Hurling League 2014

Shefflin is clearly finished. Poor chap, all time great and all, can hardly move.

This has been discussed at length, particularly by @Fagan ODowd , but Cody has literally crippled a generation of Kilkenny hurlers.

Totally agree. Any regime that forces James Fitzpatrick into retirement at the age of 26/27 has done hurling a disservice. But that’s irrelevant in the greater scheme of things when these players are having knee and hip replacements in their early 40s.

Anywhere to get a list of the top scorers in the league from play ?

Give Martin Breheny or Colm Keys a shout.

It will be a sad they when these chaps are rolled out in wheel chairs in front of a Croke Park crowd in a few years when tribute is being paid to the team of 08,09 etc etc

Yeah. Awful of them to drop him just because better players came along.

:rolleyes:

Tipp will make shit of Limerick in Thurles kid.

Very talented but also very lazy

Good one.

I had a quick and admittedly incomplete look at this (still a work in progress- I have looked at the 1a teams and Cork abd then I nearly went blind) and from what I can make out Patrick Horgan is the lead scorer from play totalling 24 points, Colin Fennelly and Seamus Callinan have 22 each but Colin played in fewer games, C McGrath is on 21 and Walter Walsh on 20, Mark Kelly is on 19 as is Cathal Mannion, Pauric Mahony has 18, Seamus Harnedy 17 and Conor Lehane 16
Of the teams in 1a, Pauric Mahony, C McGrath, Walter Walsh and P Brehony have scored from play in every game.
KK have the biggest spread of scorers but given that they’ve made big changes each game that is not surprising, Clare have the next widest spread*
*All this may not be wholly accurate as I am supposed to be researching something else but am bored-
*I will look at the rest of the teams in 1b if I get a chance (I probably won’t)

Very lazy? His work rate without the ball is as good as any current Tipp forward. Those calling him plump are also hard on him, he has obviously bulked up from his weights programme.

He is a poor trainer not lazy on the field

What’s your opinion on Shane Bourke @Bad Winner ? I think he is a serious player, just a matter of giving him decent supply. I doubt O’Shea rates him.

good discussion. A slightly different angle on the discussion. Pick your ideal forward combination. mine is

Conal Keaney Seamus Harnedy Danny Sutcliffe
Podge Collins Joe Canning Pat Horgan

Tony Kelly is midfield btw!

Thought about Noel McGrath at 11 but Harnedy better in the air

He is a bit unorthodox in his striking but plenty quick enough, to be honest I don’t think he suits the way Tipp play and would probably thrive if he got fast low ball played diagonally. Just can’t win it for himself seemingly.

Probably not an inter county standard hurler truth be told. At the highest level anyway.

[QUOTE=“Bad Winner, post: 925140, member: 2406”]He is a bit unorthodox in his striking but plenty quick enough, to be honest I don’t think he suits the way Tipp play and would probably thrive if he got fast low ball played diagonally. Just can’t win it for himself seemingly.

Probably not an inter county standard hurler truth be told. At the highest level anyway.[/QUOTE]
Delivery into him is key to his game, in fairness to him when he gets ball in hand he very rarely misses. I would be delighted to see him starting.

He would work in a 2 man full forward line very well so long as the ground is hard alright. I can see why he isn’t nailed on though. Too many chiefs and not enough Indians in that forward line.

John Conlon-Noel McGrath-Conal Keaney
Conor McGrath-Danny Sutcliffe-Pat Horgan

That set with Tony Kelly and Dara Fives hitting ball into them.

[QUOTE=“Bad Winner, post: 925145, member: 2406”]Too many chiefs and not enough Indians in that forward line.[/QUOTE] This is a good point, but having Indians like Bonnar Maher who can’t shoot a point from 30yds is embarrassing in itself.

John Conlon & Colin Ryan for Clare don’t get half enough credit for their importance to their team. They both have reasonable pace, good in the air, physically strong, able to win their own ball & they can score. The Kelly’s, O’Donnell’s & Collin’s get all the headlines but those 2 are vital to that forward line.