From at outsider looking in the Limerick team looks like a team which will grow old together somewhat. Realistically all things being equal you would think that 13 or 14 of the side that started the 2018 final are likely to start come the Cork match in a few weeks. Just a matter of whether Nash or Peter Casey can force their way in and that the proven depth of the panel was stronger in 2018 due to having a number of experienced lads to call on to do a job who all subsequently retired.
It may not necessarily be a problem as Limerick have the strongest starting 15 at the minute but it is something that Loughnane and Cody were big advocates of was that you needed to find a couple of new starters every year to keep the team fresh and hunger up. If you were to look at Kilkenny 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015 you see the fresh blood consistently coming into the side to augment the strong core of experienced players with 4 or 5 new faces establishing themselves every few years.
Yup youāre right, personnel changes very minimal over three years, although I think the repositioning of Hayes and Lynch last year was a significant evolution of the team as opposed to the two years previous. There may be minimal enough changes for another two years but I think there will be enough players coming through to keep it fresh for a while yet.
Adam English to join the set-up next year ? CON with a year under his belt by thenā¦ Two very decent prospects but whoās pushing for a starting role now that we havent seen over the last three years ? Itās been a case of moving lads around. Weāre fucked.
Are lads forgetting Barry Murphy is back on the panel. He was a very useful option in 2018 for the full forward line.
Story with Pat Ryan too?
That is all well and good talking about lads with potential but until they actually displace one of the current 18 or so lads in the mix for starting spots it is all the one. Unless there is an obvious path to the starting team it can be very hard to break into a winning side.
I think this was why Cody was so ruthless, he knew he had decent raw materials in reserve and rather than sticking with lads he would identify the one or two who were expendable and just get rid. Kept everyone on their toes.
Having said that, the only difference between the 2006 & 2009 AI starting forwards for Kilkenny was Richie Hogan started instead of Martin Comerford. Who came on for Hogan to score the crucial goal. It really took retirements for the likes of TJ & Hogan to really establish themselves.
Thatās a clamping.
Mcgarry, Cha, Ryall and Comerford were all moved on and replaced with younger guys in Ryan, Hogan, Rice and Richie. None of whom were in the mix back in 2006 and none of the 4 guys moved on were particularly past it.
By 2012 you had TJ Reid, Mick Fennelly, Paul Murphy and Colin Fennelly all established and a handful of other lads in the mix
Itāll be interesting to see how Cathal O neill gets on. He can be greedy at times which isnāt unusual for a player who was so dominant in underage games but it wonāt really cut it at inter county level. Heāll need to adjust his style and that can take time.
Fair points. I do think JK will be of the same belief. Over the last 2 weeks he has started Boylan, Costello twice, CON and Brian Grady. He brought on Brian Ryan on Sunday at wing instead of the likes of Finn. The difficulty is some of them arenāt good enough or else not ready yet.
In my opinion thereāll be a fairly sizeable change in the panel for 2022 with a lot of the 2019/2020 Minor group getting brought in and possibly 1 or 2 now overage for the U20s who didnāt get the call up this year
It is a very tough thing for a manager to do in fairness. Takes a special type of temperament to just cast lads aside who have been loyal, won for you and given all that have been asked of.
Obviously injuries and retirements can make it easier but it is much easier to do the better the devil you know when picking between the tried and trusted and potential if there isnāt a whole lot between them.
The last two years have been a bit of write off as well in terms of giving new fellas a go, so his hands were tied to a certain extent. He will definitely need to start freshening it up.
Yeah, normally a manager may decide to walk away and see it as the natural end of the cycle rather than make some of those tough calls. Leave it to the next fella to retool
We didnāt really need the bench last year but dowling could still be badly missed this year in games were we need a lift.
3 points off the bench against Galway in the semi final seemed important at the time
Rice is actually older than Cha
True but you get the point. Cha was a former YHOTY, A/I winning captain in 2008 and three time All star yet was an unused sub in 2009 and drifted off the panel by 2011. Most other managers would have plamaused him away.
LIMERICK SENIOR FOOTBALLL TEAM TO PLAY OFFALY TEAM IS SELECTED.
The Limerick Senior Football team to play Offaly in Round 2 Allianz Football Division 3 South in OāConnor Park Tullamore at 3pm on Saturday 22nd. May has been selected as follows :
1 Donal Ć Sullivan (Capt) Monaleen
2 Sean OāDea Kilteely/Dromkeen
3 Brian Fanning Pallasgreen
4 Michael Donovan Galbally
5 Tony McCarthy Kildimo/Pallaskenry
6 Robert Childs Galtee Gaels
7 Gordon Brown Na Piarsaigh
8 Darragh Treacy St. Kieranās
9 Tommie Childs Galtee Gaels
10 Cian Sheehan Newcastlewest
11 Cillian Fahy Dromcollogher/Broadford
12 Tommy Griffin Gerald Griffins
13 Adrian Enright Fr. Caseyās
14 Danny Neville Ballysteen
15 Hugh Bourke Adare
16 Aaron OāSullivan Pallasgreen
17 Paul Maher Adare
18 Iain Corbett Newcastlewest
19 Luke Murphy Monaleen
20 Josh Ryan Oola
21 Padraig De Brun Firies
22 Robbie Burke Adare
23 Brian Donovan Monaleen
24 Peter Nash Kildimo/Pallaskenry
25 Gerard Stack Gerald Griffins
26 Kevin Howard Claughaun