Kilkenny manager Brian Cody is something else.
He has been at the helm of one of the most successful hurling teams in history and for ten of the last eleven years they have just sailed through Leinster.
Cody never puts a foot wrong in media when it comes to showing respect to the opposition no matter how poor but I wish just once that he would!
Yesterday he claimed after his team had just destroyed Wexford by 19 points that the Cats had been tested twice in Leinster this year against Offaly and Wexford!
That's Brian's codology at its best.
His team never had to get out of third gear at any stage of the game and when they upped their work rate they just blew the Model men away.
The current set-up allows the Cats to prepare for the All-Ireland series, a bit like Kerry do in Munster football, and they have hardly had to stretch themselves to make the All-Ireland semi finals.
Cody to his credit just gets on with it but it almost insults our intelligence to listen to the great man telling us his team had been tested, and yea pigs might fly!
The great thing about this Cats' team however, is that no matter what the system they would be in there at the death anyway as they are that good.
Showing posts with label Leinster. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leinster. Show all posts
Monday, 7 July 2008
Kill off the Leinster championship
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.
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.
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!
Saturday, 14 June 2008
Hurling set-up attracting poor crowds
The hurling championships are supposed to move up another gear this weekend with the semi finals in Leinster and the Ulster final.
The hurling public however, are voting with their feet on the current set-up.
By the time all three games are played, including the first outing of the All-Ireland champions Kilkenny, there will be fewer people at the three games this weekend than were in Cork last week for the Munster game between Cork and Tipp.
The GAA will not face any inquiries after this weekend's games about too many people trying to get into the ground!
Despite the much-awaited Dublin revival in hurling half of Nowlan Park was empty for today's game against Wexford.
It will be the same tomorrow when the Cats face Offaly and Antrim take on Down.
Tomorrow's games have a real air of predictability about them.
In the first we will be interested only in how long Offaly can live with the champions.
In Ulster even if Down win they won't have a place in this year's Liam McCarthy with Antrim already set to face Galway in a fortnight's time.
Outside of Munster the games lack any real meaning and I thought that today's crowd at what should be the only competitive hurling match of the weekend said it all about what the public think about the status quo.
This uneven and unfair build-up to the latter stages isn't doing anything to promote hurling, do we have to wait until the hurlers are playing in empty venues before this malaise is dealt with?
The hurling public however, are voting with their feet on the current set-up.
By the time all three games are played, including the first outing of the All-Ireland champions Kilkenny, there will be fewer people at the three games this weekend than were in Cork last week for the Munster game between Cork and Tipp.
The GAA will not face any inquiries after this weekend's games about too many people trying to get into the ground!
Despite the much-awaited Dublin revival in hurling half of Nowlan Park was empty for today's game against Wexford.
It will be the same tomorrow when the Cats face Offaly and Antrim take on Down.
Tomorrow's games have a real air of predictability about them.
In the first we will be interested only in how long Offaly can live with the champions.
In Ulster even if Down win they won't have a place in this year's Liam McCarthy with Antrim already set to face Galway in a fortnight's time.
Outside of Munster the games lack any real meaning and I thought that today's crowd at what should be the only competitive hurling match of the weekend said it all about what the public think about the status quo.
This uneven and unfair build-up to the latter stages isn't doing anything to promote hurling, do we have to wait until the hurlers are playing in empty venues before this malaise is dealt with?
Monday, 9 June 2008
Dubs don't impress me
Watched the Dubs yesterday against Louth in the Leinster championship and I don't think they are any closer to an All Ireland now than they have been for the last seven years.
Louth were terrible, lacking in almost every department and in fairness the Dubs put them away with a series of unanswered scores.
However, Dublin are still very much a Jeckell and Hyde team, purple patches to die for while serving up periods when you wonder how they are even in the mix.
They were very average on the first half and the period of dominance they enjoyed in the second half was triggered by a moment of madness in the Louth defence and the Wee County men were not good enough to respond after conceding a soft goal.
In fairness to the Dubs it isn't their fault the opposition was so poor but I didn't see anything new about them other than a good performance by Eamonn Fennell in midfield to suggest they have improved at all.
All of the old faults are still there, players doing the business in patches and an over reliance on Jason Sherlock to do anything clever or different.
They will once again be full of bluster but unless some of the other favourites shoot themselves in the foot they will have to settle for another semi final appearance.
Louth were terrible, lacking in almost every department and in fairness the Dubs put them away with a series of unanswered scores.
However, Dublin are still very much a Jeckell and Hyde team, purple patches to die for while serving up periods when you wonder how they are even in the mix.
They were very average on the first half and the period of dominance they enjoyed in the second half was triggered by a moment of madness in the Louth defence and the Wee County men were not good enough to respond after conceding a soft goal.
In fairness to the Dubs it isn't their fault the opposition was so poor but I didn't see anything new about them other than a good performance by Eamonn Fennell in midfield to suggest they have improved at all.
All of the old faults are still there, players doing the business in patches and an over reliance on Jason Sherlock to do anything clever or different.
They will once again be full of bluster but unless some of the other favourites shoot themselves in the foot they will have to settle for another semi final appearance.
Saturday, 7 June 2008
Dolan's class stands out from the pack
The Leinster game tonight between Offaly and Westmeath probably says everything about the state of the game in the province.
The first half was dreadful, error ridden and the some of the shooting was simply awful.
Westmeath have been criticised too of late for playing the 'Ulster' way.
That's about the fact tht they bring players back behind the ball in a effort to deny their opponents' space.
I have to laugh at the purists getting on their high horse about this type of football.
To me it's very simple, when you lose the ball you work hard to get it back again making it as difficult as possible for the opposition to score against you.
If this type of tactic was simply negative then I would be among the first to condemn it.
However, the best sides in Ulster, and now also Kerry and others, also know that by dropping players back that there are more opportunities for good half backs to break forward and for clever players like McGuigan, Dooher, Galvin and Brosnan to carry the ball forward.
The so-called Ulster style only works too when you have good forwards who can do the business.
Tyrone had Canavan, O'Neill and Mulligan up front while Armagh had Clarke, McDonnell and Marsden. As for the Kingdom Donaghy, the Gooch, Mike Frank and a choice of two to three others was also very tasty.
There is no substitute for class no matter how hard or how ugly you work and tonight Westmeath's Dessie Dolan stood out from the pack.
He took three points from play in the second half which were out of the top drawer helping his side draw away from Offaly at a crucial stage of the game.
Westmeath are an honest, hard working team which play to their strengths.
They are lacking in class however apart from Dolan but their high energy game will make them hard to beat.
They would probably relish the challenge of playing the Dubs in the semis as a match against the Metropolitans is always a big occasion.
Although the city side will be favourites to win tomorrow Louth will fancy their chances of putting it up to a weakened Dublin team.
If Louth can come through Westmeath would fancy their chances of a second Leinster title.
The first half was dreadful, error ridden and the some of the shooting was simply awful.
Westmeath have been criticised too of late for playing the 'Ulster' way.
That's about the fact tht they bring players back behind the ball in a effort to deny their opponents' space.
I have to laugh at the purists getting on their high horse about this type of football.
To me it's very simple, when you lose the ball you work hard to get it back again making it as difficult as possible for the opposition to score against you.
If this type of tactic was simply negative then I would be among the first to condemn it.
However, the best sides in Ulster, and now also Kerry and others, also know that by dropping players back that there are more opportunities for good half backs to break forward and for clever players like McGuigan, Dooher, Galvin and Brosnan to carry the ball forward.
The so-called Ulster style only works too when you have good forwards who can do the business.
Tyrone had Canavan, O'Neill and Mulligan up front while Armagh had Clarke, McDonnell and Marsden. As for the Kingdom Donaghy, the Gooch, Mike Frank and a choice of two to three others was also very tasty.
There is no substitute for class no matter how hard or how ugly you work and tonight Westmeath's Dessie Dolan stood out from the pack.
He took three points from play in the second half which were out of the top drawer helping his side draw away from Offaly at a crucial stage of the game.
Westmeath are an honest, hard working team which play to their strengths.
They are lacking in class however apart from Dolan but their high energy game will make them hard to beat.
They would probably relish the challenge of playing the Dubs in the semis as a match against the Metropolitans is always a big occasion.
Although the city side will be favourites to win tomorrow Louth will fancy their chances of putting it up to a weakened Dublin team.
If Louth can come through Westmeath would fancy their chances of a second Leinster title.
Sunday, 1 June 2008
Wexford light up championship
Wexford lit up the football championship today with their amazing comeback to beat Meath by a point.
The Model men were absolutely cavalier in the second half throwing caution to the wind as they steamed forward to overturn a ten-point deficit.
The game looked over just before half time when Graham Geraghty was class personified to finish Meath's second goal.
However, Jason Ryan's team just never gave up even when Meath cancelled out Wexford's good start to the second half.
The other impressive thing about this Wexford effort was the fact that the scores were well spread out.
The Model men have relied heavily on Mattie Forde to come up with the goods in their recent campaigns but Lyng, Redmond Barry and PJ Banville all got big scores.
Wexford had a good league campaign and the confidence gained from that stood them in good stead today but what can you say about Forde.
Cometh the hour cometh the man and in the dying moments he scored two points which were out of the top drawer.
The first, the equaliser, was from a free from distance and the winner was another great strike.
Great players produce when the pressure is on and Forde did that in spades today.
The Leinster football championship continues to be the most open and entertaining in the country, it is a treat to watch but until their sides also learn to win ugly they will still fall in the latter stages of the All Ireland.
The Model men were absolutely cavalier in the second half throwing caution to the wind as they steamed forward to overturn a ten-point deficit.
The game looked over just before half time when Graham Geraghty was class personified to finish Meath's second goal.
However, Jason Ryan's team just never gave up even when Meath cancelled out Wexford's good start to the second half.
The other impressive thing about this Wexford effort was the fact that the scores were well spread out.
The Model men have relied heavily on Mattie Forde to come up with the goods in their recent campaigns but Lyng, Redmond Barry and PJ Banville all got big scores.
Wexford had a good league campaign and the confidence gained from that stood them in good stead today but what can you say about Forde.
Cometh the hour cometh the man and in the dying moments he scored two points which were out of the top drawer.
The first, the equaliser, was from a free from distance and the winner was another great strike.
Great players produce when the pressure is on and Forde did that in spades today.
The Leinster football championship continues to be the most open and entertaining in the country, it is a treat to watch but until their sides also learn to win ugly they will still fall in the latter stages of the All Ireland.
Sunday, 25 May 2008
Leinster crying out for a make-over
Offaly simply brushed Laois aside today in the first round clash in Leinster but the hurling fare on show was very poor.
Laois are just not up to the task, they have really slipped further behind in the province, and Brian Cody will not have been frightened by anything he saw today when his All-Ireland champions face the Faithful County in the Leinster semi final.
Joe Dooley on the other hand has a huge task on his hands to turn Offaly's fortunes round.
I think the two games in Leinster today just make the case for Antrim and Galway to compete in the Leinster competition undeniable.
Galway would be a real contender for the title and their inclusion and Antrim's would at least make the earlier rounds a bit more meaningful as the Saffrons on their day are capable of beating anyone else in the southern province outside of the Cats.
The Munster championship starts next week and I am really looking forward to what at least should be some competitive hurling played by two sides who have a lot to prove.
I can't wait as what has passed for championship hurling in Ulster and Leinster so far just doesn't cut it.
Laois are just not up to the task, they have really slipped further behind in the province, and Brian Cody will not have been frightened by anything he saw today when his All-Ireland champions face the Faithful County in the Leinster semi final.
Joe Dooley on the other hand has a huge task on his hands to turn Offaly's fortunes round.
I think the two games in Leinster today just make the case for Antrim and Galway to compete in the Leinster competition undeniable.
Galway would be a real contender for the title and their inclusion and Antrim's would at least make the earlier rounds a bit more meaningful as the Saffrons on their day are capable of beating anyone else in the southern province outside of the Cats.
The Munster championship starts next week and I am really looking forward to what at least should be some competitive hurling played by two sides who have a lot to prove.
I can't wait as what has passed for championship hurling in Ulster and Leinster so far just doesn't cut it.
Dubs fail to convince
The Dubs did the business in the Leinster hurling championship but despite their big win they will have to up their game dramatically against Wexford in the semi final.
In some ways Dublin couldn't win today, they had to win and they had to win convincingly if they were to be taken as serious contenders in the province.
They did the business but Westmeath made it tight for them for the first half before the city side put them to the sword.
Dublin need to improve and there is a lot of pressure on them to do the business against the Model County.
Wexford have always been capable of one big performance in the championship, they will throw the kitchen sink at the Dubs to retain their place in the province's pecking order so it will at least add a little interest to what remains a very weak championship.
In some ways Dublin couldn't win today, they had to win and they had to win convincingly if they were to be taken as serious contenders in the province.
They did the business but Westmeath made it tight for them for the first half before the city side put them to the sword.
Dublin need to improve and there is a lot of pressure on them to do the business against the Model County.
Wexford have always been capable of one big performance in the championship, they will throw the kitchen sink at the Dubs to retain their place in the province's pecking order so it will at least add a little interest to what remains a very weak championship.
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
New hurling format clear as mud!
Is it just me or do other GAA people find the new hurling format as clear as mud?
I'm delighted that an t-Uachtaran Nickey Brennan understands it well enough to say that the new qualifier format should make for a great year's hurling.
I confess to being absolutely baffled.
However, there are a couple of things I am clear about, one that the game's not straight under this system and secondly it does little or nothing to promote hurling in Connacht or Ulster.
Now if anyone reckons I have lost the plot on this one or simply don't understand the set-up then feel free to let me know as you're probably right.
Firstly I welcome the fact that the qualifiers are being played on a knockout basis.
The experiment with the round robin system for losers in the provinces was as interesting as watching paint dry with big sides trapped in them going through the motions to get the required results while all the games bar usually the final one of the three lacking bite and drama.
So I am a big fan of the knockout element.
But for me that's as good as it gets with the new format.
My first problem is that Antrim and Galway have to play in Qualifier 1, which means that one whole province will have no home interest in the championship early in the season, this year it will be Ulster.
Secondly the new system puts first round and semi final losers in Leinster and Munster on a par.
This may have been true in the '60s and maybe again in the'80s and '90s but let's be honest the Leinster Championship is now crap and it's a long time since it was genuinely competitive.
It is Kilkenny and the also rans and to be straight the other sides in Leinster are on a par with Antrim so why couldn't the Saffrons have been playing first round losers from Leinster in the first qualifying game?
And as the season progresses the Munster sides who lose in the semis and the final are far superior to anything which Leinster has to offer and this gives the Leinster sides a status their results simply don't deserve.
And if anyone believes that the Leinster sides will catch up in the next three years I'll send them all a crackerjack pencil if they're right.
If we are going down this route then teams should have been seeded on their performances instead of rewarded on the basis of an antiquated championship set-up which is stuck in an age when Leinster sides outside the Cats were still at the races.
I'm delighted that an t-Uachtaran Nickey Brennan understands it well enough to say that the new qualifier format should make for a great year's hurling.
I confess to being absolutely baffled.
However, there are a couple of things I am clear about, one that the game's not straight under this system and secondly it does little or nothing to promote hurling in Connacht or Ulster.
Now if anyone reckons I have lost the plot on this one or simply don't understand the set-up then feel free to let me know as you're probably right.
Firstly I welcome the fact that the qualifiers are being played on a knockout basis.
The experiment with the round robin system for losers in the provinces was as interesting as watching paint dry with big sides trapped in them going through the motions to get the required results while all the games bar usually the final one of the three lacking bite and drama.
So I am a big fan of the knockout element.
But for me that's as good as it gets with the new format.
My first problem is that Antrim and Galway have to play in Qualifier 1, which means that one whole province will have no home interest in the championship early in the season, this year it will be Ulster.
Secondly the new system puts first round and semi final losers in Leinster and Munster on a par.
This may have been true in the '60s and maybe again in the'80s and '90s but let's be honest the Leinster Championship is now crap and it's a long time since it was genuinely competitive.
It is Kilkenny and the also rans and to be straight the other sides in Leinster are on a par with Antrim so why couldn't the Saffrons have been playing first round losers from Leinster in the first qualifying game?
And as the season progresses the Munster sides who lose in the semis and the final are far superior to anything which Leinster has to offer and this gives the Leinster sides a status their results simply don't deserve.
And if anyone believes that the Leinster sides will catch up in the next three years I'll send them all a crackerjack pencil if they're right.
If we are going down this route then teams should have been seeded on their performances instead of rewarded on the basis of an antiquated championship set-up which is stuck in an age when Leinster sides outside the Cats were still at the races.
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