Antrim GAA people have great respect for Offaly but they are in a bad place at the minute and if we can't beat them at home in the currect circumstances our hurlers should just disband and take up something else. We keep hearing that these 'young fellas' will start delivering soon and it's about time they did. Antrim are a bit like the English soccer team, all we hear is "it's all about 2/4/6 years time" etc etc but it just never happens. Well it's time for results and enough of the same, tired old excuses and nonsense we have put up with for years.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9706 - 26/06/2014 14:23:38    1609379

Well done Hoover I do admit to having a v limited knowledge of the soccer scene.

disillusiondfan (Limerick) - Posts: 4279 - 26/06/2014 15:16:41    1609408

Crossfieldball nobody will fear going to Thurles to play Tipp, they all know if they make it a dog fight Tipp won't have the stomach for it, Limerick have don this for the last two years and have got a result

therealtmo (Tipperary) - Posts: 1292 - 26/06/2014 19:40:36    1609561

Realtmo I don't want to start an argument with u but we won because we have better hurlers

Gleeson v Quaid Adv Quaid
Barrett v hickey unfair to compare as hickey didnt play at 2
Paudi v Richie adv Richie ( as a f back)
Cahill v condon v close call I'd say condon but will certainly hear argument to contrary

Barry v Paudi Adv Paudi
Maher v Wayne Adv maher
Com v Gavin no adv

Browne v McGrath Adv Browne
Ryan v bergin adv Ryan

Tipp win all 3 half forward line

McGrath v mulcahy Adv mulcahy 3 frees 1-1 ( unfairly disallowed goal)
Callinan v Downes no adv
No 15s both were poor.

Now that 6 positions where lk have better players and 4 for tipp. U can argue 2 or 3 but even if u won all 3 this simple exercise proves that it wasn't a case of an out skilled lk team compensating with heart. We are better than tipp in 14 and were better than them in 13 and 12 ( were it not for worst managerial display ever). Time for yere own sake ye woke up.

disillusiondfan (Limerick) - Posts: 4279 - 26/06/2014 20:47:01    1609600

I would say that Pauraic Maher,Micky Cahill,Noel McGrath and S Callinan are better hurlers than the respective Limerick men youve compared them too.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 26/06/2014 20:59:02    1609609

Im sorry Cuederocket but u really need to watch these games. Firstly maher dropped 2 balls for 2 goals against lk ( incl disallowed one) and also lost dowling for goal that won game. He v definitely playing out of position at 3. Richie is an all star has cleaned callinan out last year n this year n has been out best or second best player for 3 of our last 4 c ship games. P maher was also cleaned out by d Breen ( who is justifiably now only a sub on lk team in 12 and 13. It's not even close call as to who the better 3 is.

As for Cahill he n condon are close but when ppl were picking combined tipp n lk teams EVERY one included condon . For me though it is v close.

As for McGrath I seriously doubt he will start next tipp game has been cleaned out in last 3 tipp c ship matches totally cleaned out.

As for callinan most tipp fans have posted on here that he is not consistent enough. I said that lk would beat tipp n one reason I gave was that either callinan or McGrath would be cleaned out now at least callinan did something ( not enough) but both proved me right.

disillusiondfan (Limerick) - Posts: 4279 - 26/06/2014 21:42:34    1609643

Im not just basing it one one game DF.Or two or three even.These Tipp lads have won three Munster Finals recently.They have won a great All Ireland beating the greatest team of all time,lost two more All Ireland finals narrowly to Kilkenny also.Tipp have also,excrutiatingly for them,lost three League Finals to Kilkenny(two going to extra time) and the other narrowly in this time also.They have done a lot more than any other county bar KK recently.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 26/06/2014 21:56:11    1609656

Maher is better than McCarthy? Not a chance, he's the best full-back in hurling.

RebelCork (Cork) - Posts: 789 - 26/06/2014 21:56:31    1609659

Haha Df the nearly win in 12, we could say the same about this year sur if three backs didnt go for one ball for last goal, the fact is we still lost so forget about 12 please and accept defeat like a sportsman same for tne Clare game last year accept it. Please stop with your childish team comparison because if it was the all star team v limerick you would still pick limerick players, remove the green glasses

therealtmo (Tipperary) - Posts: 1292 - 26/06/2014 22:02:59    1609663

therealtmo,

I don't agree I think are a very good side and despite people have been saying their year to date has been fairly strong. A league final appearance losing by the narrowest v KK and narrowly losing out to Limerick who were defending champs. No shame in that.

They will have had a number of weeks to prepare for this game, its a home and Galway or Kilkenny will be ragged to some extent come the fixture.

I also believe this a problem with the qualifiers Galway and Kilkenny will have 3 games in 3 weeks. Tipp 1 game in 5 weeks I think.

crossfieldball (Galway) - Posts: 650 - 27/06/2014 11:39:27    1609793

In a year of disappointment for underdogs where play-offs have been a stumbling block to keep them down, I'd like to see both qualifier counties rock the qualifiers!
Laois to shock Waterford.
Antrim to shock Offaly.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7876 - 27/06/2014 16:55:50    1610058

Still a bit annoying that quarter finalists and semi finalists enter the same round. Wexford hammered Antrim and kk hammered offaly and it's of no advantage. Imagine kk lost to Galway and tipp. Offaly beat Antrim and go further than Kilkenny. Wexford.most likely beaten in Ennis and laois have a great chance of going on further. Doesn't make sense.

In the laois Waterford meeting actually. Waterford supporters seem to be where we were a few years back. Ie believing tradition and a few good years in the last 20 means you are untouchable to the weaker counties. They may be in for a rude awakening

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 2709 - 28/06/2014 11:21:00    1610250

I really dont know how laois are such outsiders v waterford today. they are going for the big scalp and waterford are ripe for the picking. think the laois half forward line are probabaly the most drilled, confident and hungry of any in the country and they have huge arial ability with players who can score from way out the field.

Offally looked unfit and clueless v kilkenny where anrtim will be very fit, very skillful and will have the match at home.
Think two upsets today wouild not be unsurporising.
If i was from Laois especially id take the bookies to the cleaners

Fishermantom (Limerick) - Posts: 569 - 28/06/2014 12:55:56    1610293

If I remember correct Kilkenny hammered Wexford in the National League this year by nearly as much as they beat Offaly. Yes Wexford beat Antrim by 13 points in Portlaoise but Antrim scored more points that day than Wexford and played the last 15 minutes with only 14 men.It was only early soft goals the cost Antrim the match. Wexford 'greet' like wanes because they had to travel to the top of Ireland to play Antrim in the national league in Ballycastle in February and there is no mention of the long journeys Antrim make in every game they play.Lets face it Wexford are just a division 1B team the same as Laois and Antrim.

Isolatedantrim (Antrim) - Posts: 31 - 28/06/2014 12:56:03    1610294

Doylerwex
County: Wexford
Posts: 642

1610250
Still a bit annoying that quarter finalists and semi finalists enter the same round. Wexford hammered Antrim and kk hammered offaly and it's of no advantage. Imagine kk lost to Galway and tipp. Offaly beat Antrim and go further than Kilkenny. Wexford.most likely beaten in Ennis and laois have a great chance of going on further. Doesn't make sense.

In the laois Waterford meeting actually. Waterford supporters seem to be where we were a few years back. Ie believing tradition and a few good years in the last 20 means you are untouchable to the weaker counties. They may be in for a rude awakening

There's possibly an argument for quarter-finalists to be drawn against semi-finalists. It's how I presumed the draw would go until I saw the results of the draw. As always, it'll be for a county to put a motion to congress for that to change.
Do Galway and Antrim have a genuine interest in winning the Leinster championship anyways bar advancing a few stages of the AI series?

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7876 - 28/06/2014 14:15:23    1610317

Isolatedantrim

It was less than.half what the beat offaly by actually. I wasn't. Having a dig at anybody and the league bears no relevance here. I was saying the round you get to in the provincial should count in.the qualifiers as it always did for any county. I wasn't saying we should get special treatment. Why did you go and have a dig for no reason ?

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 2709 - 28/06/2014 15:42:44    1610351

Wexford were full value for the 13 points and should have won by more. Men against boys really

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 2709 - 28/06/2014 15:44:28    1610352

There has to be some sort of Offaly backlash against Antrim . A lot of soul seaching in Offaly has gone on I expect the past few weeks and I cant see them losing to Antrim .There is a lot of pride in Offaly hurling and I think that alone will just get them over Antrim who will be tricky .
Waterford and Laois is an interesting one . Laois at 5/1 is a Laois fans dream .If Laois are still in contention after half time a shock will be on the cards .I dont think all is well with Waterford Hurling and Laois will be seriously up for this battle .There will be nothing in it ..

galwayhero (USA) - Posts: 36 - 28/06/2014 15:50:39    1610357

At least Antrim are consistent; they always manage to lose games when the winning post is in sight. The perennial losers tag fits Antrim quite aptly. If any county is going nowhere it's Antrim never mind Offaly.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9706 - 29/06/2014 16:48:29    1610805

Disappointed with the result today as it was there for the taking. Apparently a very dubious free at the last which Offaly got the winning goal from but look, we aren't the first victim of crap refereeing nor will we be the last. Good luck to Offaly with the rest of their campaign.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 29/06/2014 17:44:59    1610850