Fellas banging on about the hand pass likes actually an issue in the game, moreso my team is not winning and we need an excuse to fill in the extra months they arent playing.
Nothing on the real scurage in the game at the moment, simulation. Because the wordt offenders haven’t even won a pre season participation tin pot.
The hand pass is a skill in the game while diving is a method to deceive the officials to get a handy free.
You wouldn’t have the lotto numbers there too while yer at it. @endakenny says it’s worked well in Freshers games,the stats seem to back that up.Why not trial it in the Munster league or something like that next year and see,if it doesn’t work then fine but just dismissing it out of hand is ridiculous
Can we not do both?
I agree but whats the solution? Budget caps on IC team spending? A proper auditable system on said spending? Coaches with particular skill areas are cleaning up.
Its hard to dive and give out about the handpass but im sure clare and tipp will find a way
You should only be allowed 2 players per team over 6ft2
The more games you create and the more intense the season is the more money and resources becomes a factor.
The only real upset nowadays in hurling is when one team is totally out on their feet from tiredness.
It’s no surprise Galway and Kilkenny have been over performing since 2018 because they have a lighter work load in Leinster round robin as opposed to the likes of Clare who looked wrecked after the Munster championship.
The Limerick half-forward line needs to be disbanded and Tom Morrisey donated to Cork.
Lol, and you steamrolling every one else, I’d be shocked if you didn’t get a lil chubby for it
You have the likes of Clare and Kilkenny even making a game of it too at times - only adds to the turgidity.
The Tipp lads saw that Peter Casey pen against Doon and the know The Limericks can’t strike the ball off the hurley. This is phase 1 of their plan.
By the end, you won’t be allowed catch the ball at all, Noel McGrath could probably play another 15 years.
There’ll be fellas still talking about that pelanty shoot-out 20 years from now. The stuff of legend.
Walk all over the cunts
It was real RIP Hurling stuff.
I have an idea for a dwarf IC championship. That might cover it
I dont think the split season will change but its all but professional bar pay for play. IC team spending might be the best way to handicap the bigger more resourced counties. Galway spent over 2 million between both codes which is outrageous, sayimg that they probably are the only dual county with a shot at either title
Play for the Richie Hogan Cup
I’d say its more than 75%
Bring back the nippy CF
Woolie wants to rename it the Paddy Pass but I don’t see it catching on.
Paddy Leavy has taken the Brick Flick to the next level.
10 February 2024; Tommy Walsh of Kilkenny in action against Sean Twomey of Cork during the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group A match between Cork and Kilkenny at SuperValu Páirc Ui Chaoimh in Cork. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile
SUN, 11 FEB, 2024 - 21:00
Leavy takes the Brick Flick to new levels
When the Waterford hurlers enthralled the country and electrified the game during the last two decades, much of that electricity was sourced from some of the most talented and skilful hurlers, and standout personalities, to ever play the game.
Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh would never be categorised in the same bracket for skill or mercurial talent, or the exuberance of his personality on the pitch, but his value to Waterford granted him a similar cult status to that of Paul Flynn, Dan Shanahan, John Mullane, Ken McGrath, Eoin Kelly and Tony Browne.
That cult status was also enhanced for one particular reason. “Imagine getting a skill called after yourself,” said Anthony Daly on ‘The Sunday Game’ in June 2018. "Normally now with the tackling, you can’t get the handpass away so ‘Brick’ throws out the ball and flicks it five yards away. When you’re coaching U14s and you say, ‘We’ll practice the ‘Brick Flick’, every one of them knows what you’re talking about. That is some tribute to a guy.”
Stephen Frampton, the former Waterford player and captain and senior selector, had a different interpretation to most coaches at that time on the ‘Brick Flick’. “I often say to Michael, ‘You’re famous for that flick, and I hate you for it because I can’t get some fellas to handpass the ball because they all want to flick it off the hurley,’” said Frampton in 2018. “I’d be half-saying it to him for a bit of craic but I’m trying to coach fellas to give the ball to the guy in the best position. The ‘Brick Flick’ doesn’t always work with young fellas but Michael had it perfected. And most of the kids in Waterford are copying him.”
Paddy Leavy certainly did, and still is. Leavy made a name for himself with how often he uses the ‘Brick Flick’ with Ballygunner, but he took the art to a whole new level at inter-county yesterday. Of Leavy’s 24 plays, he executed the ‘Brick Flick’ on 17 occasions.
Leavy had more possessions than any other player. Much of that was down to the Ballygunner man operating as a sweeper but he had a huge influence on the match; Leavy was involved in the build-up to 1-7, while he also scored one point.
His long stick pass to Seán Walsh for his goal was one of just four times Leavy struck the ball in an orthodox manner, but he always took the right option, and was turned over just once in possession.
Ian Kenny, Máirtin Walsh, Mark Fitzgerald and Conor Ryan also showcased different versions of the ‘Brick Flick’. But Leavey is the ultimate modern embodiment of Walsh’s rich legacy.
Not the goal-fest many expected in Thurles
One of the most intriguing questions posed around Eamon O’Shea’s return to Thurles yesterday focussed on how much he may have sharpened Galway’s attacking edge. Given O’Shea’s lust for goals – with Galway having registered six against Westmeath – combined with Liam Cahill and Mikey Beevans’ desire for green flags, this match appeared to have the potential to be a goal-fest.
League hurling in February always dilutes the excitement and prospects of what could happen but, in any case, the raft of green flags never materialised. The only goal of the game arrived in additional time, from a Gearóid O’Connor penalty, but Tipp were the only team that looked like raising a green flag all afternoon; Galway didn’t get off a single shot on goalkeeper Barry Hogan, only creating one half goal chance which resulted in a close-in free.
By contrast, Tipp engineered six goal chances across the 70 minutes. Seán Ryan had three of them in the opening 16 minutes, with Darach Fahy making one incredible save. Alan Tynan had another opportunity before half-time while Mark Kehoe was brilliantly denied by Pádraic Mannion in the 44th minute, before Conor Stakelum was dragged down by Seán Linnane and O’Connor stuck the penalty.
Not getting off one shot on goal will have annoyed O’Shea, but the Galway players are still trying to adjust to his coaching philosophy. And O’Shea will also know from experience that green flags have a far greater value during the summer.
Twomey offering Cork something different
For years now, one of the biggest criticisms of Cork has been the make-up of their forward line, and how too many of those players are similar in style, demeanour and attitude; loaded with class and quality but light on physicality, bulk, workrate and ball-winning ability.
Seán Twomey though, offers Cork something different. He did score a goal in the 2020 All-Ireland U20 final against Dublin and the 2019 Munster U20 final against Tipp, and almost bagged another one in the All-Ireland final against the same opposition two months later. But Twomey was never regarded as a scorer in the same vein as other Cork forwards from those teams, six of whom have now played senior championship for Cork.
Twomey has been around the scene for a while now too, having made his debut for the seniors in December 2019, against Kerry in the Munster league, before making his league debut against Waterford the following month. However, this is the first time that he finally looks close to making a real impact and nailing down a spot.
In his last two matches, Twomey has only scored one point, but a closer analysis of his data shows just how influential he has been; Twomey has been either fouled for, or had direct assists for, an impressive 1-8.
Those numbers could have been far higher. Twomey played a pivotal role in Patrick Horgan’s goal in Ennis. As well as engineering Conor O’Callaghan’s goal on Saturday night, Twomey was also directly involved in setting up two more goal chances.
Twomey still has some distance to travel before he nails down a permanent spot, but he’s going the right way about it. And he is also showing that Cork don’t need to pack their forward line with silky ball players that can shoot the lights out.
Offaly and Wexford offer reminder of the glory days
With the last puck of the match in Wexford Park on Saturday night, Simon Donohoe had a chance to win the game for Wexford but his shot drifted just wide. Yet in a frantic and chaotic finish, a draw felt like the right result. Both teams have a completely altered status from that golden era, but there were stages in the second half when this contest carried shades of the storied Wexford-Offaly rivalry of the 1990s. The quality may not been the same high standard but hurling is a different game now and the ferocity, passion and high drama made it feel just like the old days.
This match oscillated as wildly as the wind and spilling rain. Wexford will be thrilled not to have lost the game considering they were reduced to 13 men. Offaly will be disappointed not to have held on, but this was another positive learning experience for a side still looking to develop, stabilise and prosper at this level while also trying to transition in so many of their talented underage players.
Just as importantly, it offered more proof to Offaly – who are still a Joe McDonagh team – that they are closer to getting back to this level. It also reminded their supporters of what Offaly-Wexford games used to be like.