Me too PoolSturgeon

Limerick folk find it hard to understand why people think Clare have a chance of winning the All-Ireland this year. I've seen this on other posts.
The fact is that in the last 15 years, only 4 teams have won an All-Ireland, and Clare are one of them. They have also won a heap of under 21's recently which helps!

As for Limerick, I dont doubt they will be hopping around the place in May and could very well beat Clare. Somehow, that same belief doesn't seem to shine so brightly in the latter stages of the Championship.

I'd love to see Limerick win the All-Ireland, but crossing that line and doing what Clare did in 2013 - dont under estimate how big a challenge that is when your not used to it.

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1415 - 12/01/2015 08:17:53    1682397

To Ban and all the other posters that question Limericks chances this year I say I can only agree with ye,until we get to croke park and perform on a consistant level I feel we always will have the doubters.For whats its worth I think we are right there this yr but as always the big question is can we get over the line.

someday (Limerick) - Posts: 1104 - 12/01/2015 09:07:20    1682408

Until Limerick win a match in Croke Park we can't be considered All Ireland contenders at the start of the year. Player wise we have as good a first 15 as anyone but every other team who I think will be thereabouts in August and September have played in an All Ireland final in the last 3 years. We haven't. Kilkenny Galway 2012. Clare Cork 2013. Kilkenny Tipp 2014. So they have all won a semi final in Corke Park. We haven't.

But to counter that I do think it is only a matter of time before we do win up there. If not, then the GAA need to seriously consider moving all future semi finals and finals out of Croke Park!

mike03 (Limerick) - Posts: 2000 - 12/01/2015 09:49:57    1682424

Mike et Al.
Will you all please stop obsessing about our record, or lack of it, in Croke Park. Clare had lost Munster Finals in 38,55,67,72,74,77,78,81,86,93 and 94 and all their previous finals with Limerick and it did not stop them beating us in 95. They had similar number of losses in U21 Finals before they won 1 and they have won the four finals they played in since. Anyway Limerick beat both Clare and Waterford there in 2007 and our Minor team also swept aside Galway there last year and we played confidently there against Kilkenny last year. Simple message; When we are good enough we will win there. As regards the idea of changing the venue of Semi Finals out of Coke Park that is absurd as you have to play the Final in Croke Park anyway

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4331 - 12/01/2015 10:51:32    1682448

Maybe I'm wrong but has anyone predicted limerick will win AI or even Munster on here?????

Think what we are saying is that this is the most difficult limerick team for a player to get his place on in living memory. Is that good enough to win? Only time will tell.

In teerms of ranking teams this year?? Clare were beaten over two games home and away by what u call an average wexford team. Is that top 3 material??? Not for me any way.
People may put cork above us but personally I don't. Cork were hammered by tipp in semi. Think we all agree that this 5 week break for Munster champs is difficult to handle so we would all make allowances for that performance and u would have to if u were to consider them for third spot. Guess what?? We had a 5 week break before last years Munster final. Is it fair to make allowances for cork and not for us????

I doubt anyone would consider Galway Dublin Waterford or wexford as top 3 team. Potentially sure but not based on what we saw in 2014.

I would therefore ask based on last years form what is unreasonable about ranking limerick at 3??

disillusiondfan (Limerick) - Posts: 4279 - 12/01/2015 11:37:29    1682477

disillusionfan
Why are you and some other limerick posters here so obsessed about being 3rd. If Kilkenny had the same mentality they would win nothing. Being ranked third is failure you know.

I think we in Galway are there or there abouts for over 20 years. Winning an allireland is all that matters.

Sheedy (Galway) - Posts: 107 - 12/01/2015 13:14:27    1682517

Sheedy I don't know what the other fella wrote but you are spot on. You might as well be 23rd as 3rd.

mike03 (Limerick) - Posts: 2000 - 12/01/2015 13:55:47    1682545

league clare
munster limerick
lenister dublin
all ireland tipp

antoman (Mayo) - Posts: 140 - 12/01/2015 14:09:06    1682554

Sheedy I'm not bothered about third. Previous posters have being saying it is ridiculous for ppl to rank lk third. I just point out that their is a logic to it. I actually think we are currently better than tipp and we will def be better than we were last year cos we have few additions to panel. Will kk be better than last year? Logic says no but kk defy logic.

Like u I think its all about All Ireland even Munster n league don't matter. Winning Munster even seems to be a hindrance. One poster on here says Clare limerick game will be make or break. It's not even remotely close for either team. Last year we won in thurles yet tipp came within a few inches of the big one. I know ill change my mind with 20,000 Clare fans shouting around me but I'd prefer the back door route. Only kk seem to be able to win using front door.

disillusiondfan (Limerick) - Posts: 4279 - 12/01/2015 14:20:57    1682559

Tipp for Liam

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2386 - 12/01/2015 15:26:00    1682580

Your right DF when you say KK are the only one's capable of winning the AI by winning their provincial championship.
The only other side to do this was Cork in 2005 and beyond that it was Tipp in 2001 and Cork again in 1999 with Clare in 1997.
So Munster teams do not fare well when winning the Munster Championship.
Since 2000 the Cody era Munster teams have a poor record after winning the provincial...

9 times the winners have lost AI Semi Final
6 Times the winners have got to AI Final with only 2 wins ( Cork v Galway 2005 ) & ( Tipp v Galway 2001 )

The 4 losses all against Kilkenny ( Cork in 2003 & 2006 ) ( Tipperary in 2009 & 2011 )

Strangely enough Kilkenny have beaten the Munster winners in 04 & 11 Waterford & Tipperary when they failed to win Leinster final. Enough said!!!
All other Munster winners were beaten by back door teams from Munster apart from Offaly in 2000.

Clare twice 2002 & 2013
Tipperary twice 2010 & 2014
Offaly once 2000
Limerick once 2007

Winning Munster is just not going to win you an AI these days for what ever reason.

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 12/01/2015 16:08:25    1682598

Obviously were not aiming for third.. just think we should be ranked higer than clare after last year. And I said one of the top 3 not third! I think this Limerick team is different from before and feel and hope they make the break through in the next couple of years. for once the right structures are in place and underage is strong and the game in general in Limerick is getting stronger every year.

also looking at clare I cant see them doing well with Davy still there.. a lot of uncertainty! also, while I dont begrudge them there AI or take it away.. and I take your point that they've been there but where they havent been is in a match against a flying tipp or kk.. Limerick have and have held there own.

blackspot91 (Limerick) - Posts: 1055 - 12/01/2015 19:27:04    1682652

The Munster champions this year - whoever it may be - will be more than capable of going on to win the All Ireland.The stats dont back this up over the last 10 years,but weve had the greatest team of all time dominating the decade,so trophies were in thin supply for any Munster winners.I think Kilkennys era of dominance may be coming to an end.This is the 1st year im backing against them since 2003.The direct route in Munster is still the best route,no matter what the stats say.The 5 week gap just has to be managed right,so as to have the team in top condition.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 12/01/2015 19:56:09    1682662

I for one don't believe winning Munster is a hindrance. Kilkenny have proved that the 5 week break doesn't matter. Even when Galway won Leinster they still got to the final. I think more teams should look at KK's training template. I find it hard to believe how teams are back training since November yet the KK team are away on holidays in January and yet they still always seem to be there or thereabouts at the end of the league. They also play club games during the 5 week layoff including high intensity matches against each other. It baffles me as to what other teams are doing wrong.

As for Limericks ranking, I can't see how Limerick would be in the top 3 based on one game in 2014 on an absolutely dreadful day for hurling. Clare are rightly ahead. Nothing got to do with losing to Wexford. Clare won their first AI since 1997. No doubt they celebrated hard and were treated like heros within Clare. It probably went to their heads and they didn't train as hard last year. That's all forgotten now. I wouldn't bet against them been up there this year. My top 6 rankings based ob returements and everything else would be:

Tipp - Showed the great team they are in the final. Only KK were capable of beating that team on that day.
Kilkenny - Will always be there or thereabouts
Cork - One bad game in 2014 championship doesn't make them a bad team. They will be back
Clare - Will be out to prove doubters wrong from last year
Limerick - Hopefully they won't believe their own hope and try drive on from end of 2014
Galway - Who knows, they could win Leinster and they could be terrible, still ahead of the rest.

Faithfull (Offaly) - Posts: 573 - 12/01/2015 21:58:43    1682713

People backing Wexford for Leinster are not thinking cleary IMO.

League - Tipp

Leinster - KK
Munster - Clare

All Ireland - KK

LohansRedHelmet (Clare) - Posts: 2490 - 13/01/2015 10:30:58    1682744

Faithful
No Leinster team, except Galway once, played in an All Ireland except Kilkenny since 2000. Fact, KK seldom have not had to be at their best until All Ireland Semi Final day for most of this Millennium. Limerick were not just good enough in one day in recent years and it does not matter whether day was wet or dry as the wet day probably favoured KK anyway. LK also beat Tipp, easily the second best team in Ireland in this decade, twice in the past two years and only narrowly lost to them in 2012, so their form is not based on one day in 2014. In fact apart from the poor display V Clare in 2013, a team they beat the previous year, they have been fairly consistent. You must note that in Munster we will have to peak in May if we are to beat Clare, June if we are to take Tipp and July to win out in Munster.. The competition is so strong in Munster that Clare have only won three matches there in this millennium and two of them were against Waterford. That proves that overall it takes more 'big' days to win in Munster that it does elsewhere and may account for the relatively poor form of Munster Champions in All Ireland Semi Finals

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4331 - 13/01/2015 12:27:14    1682782

Oldtourman if you ever listened to Brian Cody you would realise he never puts out a team that is not at the top of their form. I don't buy into the stuff about having to peak as for most lads they will be at peak fitness prior to the start of the championship (unless returning from injury). If you are as fit as you can be then what is all this talk of peaking about? Some times one team turns up on the day and the other doesn't and you have the scribes talking about the other lads peaking on the day or the team who lost peaked in their last game. Often times you could replay that game and the result would be reversed. Where Kilkenny have the advantage is in their heads the fear nobody and every day they go out they expect to win - thats not peaking for anything but confidence in your one ability.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1805 - 13/01/2015 13:56:51    1682829

Think Clare and Limerick is gonna be a freocious battle Clare will be looking to bounce back from the dissapointment of last year and Limerick will be looking to get payback for the semi final deafeat in 2013 Limerick never performed that day and were really dissapointing on the day so heres hoping for a better game I think who ever wins it will gain big confidence going into the Tipperary match as they will have a match under their belt I would still back Tipperary in that game but I am starting to think Tipperary have lost intrest in Munster and seem to gain more momentum through the qualifiers!!!!!!

Maroonforever (Galway) - Posts: 414 - 14/01/2015 17:15:52    1683242

Kilkenny will win the allireland . Cork will be runners up.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 14/01/2015 18:05:22    1683262

wish it was may 24th already.cant wait to take on clare.we need to beat them after wat happened 2 years ago.as for winning the all ireland i think we are not far away but having suffered through all the croke park defeats in the past 21 years its going to take some serious belief,performances and a bit of luck to win it.

hitmanhart (Limerick) - Posts: 496 - 14/01/2015 20:13:43    1683326