After yesterdays 25 point mauling of Cork by Kilkenny, can we call Hurling in Ireland farcical? Are Cork not supposed to be in the top four teams?? And Tipp from last week?? Cork's recent trouble is still no excuse for such a mauling.

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 06/04/2009 10:22:12    249141

We are probably watching one of the greatest teams of all time.Sit back and enjoy drop the negative comments .

tomaoo7 (Dublin) - Posts: 5896 - 06/04/2009 10:29:10    249149

Hurling is anything but a farce.

Waterford beat Kilkenny in the league, Limerick ran them to a point. Kilkenny have been on top of their form for 3 years, the rest have to match them.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6487 - 06/04/2009 10:35:41    249156

tomaoo7
County: Dublin
Posts: 2176

249149 We are probably watching one of the greatest teams of all time.Sit back and enjoy drop the negative comments .

I agree. It's funny you should say that cos you should do the same when watching Tyrone football.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12451 - 06/04/2009 10:41:36    249166

Unfortunately Brolly it was 27. You are both correct in a manner of speaking. There was a once popular sport that was effectively ruined because players got to be too good at it. Anyone know what I'm talking about.? Re the hurling Toma007 is correct for any hurling enthusiast it is a joy to watch Kilkenny playing. However when they want to they can really destroy the opposition. They did it to Waterford in last years final, did it this year to Galway in Pearse Stadium and to both Cork and Tipp in Nowlan Park. Stopped in a Tipp pub after the match and Tipp supporters there were genuinely sorry they had got to League Final. They fear a hammering that will set them back for the Championship game against Cork. Brolly is also correct the total domination by one team and the lack of credible opposition can rob a competition of interest, the attendances at this years Championship will be worth watching.

corkcelt (Cork) - Posts: 4388 - 06/04/2009 10:45:10    249172

If it is a farce it ain't KK's fault. The others are off the mark. The only hope i see for other teams is if KK drop off. The All-Ireland is theirs to lose. I think some teams have become complacent about KK and have decided to play for 2nd place and are forgetting all about being No. 1 anymore.

Real Louth fan (Louth) - Posts: 3157 - 06/04/2009 10:49:34    249178

Hurling couldnt be stronger at the moment - Galway are back, Dublins young team is getting better every week, Limerick look strong, as do Tipp, Cork will be back to their best come summer, even Carlow and London are hurling mighty well at the moment. Everyone will be itching to have a crack at Kilkenny in the championship, it should be a brilliant summer!

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4655 - 06/04/2009 10:49:58    249179

corkcelt I think you're getting a bit ahead of yourself. Remember in 1980 the country was after seeing a cork side dominate hurling for 3 years and the only county to match them was Kilkenny. Between 1975-1979 Cork & Kilkenny shared the all-Ireland's with relative ease, Galway provided the only credible opposition by 'shocking' Cork in 75 & 79. What happened? Out of necessity, Limerick, Galway & Offaly raised their games. Limerick shocked Cork in the 1980 Munster final, Offaly shocked Kilkenny and Galway won the all-Ireland.

Domination will bring increased competition down the line if the will to work hard is there.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6487 - 06/04/2009 10:51:21    249180

corkcelt
County: Cork
Posts: 462

There was a once popular sport that was effectively ruined because players got to be too good at it. Anyone know what I'm talking about.?

As a Meath person, I would like to apologise to all fellow Irish people for this. Back in the Sean Boylan days, we probably ruined Galeic Football - we were just so good at it. It must have been dis-heartening for the rest of the country to watch one team dominate so much but it was hardly our fault, was it? Are Meath to be blamed for being so good?

Loyal2TheRoyal (Meath) - Posts: 4522 - 06/04/2009 10:54:17    249186

Would still rather watch KK beat the **** out ot teams than wath some of the footabll matches served up. There is no substitute for the class KK are providing, but Im still hopefull that someone will catch them soon.

ZUL10 (Clare) - Posts: 708 - 06/04/2009 10:55:15    249187

Hurling is certainly not farcical. We are privilaged at the moment to be watching probably the greatest team of all time playing at the top of their game. Bear in mind also that this Kilkenny side is fairly settled and other counties with managers in their first and second terms are still trying to work out their best 15. Championship will be different and don't expect the same kind of winning margins although I do expect that if our lads can keep their feet on the ground they will be claiming the big prize in September.

Interesting to see how many people asked the same questions when Kerry were dominating the big ball. Was football farcical??? I don't think so...teams just had to come up to Kerry's standard. The same wil have to happen in hurling

solo (Kilkenny) - Posts: 314 - 06/04/2009 11:02:47    249201

Maybe its time the kilkenny reserve team entered the league!!!!

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 06/04/2009 11:22:40    249228

Contary to what people think, and I know this probably sounds ridiculous but the notion that the Kilkenny reserve team is the only one that can put it up to the first team is laughable. At the moment Kilkenny have a strong panel of about 21/22 top class inter-county players. There are a lot of passengers however on the 30. I could count 8 very average hurlers who would not make any of the top 6 inter county's teams.
Brian Cody does have excellent matches in training sessions and he always tends to have about 8 very average hurlers on his panels. These guys tend to be lads that if he asked to jog to training and jog home they would. He likes obedience and most people in Kilkenny would tell you that there are a lot of hurlers with All Ireland medals who are really lucky guys to have them. We do not have the conveyor belt that most counties seem to think we have and realistically if we took exception to the 22 main players we have, the rest are very average and realistically about lower Division 1 standard

solo (Kilkenny) - Posts: 314 - 06/04/2009 11:43:28    249253

Good man Loyal, " those were the days my friend" as the song used to go. Meath were indeed a force to be reckoned with. Now alas we only have Tyrone and Kerry dominating the last 10 years. I also agree with Breff when he says that some posters on here refuse to acknowledge Tyrone's achievements while heaping praise on Kilkenny. There is another song that goes "those rose coloured glasses" !!

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 06/04/2009 11:47:35    249264

Maybe they should start televising the Kilkenny senior Hurling Championship instead...

HokeyPokey (Tyrone) - Posts: 1744 - 06/04/2009 11:48:02    249266

Solo you claim you could name 8 very average hurlers on the kilkenny panal, care to name them.....????

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4655 - 06/04/2009 11:53:12    249274

I could but I won't. On a National Forum I would have more respect for the lads than to do so and while I do believe they are average they are still giving their time for my counties cause and I believe that they shouldn't have their names posted for that reason.
If pushed I would post them privately but not here for every one to see

solo (Kilkenny) - Posts: 314 - 06/04/2009 12:04:19    249288

Maybe they should start televising the Kilkenny senior Hurling Championship instead...

The Kilkenny County Championship isn't the best in the country. Galway teams have dominated the club hurling championship in the last 10 years. It's their collective brilliance that is unstoppable and probably most of all, their fear of failure. Look at how Cody drops players even when they have had a stormer the week before. Latest examples are Martin Comerford (3-2 versus Tipp, taken off at half time against Clare) and Richie Hogan played well against Tipp but was back on the bench for yesterdays game. It helps maintain a ferocious hunger even in the older players like Eddie Brennan.

I still believe if Galway can pull themselves together and with Joe Canning in top form, they can give Kilkenny a good rattle. Apart from a late lapse in 2007 when Brennan got in for the two goals, Galway were right with them. Without Joe and Ollie Canning.

CyberDave (Galway) - Posts: 45 - 06/04/2009 12:17:09    249308

Its never been less interesting, sure the Munster championship is always an open competition but if they think putting Team Joe Canning in Leinster will make any change think again. I always taught Waterford was the only county with the bottle to beat KK especially after the league final in 07 but even they areny immune from a walloping off them

trimmer (Meath) - Posts: 553 - 06/04/2009 12:28:49    249327

Personally I think the main problem with hurling at the moment is the lack of development at club level by other counties. Galway teams seem to be consistently good at club level and have produced some fantastic teams. A lot of other counties have extremely poor club teams. I have been involved in coaching for the past number of years and have seen a big drop in standards...particularly in Leinster. I have been involved with a couple of Junior clubs in Kilkenny and in Leinster competitions this team has beaten senior teams from Offaly, Wexford, and to a lesser extent Westmeath, Laois and Kildare. This same club has not been close to winning local championships.
Surely this is where the problem lies. I don't think its that Kilkenny is so far ahead but that other counties are actually poor. In my opinion there is no excuse for this.

solo (Kilkenny) - Posts: 314 - 06/04/2009 12:33:58    249343