National Forum

National Hurling League 2023

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post


Replying To BarneyGrant:  "That's the point. When people are proposing to introduce radical changes - in anything not just sport - they need to ask themselves two questions:

1) Why is the current position there in the first place? ie. what were the good reasons for it; and

2) What are the possible downsides of the change.

In relation to the first, the handpass rule is there to speed up the game and avoid players being bottled up, and as above, returning to that is the most likely and obvious outcome of changing it."
Good post Barney

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12036 - 19/02/2023 11:45:50    2458986

Link

Replying To Viking66:  "I'd be thinking that if they were as bad as the rumours say the press would've got a hold of the stories by now and it would be big news."
Well one of the players mentioned is playing soccer every weekend ,which to me seems unusual to say the least with the league in full swing?. The GAA is very good at closing ranks to protect their assets when it suits.

over35hurler (Cork) - Posts: 36 - 21/02/2023 20:39:50    2459685

Link

Replying To over35hurler:  "Well one of the players mentioned is playing soccer every weekend ,which to me seems unusual to say the least with the league in full swing?. The GAA is very good at closing ranks to protect their assets when it suits."
What a cute username, over35! In other words, you are letting everyone know that you were around when Cork were still winning AI hurling titles. Very distant memories now…

foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 1926 - 22/02/2023 15:16:11    2459781

Link

Replying To over35hurler:  "Well one of the players mentioned is playing soccer every weekend ,which to me seems unusual to say the least with the league in full swing?. The GAA is very good at closing ranks to protect their assets when it suits."
Well he has been known to lose his hurley while tangling with the opposition full back and kick a lot of balls over the bar but Limerick management have come up with the ingenious idea of getting him to play soccer and concentrate on his technique to keep the ball lower and hopefully when the chances come during the championship he will better at taking them.

updwell (Limerick) - Posts: 817 - 22/02/2023 20:48:26    2459818

Link

Kerry v Offaly tomorrow should be a good indicator for where both are at for this year. The two most likely challengers for Laois in the McDonagh Cup based on last year and their 2 wins so far.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7871 - 24/02/2023 13:15:24    2460001

Link

Replying To legendzxix:  "Kerry v Offaly tomorrow should be a good indicator for where both are at for this year. The two most likely challengers for Laois in the McDonagh Cup based on last year and their 2 wins so far."
Likely show nothing for the Joe Mac....

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12036 - 24/02/2023 13:55:31    2460006

Link

For the NHL, I think the same groups as the Prov Championships (M5 + L6) should be used. With the Provs playing "intra group" (no change), the NHL could play "inter group", so all complete a 10-match round robin over the season.

In the AIC, Prov Champs (based on 4/5 intra games) could still get a bye to the SFs, but the 4 QF teams could come from the best 10-match results from the other teams.
Better?

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2614 - 24/02/2023 18:44:00    2460054

Link

Looking forward to our match with Tipp later. We've beaten them last twice in league so I'd imagine reversing that trend is on Cahill's bucket list.

They've a strong enough team but not convinced by Morris at full forward. Good to see Alex Considine back in same position for Dublin but forwards very much a work in progress. Donoghue sticking with his namesake from Isles who gets moved from wing back to midfield.

Pity that we are being deprived of the bodily comfort of the proximity of fellow sufferers in a packed Parnell to freeze in Artic conditions and then be expected to watch basketball afterwards :-)

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2583 - 25/02/2023 09:08:52    2460079

Link

Offaly have edged out Kerry again. If Kerry make the semi-finals, the winner of that semi-final will be playing for 7 weekends in a row.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7871 - 25/02/2023 17:44:01    2460125

Link

Clare showing a very strong hand today. Can't see us getting much in wexford Park we're still down a lot of championship starters. I'll go with Clare by 3+

Cork should put Westmeath to the sword and I'm going to go with Galway to get a result against Limerick in Salthill in what should be an entertaining game.

ChinCanHurl (Wexford) - Posts: 264 - 26/02/2023 09:23:48    2460187

Link

Replying To ChinCanHurl:  "Clare showing a very strong hand today. Can't see us getting much in wexford Park we're still down a lot of championship starters. I'll go with Clare by 3+

Cork should put Westmeath to the sword and I'm going to go with Galway to get a result against Limerick in Salthill in what should be an entertaining game."
If Clare play as named I'd be worried we might get a beating. But they might not. Cork by 18, Limerick by 6.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12036 - 26/02/2023 12:06:18    2460212

Link

Replying To daveboy:  "I've noticed this year that Limerick are starting to use the short one handed hurley pass a huge amount more than ever before especially coming out with the ball in defense. It looks very risky but there definitely seems to be an emphasis on it this year. I was saying to friends are they trying to get the jump on the rest if this is brought in??They are still hand passing obviously but all countys are doing the quick strike.

Cork in PUC the first day out did it throughout the match. Personally I don't have too big a problem with it. There were cases last year where there were clear throws and blown for it and Limerick got correctly blown plenty of times for it. I think it's so difficult to clamp down on the quick strike but refs will blow for throws as they did last year."
I hadn't noticed this to be honest before but watching Galway Limerick here and they seem to be using that option at least as often as a regular handpass if not more often. I've never seen a team coached to do anything like this before. Limerick we're definitely the team scrutinised the most with their hand passing but I haven't seen one questionable one in the first 15 mins today. Something they've obviously put a lot of focus on

tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 26/02/2023 14:47:58    2460266

Link

Agree limerick using hurley pass a lot more obviously working hard on it..one handpass penalised which I thought was ok compared to others..a lot of the more senior Galway players didn't show much fight today,prefer directing others in what to do..limerick should have played last15 with 14 men,dont know how it wasn't straight red or at least a second yellow,don't know what officials saw..mannion should also have got second yellow but due to mistake earlier he didn't get it..game was harmless enough with little or no intensity from either team..limerick never looked like losing..

CTGAA10 (Limerick) - Posts: 2225 - 26/02/2023 16:34:31    2460311

Link

Wexford on -19 have a worse points difference than Antrim on -17. Just highlighting how competitive Antrim are. They can cause an upset in Leinster this year. Westmeath v Laois is the most likely relegation final.
Offaly and Kildare have maintained their 100% starts in 2A. Current form suggests Offaly or Kildare making the 2A final. Kerry will most likely take on one of them in the semi-final. The winner of Down v Derry on March 12th should retain their 2A status.
Meath, Monaghan and Leitrim all have 100% records.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7871 - 26/02/2023 17:50:48    2460369

Link

It was a terrible decision by RTÉ to start with the hurling highlights last night. There is no jeopardy. A lot of teams are utilising an opportunity to build squad depth, which is fair enough when there is no jeopardy.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7871 - 27/02/2023 07:15:07    2460523

Link

Replying To CTGAA10:  "Agree limerick using hurley pass a lot more obviously working hard on it..one handpass penalised which I thought was ok compared to others..a lot of the more senior Galway players didn't show much fight today,prefer directing others in what to do..limerick should have played last15 with 14 men,dont know how it wasn't straight red or at least a second yellow,don't know what officials saw..mannion should also have got second yellow but due to mistake earlier he didn't get it..game was harmless enough with little or no intensity from either team..limerick never looked like losing.."
Ya definitely one of those games that was lacking any kind of intensity at all. Limerick got some crazy scores early on. I'd imagine Shefflin wont care about the result but he may have some concerns around the lack of any kind of physicality for most of the game. By all accounts the only people that didnt see the Hayes incident were the linesman and ref. Having those two lads marking each other could never end well tho!
Limerick are in an interesting place now. Theyll need to get mins into Byrnes and Hannon but I'm not too sure they'll want to win the league - as mad as that always sounds. However, its unlikely they wont finish in the top 2 so for me a league semi and then final place looks fairly likely now.
From a Tipp perspective youd have to be happy with the results but as I said before we are clearly in the weaker group and I think we are going to go in untested to a degree. Tipp however have a relatively favourable fixture list in Munster this year - in terms of rest between games so maybe going all out to win the league would be a good thing but far easier said than done. Injuries continue to mount tho which is a shame. Going on league results (which probably means nothing), you'd imagine Munster will be a tough place this year and very tough to see Tipp getting out again especially with Clare looking good at the weekend. Waterford dont seem to be fully firing either.

tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 27/02/2023 08:51:20    2460535

Link

A lot has been made of the league lacking intensity this year and I have to agree but the problem I see is counties trying to find new players and how do we know if these players are up to speed. Take a new player having a good game but we don't know if the player marking him has been flogged in training the previous night or the team in general don't play their preferred game plan which may counteract these new player. I see alot of new players been hyped up as being very good after the league has finished but very quickly getting their eyes opened in the first round of the championship.

updwell (Limerick) - Posts: 817 - 01/03/2023 16:46:13    2461255

Link

Replying To updwell:  "A lot has been made of the league lacking intensity this year and I have to agree but the problem I see is counties trying to find new players and how do we know if these players are up to speed. Take a new player having a good game but we don't know if the player marking him has been flogged in training the previous night or the team in general don't play their preferred game plan which may counteract these new player. I see alot of new players been hyped up as being very good after the league has finished but very quickly getting their eyes opened in the first round of the championship."
Doesn't look like that will be an issue for us this year!!!!!

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12036 - 01/03/2023 17:31:24    2461282

Link

Replying To Viking66:  "Doesn't look like that will be an issue for us this year!!!!!"
Maybe Viking Wexford are the ultimate team for not showing their hand this year.

updwell (Limerick) - Posts: 817 - 01/03/2023 18:23:38    2461295

Link

Replying To tiobraid:  "Ya definitely one of those games that was lacking any kind of intensity at all. Limerick got some crazy scores early on. I'd imagine Shefflin wont care about the result but he may have some concerns around the lack of any kind of physicality for most of the game. By all accounts the only people that didnt see the Hayes incident were the linesman and ref. Having those two lads marking each other could never end well tho!
Limerick are in an interesting place now. Theyll need to get mins into Byrnes and Hannon but I'm not too sure they'll want to win the league - as mad as that always sounds. However, its unlikely they wont finish in the top 2 so for me a league semi and then final place looks fairly likely now.
From a Tipp perspective youd have to be happy with the results but as I said before we are clearly in the weaker group and I think we are going to go in untested to a degree. Tipp however have a relatively favourable fixture list in Munster this year - in terms of rest between games so maybe going all out to win the league would be a good thing but far easier said than done. Injuries continue to mount tho which is a shame. Going on league results (which probably means nothing), you'd imagine Munster will be a tough place this year and very tough to see Tipp getting out again especially with Clare looking good at the weekend. Waterford dont seem to be fully firing either."
Tipp seem to do great when you count them out. They'll be fine this year. They're due.

Trump2020 (Galway) - Posts: 2129 - 01/03/2023 18:23:54    2461296

Link