Be honest here lads, and it's a serious question, would you rather win the league and be knocked out early in the championship or have a great championship and an awful league??

For me the league has never been and will never be important. When I say that I mean the results aren't important. You like to see from about the 3rd round on your team improving and a first 15 taking shape but outside of that the league has no bearing on the championship.

mike03 (Limerick) - Posts: 2000 - 09/02/2015 11:23:27    1691572

Back in Parnell thankfully and maybe loss to Galway was timely regarding positional changes but vital one for Dublin to win.

Yourselves and Waterford be good game too as it involves two of the three contenders to win the division.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 09/02/2015 12:06:06    1691592

Mike
Well there is one team, and their manager, who never downplayed the importance of the League and they are Kilkenny and Brian Cody. I think their approach has always been dead right. Winning games at any level helps develop a winning mentality.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4331 - 09/02/2015 12:24:01    1691600

Mike your question is too simplistic.. of course everyone wants to do better in the championship but that doesn't mean you shouldn't care about the league. It maybe a secondary competition but as oldtourman said winning breeds a winning mentality. I've no doubt winning the waterford crystal cup even gave our lads confidence, especially the younger lads. Silverware is always nice.. especially if your from a county that doesn't win it too often!

blackspot91 (Limerick) - Posts: 1055 - 09/02/2015 12:38:07    1691610

When I think back to last year Tipp were a puck of a ball away from being in a relegation final.
We only won 2 games in the whole league round robin ( first and last games )
Beat Cork & Clare in the QF & SF and probably should have won the league final.

Tipp hit form at the right time but then again went back wards versus Limerick in the championship again.

So the league is always a strange a kettle of fish.

Look at 2013 for example - Cork / Clare in relegation final and that the AI final.
Lets not forget Div 1B final was Limerick / Dublin and those ended up winning their provinces.

Waterford were relegated last year and had Cork beaten in Thurles on the first day only to throw it away.

The beauty of the league is that it does not tell the full story where a team is at whether they are playing excellent or poorly.

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 09/02/2015 12:43:58    1691614

Fully agree Wildpundit. It also doesn't tell what training has been done the week before a match. Or even the day before.

At least for the championship you know every team is preparing to peak on a given day. In the league you have no idea what is going on.

mike03 (Limerick) - Posts: 2000 - 09/02/2015 13:46:09    1691645

very true Mike03.

The week before Limerick played Tipp in Thurles last year I saw them training. I predicted Limerick would win giving on what I saw in that training session.
It was pure intense and every player looked focused.

Do the limerick lads think Kilmallock players absence might hinder promotion from 1B ?

For those who don't know and yes its early days but Waterford beat Tipp in a hurling challenge 2-14 to 0-17 recently.It could be a 3 way battle for top spot with Limerick , Waterford & Wexford.

The games between those 3 will be fascinating.

On form though you'd expect Limerick to canter through but someone like Offaly could throw a spanner in the works and beat any of the aforementioned 3 teams on their day.

You just never know with Offaly a mix of the good , bad & very very ugly at times!!

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 09/02/2015 14:30:07    1691665

The league is a bit silly for that reason Wild pundit. You were one puck of the ball from relagation playoff and one puck from winning it. The previous year, Cork were relegated and when we lost the same amount of round robin games as the winners (we drew two though which was the difference - ultimately two pucks of a ball between top and bottom). I suppose it means that there is a lot of competition in that sense as you must win every game as you are one or two pucks from relegation. However I do not think we need league quarter finals. I think the top team should be in the final. The second team play the 1B champions in the semi-final or something like that.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 09/02/2015 14:42:58    1691674

To be honest Wildpundit I haven't really asked anyone about the Kilmallock lads. The way I look it at it is if Limerick get promoted then great. If not then so be it. I won't be losing sleep nor jumping around celebrating no matter what happens in the next 6-8 weeks.

mike03 (Limerick) - Posts: 2000 - 09/02/2015 14:50:36    1691681

I think this year were in a better position than last year to deal with the kilmallock lads being missing as we've more options and are building a more deep squad. infact it could be a blessing in disguise as TJ will get to try out new exciting talent like cian lynch, tom morrisey and david riedy. And also look at an area of concern last year, the half back line, with the two half backs being kilmallock men. I think we should have enough to get through 1b and I think theyll be pretty focused after the slip ups of the last few years. not sure if they kilmallock lads would be back for a potential QF?

blackspot91 (Limerick) - Posts: 1055 - 09/02/2015 15:27:48    1691699

I wonder will King Henry give KK another year if he gives a MOTM performance again in the Club Final. Kilkenny's league will be interesting this year. Missing all the Ballyhale lads and the lads who retired. They have a few injuries too. Tcould very easily go down this year.

Faithfull (Offaly) - Posts: 573 - 09/02/2015 22:01:01    1691915

I'd say that's wishful thinking Faihtful!!

It's not the first time they will be without Ballyhale lads and its things that these which shows the strength of your panel.They wont go down anyway!!
Limerick are in a similar position without the Kilmallock lads they too have a chance to try out some new lads.

Even if Henry does retire this year I'm sure they have an ample replacement waiting in the wings.This John Power lad looks like his gonna be a classy hurler. He could have a big year nailing down a first 15 spot after his AI final performance.
I get the sense that Henry wont retire...He only needs 5 minutes on the pitch to turn a game in KK favour when his on form.Could be a full forward now that the legs are going!!

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 10/02/2015 09:15:52    1691930

In my opinion it could be better for the rest of the country if the older kk lads hung on as they won a minor in 2010 and last yr so i'd guess ample reserves are coming thru I for one hope the old lads keep on.

someday (Limerick) - Posts: 1104 - 10/02/2015 11:40:05    1691984

However their U.21s have not had much to shout about in recent times with most of that minor winning team from 2010 are probably now overage.
Still though they unearthed a few gems from not so successful underage teams.
Kieran Joyce was only on the Senior extended panel in 2011 and Paul Murphy I believe has been on the panel for quite a few years. Both you could say are top of their game at the moment & had to bide their time. Dont think either won a minor all - ireland but I remember Joyce from the 3 AIs finals v Tipp ( 2 in 2006 ) & 1 (2008 ) in which they won.
Anyone know they either of them play Intermediate for Kilkenny before making a step up to Senior ?

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 10/02/2015 12:39:32    1692042

Wildpundit Henry is the best ever you cannot replace the best ever. Young Power is good but he is no Henry Shefflin. KK are contenders but thankfully with every year that goes by the gap is closing.

Also doubt that Tipp were training too hard and looking beyond the Limerick game last year. The pressure on O Shea for the Galway game was immense. He had won no c ship game in 2013 and no way would he chance the same happening in 2014 which could well have happened had Galway not folded and had Maher not excelled when moving to 7.

disillusiondfan (Limerick) - Posts: 4279 - 10/02/2015 13:16:53    1692070

You don't get bad Kilkenny teams but I'd certainly feel they aren't the force they have been in the past 15 years. I was chatting to a lad at the under 21 leinster semi final in Nowlan park when Wexford well ant truly dominated them. The double scores actually flattered Kilkenny. He said it's the first time in his life that he can't pick out a star from juvenile to 21. Having said that their minors pulled it out of the bag against the odds. I reckon hurling in general is on an upward curve and the next 4-5 seasons could be very competitive. Here's hoping anyway.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 2682 - 10/02/2015 14:29:26    1692108

I think Shefflin will probably go once Ballyhale's year is up. I imagine if he was going to stay he would have said so already. If he was to retire before now the Club final would become all about him. It's a mark of the class of the man that he hasn't done so already.

Very big game for Kilmallock in the Club final. Think it's very important for a Limerick team to go to Croke Park and get a win on the big day. If they do it would be a big shot in the arm for Limerick's year ahead. The way they have played in the club games I have seen so far they are easily good enough to do it.

Cornerback1977 (Cork) - Posts: 67 - 10/02/2015 14:53:16    1692120

DF dunno what you mean by that but all I say is that anyone is replaceable.
Hurling is changing and in the future perhaps someone better than Henry will arise maybe not in our lifetime.
Cu Chulainn was the best hurler in my view. You don't mess with him unless you want a sliothar rammed down your gob!!

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 10/02/2015 15:29:07    1692136

Doylerwex, that minor win wasn't a shock within Kilkenny. They had St Kieran's and Kilkenny CBS in the All Ireland Schools Final last year. They're underage teams won't be too bad.

I would normally be the last one to write off Kilkenny but I just think KK will struggle in the league this year. Two years ago Cody tried to play an experimental side and they lost their first two games. He then had to call on all the older crew and although they went on to win the league, they were flat by championship. It's a tough format, looking forward to it starting.

Faithfull (Offaly) - Posts: 573 - 10/02/2015 21:39:23    1692291

Faithfull

I know about the schools but I saw them play Wexford early in the year and they were shocking. And we didn't even have a good minor team last year.
I agree with you ou.with the club and dedepartures it's going to be strain on any squad even if you're Kilkenny. But I did start my post my post by saying there are no bad Kilkenny teams.
Don't get me wrong either I'm not writing them off. It'd be a miracle if we beat them in nowlan park in leinster

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 2682 - 11/02/2015 08:32:15    1692314