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Sambo & Woody are going. Where have they taken us?

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How better off are we after 3 or 4 years of Sambo and Woody at the helm than we were with Jingo? I think we have taken a few steps back and that was hard

BostonMA (USA) - Posts: 85 - 05/06/2009 12:17:54    302574

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Agree 100%, as do the vast majority of Antrim people.

HongKongPhooey (Antrim) - Posts: 93 - 05/06/2009 15:18:57    302750

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Think Antrim have gone back the past few years but can you really blame the management? Antrim is a club orientated county and the inter city club hatred and city versus rural hatred will always work against the management whoever they are, let's be honest about it. I stopped watching the county sides a while back as there is no real heart there anymore, especially hurling. Belfast has lost all interest in the game because of what's going on in the county.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9825 - 07/06/2009 22:38:40    304322

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just wonderin from a wexford point of view do we have anything ta fear from dublin

gusseraneman (Wexford) - Posts: 521 - 07/06/2009 23:29:58    304367

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Yes! Don't read too much into what happened yesterday.

Hard luck to Antrim. Some good performances in the backs and midfield. Strange game and the wierd wind didn't help anyone.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 08/06/2009 10:48:41    304538

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I think you are being a bit harsh on S&M. They threw in a huge amount of youngsters at the start of their reign, probably a bit too young but it'll be a year or two before Antrim reap the benefits of the likes of McAuley, Donnelly, Graffin, McManus, Shields etc getting blooded in these games, not so sure about CJ though as he is afforded a loose role with St Galls and there's no loose roles at that level where he'll need to start winning his own ball

Wullie Mageean (None) - Posts: 211 - 08/06/2009 12:13:52    304662

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Sorry folks but the blame rest squarely on the shoulders of Sambo and woody and those who rushed to appoint them at the start. They have continually shown that they are not up to the task of coaching senior hurlers. The difference in body language between the coaches was interesting. Daly pacing the line and constantly encouraging his players whilst our coach stood with the hands in pockets. ..says it all really. I think they should go now even before the next game. Sorry lads, thanks for the time and all but its just been a disaster fom the start .

HongKongPhooey (Antrim) - Posts: 93 - 08/06/2009 15:18:02    304921

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for me it's a disgrace that the likes of CJ was brought into the panel in the first place cause he couldn't make the top three senior 1st teams. It's as simple as that. He comes with too much baggage and is so over rated it's scarey. the is the last i will talk about him.Im not getting down on the players, i think that we have some very talented players, the likes of Aaron Graffin, Neal McAuley and Neil McManus, all very skillful players but when they're being backed up with players who are very, very, very average club players we're on a hiding to nothing! I state again, we have gone back massively.

BostonMA (USA) - Posts: 85 - 08/06/2009 18:29:05    305237

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We are, where we are. S&W, McKernan, Dinny Cahill, the mgmt teams have come and gone, tried their best but the level remains the same. Players have also changed. Maybe the answer isn't at the top, maybe it lies with the 4 & 5 yr olds of today.
10-15 yrs ago the Dubs put huge effort into juvenile Hurling, they also convinced County Board to put it, almost, on a par with the fball. How many clubs in Antrim don't play hurling - a lot, how many primary schools dont play hurling evry week - nearly all of them. That has to change.
The county team is picked from too small a club player base, the player base has to be doubled. The Dubs managed to treble their club player base in 10 years by building from the bottom up.
Very impressed by the committment shown by the Antrim players, fantastic effort, and very unlucky to get beaten by 10 points.
No harm to anyone from Wexford but I hope the Dubs make it through to the final. It will be a just reward for the likes of Tommy Naughton, Humphrey and all the juv club coaches who brought them to this level.

cpm10 (Meath) - Posts: 12 - 09/06/2009 13:53:28    306182

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time is up sambo and woody

nothappy (Antrim) - Posts: 47 - 28/06/2009 12:03:52    325218

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Sambo and Woody are finished - get Jingo back. If Jingo had of been in charge of Antrim today we would've sailed home. Having said that, Down were lucky to get Antrim on such a bad day defensively.

A win today was vital to keep the confidence going for Laois next weekend which is a vital match for Antrim. I feel Down are a better tram than Laois so it was good to win today whilst still in second gear.

M Lyster (Antrim) - Posts: 471 - 29/06/2009 02:45:31    325960

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A win today was vital to keep the confidence going for Laois next weekend which is a vital match for Antrim. I feel Down are a better tram than Laois so it was good to win today whilst still in second gear.

If a car is stuck in second gear for so long, you gotta wonder if there even is a third, fourth or fifth gear.

Antrim are a better team than Down, granted, but i think Antrim suffer from the big fish in a small pond mentality as you're certainly not up the levels you think you are and still a bit short of the second tier in hurling, and the likes of Offaly, Wexford, Clare etc. The days of '89 are gone and distant memories but at least you have them.

Wullie Mageean (None) - Posts: 211 - 01/07/2009 11:57:55    328556

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Sambo/Woody don't let the door hit you on the way out. After tonight's result it's the Christy Ring for Antrim next year. Will we even be allowed to remain in Leinster?

M Lyster (Antrim) - Posts: 471 - 04/07/2009 20:52:34    332179

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Disasterous result. We hadn't lost a game to Laois in a few years. Players on holiday during the championship is always a bad sign. We might still sneak it against Offaly, but do we really deserve to? We need a Baker for the hurling really. I believe we have the talent, we need the organisation and training.

pearsesabu (Antrim) - Posts: 663 - 04/07/2009 21:12:16    332195

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It's very dissapointing that we lost tonight to Laois. We lost by only 3 points but what is hard to take is the fact that two of our better players are in Portugal on holiday. I mean surely when you only normally play 3 or 4 championship games a season you can keep your diary free?

The manager Terence McNaughton didn't get back from holiday on Thursday. Basically the management must go immediately and those two players should consider themselves extremely fortunate if they ever play for Antrim again.

I don't expect Antrim to be the best team in the World but I think we should at least be properly organised and motivated and this is clearly not the case.

We can say we're disadvantaged as it's a long way to go for good challenge matches (though not as far as Portugal tellingly), we can say we're in a football province, we can blame the troubles, we can blame the GAA for not investing enough in Belfast like they do Dublin and we can go about formats and how the minors aren't in Leinster BUT sometimes we just gotta look at ourselves.

When we do that - then we find out the real reason we're not succeeding. If you ask me whingers lose, losers whinge.

BelfastFella (Antrim) - Posts: 60 - 04/07/2009 23:57:29    332410

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Very very poor, hurling in the county is on a real downer especially in Belfast. It's been in decline in the city for a few years with more & more kids wanting to play gaelic football & soccer. Back to the point, Sambo & Woody have been great servants to the county but should now stand aside as we have gone way way back under their management. If the players cannot be motivated under these two we are in serious trouble. However many of the hurlers should just look at themselves; some of them think that once picked for the county that's it and they swan about with their big heads and egos. They are a joke and if they cannot stir themselves after what the footballers did they should go and play another sport. I know this will be controversial but the North Antrim boys REALLY need to wise up and get real. They think they are the Antrim real deal players but in reality, on the National stage, are proved time and again as third rate players whose performances show they don't belong with the elite. They are NOT as good as they think they are, should lose the anti-Belfast chip and start to work for the county instead of running about with their arrogance all the time. We need someone without ties to the Glens to take the county forward.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9825 - 05/07/2009 00:15:16    332429

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Well said. There are far too many Antrim hurlers who are happy to flaunt about in their Antrim Senior Hurling Panel polo shirts, rain jackets, fleeces and sports bags etc. They believe 100% that getting on the Antrim Senior Hurling Panel is the be all and end all. How pathetic they appear. No doubt the two holidaymakers, posted missing for the Laois game, were swaning around Portugal is such gear.

BelfastFella (Antrim) - Posts: 60 - 06/07/2009 12:56:42    333847

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' I know this will be controversial but the North Antrim boys REALLY need to wise up and get real. They think they are the Antrim real deal players but in reality, on the National stage, are proved time and again as third rate players whose performances show they don't belong with the elite. They are NOT as good as they think they are, should lose the anti-Belfast chip and start to work for the county instead of running about with their arrogance all the time. We need someone without ties to the Glens to take the county forward'

Above is part of a quote from Ulsterman who seems to be blaming Antrims hurling woes on North Antrim players and clubs.

IN the last 30 years i.e. from 1979, one team from Belfast has won the Senior Hurling Championship twice and that is O' Donovan Rossa, no other Belfast side has featured, with the rest of the titles being divided up by McQuillans Ballycastle, Ruairi Og Cushendall, Shamrocks Loughgiel and Cuchullains Dunloy, you guessed all North Antrim teams.

I know Sambo and Woody personally and they can only work with the players they've got. It is not there fault that the majority of decent hurlers that are in Antrim are from North Antrim.

In the All County Hurling League Div 1, the only Belfast team in the Division are St Johns and no disrespect to them, they are no big shakes and wouldn't be seen as a big team.

Belfast has to get its own house in order and get there clubs competing at a higher level, if you dont and i hate to say it, hurling will die in Belfast.

In North Antrim the work is getting done with our future players at u8, 10, 12 and 14 level, with good coaching camps, blitzes, development squads and our u12 and u14 leagues are attracting applications from other teams in other counties and also Belfast teams as well.

I know this is to late to help Sambo and Woodys tenure as county managers but this will be the same for whatever manager comes in for the next 5 - 10 years and probably the hurling in Belfast will still be in a sorry state

goalgetter (Antrim) - Posts: 87 - 08/07/2009 08:26:58    336766

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I couldn't really care if the players are from North Antrim or South Antrim or East Antrim or West Antrim or hybrids (South-West Antrim and North East Antrim etc.) I only ask that ANTRIM players turn up for championship matches and put a reasonable amount of effort in.

I mean we only play 3 or 4 of these Championship games a season so that's not too much to ask surely?! I mean surely it takes more time, money and effort to get to Portugal than Laois.

The players must realise that there's more to hurling life than getting a polo shirt with 'Antrim Senior Panel' inscribed on it. Why not just turn up for Laois and try and win it - I mean we could have beat those guys with a bit more committment I reckon.

BelfastFella (Antrim) - Posts: 60 - 08/07/2009 15:09:14    337364

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Goalgetter -- South Antrim will be getting their 'act togather ' as you put it . Watch out for a south antrim hurling team in the NHL. Gonna happen soon. Also a belfast equivalent of the feis cup that will play whenever the clubs want to with ALL players.
We're back in the dark ages due to nothing but north antrim bias.. and also everyone knows that when you're up against it the north antrim boys are the 1st to throw the head up ..time & time again
South Antrims best 15 would beat North Antrims best 15 everytime ..

HongKongPhooey (Antrim) - Posts: 93 - 08/07/2009 15:31:23    337404

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