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Quarter-Finals ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 240 - 11/11/2022 21:08:35 2447254 Link 0 |
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I'd have Ballyhale favourites to beat Castletown but Castletown seemed to build nicely towards the end of the Westmeath championship after a slowish start and won't be pushovers. Clarke, O Brien, Bermingham and the rest of the intercounty contingent will have to perform to their best level but don't forget a few of these lads played on Westmeath minor and u21 teams that beat Kilkenny and Wexford, never mind running them close for moral victories. And their players backbone the current Westmeath senior team who drew with Wexford and went toe to toe with Kilkenny for 50 minutes. The other 3 games I think are 50/50 altogether. I'll go with Ferns( I never back against the local men!), Naas, and Clough- Ballacolla but wouldn't be at all surprised if 1, 2, or all 3 of Shinrone, Crokes and St Mullins win. Shinrone might be 1st time winners of their senior championship but they are 1 of the oldest GAA clubs in the country. And Offaly clubs have a great record in Leinster. Crokes are a superclub, and St Mullins are the most successful team in history in Carlow and have players who would likely make most senior Liam Mccarthy panels and teams. Naas are going well the last few years and are an established team playing a game where teamwork is very important, as are Clough- Ballacolla. And Ferns are from Wexford! Seriously though Ferns , while first time winners in Wexford, have been knocking on the door for many years now. Like Naas and Clough the players are well used to each other and have soldiered together for many years with the likes of Lawlor and Murphy adding some quality youth to the set up. Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11852 - 12/11/2022 08:19:58 2447266 Link 1 |
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There are 3 live matches being shown this weekend, all of them football quarter-finals. You'd have thought they would show one of the Leinster hurling quarter-finals
Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2466 - 12/11/2022 10:09:43 2447272 Link 0 |
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I know some of the Ballyhale lads only arrived back on Thursday, think the Kilkenny hurlers were on their holidays in Thailand. Jet-lag and lack of preparation might be Castletown-Geoghegan's biggest advantage
ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 240 - 12/11/2022 11:19:25 2447279 Link 0 |
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The club hurling championship always produces a few upsets every year and this year will be no different. Already Trim have taken Danesfort, and oulart are out. 35OLT (USA) - Posts: 90 - 12/11/2022 20:42:13 2447335 Link 0 |
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In what way were Ballyhale 'lucky'?
Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2466 - 13/11/2022 10:57:59 2447354 Link 0 |
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Let's retract 'lucky' and replace with 'challenged' There were some squeaky bum times last year for them before a romp in the final where they found their form. 35OLT (USA) - Posts: 90 - 13/11/2022 13:26:03 2447369 Link 0 |
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Agreed. :)
Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2466 - 13/11/2022 17:58:39 2447409 Link 0 |
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I think there was a good few hurling games shown last year. I would have liked to see the KC and CB game but i turned out to be not as close as I expected this year. I'm very interested to see how Naas fare against BS and also St. Mullins against KC. You'd imagine Dublin and KK champions will be hot favs though. Naas seem to be really firing in underage hurling which is great. I'd expect some real cracking matches from now on - possibly with the exception of the Leinster semis but I hope I'm wrong. Not a dig at KK but it was great to see Trim get a huge win against Danesfort at the weekend - a team who will be senior in KK next year. Along with Naas' win over Shinrone - that can only be good for Leinster hurling. Two big towns but if Kildare and Meath are to progress having the likes of these towns with really good teams is vital. Fantastic to see and will only help to increase the interest in hurling in those counties. tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 14/11/2022 11:44:19 2447496 Link 1 |
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Hard to know what defines luck. Most of the time people define their own luck! I think the one match was the Rynaghs one where the last goal was slightly fortuitous and very late in injury time but the argument also is they never gave up
tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 14/11/2022 11:51:58 2447500 Link 0 |
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Yes, Ballyhale got a goal to level the match, with seconds remaining in normal time against St Rynagh's. But, they played the whole of the 2nd half with 14 men, and finished up easy winners after extra time was played. I never heard anyone say Ballygunner were lucky when they beat Ballyhale with the last puck of the game, scoring a goal, in the All Ireland final. But, that's not my point. A bit of luck is involved in every game to varying degrees. A (club) game last 60 minutes. Whether a point or goal is scored in the first 10 seconds, or the last 10, should be neither here nor there. Often very fine margins decide games. Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2466 - 14/11/2022 19:31:21 2447590 Link 1 |
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Comfortable win for Crokes. Hard to assess where they are in relation to Ballyhale, as in how close they might get to them. Bookies appear to have same dilemma as not priced up yet. I'd have Shamrocks at 1/2. BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2557 - 27/11/2022 19:21:51 2448885 Link 0 |
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I got that one wrong! 1/7 Ballyhale. Bit short surely? I think they'll win but not that easily. BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2557 - 27/11/2022 19:55:57 2448889 Link 0 |
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I think it could be closer than you think.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11852 - 28/11/2022 07:52:41 2448904 Link 0 |
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Possibly. Ballyhale have shown themselves to be vulnerable but generally capable of correcting whatever is amiss and have big well of experience to draw on, and ability to get the killer goals. Naas reminded me a bit of the way Dublin teams in the past might have given the Cats pre Cody a few frights through aggression and intensity but not having the skill level to stay with them for 60/70 minutes. What clearly does cause Shamrocks problems, and is what ultimately won the game for Ballygunner, are forwards with pace. Noticeable that Crokes this year, and especially yesterday are far more direct rather than relying overmuch on diagonal ball to Hayes. Whether they get enough of the primary possession - and Mullins did well in centre field - to provide a platform for Gough et al to run at them is another thing. BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2557 - 28/11/2022 10:42:51 2448921 Link 0 |
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The strongest of the weak counties still can't compete with the weakest of the strong counties (club & county) in both codes, if you get my drift.
supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 2907 - 28/11/2022 11:09:26 2448923 Link 0 |
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I think they might. Ballyhale have marquee forwards for sure but Crokes looked very good teamwork wise against St Mullins. Little things like mindset will have to be right though. As you say Ballyhale are a tough experienced team who have been there before many times.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11852 - 28/11/2022 11:12:46 2448925 Link 0 |
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On related but separate issue - and it ties in with another discussion on other thread about dual players - it will be interesting to see if Crokes footballers have their semi final deferred. BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2557 - 28/11/2022 12:48:37 2448949 Link 0 |
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I thought KC were very vulnerable down the centre of the defence and particularly early on - had far too big of gap between half back and full back line. I think if Ballyhale are on their game they'll win comfortably.
tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 28/11/2022 13:55:36 2448959 Link 0 |
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I'd have no issue with 1 of them been moved to Saturday or the following weekend, the 2 games can still be played in Croke Park just not as a double header, wouldn't impact crowd to much as majority of Downs and Ballyhale supporters would have only stayed for 1 game.
TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1721 - 28/11/2022 14:02:13 2448961 Link 0 |