He is obviously on a wind up. To call Kilkenny players all great hurlers in their own right useless is laughable. I wouldnât mind any of them in my club.
My point on 2019 is i think KK havent even improved since and are still making All Ireland Finals which obviously doesnt say much for the rest.
The new lads for the most part bar Cody and Butler (Blanchfield, Richie Reid, Keoghan, Phelan, Billy Ryan and Tommy Walsh) are downgrades on what they had starting back then - hard nosed winners like Paul Murphy, Joey Holden, Walter Walsh, Colin Fennelly, Richie Hogan, Padraig Walsh and Cillian Buckley.
If you had told me in 2019 after that game that KK would make 2 of the next 4 finals and 2 more Semi finals, and Tipp wouldnt see Croker in that time, Iâd have laughed in your face. AnywayâŚ
All the evidence points to tipp beating Kilkenny in 2019 as a fluke.
There wasnât much between Limerick and Kilkenny in 17,18,19, 22 and there wonât be much in 2023 either.
Limerick routinely hammered tipp in this period.
If hogan wasnât wrongly sent off itâs likely Kilkenny would have won in 2019.
5 Likes
Heâs using a moderate enough team by Kilkenny standards as a tactical stick to beat the Limerickâs with. *This 4 in a row chasing Limerick team arenât comparable to other great sides because theyâre playing during an era with very few other strong contenders. An era when most of the main protagonists are at a low-ebb. Thatâs the argument heâs trying to create I think. Itâs impressive Wumming to be fair and winds up plenty. Thereâs an element of truth to it as well.
*Thatâs not my actual opinion of course. This is a great Limerick team.
1 Like
Iâd doubt it tbh. Wexford probably would have beaten Kilkenny in that 2019 final for Christ sake.
Limerick has destroyed him. This is all he has left.
The 2019 AIF was a singular event. Kilkenny had peaked to play Limerick and came with the sort of post big semi final display that often transpires. Tipperary got lucky with post Munster Final hammering draw. Then Richie Hoganâs sending off put the kibosh on the game as a contest.
So matters went. I would not read anything like as much into that one game as you do.
Here are some facts. Since the 2019 AIF, Tipperary have played 16 championship matches. They have won four, drawn two and lost 10. None of those matches was against Kilkenny. If you believe that (extra Kilkenny) championship record over the last four seasons attests to the bizarreness of Kilkenny making the last four in all four of those seasons, well⌠All I can say is that the facts indicate otherwise.
3 Likes
I can see that angle, of course. Limerick have already done a lot of stuff that puts Tipperary in the shade. But I just could not be bothered with all that craic.
Any team can only beat what is in front of them in their era. On this front, I invite anyone to consult the games and the scorelines that comprise Corkâs four in a row 1941-44.
I like the look of Kilkenny at the moment.
Work incredibly hard for each other in attack & defending.
The only player currently misfiring is Keoghan, if he can find form in the Final he opens up the game for TJ, Ryan & Donnelly to thrive further imo.
Their FB line looks sharper than last year with Walsh hurling exceptionally well for me.
Richie at CB is a worry alright but heâs done okay and Lyng obviously trusts him.
Lyng has done a good job and has instilled a real combative personality to the team who look at ease changing tactics and never letting panic set in.
Limerick is a massive test, the best of the best. But, Kilkenny will hurl the game in front of them and not the occasion. They will go out to create goal chances and if they bag a few then they have a rightful chance.
If Limerick beat them there will be no shame, I canât see them downing tools.
Once you know the collective is strong thatâs all you ask for.
4 Likes
And itâs even more astonishing that the team that beat them have been nowhere to be seen since
8 Likes
I dont think Iâve seen a better hurler than TJ.
I was beginning to think Kilkelly had a chance against Limerick until they brought on Richie Hogan. Holy Christ, how is he still getting a game there.
Didnât think he did too bad in the small time he was on. Won that free. He hasnât been regular playing IC regularly for years.
Billy Drennan seems to have fallen well out of favour.
No offense to Ritchie but that free was a disgrace. How are you supposed to shoulder a lad thatâs 5â 7", go down on your knees ? Was never a free.
Twas still stupid to give away, he was going nowhere
5 Likes
It was like watching a child looking for the lifeguard
1 Like
I doubt if Billy Drennan would go into a dark room on his own.
1 Like
TJ wasnât too far off that at the same age.
1 Like
And he over carried.
Just because heâs small doesnât mean you can shoulder him in the head, itâs not as if Hogan ducked into it or anything, Ryan initiated the contact and he really didnât have to.
It was an absolutely ridiculous thing to do, Richie had nowhere to go. All Ryan had to do was stand him up, just wait for Richie to play it, do anything but exactly what he did.
5 Likes