers.

Johnathan Clancy went to Flannans so did Jamesie, Sparrow and Griffin.

There seems to be a belief somewhere that all half forwards now have to be 6ft 4 and able to win puck outs. Some of the best half forwards Iā€™d say rarely caught a puck out - Jamesie, Ben oā€™ Connor etc

I took it as such too, in the context.

But Maire has never had a good word to say about Meath, so I dunno.
Take it as a compliment for now I suppose.

[quote=ā€œPikemanā€]I took it as such too, in the context.

But Maire has never had a good word to say about Meath, so I dunno.
Take it as a compliment for now I suppose.[/quote]

she could have said you were like a Cork man.

[quote=ā€œPikemanā€]I took it as such too, in the context.

But Maire has never had a good word to say about Meath, so I dunno.
Take it as a compliment for now I suppose.[/quote]

and
ye have the best streakers in the game.

Fair enough, I am talking about Flannans and the effect it has had on underage hurling in Clare over the last 10 years KIB man, as I stated in my original postā€¦

Take a look at the likes of Bernard Gaffney and Andrew Quinn these daysā€¦Both were regarded as the next big things in Clare hurling when they were winning hartys with Flannansā€¦

[quote=ā€œThe Pukeā€]

Take a look at the likes of Bernard Gaffney and Andrew Quinn these daysā€¦Both were regarded as the next big things in Clare hurling when they were winning hartys with Flannansā€¦[/quote]

Definitely on the ball with Andrew Quinn, although his fondness of the beer may have played a small role.

I know Andy well and have been out on the beer with him a few nights, he is a sound ladā€¦Fond of it alright but would know when to knock it on the head alsoā€¦In fairness I thought he didn;t get the credit he deserved when he was hurling with Clare, used to always battle for the ball and chiped in with a few points in most games but never really dominated a game or a manā€¦Still think he would be a better option than the likes of Flaherty or Nugentā€¦

To think back in 2000 and 2001, himself and Shaugnessy were the two Stars of the harty cup, shame andrew never built on the promiseā€¦Supposed being built like a prop forward didnā€™t help him either;)

[quote=ā€œBandageā€]I agree with Gmanā€™s take on things here. Weā€™re wildly inconsistent but are capable of matching anyone (bar Kilkenny) on our day and have done so relatively recently too.

I donā€™t dispute what KIB man says about our lack of quality either (I reckon we have some very good players though nowhere near the depth of other counties) but commitment, organisation and good management can go a long way to bridging that gap. So Iā€™m interested to see what Bonnar brings to the table.

I thought our 2003 side was pretty good. Youā€™re talking about a spine of Damien Fitzhenry, Darragh Ryan, Declan Ruth, Rory McCarthy, Adrian Fenlon, Larry Murphy and Paul Codd. Liam Dunne was signing off with a memorable season and the Jacobs were looking good too. Mitch Jordan was dangerous and you had Stamp and Doc Oā€™Connor providing youth and Larry Oā€™ was bowing out so there was a good mixture.

As an aside, I was watching this Sport Matters thing on Setanta last night and they were reminiscing about how hurlingā€™s revolution in the 1990s with Offaly, Clare, Wexford and Limerick all contesting finals at the expense of the traditional super-powers. Itā€™s actually mad to think Offaly beat Kilkenny by 11 points in the 1995 Leinster Final.[/quote]

As a spine that 2003 vintage doesnt seem too bad. Ryan was very unlucky with injuries. Ruth was criminally slow tho. Mitch Jordan please, DOC was always shit. By 2003 what age were the Larryā€™s? Codd was a massive loss. I reckoned he was as good a forward as Shanahan or any of those bar Shefflin despite his ridiculous big wing. Never really rated McCarthy to be honest. lovely and skillful but not much presence. Iā€™d say he suffered from playing in a different position every year. Fenlon was passed his best by then too.

Think KKā€™s bad days were when the likes of Kevin Fennelly and Nickey Brennan were in charge. I know Cody is a serious manager but look at the conveyer belt every year coming through.

[quote=ā€œKIB manā€]As a spine that 2003 vintage doesnt seem too bad. Ryan was very unlucky with injuries. Ruth was criminally slow tho. Mitch Jordan please, DOC was always shit. By 2003 what age were the Larryā€™s? Codd was a massive loss. I reckoned he was as good a forward as Shanahan or any of those bar Shefflin despite his ridiculous big wing. Never really rated McCarthy to be honest. lovely and skillful but not much presence. Iā€™d say he suffered from playing in a different position every year. Fenlon was passed his best by then too.

Think KKā€™s bad days were when the likes of Kevin Fennelly and Nickey Brennan were in charge. I know Cody is a serious manager but look at the conveyer belt every year coming through.[/quote]

Ruth was slow but had the brain to make up for it. Very rarely got cleaned out. Agree Mitch Jordan wasnā€™t great but on his day he was worth 5 or 6 points. DOC gets a lot of criticism, especially from fine weather supporters that frequent this forum and its hard to see how you can say that someone whoā€™s been an ever present in an inter-county team for the best part of 8 years is shit?

Rory Mac was too small for half his positions. Fenlon didnt have to do a lot of running to have an influence. The best ground hurler Iā€™ve ever seen play in person.