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Replying To ElGranSenor: "I don't think they're allowed in Munster ever since Dungarvan Colleges won the Harty Cup and the Croke Cup back in 2013?
Don't know what the deal is with Galway, Connacht A Championship is basically the Galway A Championship, think there are five Galway schools in it, could be wrong on that one
KK have a combined team at 2nd Year and Junior level, I think, not really that big a county and Kieran's and Kilkenny CBS hoover up so much of the talent there, usually then they've another school at A (Johnstown/Castlecomer/Callan), not really that many hurlers in KK outside of that" They dont need to have combined colleges as their coaching system is top class and are developing good players. We have hurlers in this county in underage as good as any county but coaching or lack of it is our problem in Wexford.
Bryson (Wexford) - Posts: 36 - 12/05/2026 19:10:38
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Replying To Afinestick96: "Rackard League is a primary schools competition Tadhg2020 . Been running in Wexford since the 50s and is a competition that as Viking said Paul Kinnerick had huge praise for in the recent strategic plan" Lol, apologies. It read , to me like it was the senior league for some reason. I should have guessed, in hindsight, as the primary school competition in Limerick is called the Mackey Cup. My bad.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 392 - 12/05/2026 19:41:56
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Replying To Pikeman96: "@StoreysTash @Viking66 - as regards the three clubs mentioned by StoreysTash and the suggestion that they're "winning the Premier titles at underage levels" -
Oylegate-Glenbrien won the top grade of U14 hurling in 2023 (called Roinn 1, rather than Premier).
Last year, the same lads (obviously two years older) lost the final of the top grade of U16 hurling, to Monageer-Boolavogue.
Also last year, Rathgarogue-Cushinstown won the top grade of U16 football.
None of the three have a Premier Minor title in either code.
Basically - they have one top grade title each over the past three years, same as many other clubs have achieved too. Well done to all concerned. Certainly improvement for those clubs in those age grades. But not necessarily a sign of an emerging ongoing dominance or power shift.
As Viking mentions, other clubs are doing great work at the younger age groups. Ballyhogue are one such example at U12 and U14 level in recent years, making great strides in hurling in particular, when you consider they wouldn't traditionally have been seen as "a hurling club".
As for Rathnure - if they can keep up what they're doing with their current young lads of those ages, then everyone else will be in serious trouble in years to come!" Ballyhogue won the Premier U16 Football last year.
Paull (Wexford) - Posts: 277 - 12/05/2026 20:20:12
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Replying To Viking66: "No they arent. We dont have big men who can catch high ball to play a constant long game, and we dont look to have done any amount of work on long puckouts anyway. We very rarely get men on all the quarters as the ball drops, so we dont win much breaking ball.
So.... We need to make space in our opponents half. Withdraw our half forward line, then hit the spaces early with low hard flat ball.
For that we need a keeper who can ping it 50 yards into someone's hand. Statistically speaking the best success comes when there are only 2 passes preceding a shot/score.
All that is great in theory, but the problem there is we dont have a keeper who can execute that kind of pass. If you hit it to a cornerback on the 21 you generally need more passes, your opponents then have more opportunities to turn you over at each pass, your execution has to be more perfect, and your opponents have more time to close up the spaces your forwards can operate in.
None of the above is rocket science. If its pretty obvious to a fat middle aged ex rugby player it should be obvious to any good hurling coach." Fanning to Carley certainly didn't work in 1st half, Why did he persevere with a short Puckout. Carley forced to strike off weak side that make the half way before we got turnover. We keep doing the same play expecting a different result. Who is pushing the Gameplan?? You will see it at minor&U20 tomorrow evening. We don't have the physique, We don't have the skill set. Dublin won the game by going after WX Puckout. Everyone was saying to drive it long as it wasn't fair on backs to take ball just after Dubs getting a score. We have 5 high Calibre young hurlers. Cillian Byrne, Darragh Kehoe, Sean Rowley, Simon Roche, and Eoin Whelan. These guys have to be looked after. These lads could play for Wexford for 10 Years, they need nurturing and proper Coaching.. If we were able to hit green grass it's then we will see progress,…
Spuds&GAA (Wexford) - Posts: 18 - 12/05/2026 23:49:03
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Wexford v Offaly in the Senior Camogie all-Ireland series is on before the hurling in Tullamore, would be great to see some support there
goreyll (Wexford) - Posts: 181 - 13/05/2026 08:12:44
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Replying To Viking66: "Nearly all our competitors who are better than us have larger development squads than us.
What would you propose replacing them with?" I never said id replace them. Development squads are fine they do a job.
The problem is the default can't always be just do more of what we are doing and that seems to be always the plan, just do more games at senior level, yep that worked well, turned our championship into a glorified round of practice matches where everyone still in even if they lose every game (i know thats changed)
The way ive heard some people talking about development squads its almost like go games, sure everyone turns up gets a go! Making county squads has to mean something.
On top of that is rhe mentality of "shur hes on the development squads, thats alright so, job done" the chaps themselves dont need to do any more sure they're on the development squads, clubs don't need to do any more, sure the development squads will look after them, parents the same.
Thats the biggest issue and we definitely do not want t to be expanding that imho.
Development squads are fine but just doing more of the same can't be the go to answer all the time.
I've been invokved with development and underage squads, people named out clubs earlier on in various posts a d i can tell you categorically that the development and training those clubs are doing is on a par if not better than what the development squads are doing, thats the real key tning here for the county.
The development squads aren't miracle workers, they do a good job and to be honest im not one who thinks our underage development is some disaster zone, I actually think we are doing as well as others at thise younger development age groups in many ways but of course we can improve, but we need to stop the tninking off just do more of the same. Our biggest issue is fhe fall of from say 16s to adult.
Schools are key, its fhe huge untapped potential we havent realised imho. I dont have all the answers for it unfortunately but the reality is its a caprice audience of chaps for 8 hours a day for 9 months of fhe year, the dont have to go to the pitch, go to Ferns but they have to go to school.
Lastly ghe drive to change has to come from home and has to come from the club's, thats the reality and imho a lot of clubs and parents are simply just abdicating that totally or "letting the development squads sort it out" and we definitely dont need more of that.
tearintom (Wexford) - Posts: 1654 - 13/05/2026 08:20:45
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Not much change on the injury front per the paper other than Éamon Wickham is out and that Shane Reck is getting surgery
ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 1195 - 13/05/2026 08:47:26
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Interesting team named by Galway for tonight Aaron Niland not in the 26 while Jason Rabbitte and Cullen Killeen named on the bench. Is it a dummy team or not we will have to wait and see. Hoping for a huge performance from our 20s Wexford hurling really needs it after the last few weeks.
Afinestick96 (Wexford) - Posts: 1066 - 13/05/2026 09:15:04
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Replying To ElGranSenor: "Not much change on the injury front per the paper other than Éamon Wickham is out and that Shane Reck is getting surgery" Disappointing Wickham is out would have liked to see him start this weekend. Very interesting chat with Joe Fortune on the Wexford Hurling Podcast . He is questioning what is the reason so many players have stepped away this year and is enough being done to get as many of our top players playing. When you name all the players out no county has had near as many players opt out. He sounds like a man who has a real passion for Wexford hurling id expect him to be a front runner for the managers role when it comes around along with Declan Ruth.
Afinestick96 (Wexford) - Posts: 1066 - 13/05/2026 09:21:19
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Clarified the basis of my point re Cushinstown, Oylegate and Monageer.
Monageer beat Cushinstown in the U16 final 2 years ago and then beat Oylegate last year to defend it, my father didn't think there was massive overlap between the teams so it wasn't a case of 15 top hurlers came along but he was not sure on that.
But the point is still there, these clubs are clearly doing things right and others are either regressing or standing still and now being overtaken by less traditional clubs who are doing things better than them.
Rathnure are on the way back big time he was saying, but as a very traditional club they haven't contributed much to Wexford in the last 20 years? The last player with a Wexford career of any longevity was Paul Codd?
Tearintom is right. Clubs need to drive the game forward in the county, not development squads. As I said, if numbers 16-20 are keeping number 15 on his toes then number 15 has to up his game which makes number 14 up his game and so on. That rising tide lifts all boats and everybody hurls at a higher intensity which is lacking across the county from my distant viewpoint. Our senior championship last year was desperate, hopefully that will change this year.
Best of luck to the U20's tonight and thanks for the TG4. We could use a win.
StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 2039 - 13/05/2026 10:17:57
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "Lol, apologies. It read , to me like it was the senior league for some reason. I should have guessed, in hindsight, as the primary school competition in Limerick is called the Mackey Cup. My bad." Didn't actually realise the corresponding thing is called the Mackey Cup in Limerick. You live and learn!
By the way, on your presumption that our adult club championships will start in August -
They could actually start as early as last weekend of June if our hurlers don't get out of Leinster and footballers don't go past quarter-finals of Tailteann Cup.
Would start first weekend of July if footballers reach but lose Tailteann semi-final. It's only if footballers reach Tailteann Final or hurlers somehow pick things up and reach at least an All-Ireland semi-final that our club championships would start "late", and even then, they'd still have a July start.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3596 - 13/05/2026 10:48:44
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Replying To Paull: " Replying To Pikeman96: "<b>@StoreysTash @Viking66</b> - as regards the three clubs mentioned by StoreysTash and the suggestion that they're "winning the Premier titles at underage levels" -
Oylegate-Glenbrien won the top grade of U14 hurling in 2023 (called Roinn 1, rather than Premier).
Last year, the same lads (obviously two years older) lost the final of the top grade of U16 hurling, to Monageer-Boolavogue.
Also last year, Rathgarogue-Cushinstown won the top grade of U16 football.
None of the three have a Premier Minor title in either code.
Basically - they have one top grade title each over the past three years, same as many other clubs have achieved too. Well done to all concerned. Certainly improvement for those clubs in those age grades. But not necessarily a sign of an emerging ongoing dominance or power shift.
As Viking mentions, other clubs are doing great work at the younger age groups. Ballyhogue are one such example at U12 and U14 level in recent years, making great strides in hurling in particular, when you consider they wouldn't traditionally have been seen as "a hurling club".
As for Rathnure - if they can keep up what they're doing with their current young lads of those ages, then everyone else will be in serious trouble in years to come!"</div>Ballyhogue won the Premier U16 Football last year." Apologies. You're correct that it was Ballyhogue who won the top grade (was actually called Div. 1 rather than Premier). Rathgarogue-Cushinstown won Div. 2 Anyway, credit to them for that success and for all the strides they're making there. Same to Ballyhogue. But it's further evidence that the claim that Rathgarogue-Cushinstown, Oylegate-Glenbrien and Monageer-Boolavogue are "winning the Premier titles at underage level" isn't exactly accurate.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3596 - 13/05/2026 10:58:27
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Replying To Spuds&GAA: "Fanning to Carley certainly didn't work in 1st half, Why did he persevere with a short Puckout. Carley forced to strike off weak side that make the half way before we got turnover. We keep doing the same play expecting a different result. Who is pushing the Gameplan?? You will see it at minor&U20 tomorrow evening. We don't have the physique, We don't have the skill set. Dublin won the game by going after WX Puckout. Everyone was saying to drive it long as it wasn't fair on backs to take ball just after Dubs getting a score. We have 5 high Calibre young hurlers. Cillian Byrne, Darragh Kehoe, Sean Rowley, Simon Roche, and Eoin Whelan. These guys have to be looked after. These lads could play for Wexford for 10 Years, they need nurturing and proper Coaching.. If we were able to hit green grass it's then we will see progress,…" We need to get it further up the pitch before driving it long. As it is from watching us this year I dont think we are doing much work on long puckouts in training. We are absolutely woeful at them, we arent even getting players on the quarters for the breaks.
And for a short game to work properly the 1st pass really needs to be at least 45 yards straight into a lads hand as he is running into space. If you only go to the 21 you need too many passes or bringing the ball through contact before you get the ball up to a decent delivery position to hit a hard flat ball inside into space. All opportunities for the opposition to turn you over. And turnovers in your own half invariably lead to scores.
We really dont have any way of retaining our own puckouts except for blind luck, or opponents not defending them properly. And thats really really poor 6 months after the lads getting together for the season.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19541 - 13/05/2026 11:03:26
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Replying To tearintom: "I never said id replace them. Development squads are fine they do a job.
The problem is the default can't always be just do more of what we are doing and that seems to be always the plan, just do more games at senior level, yep that worked well, turned our championship into a glorified round of practice matches where everyone still in even if they lose every game (i know thats changed)
The way ive heard some people talking about development squads its almost like go games, sure everyone turns up gets a go! Making county squads has to mean something.
On top of that is rhe mentality of "shur hes on the development squads, thats alright so, job done" the chaps themselves dont need to do any more sure they're on the development squads, clubs don't need to do any more, sure the development squads will look after them, parents the same.
Thats the biggest issue and we definitely do not want t to be expanding that imho.
Development squads are fine but just doing more of the same can't be the go to answer all the time.
I've been invokved with development and underage squads, people named out clubs earlier on in various posts a d i can tell you categorically that the development and training those clubs are doing is on a par if not better than what the development squads are doing, thats the real key tning here for the county.
The development squads aren't miracle workers, they do a good job and to be honest im not one who thinks our underage development is some disaster zone, I actually think we are doing as well as others at thise younger development age groups in many ways but of course we can improve, but we need to stop the tninking off just do more of the same. Our biggest issue is fhe fall of from say 16s to adult.
Schools are key, its fhe huge untapped potential we havent realised imho. I dont have all the answers for it unfortunately but the reality is its a caprice audience of chaps for 8 hours a day for 9 months of fhe year, the dont have to go to the pitch, go to Ferns but they have to go to school.
Lastly ghe drive to change has to come from home and has to come from the club's, thats the reality and imho a lot of clubs and parents are simply just abdicating that totally or "letting the development squads sort it out" and we definitely dont need more of that." Agree with pretty much all of that.
A few problems though-
1- alot of clubs still arent putting the work in that the clubs named are.
2- some clubs are suffering really badly demographically which affects this, although Rathnure in particular are a shining example of how that can be overcome given hard work.
3- our secondary schools except GCC arent putting the hours into GAA, and its even worse in those schools if you dont make the A panel at u14 apparently.
4- I still havent been able to work out why the drop off after u16. And I dont think anyone else has been able to either. U18s not playing adult certainly didnt help, so it will be interesting to see do we improve that way now they can play adult.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19541 - 13/05/2026 11:11:40
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Replying To Afinestick96: "Disappointing Wickham is out would have liked to see him start this weekend. Very interesting chat with Joe Fortune on the Wexford Hurling Podcast . He is questioning what is the reason so many players have stepped away this year and is enough being done to get as many of our top players playing. When you name all the players out no county has had near as many players opt out. He sounds like a man who has a real passion for Wexford hurling id expect him to be a front runner for the managers role when it comes around along with Declan Ruth." Fortune has a good bit of experience under his belt at this stage too. Still think Tom Mulally, and Declan Ruth if he brings Neil O'Loughlin with him, would be my preferred options though.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19541 - 13/05/2026 11:14:30
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#Pikeman I think the point being made is that non traditional and/or smaller clubs are producing top level players. And that this is shown by the fact they are competing and winning in higher divisions.
Which is why you are seeing more and more players from these clubs making county teams.
The best players should be making our county teams regardless of what club they are from.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19541 - 13/05/2026 11:18:04
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Replying To StoreysTash: "Clarified the basis of my point re Cushinstown, Oylegate and Monageer.
Monageer beat Cushinstown in the U16 final 2 years ago and then beat Oylegate last year to defend it, my father didn't think there was massive overlap between the teams so it wasn't a case of 15 top hurlers came along but he was not sure on that.
But the point is still there, these clubs are clearly doing things right and others are either regressing or standing still and now being overtaken by less traditional clubs who are doing things better than them.
Rathnure are on the way back big time he was saying, but as a very traditional club they haven't contributed much to Wexford in the last 20 years? The last player with a Wexford career of any longevity was Paul Codd?
Tearintom is right. Clubs need to drive the game forward in the county, not development squads. As I said, if numbers 16-20 are keeping number 15 on his toes then number 15 has to up his game which makes number 14 up his game and so on. That rising tide lifts all boats and everybody hurls at a higher intensity which is lacking across the county from my distant viewpoint. Our senior championship last year was desperate, hopefully that will change this year.
Best of luck to the U20's tonight and thanks for the TG4. We could use a win." Still think our championship needs less games with more jeopardy myself. Smaller groups. More do or die, and less coasting through the early rounds.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19541 - 13/05/2026 11:20:31
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Replying To Viking66: "We need to get it further up the pitch before driving it long. As it is from watching us this year I dont think we are doing much work on long puckouts in training. We are absolutely woeful at them, we arent even getting players on the quarters for the breaks.
And for a short game to work properly the 1st pass really needs to be at least 45 yards straight into a lads hand as he is running into space. If you only go to the 21 you need too many passes or bringing the ball through contact before you get the ball up to a decent delivery position to hit a hard flat ball inside into space. All opportunities for the opposition to turn you over. And turnovers in your own half invariably lead to scores.
We really dont have any way of retaining our own puckouts except for blind luck, or opponents not defending them properly. And thats really really poor 6 months after the lads getting together for the season." And not only are we pucking a ball to a lad around the 21 rather than the 45, we are pucking it to a lad standing still. Its all too slow and predictable, and therefore easier defended.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19541 - 13/05/2026 11:22:19
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Replying To Viking66: "Still think our championship needs less games with more jeopardy myself. Smaller groups. More do or die, and less coasting through the early rounds." Think I agree with you Viking . I think 5 group games and then having preliminary quarter finals is too much of a cushion for teams. They dont have to peak until September which means the early rounds are generally poor.
Afinestick96 (Wexford) - Posts: 1066 - 13/05/2026 11:49:42
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Replying To Viking66: "Agree with pretty much all of that.
A few problems though-
1- alot of clubs still arent putting the work in that the clubs named are.
2- some clubs are suffering really badly demographically which affects this, although Rathnure in particular are a shining example of how that can be overcome given hard work.
3- our secondary schools except GCC arent putting the hours into GAA, and its even worse in those schools if you dont make the A panel at u14 apparently.
4- I still havent been able to work out why the drop off after u16. And I dont think anyone else has been able to either. U18s not playing adult certainly didnt help, so it will be interesting to see do we improve that way now they can play adult." I know you mention that there's a drop-off between Development Squads and Minor but to play devil's advocate, a lot of those development squad games might be in blitzes where the games are forty minutes a side, the only real inter-county competitions for the Development Squads are in late August (Ot at least that was the case back in my day, things might have changed a lot since then), you might be playing against mixed teams rather than A and B so you can't be sure where you stand, and any team is going to be rotated in order to give all lads in the squad a game
Not saying development squad results should be ignored but you can see why results at that level mightn't necessarily translate to Minor level
ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 1195 - 13/05/2026 12:49:39
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