The half time break in the Leinster hurling championship should carry a health warning that the second 35 minutes is for over 18s only given the slaughter Kilkenny inflicted on Wexford.
There was a time when the Leinster final was a contest for around 50 minutes before the Cats began to pull away but from the moment Eddie Brennan scored early in the second half it was murder.
The game became a turkey shoot as Wexford's hurlers remembered all the other recent bad beatings they have suffered at the Cats' hands in recent seasons and reached for their crash helmets.
Surely someone in Croke Park is looking at the attendances in what has become a meaningless fixture.
There is little or no atmosphere given that the game is still being played in Croke Park which is more than two thirds empty.
Leinster is on the verge of dying of lack of interest let's kill it off now before it becomes too frightening to watch.
Showing posts with label Kilkenny. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kilkenny. Show all posts
Monday, 7 July 2008
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Leinster should have made the move
The Leinster Council has admitted that it considered moving this Sunday's hurling final out of Croke Park.
The council says it expects little more than 25,000 for the Wexford Kilkenny clash and they looked at moving the final out of headquarters to a ground in the province which might have retained some of the atmosphere at the provincial showpiece.
The expected 25,000 will look sparse at Croke Park downgrading what is a very poor championship even further.
Even at its best the Leinster showpiece attracted crowds of only between 35,000 and 40,000 but given that the final has become an annual outing for the Cats to show just how far ahead of the posse they are it is rarely even a spectacle.
Wexford don't have a snowball's this Sunday and the world and its ma knows it, it's a surprise given the hidings the Cats have dished out to the Modle men in recent seasons that 25,000 would even bother to make the trip up to Dublin.
It's a pity therefore that the game can't be played in a ground where at least the punters can get value for money from the atmosphere even if the match becomes the usual non event.
The council says it expects little more than 25,000 for the Wexford Kilkenny clash and they looked at moving the final out of headquarters to a ground in the province which might have retained some of the atmosphere at the provincial showpiece.
The expected 25,000 will look sparse at Croke Park downgrading what is a very poor championship even further.
Even at its best the Leinster showpiece attracted crowds of only between 35,000 and 40,000 but given that the final has become an annual outing for the Cats to show just how far ahead of the posse they are it is rarely even a spectacle.
Wexford don't have a snowball's this Sunday and the world and its ma knows it, it's a surprise given the hidings the Cats have dished out to the Modle men in recent seasons that 25,000 would even bother to make the trip up to Dublin.
It's a pity therefore that the game can't be played in a ground where at least the punters can get value for money from the atmosphere even if the match becomes the usual non event.
Sunday, 15 June 2008
Stop the Leinster championship it's murder!
It was men against boys today in the Leinster hurling championship as the Cats gave Offaly the sort of beating which wouldn't be allowed in a boxing ring.
I wrote yesterday that it would be a matter of how long Offaly could hang in there with the All-Ireland champions in what clearly was a mismatch.
As it turned out it took the Cats half an hour to get their ass in gear and when Henry Shefflin found Martin Comerford for the first goal it was goodnight Irene.
After that the game was torture for Offaly and nuetral fans alike.
It was training ground stuff for the Cats but this annual lap of honour through Leinster can't be allowed to continue.
It's not fair on the rest of the country, well Munster anyway that the Cats are able to train for the All-Ireland semis as only a tragedy on the scale of the Munich Air Disaster could stop the Cats in Leinster.
The crowds are poor and after today's game it can only get worse next year.
Either we scrub the provincials, bring in Antrim and Galway or we move to a format involving the Munster five, the Cats, Galway and one out of Dublin, Wexford, Offaly and Antrim and the rest play in an Intermediate championship a step up from the Christy Ring.
We do this up and down the country in all our county championships as it's recognised that there is a competition needed to bridge the gap between junior and senior.
There are too many meaningless games being played at the moment where teams are having their confidence destroyed, crowds are bored senseless, there only because their county is playing and where the ref should stop the fight.
Unfortunately the provincial councils will wait until more people are at a bus stop than at a Leinster championship game before they act!
I wrote yesterday that it would be a matter of how long Offaly could hang in there with the All-Ireland champions in what clearly was a mismatch.
As it turned out it took the Cats half an hour to get their ass in gear and when Henry Shefflin found Martin Comerford for the first goal it was goodnight Irene.
After that the game was torture for Offaly and nuetral fans alike.
It was training ground stuff for the Cats but this annual lap of honour through Leinster can't be allowed to continue.
It's not fair on the rest of the country, well Munster anyway that the Cats are able to train for the All-Ireland semis as only a tragedy on the scale of the Munich Air Disaster could stop the Cats in Leinster.
The crowds are poor and after today's game it can only get worse next year.
Either we scrub the provincials, bring in Antrim and Galway or we move to a format involving the Munster five, the Cats, Galway and one out of Dublin, Wexford, Offaly and Antrim and the rest play in an Intermediate championship a step up from the Christy Ring.
We do this up and down the country in all our county championships as it's recognised that there is a competition needed to bridge the gap between junior and senior.
There are too many meaningless games being played at the moment where teams are having their confidence destroyed, crowds are bored senseless, there only because their county is playing and where the ref should stop the fight.
Unfortunately the provincial councils will wait until more people are at a bus stop than at a Leinster championship game before they act!
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
Shefflin return great for hurling
Good news for the hurling championship is that Henry Shefflin may return to club action by the end of this month after suffering a cruciate ligament injury in last year's All-Ireland final.
Shefflin is a truly great player. His skill and accuracy has been legendary.
He has a great knack of keeping the scoreboard ticking over with his brilliant free taking and often when the Cats have struggled Shefflin has kept them within striking distance until they hit form.
There is no weaknesses in his game, he is brave in the air, has great timing and catching and as well as being a prolific scorer his awareness of the runs of his team mates is second to none.
He was missed in the National League campaign and to be honest the Cats looked almost human without him.
The big test for Shefflin will be however, can he reach full match fitness between the end of this month and August when the Cats will begin to play meaningful games, Leinster will be the usual walk in the park so at least manager Brian Cody won't be rushed into risking him.
The hurling championship will be the real winner if Shefflin does come back into contention as he's worth the admission fee on his own when his genius is in full flight.
Shefflin is a truly great player. His skill and accuracy has been legendary.
He has a great knack of keeping the scoreboard ticking over with his brilliant free taking and often when the Cats have struggled Shefflin has kept them within striking distance until they hit form.
There is no weaknesses in his game, he is brave in the air, has great timing and catching and as well as being a prolific scorer his awareness of the runs of his team mates is second to none.
He was missed in the National League campaign and to be honest the Cats looked almost human without him.
The big test for Shefflin will be however, can he reach full match fitness between the end of this month and August when the Cats will begin to play meaningful games, Leinster will be the usual walk in the park so at least manager Brian Cody won't be rushed into risking him.
The hurling championship will be the real winner if Shefflin does come back into contention as he's worth the admission fee on his own when his genius is in full flight.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)