@ChocolateMice limerick for iiam 20/18
Not sure the panel is deep enough. They wonāt be that far off though I suspect.
Joe - please dont tag me in a hurling thread until May ā Iām not interested in anything before championship.
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If you fancy Dublin, evens is a very generous offer
Galway are in 1B.
You are spot on. The three best panels in terms of depth are Tipperary, Galway and Limerick. I think Limerick are going to have a huge year. A massive forward line, with a very good midfield and slowly building a solid defense.
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Have Tipp all that much depth to their panel? They definitely have 10 to 12 quality hurlers but after that the rest of their panel is fairly pedestrian. The likes of John OāKeefe was able to get a start in the championship last year despite being found out 5 years ago. Their bench against Galway last year in the A/I semi final would hardly frighten you and is no better than than that of the other sides in Munster.
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I think Tipp have fallen right back into the pack as per Kilkenny, maybe the drop is not quite as dramatic but that big gulf in class is not there anymore. They do appear to be using the league wisely though, getting good game-time in for the wider panel, whereas some sides have put out near-full strength 15s in the first couple of rounds.
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Disagree with that. Whatever about depth, they still have the best forwards in the country. Callanan, Bubbles, the McGraths, Bonner, McCormack, Breen, Forde, OāMeara even and they did have a couple of good minor teams with serious forwards aswell
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Tipp have about ten or twelve brilliant hurlers and a bit of a tail after. A lot will depend on how Callanan comes back from his injury and how bad Dan McCormackās injury is
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You may be right, I think Tipp for all their classy hurlers always lack a bit of gumption. They should have had another 3/4 AIās over the last ten to fifteen years, you can get at them and Galway historically. Kilkenny in their pomp not so much.
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Yeah, Clare have been fairly strong but injuries have dictated somewhat as the bench is pretty much full of lads in their first year on the panel for the most part.
Iād expect them to make changes now with wins in the bag as OāBrien, Flanagan, Shanahan, Tots, Cathal Mc, Bobby Duggan, Cian Dillon et al return to fitness over the next few weeks.
I think Clare who had a youthful panel three or four years ago have been decimated with injuries. A good side who are building again but could have a very big role this year if they get a run. I keep going back to the physicality though, a very small team.
Makes sense to do so as they should be safe from relegation now (?) The luxury of a good start.
Think you might be living in 2016 a bit with that. I reckon Callanan and Bubbles have a fair bit to do to get back to the levels they were at a few years ago. Noel McGrath appears to have started the league in flying form tbf. After that Iām not sure how much better Tippās forwards really are than other counties in Munster.
Duggan and Malone if they can keep their form could well make a big difference in terms of size and workrate. I see our full backline as a bigger weakness in the grand scheme of it.
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How do you reckon that? Tipp and Galway have been the best two teams in Ireland the last couple of years and Galway only just got past them last year. Tipp start out this year number two and thereās a drop to Waterford and drop again to everyone else.
On limericks depth, we have the best depth weāve ever had, loads of lads fairly equal in standing with the potential to start. Very few of them proven to be at the level of the Galway or Tipp players though. Depth will mean fuck all if all our players are all equally good at a level or two below the Galway and Tipp players.
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Not many counties have forwards that have shown they can play at the level at least 4 of the Tipp forwards have shown.
They looked dangerous against Galway in the semi-final last year, all their inside line scored at least 2 from play. Almost impossible to keep them quiet. And they scored 0-28 against Clare, which is serious scoring.
I would say their forwards are comfortably better than anyone else. Weāll still beat them.
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It could be sweltering in the Gaelic Grounds that day in the uncovered and close on 4 degrees in the Mackey Stand. The coldest place In the Northern Hemisphere.
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