Killarney 87
I think that we will find it difficult to win the Munster final but our opponents wont get a stroll in the park either. There were certainly a few contributors to different threads here and a few in the media who made out Tipp were 'ambushed' in the Gaelic Grounds last year and they were certain to RIGHT that wrong in Thurles yesterday. Bookies had Tipp at 7/2 for God sake. Surely this was madness considering Limerick were playing with what could only be an improved team from last year, with Dowling and Downes starting, and were the reigning champions. It could also be said that if David Breen had taken that goal chance about 10 minutes from the close in 2012 LK would have also won. Also from ages past the favorites have struggled in Tipp/Limerick clashes. Down through the years some of Limericks best championship performance have followed poor displays in the league and this was also overlooked by people, who as Donie Ryan said (of sports journalists), 'Lads ye know nothing about hurling', (in 2007 after Limerick 'ambushed' Waterford).

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4496 - 02/06/2014 16:33:43    1596885

Tipp are in a re building stage. What has gone wrong with Tipp 09 Munster champions and all Ireland finalist,2010 all Ireland champions, 2011 Munster champions and all Ireland finalist, 2012 Munster champions, so beaten in 2013 and still in championship in 14 some Counties would call that a golden era. Some are missing the fact we had to contest three of them all Irelands against the greatest team to ever play the game, the other part ye are missing nearly half of that 2010 team are gone and we are right in the middle of building a new team, unlike other Counties we are still competing and have not gone away while we re build, also won minor all Ireland in 2012.

therealtmo (Tipperary) - Posts: 1292 - 02/06/2014 16:33:57    1596886

Killarney
How could you say Gavin O'Mahoney was that good yesterday? His man Gearoid Ryan, a debutant in Munster Championship Hurling, got 1-2 off him and he was 20 yards away from him when he got two of those scores in what on another day might have been killer blows.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4496 - 02/06/2014 16:42:36    1596890

My own view, for what it's worth, is that Tipp players basically want to go out an play hurling, 15, against 15. They don't want to have to be bothered with tactics and systems. Unfortunately for them Cork are about the only team left that like to play that way, also.

Tipp are currently caught between two stools, the players want to go out and play hurling but that wasn't working in the league, so O'Shea reverted to a sweeper type system and that seemed to work against Dublin and to an extent against Kilkenny in the final. But its all too obvious to work out, it needs to be fluid, Brendan Maher was ineffective for large parts of that game yesterday, so why not change it? There was no plan B.

Wee Davy isn't afraid to go man to man if he thinks it'll work for him, no spare man against Cork, albeit the whole team barring the fulforward line were withdrawn deep to run into the spaces left in there. He uses the sweeper against Galway, stifled their main scoring threat, job done.

Tipp need to evolve more, they have the players, just not playing as a unit that's happy or sure of what is being asked of them.

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 02/06/2014 16:44:15    1596893

RebelCork - what about ourselves. I don't think Cork people are in any position to critise Tipperary.

Why? What does where I was born or the Cork hurling team have to do with the state the Tipperary team is in? Cork are plenty of things but mentally weak isn't one, don't know why you find them to be relevant to me criticising Tipp.

RebelCork (Cork) - Posts: 789 - 02/06/2014 17:25:49    1596922

Gearoid Ryan made his Tipp championship debut in 2010 against Wexford.

Killarney.87 (Tipperary) - Posts: 2513 - 02/06/2014 18:47:41    1596972

RebelCork, I'll only say one thing because this thread is about Tipperary: If Cork aren't mentally weak, then what the hell is the matter with them? They're all good hurlers, but why do they stand around letting the opposition toy with them. Where's the pride and passion?

Midleton (Cork) - Posts: 644 - 02/06/2014 19:10:54    1596982

Don't write off Tipp yet

Brianmac78 (Dublin) - Posts: 1168 - 02/06/2014 19:19:41    1596985

Rebelcork your comment on Tipp is a disgrace.Id be worried about your own counties abysmal form since ye last won an all ireland nearly 10 years ago.At least Tipp have won an all ireland,got to a couple more,won a few Munster finals and lost narrowly in three league finals to the greatest team of all time.Tipp have done a lot more than cork over the last 6 years so why dont u start a thread on why it is nearly 10 years since ye have won an all ireland.Judging by last week yell be waiting a few more years yet.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 02/06/2014 19:59:02    1597004

By your logic, since Cork drew a Munster QF against Waterford and now can't win an AI then Clare couldn't have one last year (or for the next few) because Cork hammered them in the semi-final last year?

RebelCork (Cork) - Posts: 789 - 02/06/2014 21:09:28    1597046

Tipp are to soft and have no bottle.

4bythenore (Kilkenny) - Posts: 360 - 02/06/2014 21:16:10    1597053

*won

RebelCork (Cork) - Posts: 789 - 02/06/2014 21:42:32    1597067

Killarney
Stand corrected on GR nevertheless he seemed to get acres of room from our man and his finish for that goal was stunning. As I say he could have killed us off another day.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4496 - 02/06/2014 21:54:06    1597072

Oldtourman we tried to play 5 backs in their positions and the 6 th hickey as a roaming defender on McGrath. On balance it worked well but the price u pay is that there will be room for clever players like GR. I too thought he was good esp for first game back

disillusiondfan (Limerick) - Posts: 4279 - 02/06/2014 22:00:29    1597078

In direct answer to the above question is it possible Tipp have held on to, and tend to over rely on, players like Corbett, Kelly, Curran and John O'Brien for too long. Those men all played in 2001 and seem to be still on the panel. Tipp have had some exceptional underage panels at both U21 and Minor level since then and have they really put enough into bringing on enough of those players to the top level. Eoin Kelly (last year ) and Lar came on against limerick on Sun but both men made little impression. Perhaps its time to go for a more youthful profile.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4496 - 03/06/2014 09:20:28    1597094

What separated Kilkenny from the rest for so long was work rate. A great hurler like Henry Shefflin was always willing to win his own ball, dirty or not, and always showed huge work rate like the other players around him. Too many Tipp forwards were waiting for it to happen against Limerick rather than work for it. Even in their successful days, around 2009/2101, they lacked that extra step up in work rate to be classed as brilliant.

Work rate is one problem, another is indiscipline and that probably comes a s a result of poor work rate. I posted here after the league final that Tipp are an indisciplined team. Much was made from Tipp fans regarding the two penalties awarded to Kilkenny in that final. Well, rugby tackles were never part of hurling and whoever is responsible for introducing that and persistent pulling and dragging to the Tipp game is to blame for the many frees being awarded against the team, not the officials.

Tipp must change tactics and work harder around the pitch - that still doesn't guarantee them success. They must also stop moaning on about criticism and E O'Shea needs to talk hurling!

westisthebest (Galway) - Posts: 444 - 03/06/2014 10:10:09    1597119

2009/2010 of course, they're hardly going to dominate to 2101!

westisthebest (Galway) - Posts: 444 - 03/06/2014 10:29:20    1597130

If only it was 2009 - 2101 :) I'd imagine it would get boring from about 2015 onwards.

Sheedy and co leaving didn't help because we may have pushed on but that's only idle speculation at this stage. It was great to reach the summit in 2010, it would be 10 times worst if we hadn't landed that championship.

Killarney.87 (Tipperary) - Posts: 2513 - 03/06/2014 17:58:39    1597501