Dont take this thread as one being against the other i took this idea from another thread but didnt want to see it go off the beating track so i started a new one.

Every one debates hurling as if its dying on its feet because teams dominate its game but look at it this way since 1998 who has won football and hurling all irelands:

4 teams hurling

Offaly
Tipp
KK
Cork

5 Teams Football

Galway
Meath
Armagh
Tyrone
Kerry

Now maybe its just me but thats not a big difference you have two teams dominating hurling and if you include tyrone and Galway you have 3 teams dominating football in the last ten years, whats the big deal with hurling in crisis then? It just always interested me this one because if you go ten years previous to that in hurling it still is not dominated by one county and this isnt very different to any other sport ie Man U in English soccer, Munster in Irish rugby, Celtic/Rangers in the SPL so why does everyone feel the need to debate hurling? Yes its championship does need trimmed around the edges but for the first time ever we have every county playing hurling in july do we not?

North Side Gael (None) - Posts: 1076 - 14/05/2008 10:39:26    18799

i see where your coming from but i think the difference is that in football there are new teams improving and posing a bit of a threat....in hurling it just doesn't seem to happen! i know its a pity but sure things can change!

caman (Longford) - Posts: 31 - 14/05/2008 23:05:11    19105

Go back a couple of more years and you can add in Clare and Wexford. Optimistic about this year with I think Galway, Tipp and Dublin improving all the time and Limerick may produce performances like last year again. Trouble is on the other side of the coin, you have Clare who are in a rebuilding phase, Waterford who look like a team where all is not well in the camp and the apparent demise of Wexford....not to mention Offaly disappering. Imagine having all the teams I mentioned plus Cork and KK at their best...now that would be some cship....wishful thinking but lets hope for a good cship!!

tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 15/05/2008 09:42:08    19155

I think Dublin will make a break through soon enough they are continuing the excellent work at underage and they have already seen benefits at Minor and U21 level they should soon be testing the big dogs maybe not All Ireland champs but should see them making the semis soon enough. Antrim on the other hand have just started to implement a similar programme to that which was introduced in Dublin in in the late ninetys, its an urban development programme which will see Antrim rise and with peace in the north and belfast in particular they should be following hot on the heels of Dublin. The next thing id like to see is the GAA help counties such as offaly and wexford regain there mighty status they have the know how, now they just need the resources. It has already been mentioned on other forums that so called weaker counties are starting to work hard at under age, Armagh getting better by the year, Down and Carlow starting to make strides again. I think derry given the fact it has a city could do with a similar urban development programme for hurling could bring them on also. I think Hurling is within touching distance of a new era lets hope we can all work together and the GAA drops its eletist (hope thats how you spell that) attitude to hurling. Have to say i think Paraic Duffy will be good for hurling. The reinstatement of Ulster hurling in excellent and hopefully we'll see that come back in The full Leinster and Connaght championships.

North Side Gael (None) - Posts: 1076 - 15/05/2008 10:19:52    19188

Munster looks pretty open this year, hopefully Dublin makes a breakthrough, Ulster has everyone involved, all of these are positives but every club needs to promote hurling at grassroots level. I Know that if kids get the opportunity to hurl that the vast majority stick with it, why, because its a great game with many skills to learn.

eastgael (Limerick) - Posts: 629 - 15/05/2008 11:01:04    19235

When you are talking about Dublin making a break through what are you hoping for. A Lenister title? A final appearance? Taking a scalp in the qualifiers. Dublin like the rest will do nothing in Leinster for a number of years. They are so far behind KK its unreal. Fantastic work been done at under age but that will take at least 7 years to get them a platform and resource of talent to challenge from. Bear in mind the cats wont stand still for them to catch up.
If the Dubs were to play KK in a Leinster final I would be seriously worried for the hiding they would get.

Dublins best chance is to get to a quarter final and see how it goes, but the way the championship is set up this year its hardly going to be a break through. As I said reckon it will be a small while yet before they can come from losing to Westmesth to challenging the better teams.

The championship needs as many strong teams as possible and at least with Dublin they have structures in place to help them get there.

Code (Waterford) - Posts: 37 - 15/05/2008 11:57:23    19296

I agree with Code. As mentioned the structures we have in Dublin are great but that doesn't equate to an instantly successful senior team. When the lads that are coming out of last years U21 team are 27/28 and there are successful underage hurlers being added to the squad this is when Dublin will be successful. And before anyone jumps on me I'm not defining success as winning the All Ireland as obviously while Dublin make progress, other counties will be making progress similtaneously and we will still be catching up.

Personally I'm hoping we get to the Leinster Final this year. Obviously Kilkenny will beat us hands down but the next stage of Dublin's progress at senior level has to involve being able to beat teams like Wexford and Westmeath.

tallaghtdub (Dublin) - Posts: 344 - 15/05/2008 12:46:54    19345

Small ball is your only man!!!!!!!!!!!

Clash-of-da-ash (Galway) - Posts: 927 - 15/05/2008 12:53:56    19352

With regard to code and Tallaghtdub yous need to lighten up, you talk as if doom and gloom are upon us what im saying is KK have not won much at underage in the last 2/3 years which means the dubs have just caught up on 2/3 years hurling. They have as good a chance as any of beating the Cats in the championship and i say good luck, hunger wears out you know (ive a feeling waterford are going to find that out very soon although they should beat clare). These teams may take 10/15 years of good underage structural work to achieve being a real year in year out contender but the are on the right road and during that time they will cause upsets as there hunger grows, no one can doubt that as teams come in through look at clare one good minor team a good senior coach and there you go two all irelands and one of the best teams in the history of the game. We are in touching distance of another golden era ie Tipp/Galway maybe Limerick too wait and by the end of this era the good work in the likes of dublin should be starting to show dividends. Listen to the two of you, sure in the 90's didnt people make clare and offaly out to be unstopable at times it all runs out sooner or later but other teams come along to replace them, yous boys are probably the same ones calling Joe Canning the best hurler of all time after two games. Progress will be made and is in the making the dubs will within 5/7 years be in the semis if they keep up the work and then in 8-12 years be all ireland champions.

North Side Gael (None) - Posts: 1076 - 15/05/2008 13:34:56    19378

North side gael. There is no doom and gloom, just stating a belief that if will take more than a few players coming through to challenge the depth of talent that KK have and Cork and Tipp are also developing.
The last line of your post basically agrees with mine the post is that it will take a number of years for Dublin to be up there. The rest is just muttering and ramblings.

If you seriously think that Dublin have as good a chance as anyone of beating KK in the championship this year I fear for your sanity. And as for bringing a young hurler like Joe Canning into it........clueless. He was not mentioned in any post previous but he is clearly on your mind.

In the 90' several teams came through because the traditional powers were all at one time or another in transition. How many hung around for the long run. None.
Right now KK are going for 3 All irelands in a row. Cork are blooding alot of young players and still have a fantastic backbone from the side that won 2 AI recently. Tipp are starting to come strong again with a couple of minor AI and a league win. Along side these we have Galway who have developed fantastic talent and now have a manager in place who knows how to win.
It is going to take more than a couple of minors in Leinster and an U21 to rattle the heavy hitters this year or next.

Code (Waterford) - Posts: 37 - 15/05/2008 16:48:22    19536

If you seriously think that Dublin have as good a chance as anyone of beating KK in the championship this year I fear for your sanity.


code , were in NSG message did he say he felt that dublin where going to trouble kilkenny this year, perhaps you need to read his statement better. I think what he's trying to say is that kilkenny arnt gonna be the champs they are today in 10 - 15 years time, nobody knows , all counties, even the super powers of hurling and football go through bad years. do you think kilkenny will win the next 20 all irelands????? there has to be a break at some stage and all he's sayin is that certain counties have been putting alot of hard work into hurling. whats wrong with that??? you actually sound insulted that dublin might be a decent team in 10 years time, they might be god awful, who knows, but i think you have a very one tracked mind if you think that the hurling championship is gonna be won year in, year out by the same old croonies

lino_de_legend (Dublin) - Posts: 816 - 16/05/2008 00:27:13    19700

No code you were trying to state that nothing will get in the way of the powers that be, I notice you didnt mention waterford? Did you predict the 90's were going to happen? Your excuse that the powers that be were in transition is a joke surely? are your doubting that Offaly and Clare teams of the 90's even Wexford were not good enough to play with the big boys on form? Limerick are going to come good soon with the U21s they have in the cabinet so theres another team. Your beleif you say? it sounds to me like everyone else, a county goes through a good patch therefore theyre unstoppable for the rest of time ie KK now and Cork 3 Year ago. Id say there is ownly three powers that be and when Tipp join in the top three are back were they belong but Limerick and Galway could have a thing to say you never know Cork have a few boys getting older maybe this might be a bit of luck for Galway or is it not that Galway deserve to be there? As for Dublin i predict that success will come their way quicker than people think, idiots within theyre own county are the ownly thing can stop them and anyone with "beleif" like yours could also hinderance them.

As for waterford wasnt it a school from there won the all ireland schools? Surely this would be a basis for success for any team? Takes a couple of extra years develping them but id say a lot of people who won this have carried through to lead there county?

North Side Gael (None) - Posts: 1076 - 16/05/2008 08:29:13    19711

NSG - You should write a book!

Tomás Tralee (Kerry) - Posts: 391 - 16/05/2008 10:27:08    19761

NSG
"No code you were trying to state that nothing will get in the way of the powers that be, I notice you didnt mention waterford"?
No I said it will take more than a couple of decent minor teams and an U21 team to knock the powers that be off their perch, especially when at least 2 of the 3 major powers are in the assendancy.
What would you like me to mention about Waterford while we are at it. You are again the one that brought them into it. Looking for and failing to get a reaction.

NSG.
"As for waterford wasnt it a school from there won the all ireland schools? Surely this would be a basis for success for any team"
What do you see happening in the next couple of years with these school players. One is only 15 years of age. Give them time to learn their Hurling and develope into men first. How many of these guys to do expect a team to blood in one go. Your right though its the basis for success but not in the immediate term.
Its alright you and lino being enthusiastic with Dublins developement, but thats the problem with ye. You are gone carried away and heaping your expectations onto Dublin already. Their first step must be to win a champioship match in leinster. That should happen soon (outside of Laois or WM). But, I for one cant see a break through in the next couple of years. Not a major one like the beating of KK to win a Leinster title anyway. I would be delighted to be proved wrong.

Lino, if you think I dont want Dublin to develope or succeed at all then the whole post went over your head.

Code (Waterford) - Posts: 37 - 16/05/2008 14:41:26    19961

Im an Antrim man if you must know code, you talk as though im a dub these expectations i would say are across the country with regards Dublin. What about waterford are you saying they'll die off for a while? It'll take a brave while getting 15 players blooded according to you one at a time, do waterford have that time there own development is not that great and i would say if a few waterford boys retire which they will it will make Dublins in experienced boys not far behind waterford.

North Side Gael (None) - Posts: 1076 - 16/05/2008 15:05:46    19979