The Battle for Liam 09

On another note I would just like to say that the open stand in the Gaelic Grounds is as good a stand as there is in the country, a superb view of the field no matter where you are in it…Will never go to the mackey again…

Theres no doubt that Canning and McGrath are the outstanding young hurlers in the country at the moment.
Larkin as hurler of the year, and after his performance on Saturday is the form hurler of the past year and a half but theres still only 1 king.
I thought Shefflin had a blinder on Saturday. Led by example from the off, foraged hard for every ball that came near him, scored 3 great points from play, his freetaking was near impeccable and his set up play was excellent too.
Larkin got motm for his shooting in the second half but I thought Henry should have got it for a start to finish performance of pure class and hard work.
He is still the man.

What’s the story with these qualifiers? Is it correct that the winners of round 1 go into a draw with the winners of round 2? So, say for argument’s sake - Offaly, Laois, Wexford and Galway emerge from the games that were drawn yesterday. Do these 4 go into a hat and then the two winners go into quarter finals with the beaten provincial finalists?

So, it could be construed as being beneficial to lose in the quarter final rather than the semi-final as you’ll potentially draw a weaker team, a team who weren’t good enough to progress to their provincial semi-final? Surely, the logical thing would be for the semi-finalists to be in one bowl and the quarter finalists in the other.

Or have I got this all wrong (again)?

AFAIK the winners of Cork/Offaly and Antrim/Laois canoot won’t meet in the next round and the same with the the round two winners, so chances are Wexford will play either Cork or Antrim…

That is how I understand it too…

Shame Antrim drew Laois in the sense that the two sets of double headers last year were a great treat, you’d now expect whoever gets Antrim/Laois in round 3 to give them a bit of a hiding… In return for that you get Offaly Cork earlier. I’ll probably travel to that.

Okay, that element of ‘protection’ is something but it’s still illogical in my opinion. Having beaten Offaly already, they could conceivably have drawn Laois at home, with us away to Clare or something. Would it not make more sense for each of the semi finalists to be kept apart and that they would each play one of the beaten quarter finalists?

got a noble half pounder and curry chip out of New York City Pizza, formerly The Lobster Pot/Fryer Tucks, last night…went down well after about 14 pints of cider*…

Oooh oooh

Waterford could have suffered another crushing injury blow with fears growing that joint-captain Stephen Molumphy has sustained cruciate knee ligament damage.

Latest indications from the Dise camp are that the team’s other joint-captain, Ken McGrath, will be doing well to return by mid-August but if Molumphy’s worst fears are realised, he will miss the remainder of the season.

Cats dominate by ‘playing on the edge’, claims CanningBy Brian Murphy

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

GALWAY wonderkid Joe Canning has admitted that Kilkenny’s ability to go “to the limit of the rules” is the reason for their dominance of the game.

Kilkenny have been subjected to repeated criticism for “playing on the edge” over the course of their three-year monopoly of the All-Ireland Championship, but Canning, who scored 2-9 in the Leinster semi-final defeat to the Cats on Saturday, says their physical approach is the template other teams must aspire to.

“They take it to the limit and that’s why they’re champions. You have to push yourself to the limit of the rules and fair play to them, you have to respect them for that as well,” said Canning, who was speaking at the launch of Get Your Back Up, a public awareness campaign for Ankylosing Spondylitis, a painful spinal and pelvic ailment which typically hits young people.

The 20-year-old Portumna clubman says the other top teams in the country – Tipperary and Cork – have followed Kilkenny’s lead and adopted a more physical approach to the game.

Galway, however, have always been pigeon-holed as a pure hurling team incapable of mucking it out in the trenches, a label Canning feels the Tribesmen finally managed to shed in the four-point defeat to the Cats.

“A lot of people think we’re kind of a soft touch. In years gone past Galway were just a nice hurling team and not when it came down to brass tacks they weren’t able to physically match it with the best,” he added.

"With the likes of Tipperary, Cork, you have to match them toe-to-toe and that’s a thing that we have to improve on even more now.

“As you saw the other night we weren’t good enough because we didn’t win.”

Under Brian Cody, the Cats have won six All-Ireland titles and have assumed an air of invincibility, but Canning is convinced that they will eventually be beaten by a team that manages to compete with them in the physical stakes.

"I think if you want to beat them you have to put it up physically. You can’t just sit back and let them run all over you. It’s a thing that there’s a difference between over physical [approach] and just being fair on the ball.

“That’s a thing we try to do, not to concede as much frees as possible. We did that fairly well but they took a lot of scores from out the field from breaking ball that we didn’t pick up on as well. There were a few silly mistakes on our behalf.”

Meanwhile, Canning has warned that Clare will be dangerous opponents in the All-Ireland Qualifiers on July 11. Clare have a favourable record in border battles between the west coast rivals, with the Banner having beaten a Ger Loughnane-managed Galway at the same stage in 2007.

“It is a big rivalry. Over the last 11 championship games I think we’ve only won two so that’s a huge thing for us to try to increase that obviously to three,” Canning continued.

"It’s tough going down to Ennis, it’s their home patch as you know.

"It’s almost like Munster at Thomond Park – they very rarely lose there in championship games. It’s going to be very hard to get a good performance there.

“It took them a while to get into the match against Tipp but when they did it they were flying. Because Tipp are so good they maybe slackened off a bit but had the composure to finish out the game.”

http://www.examiner.ie/sport/gaa/cats-dominate-by-playing-on-the-edge-claims-canning-94821.html#ixzz0JKiNL1UX&D

[quote=“myboyblue”]Cats dominate by playing on the edge, claims CanningBy Brian Murphy

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

GALWAY wonderkid Joe Canning has admitted that Kilkennys ability to go “to the limit of the rules” is the reason for their dominance of the game.

Kilkenny have been subjected to repeated criticism for “playing on the edge” over the course of their three-year monopoly of the All-Ireland Championship, but Canning, who scored 2-9 in the Leinster semi-final defeat to the Cats on Saturday, says their physical approach is the template other teams must aspire to.

“They take it to the limit and thats why theyre champions. You have to push yourself to the limit of the rules and fair play to them, you have to respect them for that as well,” said Canning, who was speaking at the launch of Get Your Back Up, a public awareness campaign for Ankylosing Spondylitis, a painful spinal and pelvic ailment which typically hits young people.

The 20-year-old Portumna clubman says the other top teams in the country Tipperary and Cork have followed Kilkennys lead and adopted a more physical approach to the game.

Galway, however, have always been pigeon-holed as a pure hurling team incapable of mucking it out in the trenches, a label Canning feels the Tribesmen finally managed to shed in the four-point defeat to the Cats.

“A lot of people think were kind of a soft touch. In years gone past Galway were just a nice hurling team and not when it came down to brass tacks they werent able to physically match it with the best,” he added.

"With the likes of Tipperary, Cork, you have to match them toe-to-toe and thats a thing that we have to improve on even more now.

“As you saw the other night we werent good enough because we didnt win.”

Under Brian Cody, the Cats have won six All-Ireland titles and have assumed an air of invincibility, but Canning is convinced that they will eventually be beaten by a team that manages to compete with them in the physical stakes.

"I think if you want to beat them you have to put it up physically. You cant just sit back and let them run all over you. Its a thing that theres a difference between over physical [approach] and just being fair on the ball.

“Thats a thing we try to do, not to concede as much frees as possible. We did that fairly well but they took a lot of scores from out the field from breaking ball that we didnt pick up on as well. There were a few silly mistakes on our behalf.”

Meanwhile, Canning has warned that Clare will be dangerous opponents in the All-Ireland Qualifiers on July 11. Clare have a favourable record in border battles between the west coast rivals, with the Banner having beaten a Ger Loughnane-managed Galway at the same stage in 2007.

“It is a big rivalry. Over the last 11 championship games I think weve only won two so thats a huge thing for us to try to increase that obviously to three,” Canning continued.

"Its tough going down to Ennis, its their home patch as you know.

"Its almost like Munster at Thomond Park they very rarely lose there in championship games. Its going to be very hard to get a good performance there.

“It took them a while to get into the match against Tipp but when they did it they were flying. Because Tipp are so good they maybe slackened off a bit but had the composure to finish out the game.”

http://www.examiner.ie/sport/gaa/cats-dominate-by-playing-on-the-edge-claims-canning-94821.html#ixzz0JKiNL1UX&D[/QUOTE]

Canning was lucky Noel Hickey wasnt fit,JJ Delaney is only an apprentice in “to the limit of the rules” compared to Noel,he need only ask ask Eugene Cloonan about it.To be fair to him it was an honest interview there i thought,i like Joe theres a bit of class about him.

Couldnt agree more. Considering the timbering he gets day in day out, he takes it well and rarely reacts in a negative manner. After the hatcheting those Tipp animals gave him in Galway he had every right to react but to a man he shook hands with them all afterwards, huge respect.

He’s more than just a hurler that lad.
He could make hurling even bigger in the next few years if looked after properly.

:smiley:

Didn’t see any hatcheting myself. Saw a bit in Galways’ first foray into Leinster though.

Didn’t see any hatcheting myself. Saw a bit in Galways’ first foray into Leinster though.[/QUOTE]

Yeah those Laois lads are filthy alright! :smiley:

:D:clap:
2 red cards wasn’t it?

Didn’t see any hatcheting myself. [/QUOTE]

Of course you didnt see it… :smiley:

Canning jumped into the stand himself.

2 red cards wasn’t it?[/QUOTE]

One was harsh the other was for 2 yellows. Don’t forget those geographically challenged Galway cunts have a 100% record for getting players sent off in the Leinster championship.

If barry kelly did his job properly on Saturday it would be 100% the other way also.

[quote=“myboyblue”]Cats dominate by playing on the edge, claims CanningBy Brian Murphy

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

GALWAY wonderkid Joe Canning has admitted that Kilkennys ability to go “to the limit of the rules” is the reason for their dominance of the game.

Kilkenny have been subjected to repeated criticism for “playing on the edge” over the course of their three-year monopoly of the All-Ireland Championship, but Canning, who scored 2-9 in the Leinster semi-final defeat to the Cats on Saturday, says their physical approach is the template other teams must aspire to.

“They take it to the limit and thats why theyre champions. You have to push yourself to the limit of the rules and fair play to them, you have to respect them for that as well,” said Canning, who was speaking at the launch of Get Your Back Up, a public awareness campaign for Ankylosing Spondylitis, a painful spinal and pelvic ailment which typically hits young people.

The 20-year-old Portumna clubman says the other top teams in the country Tipperary and Cork have followed Kilkennys lead and adopted a more physical approach to the game.

Galway, however, have always been pigeon-holed as a pure hurling team incapable of mucking it out in the trenches, a label Canning feels the Tribesmen finally managed to shed in the four-point defeat to the Cats.

“A lot of people think were kind of a soft touch. In years gone past Galway were just a nice hurling team and not when it came down to brass tacks they werent able to physically match it with the best,” he added.

"With the likes of Tipperary, Cork, you have to match them toe-to-toe and thats a thing that we have to improve on even more now.

“As you saw the other night we werent good enough because we didnt win.”

Under Brian Cody, the Cats have won six All-Ireland titles and have assumed an air of invincibility, but Canning is convinced that they will eventually be beaten by a team that manages to compete with them in the physical stakes.

"I think if you want to beat them you have to put it up physically. You cant just sit back and let them run all over you. Its a thing that theres a difference between over physical [approach] and just being fair on the ball.

“Thats a thing we try to do, not to concede as much frees as possible. We did that fairly well but they took a lot of scores from out the field from breaking ball that we didnt pick up on as well. There were a few silly mistakes on our behalf.”

Meanwhile, Canning has warned that Clare will be dangerous opponents in the All-Ireland Qualifiers on July 11. Clare have a favourable record in border battles between the west coast rivals, with the Banner having beaten a Ger Loughnane-managed Galway at the same stage in 2007.

“It is a big rivalry. Over the last 11 championship games I think weve only won two so thats a huge thing for us to try to increase that obviously to three,” Canning continued.

"Its tough going down to Ennis, its their home patch as you know.

"Its almost like Munster at Thomond Park they very rarely lose there in championship games. Its going to be very hard to get a good performance there.

“It took them a while to get into the match against Tipp but when they did it they were flying. Because Tipp are so good they maybe slackened off a bit but had the composure to finish out the game.”

http://www.examiner.ie/sport/gaa/cats-dominate-by-playing-on-the-edge-claims-canning-94821.html#ixzz0JKiNL1UX&D[/QUOTE]

A thinly veiled piece by young Canning expressing the view that we all share that KK are a bunch of dirty animals and have ruined the game as a spectacle.
Well said butty