The lads who coached me underage would have a heart attack if looking at todays game thats the truth. Their game was win the ball and leather it in, the small corner forward was to stay inside the 21 and if he couldnt win his own ball when it was langered in with snow on it ,well fuck him and whip him off.
Of course the game has changed and for every county, nobody could argue with that. It brings huge pleasure though to see lads driven mad by Limerick mastery. Some of the Tippos dont seem tn realise that a return to old style would see them hammered even more. All the Limerick forwards could win their own ball, I’d venture none of the current Tipp forwards would in an old style physical one on one matchup.
No more impossible than policing the current handpass which is difficult to see. At least this would be easier visually police and to hit it 10 yards, youd need to draw vack the hand more than for 2 yards making that element easier to see
Defenders are getting wide to it all the same. Bad as Tipperary were on Sunday, they still intercepted/blocked a few handpasses. It happened in Ennis the previous Sunday and was also evident in the games in Salthill and PUC.
Players know the ball will be handpassed and are working on getting in blocks. The game evolves and if blocked or intercepted handpasses are leading to too many turnovers you’ll see them reduce fairly rapidly in close contact situations.
In 2019, Limerick were beaten fair and square three (3) times in Championship. In one of those against a really poor Kilkenny outfit they had a chance to draw the match in the end-game with a sideline cut from 45 metres. Darragh O’Donovan had a go and missed.
Since then the Limerick’s haven’t even tried to do anything with a line ball other than stroke it 10 yards along the ground to the nearest man who then throws it back to the taker. Something my 4 year old nephew would manage.
Another skill of the game taken away by the mathematical equation.
In all fairness to @peddlerscross, he has @thelimericks absolutely hopping like sausages in a pan. Winning all round them and he still has them sizzling away. Mighty stuff.
I like a cut sideline cut as much as the next man (one of the few skills of hurling I was actually decent at it) but I’d rather one hit ten yards than one hit wide to the near side of the post. It’s absolutely criminal if it doesn’t go across the goal at the very least.
