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National Hurling League 2022

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Can never understand media attitude towards Dublin. Bar one year under Daly they're a consistently poor side, Antrim and Laois have both beaten them in championship in recent years, their only advantage is Parnell Park, they're not in the top 8 teams and rarely are.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1512 - 07/03/2022 16:35:05    2404323

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Replying To wexico15:  "We're they missing that many? O'Donnell is an absolutely massive loss, to me that's like Tipp without Paidi Maher when he was at his peak but as Shane Dowling (very good pundit btw) mentioned last night that 12 of there outfield players have started all 4 league games and O'Donnell not crying off would have made it 13. I do think they were to bad to be true on Saturday, there playing each other in Parnell on May 14 or 15 I'd be shocked if it was as 1 sided towards either team."
Missing Mark Schutte, Cian O Callaghan, Cian Boland, Liam Rushe etc too for most or all of this season.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12152 - 07/03/2022 17:07:48    2404331

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Replying To Viking66:  "Missing Mark Schutte, Cian O Callaghan, Cian Boland, Liam Rushe etc too for most or all of this season."
That's true regards Rushe and Boland, O'Callaghan has played in this years league, think he's started all 4 games, Schutte hasn't been 1st choice for 5-6 years I'd say, has been plagued by injuries was in the football panel for a period too.

bostonredsox (Wexford) - Posts: 4368 - 07/03/2022 17:18:52    2404338

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Replying To wexico15:  "That's true regards Rushe and Boland, O'Callaghan has played in this years league, think he's started all 4 games, Schutte hasn't been 1st choice for 5-6 years I'd say, has been plagued by injuries was in the football panel for a period too."
Schutte 1st choice last year started the Leinster semi against Galway I think and/or maybe the final also. Hasnt been with the footballers in over 5 years. Up or down they all missed the game last weekend Wexico. O'Donnell obviously the big loss he drives Dublin on.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12152 - 07/03/2022 17:57:15    2404344

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Replying To wexico15:  "If I was a Limerick supporter I'd be a small bit but only a small more concerned about their league form compared to last year, in 2021 even though they looked unconvincing early on in the league they still produced a statement performance against Cork to remind everyone who is top of the three, I taught that might happen yesterday with the selection of 12 former or current all stars plus the 3 emerging u20 stars and no obvious starter in the subs, they are still strong favourites for the all ireland with Waterford and Cork joint 2nd in my view. Games on Saturday evening we're odd, hard to fathom how poor Dublin were while Cork and Galway had no cut to it although you could understand the headspace of the Galway players not been 100% following the awful news about Paul Shefflin. Laois and Antrim was probably the game of the weekend followed by Clare/Limerick although the standard did drop in Ennis in the final 20 mins the excitement remained."
We've had the players in the past. Mind you not as many as the current panel. In the past decent players like Tommy Ryan, Brian O'Halloran and some others had no option but to retire as they would not be good enough with what is coming off the bench today. Even Shane Bennett is a long shot after looking like a huge prospect and the better of the three one time. He stepped away for two years after 2017 when he was way too young to have been thrown out in that cauldron. Both things have effected him. Patrick Curran however stuck with it and is excellent now. Again thrown in too young and injury plagued earlier because of it. I said four years ago that Billy Kiely would be a sensation down the road. He is still two years away from his best. A Tipp player hit him yesterday and fell off him like a match stick. He is the second coming of Dan but I think a bit tougher. .
We have won nothing yet and no All-Ireland in 63 years. I believe it is physiological game may be our achilles tendent and I would not be comfortable except we were 10 points or more ahead in the last five minutes of a final. Living in hope.
No disrespect to Tip or Limerick but I believe Cork, Clare and ourselves will come out of Munster. Clare have stumbled on a good team because of injury. I see a real back bone to the team now and the forced additions look good.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2672 - 07/03/2022 19:24:41    2404356

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Replying To Viking66:  "Schutte 1st choice last year started the Leinster semi against Galway I think and/or maybe the final also. Hasnt been with the footballers in over 5 years. Up or down they all missed the game last weekend Wexico. O'Donnell obviously the big loss he drives Dublin on."
According to his wikipedia page Schutte won football all Ireland's in 2017&18 so this is his 4th year back. Looked up there on last year, came on as a sub vs Galway, started v Dublin and didn't feature v Cork don't know if that was injury or not.

bostonredsox (Wexford) - Posts: 4368 - 07/03/2022 20:45:49    2404366

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Replying To Canuck:  "We've had the players in the past. Mind you not as many as the current panel. In the past decent players like Tommy Ryan, Brian O'Halloran and some others had no option but to retire as they would not be good enough with what is coming off the bench today. Even Shane Bennett is a long shot after looking like a huge prospect and the better of the three one time. He stepped away for two years after 2017 when he was way too young to have been thrown out in that cauldron. Both things have effected him. Patrick Curran however stuck with it and is excellent now. Again thrown in too young and injury plagued earlier because of it. I said four years ago that Billy Kiely would be a sensation down the road. He is still two years away from his best. A Tipp player hit him yesterday and fell off him like a match stick. He is the second coming of Dan but I think a bit tougher. .
We have won nothing yet and no All-Ireland in 63 years. I believe it is physiological game may be our achilles tendent and I would not be comfortable except we were 10 points or more ahead in the last five minutes of a final. Living in hope.
No disrespect to Tip or Limerick but I believe Cork, Clare and ourselves will come out of Munster. Clare have stumbled on a good team because of injury. I see a real back bone to the team now and the forced additions look good."
You'll get great odds on that for your fiver

daveboy (Limerick) - Posts: 1137 - 07/03/2022 20:48:57    2404367

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Replying To Mads:  "Is it panic button time? To be honest I think it might be. Now look I think it's great experience for a few of the non established players to get a decent hard fought game under the belt rather than a walkover game. One thing I'll say is that it looked like the game was going against us but the lads found a way to dig in. I know Byrnes missed frees near the end but he was super in general play I thought. Only for him there wouldn't have been fight back.
In general we are making hard work of things. Our scoring has been extremely poor up until now so hopefully that will continue to improve.
Looking a small bit further ahead. In 5 weeks' time we play high flying cork and less than a week later its waterford. I know it's only the league but both teams have serious form and have built decent size squads.
On form we are in a serious battle for that 3rd position. In order to be some way in charge of our own destiny we have to get at least 2 points from either of those games or we could end up in the mother and father of all battles against clare in ennis hoping to get through. At the moment it feels like a tall order. It feels like the lads are forcing it a bit."
Yes indeed, all this giving out about Byrnes and the frees is nonsense. Tony Kelly, the finest hurler in Ireland, missed every bit as many frees and he was playing in his home pitch. If every body played as well as Diarmuid we would have romped home.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4347 - 07/03/2022 21:49:54    2404375

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Replying To Canuck:  "We've had the players in the past. Mind you not as many as the current panel. In the past decent players like Tommy Ryan, Brian O'Halloran and some others had no option but to retire as they would not be good enough with what is coming off the bench today. Even Shane Bennett is a long shot after looking like a huge prospect and the better of the three one time. He stepped away for two years after 2017 when he was way too young to have been thrown out in that cauldron. Both things have effected him. Patrick Curran however stuck with it and is excellent now. Again thrown in too young and injury plagued earlier because of it. I said four years ago that Billy Kiely would be a sensation down the road. He is still two years away from his best. A Tipp player hit him yesterday and fell off him like a match stick. He is the second coming of Dan but I think a bit tougher. .
We have won nothing yet and no All-Ireland in 63 years. I believe it is physiological game may be our achilles tendent and I would not be comfortable except we were 10 points or more ahead in the last five minutes of a final. Living in hope.
No disrespect to Tip or Limerick but I believe Cork, Clare and ourselves will come out of Munster. Clare have stumbled on a good team because of injury. I see a real back bone to the team now and the forced additions look good."
I think you have lost the plot to suggest Limerick wont get out of Munster. Theyre odds on to win the All Ireland. The rest of the teams in Munster could all very well beat each other but I'd be shocked if Limerick lost more than one game.

tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 08/03/2022 08:36:33    2404379

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Replying To Canuck:  "We've had the players in the past. Mind you not as many as the current panel. In the past decent players like Tommy Ryan, Brian O'Halloran and some others had no option but to retire as they would not be good enough with what is coming off the bench today. Even Shane Bennett is a long shot after looking like a huge prospect and the better of the three one time. He stepped away for two years after 2017 when he was way too young to have been thrown out in that cauldron. Both things have effected him. Patrick Curran however stuck with it and is excellent now. Again thrown in too young and injury plagued earlier because of it. I said four years ago that Billy Kiely would be a sensation down the road. He is still two years away from his best. A Tipp player hit him yesterday and fell off him like a match stick. He is the second coming of Dan but I think a bit tougher. .
We have won nothing yet and no All-Ireland in 63 years. I believe it is physiological game may be our achilles tendent and I would not be comfortable except we were 10 points or more ahead in the last five minutes of a final. Living in hope.
No disrespect to Tip or Limerick but I believe Cork, Clare and ourselves will come out of Munster. Clare have stumbled on a good team because of injury. I see a real back bone to the team now and the forced additions look good."
Right now definitely on form I agree with your 3 out of munster. Waterford and Cork have developed decent panels particularly Waterford when you see the players that didn't start yesterday. Allied to that for all ireland honours the ballygunnar win, there are lads that can do it on the biggest day which may bring the holy grail later on.
Regarding ourselves, young lads that have been given a chance this year will be better for it but I think that will be next season. Right now totally dependant on the same lads of which a number are struggling big time for form. We are missing competition where it counts. They say the league is only the league but championship is only 5 weeks away. Can it be turned on like a light switch? Between trying to get lads back on form and adjust tactics, for me unfortunately there's too much to do. Needing a result in Ennis in the last round you would have to back clare. Obviously I'll be hoping for one massive kick from our lads, I would take your hand off for a result in one of the first 2 games

Mads (Limerick) - Posts: 366 - 08/03/2022 08:57:06    2404382

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Replying To tiobraid:  "I think you have lost the plot to suggest Limerick wont get out of Munster. Theyre odds on to win the All Ireland. The rest of the teams in Munster could all very well beat each other but I'd be shocked if Limerick lost more than one game."
So much talk regarding getting out of munster which to a degree is understandable as were in the middle of the league which for me won't have much/if any bearing on what happens come championship. I'd be more inclined to comment when a few championship matches have been played. People focus on limericks form to date which again is all you can at present but I think kiely will be happy enough. Cathal o neill has been very consistent and is pushing hard for that starting role. Richie English is putting enormous pressure on the FB line which now allows kiely and kinnerk to develop a game plan to combat the oppositions tactics of 15 men outside the limerick 40. This will not be easy but no better back room to do it. It reminds me a bit if mcguinness v Dublin a few years back..there's always ways to counter things.


A lot of the lads have had fractured game time but for the most part kiely experimented. It's all about incremental improvement and most of that will be behind closed doors. They will be all out hurling the next 6 weeks and from what I've heard over the years the training/training matches would be a couple of gears up from league intensity.

I think people are very quickly forgetting about Tipp too. They may be in transition but there's a core of top talent and experience there. Whether they can combine it we won't know.

All the talk is cork/Waterford right now but how many times have we seem that form flip when the real stiff starts.

If anything it's mouth watering and from a limerick perspective "complacency" will not be evident come April 17th. Its set up lovely.

daveboy (Limerick) - Posts: 1137 - 08/03/2022 10:15:50    2404395

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Replying To wexico15:  "According to his wikipedia page Schutte won football all Ireland's in 2017&18 so this is his 4th year back. Looked up there on last year, came on as a sub vs Galway, started v Dublin and didn't feature v Cork don't know if that was injury or not."
Ok about Schutte but Boland, O Callaghan, Rushe and O Donnell are massive players for them.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12152 - 08/03/2022 10:28:28    2404397

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Replying To Mads:  "Right now definitely on form I agree with your 3 out of munster. Waterford and Cork have developed decent panels particularly Waterford when you see the players that didn't start yesterday. Allied to that for all ireland honours the ballygunnar win, there are lads that can do it on the biggest day which may bring the holy grail later on.
Regarding ourselves, young lads that have been given a chance this year will be better for it but I think that will be next season. Right now totally dependant on the same lads of which a number are struggling big time for form. We are missing competition where it counts. They say the league is only the league but championship is only 5 weeks away. Can it be turned on like a light switch? Between trying to get lads back on form and adjust tactics, for me unfortunately there's too much to do. Needing a result in Ennis in the last round you would have to back clare. Obviously I'll be hoping for one massive kick from our lads, I would take your hand off for a result in one of the first 2 games"
Keep the faith, we are going to improve and hopefully keep improving if we can avoid serious injuries and get out of Munster. Cork look a different animal this year but we'll only see the real deal come championship.
Some reasons to still have optimism

Limerick has a far higher mountain to climb to get back to where they were. They peaked last Summer and then dropped to zero. started back later than everyone else and now have to get themselves back up again. This will take time, i saw incremental improvements in the Clare game. The back 6 in the main were good and Byrnes and Nash were outstanding.

We haven't fielded a full strength team yet. Kyle Hayes, Sean Finn and Seamus Flanagan were missing against Clare for example. We have experimented in every game. Cathal O'Neill has got some valuable game time and received some tough treatment from the Clare lads and came through it well.

The teams we play save everything for us and give Limerick hell. These teams will also improve but i would hope our ceiling is higher and these hard leagues games should stand to us. Cork, for example, showed some of their hand against us and we know what we can expect from them and they will bring far more steel, tactics and work rate than last Summer, anything short of excellence will be a loss.

We looked leggy in games. I would imagine we are targeting peak fitness in the next couple of weeks. They are probably being flogged in training right now to make up the difference on where other teams are.

Teams are setting up differently against us. E.g. Cork man marked Cian Lynch and doubled up on the outball to Gillane. They are also retreating way back on our puckouts. Compare this to what they did in the All Ireland Final. The only way around this that i can see is that we will have to carry and break tackles and then offload or play the ball once you have committed the defender. The likes of Hegarty and Kyles Hayes and WOD are vital here. To date we don't seem to have been breaking the tackles as much as previously with players just hitting balls long while still free themselves. I think or at least hope that Kiely and co are holding something back here.

I don't think we need to panic just yet, lets see how things go against Cork on Easter Sunday. Whatever the result might be I'm sure it will be a completely different performance that we have seen to date.

Fitzy01 (Limerick) - Posts: 390 - 08/03/2022 10:38:39    2404401

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I obviously hope ye a right regarding the championship. I have always said these lads owe us nothing no matter what happens and I still believe that.

Mads (Limerick) - Posts: 366 - 08/03/2022 11:40:44    2404416

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Replying To Mads:  "I obviously hope ye a right regarding the championship. I have always said these lads owe us nothing no matter what happens and I still believe that."
They defiantly don't owe ye anything, as TJ Ryan said on the news last week ye won 1 all ireland in 75 years before 2018 and this team has 3 in 4 years.

bostonredsox (Wexford) - Posts: 4368 - 08/03/2022 12:00:09    2404423

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Let's hope it's going to come right..I had a vision when Cian went down injured twice of our main man in trouble..no disrespect to all the others..also we have cover in full back line but if seanie was to be injured,another major loss..also definitely first day out v cork is now the biggest game for both counties..the loser in my mind won't qualify,winner will definitely be one of three out of munster..roll on 5 weeks time..

CTGAA10 (Limerick) - Posts: 2240 - 08/03/2022 12:10:19    2404425

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A small bit of realism is needed here. League form really relates to which team(s) is/are out of the traps early with regard to training etc. No wonder Cork are flying at present. Not being smart, but after the walloping they got last year they're likely back a good bit earlier to redouble their efforts. Waterford are no different i bet. There's been plenty of teams year in year out over the years where league and championship form are totally unrelated. Judging by current championship odds, the bookies seem to think so as well.
Tipp, Lk and Clare to get out of Munster!

Shocs07 (Limerick) - Posts: 372 - 08/03/2022 12:11:12    2404426

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Replying To Shocs07:  "A small bit of realism is needed here. League form really relates to which team(s) is/are out of the traps early with regard to training etc. No wonder Cork are flying at present. Not being smart, but after the walloping they got last year they're likely back a good bit earlier to redouble their efforts. Waterford are no different i bet. There's been plenty of teams year in year out over the years where league and championship form are totally unrelated. Judging by current championship odds, the bookies seem to think so as well.
Tipp, Lk and Clare to get out of Munster!"
Can't see Tipp get out of Munster this year. I think they have to build for the future, with Barrett, Ronan Maher, Kennedy, Forde, McCormack and John McGrath backboning the team. Yes, I still have faith in John McGrath despite a dip in form at county level over the past two years, while Noel McGrath, Bonner, Bubbles and Callanan can still play a part this year but maybe not for 70 minutes. I see a major battle for the three places between Limerick, Waterford, Cork and Clare and if Tipp could manage even one victory they might well influence the final outcome.

midlands (Westmeath) - Posts: 547 - 08/03/2022 12:29:44    2404435

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Replying To Shocs07:  "A small bit of realism is needed here. League form really relates to which team(s) is/are out of the traps early with regard to training etc. No wonder Cork are flying at present. Not being smart, but after the walloping they got last year they're likely back a good bit earlier to redouble their efforts. Waterford are no different i bet. There's been plenty of teams year in year out over the years where league and championship form are totally unrelated. Judging by current championship odds, the bookies seem to think so as well.
Tipp, Lk and Clare to get out of Munster!"
Interesting prediction indeed

Scuba191 (Limerick) - Posts: 17 - 08/03/2022 12:58:31    2404445

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Replying To tiobraid:  "I think you have lost the plot to suggest Limerick wont get out of Munster. Theyre odds on to win the All Ireland. The rest of the teams in Munster could all very well beat each other but I'd be shocked if Limerick lost more than one game."
Limerick have obviously have been the best team in the championship by a long shot and a joy to watch. I don't base my opinion on the games they have lost but how they are playing. It is not that easy to turn it off and on. Maybe we are all been lurched into a sense of false security and they are just kicking their training into high gear. Limerick's first championship game will be a huge indicator. I agree that teams may beat each other out and the fourth or fifth team probably as good as the three in front of them. We look good at the moment but Tipp will come back to Walsh Park all guns blazing and if we lose that one it would be a major set back. It is a real shark tank and one is only guessing what will happen.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2672 - 08/03/2022 14:10:39    2404462

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