That was Cody’s genius.
They should be going for 5. This is their fifth year as the best team in the country really.
5 in a row would be interesting alright, it would be interesting see how it’s conflated with the roll of honour.
Things can change very quickly in sport. Kilkenny 2008 were put to the pin of their collar the following year.
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One at a time.
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I think people were saying that around 2009 and to be fair at the time they had savage strength and depth and were able to bring on subs like TJ Reid, Cha Fitz and Michael Fennelly.
Then shrewd judges like Ger Lough were flabbergasted as to how they were going for 3 in a row in early 2016 with a middling enough pick. But the 2009 depth wasn’t a myth at all. They had savage subs.
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I don’t know was that really the genius of Jim Gavin, more just the strength of what he had available. He also had lads in the their 30s to phase out as he went. What ages were the fellas coming through too? Coughlan and O’Neill have already gotten a good bit of exposure and will get more this league and we’ll be able to share a few starts with the bit of rotation Kiely will do in the round robin. English will get plenty of minutes too. There’s already been a nice bit of evolution in personnel, positioning and style since 2018. I don’t think we’ll be in danger of going stale this year, competition for places will keep things fresh even if the first choice team remains the same. Next year we’ll see two or three new players come in and we’ll be grand then too. After that there’ll be a few guys with a lot of miles on the clock and we could see some dips in form or injuries necessitating more change.
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There’s a lot of changes within the team. Lynch in the half forward line and Kyle going from the forwards
To the backs totally reinvented the side. Probably only 9 players started the 2021 final in the same position as the 2018 final. Quad, Finn, hannon, Byrnes, o Donovan, hego, Morrissey, Flanagan and Gillane.
O’Callaghan and Howard were regulars in Championship by 21. Murchan, Small, Fenton were 22.
Gavin also had no issue starting 3x 20 year olds together in an AI Final once upon a time.
Barring injury, I’d safely say both English and and O’Neill will be starting by the time they’re 21 and 22 respectively. I wouldn’t be a bit worried about us yet anyway.
The full forward line is interesting.
Gillane can blow hot and cold and is probably the greatest example of kielys excellent man management. April won’t be long coming around so he’ll need to hit the ground running very quickly or he’ll end up on the subs like last year.
Graeme M is a very good player to have about the place but I’d be surprised if he’s starting again. His best days are behind him.
Casey is injured. Not sure of the time frame here.
You then have the king of west limerick seamus flanagan.
O neill and English have an opportunity to stake a claim for a starting place.
Exactly. It’s not just been positional changes for the sake of it, the team has evolved massively. Lynch at 11 adds so much to the forwards and create such problems for the opposition. Especially combined with Nash at the back who is another evolution. Do teams let lynch off or assign a man marker to him and give us Nash as a free man? It’s pick your poison stuff, either way suits us and the opposition is fucked. Hayes at wing back is just another absolute weapon added as well. WOD in midfield is another evolution. It’s a shame we were robbed of Peter Casey after he finally properly arriving.
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Why are you engaging with that two faced rat bastard?
Hopefully Peter is back soon.
He’s a completely different option to Gillane or Flanagan and a total nightmare to mark. He’d have nearly won the man of the match in the final if he stayed on.
If the 2021 side met the 2018 side it wouldn’t be a contest.
Our ability to move the ball is on another level.
I’m gonna kiss the head off you if I see you this summer Tommy.
Calm your tits mate.
He’s Melting down like klopp.
I’m going out in a blaze of glory…
We’ll see who’s melting when I catch hold of you kid. Your big ginger puss will be visible from miles away.
That defeat was probably the best thing for this squad in the long run after some of the incidents after 2’18
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