I think what Kiely has done though is create a team that plays to the sum of its parts rather than needing a focal point or main player to carry them. Not that Lynch is replaceable, but if any of the Limerick players go, I dont think its as big a loss to them as it would be to what another county would feel. In that a player will come in and fulfil the role to a decent standard and the overall net effect of the team wont diminish hugely. You see it in games where one or 2 of the forwards have a down day, that they have other players who will pick up the baton and keep it ticking over. I thought Kyle Hayes was really quiet yesterday, but Hegarty was immense. Whereas Hegarty barely pucked a ball in the semi final. They dont need their best players to be firing to have a chance, the team ethos and the tactics ensure that they can compete or win regardless. Most other counties need their start players to perform to have a chance, so again, its huge credit to Kiely to create a team like this.
So Lynch coming back in will be a big boost for them, but overall I dont think it raises the level of their performance as say a player coming back into another team might. And thats a good thing, because it works the other way too, they dont feel the effects as much when they are out.
My going to get my thoughts in before I commence my days drinking in Dublin.
The footwork of the Limerick full back line is amazing. Any time you think they are going to slip or slide they don’t. They are incredibly quick over a few yards they just always get in time. It’s amazing.
When hogan levelled it up I thought we were goosed. I haven’t missed many all irelands since 2004 and I’d seen this film before. It was incredible reaction from Limerick and it was the crowning of this Limerick side. They’ll be remembered for yesterday more than the finals v cork and Waterford.
Hegarty and Kyle were immense but I thought hannon showed his class again. His ability to read play is amazing and I doubt there is any player in the country with a better first touch.
Ryan’s got cramped yesterday and I moved to flannerys around half 9. Amazingly the set up was savage out the back. I also may have met the girls of my dreams too.
I agree but without Lynch, the perception is that Limerick have come back to the pack. The level of performance was no where near that of last year imho. It had nothing to do with Limerick regressing but the fact that Lynch was missing ( and resulted in Hayes been deployed in forwards).
Lynch gives that additional worry for an oppositition back line, and most counties just don’t have enough players of a standard to deal with himself, Gillane, Hegarty and either Flanagan or Morrissey will deliver a blitz of scores on any given day.
Was it the most scores in any first half of hurling. I may have imagined I heard that.
You can talk about systems and tactics but Limerick, like Dublin footballers six in a row team, have a group of once in a generation players playing for a manger who knows how to harness their talents. Add in excellent coaching aimed at improving players incrementally so they can solve problems on the pitch and they have the technical tools to do what they need to.
Dublin had to refresh that team to keep going. Limerick will probably need to add 3 or 4 new players next year.
The hunger to keep at it is not a given and that’s a large part of the successful set up.
The format of last year’s championship was much different and involved much less pressurised hurling. Limerick played only four games and only two had real jeopardy. They didn’t have many spectators. They could afford to really focus on two or three key games from a long way out in a way they could not do this year.
Even last year they weren’t massively impressive against Cork in Munster and got the runaround against Tipp for 35 minutes.
Yeah Limerick have still shown they are the team to beat and they will be favourites next year. Kilkenny ran them close, but their main man may not even be there next year and I still dont think they were a good side. Galway may have learned a lot from this year, but they still have another level or 2 to come up. Clare caught Limerick in the Munster final, but I dont know are they consistent enough to say they deserve to be considered the team to topple them. Their next 2 outings after that Munster final were terrible.
Limerick are the team to beat, and in my mind, there is a still a gap from them on their perch to the next best, of which a load of teams are in around the mix of similar levels, none up to the level where Limerick are right now.
Yeah, I genuinely thought that this year could be the end of it for a while. But I would think that the likes of lynch and peter casey will be chomping at the bit
I think the point being made by @fenwaypark is Limerick have won without a generational talent available to them. Lynch makes Limerick tick, he takes up space which frees up other people, he is the most unselfish marquee player I have ever seen play the game. It is all about the assist or the work for him. He is the best I have seen. I am not so sure Limerick have come back to the pack either. Peter Casey is an absolutely clutch corner forward @Big_Dan_Campbell does not really rate him, we have seen the script for this before, he will add three or four points a game to us next year. Hayes will go to wing back, Lynch may go to midfield and Cathal O’Neill to centre forward, a real scary prospect for the pack.
Murphy really let Kilkenny down yesterday. His lofted puck outs were woeful and just bread and butter for limericks half back line. I’m amazed they’d no better plan.
