A double header in Thurles on Sunday:
Wexford vs Kilkenny; 2.30pm
Waterford vs Cork; 4.15pm
Why the fook isn’t our game on in Wexford Park or Nowlan Park? I would venture that our lads would rather play away in Kilkenny, where we have a superb record, than having to go across to Thurles. We operate a ‘home and away’ agreement with Kilkenny for Minor and U-21 games where if we draw them in the championship home advantage is alternated. Surely rather than having both sets of supporters travel ‘wessht’ to Tipperary it would make more sense to guarantee a huge crowd by having it in Wexford or Kilkenny. >:o
Agreed on that one Bandage. There seems to be a general trend towards double headers now and to be honest it doesn’t really help the atmosphere in either game with people leaving early or arriving late.
Semple Stadium will have its fair share of matches in the summer. Wexford Park and Nowlan Park could do with the game.
Paul Roche is an injury doubt for Wexford after his defiant display last Sunday. He felt a tweak in his hamstring on Monday night at training and is a big doubt. Doc O’Connor would be the favourite to replace him and he has an excellent record against Kilkenny and is big enough to cope with their strong and powerful attackers like Comerford.
Robbie Codd, brother of Paul, has left the Wexford panel too. I really can’t understand how the minds of most of these Rathnure lads work. He’s just wasted 4 months training and now leaves when we’re showing real signs of improvement. It’s so odd because all their county championship victories show these players have the ability to play at inter-county level. No commitment though.
Wexford announce the team that will successfully overcome the challenge of Kilkenny on Sunday:
Fitzhenry (Duffry Rovers);
Travers (Ballyboden St Enda’s); Ruth (Rapparees); Roche (Oulart-The Ballagh);
Doran (Buffer’s Alley); Rossiter (Oulart-The Ballagh); Kenny (Buffer’s Alley);
Kavanagh (St Patrick’s Ballyoughter); Lyng (St Martin’s);
M Jacob (Oulart-The Ballagh); Quigley (St Martin’s); Nolan (Faythe Harriers);
Carley (Glynn Barntown); Stamp (Oulart-The Ballagh); R Jacob (Oulart-The Ballagh);
Main injuries doubts were Roche (hamstring) and Kavanagh (cheekbone) but both have been passed fit. It’s the same starting XV as last week after the late withdrawal of Michael Doyle before the Galway game.
Doc O’Connor on stand by to replace Paul Roche. Don’t think he’ll make it with his hamstring strain. Really looking forward to this - there should be a summer, championship like buzz to the day.
Rite lads, Shefflin is on d honeymoon, so I reckon it’s ours for d taken!! Hopin for a championship like atmosphere down south!! The whole team are performing & showing great signs of improvement under me boy John der! It’s all good!! ;D I think things would be even better if David O’ Connor was on the startin 15 to clear the high sweeping balls! I was impressed with Gizzy Lyng. I’m hurlin with st.Martins myself & out at training last week, there was Gizzy doin ball work & skills at the end of the pitch all by himself. Great to see such commitment. Wex for d Bob O’ Keefe '07, yup yup!!!
I see from the paper today that the relegation play-off between Limerick and Offaly is in doubt because Central Council are considering expanding next season’s division 1 to 10 teams (from the 9 proposed).
The league was designed, badly in my opinion, to preserve the status quo of the leading counties and because Dublin outperformed Limerick and Offaly they want to reform the structures so that neither of them can be relegated.
I think it was bad policy at the start to have the league with 9 teams in it because it fits in with current strengths, not with the development of hurling in weaker counties. 10 counties in the top division would be the right call in my opinion but to change it now would be wrong.
It never reflects well on a competition when the rules are changed mid-stream (or nearly afterwards in this case) to suit an expected set of results. The fact that Dublin did well should be seen as a bonus for hurling, not a disappointment.
hey newbie, can you get any more exclamations marks into the one post? you’re obviously an out and out townie, but i can forgive that as being from suburbia i was almost misfortunate to be born there myself. However the comment suggesting that goofball David O’Connor should be in the team i cannot forgive - note Wexford haven’t played this well since pre 2001 - before the DOC forced/paid his way into the team.
On the game itself it’s crucial that we’re involved in the business end of the league - we need proper championship type games before we meet Dublin to see where the team is really at. i won’t mind if we get a whooping on sunday - if the team/individual players/Meyler/tactics are to be found out then it’s better if it happens now so we have a chance to put things right pre summer. Having said that i think the team is improving with every game and will have the confidence to really take kilkenny on, perhaps pipping them by 2 pts (providing DOC doesn’t make an appearance). I have a feeling it will be a good summer and i’m looking forward to spending many a sunday night in coppers chatting up Breda from Ballyfookingsmellyboggershitholetown.
About to set off. Have heard a few people say they hope we play well but get beat today as we don’t want to ‘show our hand this close to the championship’ - that’s the greatest load of steaming scheidt I have heard in ages. We’re not that good that we can pick and choose our games and competitions. We haven’t won the league since 1973 and have not been to a final since the 3 game saga with Cork in 1993 (or the Liam Dunne finals as they became known) so I am really hoping we can do it today. Going out to win the league and championship hasn’t done Kilkenny any harm in the last few years and as jugs says, the more high intensity games we get the more we find out about the players ahead of the championship. Good luck to the bhoys of Wexford today - le cro agus lmh.
Well, totally and utterly outclassed. But as jugs says, rather we get battered yesterday in the league than in an All Ireland semi or quarter final like in the last 4 years. The disappointing thing is our inability to put back to back performances together in real competitive games. The last time I can remember us doing so was in 2001 when we beat Limerick by a point in the 2001 quarter final (Fitzhenry getting the winning goal from a last minute 21 yard free) and then the subsequent drawn semi final against Tipp. Until we get rid of this inconsistency then we’ll always be liable to ship beatings like yesterday.
We made some awful mistakes, took a lot of incorrect options all around the park and they were just too good for us. I suppose we just have to go back to the training ground and redouble our efforts. The disheartening thing from watching it though was that as well as our self inflicted errors they just seemed like a class above in all facets of the game - touch, accuracy, awareness, strength, power etc - and again their pool of talent and resources is incredible with the likes of Willie O’Dwyer coming in and giving an exhibition at midfield.
The worry is after the progress we seemed to be making that the defeat throws up question marks about our whole side. I think Rory McCarthy will be back in there for the championship and I think Richie Kehoe warrants a place in the half back line as you can never have enough Faythe Harriers in your side. Up front we could do with getting Stephen Doyle back as he has the intelligence and movement to trouble most defences. Very disappointing all round though.
We got hammered in a League Semi Final in 1996 though…and I would love it if we beat them in the championship after the arrogant cooonts started doing flicks through their legs and loopy passes over our heads etc at the end. Disrespectful, showboating, bogger ba$tards.
Fantastic 2nd game though. I fooking love watching Waterford play. Semus Prendergast getting split open by O’Sullivan and then coming back on after treatment and hitting the point that sealed victory summed it up for me. An excellent game. Cracking stuff.
1 - “Ill never go again, were useless” (in August)
2 - “Jaysus I cant wait for Sunday, I really fancy our chances” (in June the following year)
3 - “That was the worst ever” (twice a year)
4 - “That was the best game ever” (once every two years)
5 - “Were going to win the All-Ireland” (after No. 4)
6 - “We just want to be competitive” (after No. 3)
7 - “Those bloody Jacobs”
8 - “Fitzys miles better than Cummins/Cusack/Fitzgerald”
9 - “I hear Paul Codd is back in training”
10 - “If we’re gettin’ hammered early in the second half I suppose well head to The Big Tree/Mulligan’s/Quinns”