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Wexford Hurling 2025

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Replying To countyman2022:  "Hardly. Tipp won u-20 All Irelands in 2018,2019,2025. Minor All Irelands in 2016, 2022, 2024. Thats where the success has come from along with great workrate, commitment etc. We have no underage All Ireland since 1968. Its pretty simple."
Tipp have won FIVE senior All Ireland's since our last one in 1996 - there is a chasm between them and us. Countyman is 100% correct, no underage all Ireland in almost 60 years in a county with top tier pretentions is beyond belief.

wexford2012 (Wexford) - Posts: 126 - 21/07/2025 12:33:44    2626860

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Replying To wexford2012:  "Tipp have won FIVE senior All Ireland's since our last one in 1996 - there is a chasm between them and us. Countyman is 100% correct, no underage all Ireland in almost 60 years in a county with top tier pretentions is beyond belief."
That's an incredible statistic. Grim stuff

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2452 - 21/07/2025 13:40:11    2626885

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When you put it like that countyman2022 your right.

logger (Wexford) - Posts: 307 - 21/07/2025 14:18:17    2626907

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "Tipperary had two teams that won U21/U20 AI titles in a row back in 2018 and 2019, might be interesting to compare them to us in terms of their age profile and when they debuted at SHC level and how long it can take hurlers to develop at Senior level

Shelly - 24 or 25 (2023)
Doyle - 22 (2025)
Connolly - 25 (2023)
Breen - 31 or 32 (2015)
Morgan - 26 (2022)
Maher - 29 or 30 (2014)
O'Mara - 26 (2023)
Connors - 28 or 29 (2018)
Stakelum - 27 (2022)
O'Farrell - 20 (2018)
Ormond - 25 (2024)
Morris - 26 (2025)
Forde - 31 or 32 (2013)
McGrath - 30 or 31 (2016)
McCarthy - 20 (2025)"
Most of that team are in their peak years, 25-30 odds. Most of ours are younger.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16638 - 21/07/2025 14:26:39    2626909

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Replying To Viking66:  "Most of that team are in their peak years, 25-30 odds. Most of ours are younger."
I know, it goes to show that we're still probably 2-3 years away from the U20 teams from 2022 and 2023 forming the core of our Senior team

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 604 - 21/07/2025 14:55:59    2626916

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It feels wrong to heap expectations and pressure on underage teams but its here that we need to see the beginnings of a systematic turnaround so there is pressure to find success. We need clubs, schools and development squads to progress in lock step and given we are coming from behind we need to make even greater progress than competitor counties. None of this is easy.

wexford2012 (Wexford) - Posts: 126 - 21/07/2025 15:56:13    2626937

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "I know, it goes to show that we're still probably 2-3 years away from the U20 teams from 2022 and 2023 forming the core of our Senior team"
Been saying that all year, but the doom and gloom merchants won't listen. I went up to Dublin to see what was a pretty poor game of hurling yesterday. I don't care what other depressing people want to say, we aren't a million miles away from any of the other top teams.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16638 - 21/07/2025 16:01:54    2626945

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Replying To wexford2012:  "Tipp have won FIVE senior All Ireland's since our last one in 1996 - there is a chasm between them and us. Countyman is 100% correct, no underage all Ireland in almost 60 years in a county with top tier pretentions is beyond belief."
Noone is going to give us an underage AI. It's up to one of our panels to go and win one.
But equally it's worth bearing in mind that noone on our great hurling team of the 50s/early 60s had one either, nor did any of the lads from 96. None of the Limerick lads who won 5 Senior AIs in the recent past had a minor AI, nor did any of the Clare lads who won AIs in 2013 and 2024.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16638 - 21/07/2025 16:07:00    2626947

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Replying To Viking66:  "Noone is going to give us an underage AI. It's up to one of our panels to go and win one.
But equally it's worth bearing in mind that noone on our great hurling team of the 50s/early 60s had one either, nor did any of the lads from 96. None of the Limerick lads who won 5 Senior AIs in the recent past had a minor AI, nor did any of the Clare lads who won AIs in 2013 and 2024."
Lim won u-21 All Ireland in 2015 & 2017. In minor final's in 2014 & 2016. Clare won u-21 all irelands in 2012, 2013, 2014. RThere is a clear correlation between underage and senior success. Kk have only won 1 u-21/u-20 in 17 years (fortunate due a umpire error and Cathal O'Neill inelgible) and no minor All Ireland in 11 years. They now have their longest drought in terms of All Irelands. Thats not just any old coincidence. Yes you get the odd team who may not have underage success, but relating back to the 50's and 60's is hiding from the fact our lack of underage success is actually in fact a huge reason in why we are so far behind the rest of the pack. It's time to get real with realising where Wexford is sadly.

countyman2022 (Wexford) - Posts: 854 - 21/07/2025 16:32:33    2626957

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Replying To countyman2022:  "Lim won u-21 All Ireland in 2015 & 2017. In minor final's in 2014 & 2016. Clare won u-21 all irelands in 2012, 2013, 2014. RThere is a clear correlation between underage and senior success. Kk have only won 1 u-21/u-20 in 17 years (fortunate due a umpire error and Cathal O'Neill inelgible) and no minor All Ireland in 11 years. They now have their longest drought in terms of All Irelands. Thats not just any old coincidence. Yes you get the odd team who may not have underage success, but relating back to the 50's and 60's is hiding from the fact our lack of underage success is actually in fact a huge reason in why we are so far behind the rest of the pack. It's time to get real with realising where Wexford is sadly."
I agree 100% that we need to improve at underage, and have personally put alot of time into it. We have winter hurling for u12s the last 2 years, this needs to be extended to all age groups. There is more direct input into secondary schools from Wexford GAA than there ever was before. When Rory Jacob complained that Peters were doing poorly at u14 on account of poorer quality lads were coming into the school, they were only training once a week. Now it's 3 times a week they are training in Peters and things have improved, think they were unbeaten this season. The winter u12 training no doubt has helped as well.
13 of the Waterford team that beat our lads in the u16A Cup Final last year started and won this year's minor AI final, so we obviously have some sort of problem when our lads leave coaching and games and move on. One thing I have noticed is that we don't have huge numbers of managers applying to take on our minors and u20s.
Our u20s were very close to reaching u20 AI finals in 2022 and 2023 also. 1 point and 2 point defeats saw them miss out.
We aren't that far away. All we can do is stay working hard at it.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16638 - 21/07/2025 16:55:57    2626959

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Replying To countyman2022:  "Lim won u-21 All Ireland in 2015 & 2017. In minor final's in 2014 & 2016. Clare won u-21 all irelands in 2012, 2013, 2014. RThere is a clear correlation between underage and senior success. Kk have only won 1 u-21/u-20 in 17 years (fortunate due a umpire error and Cathal O'Neill inelgible) and no minor All Ireland in 11 years. They now have their longest drought in terms of All Irelands. Thats not just any old coincidence. Yes you get the odd team who may not have underage success, but relating back to the 50's and 60's is hiding from the fact our lack of underage success is actually in fact a huge reason in why we are so far behind the rest of the pack. It's time to get real with realising where Wexford is sadly."
There's a clearer correlation between u20 success and Senior, although Cork, Kilkenny and Offaly won the last 5 u20 AIs before this year. And there was just a puck of a ball between ourselves and Kilkenny and Offaly in the 2022 and 2023 Leinster finals.
There's nearly no correlation between minor and Senior AI success. If there was Galway would have won a stack of Senior AIs this millennium.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16638 - 21/07/2025 17:04:49    2626967

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Replying To countyman2022:  "Lim won u-21 All Ireland in 2015 & 2017. In minor final's in 2014 & 2016. Clare won u-21 all irelands in 2012, 2013, 2014. RThere is a clear correlation between underage and senior success. Kk have only won 1 u-21/u-20 in 17 years (fortunate due a umpire error and Cathal O'Neill inelgible) and no minor All Ireland in 11 years. They now have their longest drought in terms of All Irelands. Thats not just any old coincidence. Yes you get the odd team who may not have underage success, but relating back to the 50's and 60's is hiding from the fact our lack of underage success is actually in fact a huge reason in why we are so far behind the rest of the pack. It's time to get real with realising where Wexford is sadly."
100% minor less relevant over the past few years due to its move to u17, u20 is the new minor esp as most lads will need 2-3 years post minor to make any impact at senior (due to S&C).

wexford2012 (Wexford) - Posts: 126 - 21/07/2025 17:20:39    2626974

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Replying To Viking66:  "I agree 100% that we need to improve at underage, and have personally put alot of time into it. We have winter hurling for u12s the last 2 years, this needs to be extended to all age groups. There is more direct input into secondary schools from Wexford GAA than there ever was before. When Rory Jacob complained that Peters were doing poorly at u14 on account of poorer quality lads were coming into the school, they were only training once a week. Now it's 3 times a week they are training in Peters and things have improved, think they were unbeaten this season. The winter u12 training no doubt has helped as well.
13 of the Waterford team that beat our lads in the u16A Cup Final last year started and won this year's minor AI final, so we obviously have some sort of problem when our lads leave coaching and games and move on. One thing I have noticed is that we don't have huge numbers of managers applying to take on our minors and u20s.
Our u20s were very close to reaching u20 AI finals in 2022 and 2023 also. 1 point and 2 point defeats saw them miss out.
We aren't that far away. All we can do is stay working hard at it."
I've heard its tough to get coaches for development squads, especially with clubs offering generous incentives to take them on. Winter hurling really needs all weather facilities, do we have enough of these in Wexford ?

wexford2012 (Wexford) - Posts: 126 - 21/07/2025 17:23:23    2626976

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Replying To Viking66:  "Been saying that all year, but the doom and gloom merchants won't listen. I went up to Dublin to see what was a pretty poor game of hurling yesterday. I don't care what other depressing people want to say, we aren't a million miles away from any of the other top teams."
Yeah, I agree, Tipp are good but they're hardly unbeatable even with those good under-age teams coming through and you'd have been hard-pressed to find any Tipp person from last year after Cork annihilated them (Or even at the start of this year and even arguably at the start of the Championship) who thought they had this in them

Goes to show that you'll only ever find out how good you really are once you've psychologically made the decision to empty the tank

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 604 - 21/07/2025 18:01:18    2626983

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How did we do in the u14. U15 & u16 development games did anyone hear?

WEXILE (Wexford) - Posts: 437 - 21/07/2025 18:35:25    2626986

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Replying To wexford2012:  "I've heard its tough to get coaches for development squads, especially with clubs offering generous incentives to take them on. Winter hurling really needs all weather facilities, do we have enough of these in Wexford ?"
Extremely tough. If you seen the quality of some of the coaches, it adds up to why we are where we are. Really need to have a well paid coach with each underage team to guide other coaches a long. Not having them reading a book before training to give them instruction. Follow the Clare model.

countyman2022 (Wexford) - Posts: 854 - 22/07/2025 10:26:08    2627047

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Working in Limerick this week so decided to head over to Thurles last night as Id never been at an All Ireland homecoming. It was unbelievable to see the joy for the people of Tipp. I would do anything to stand on the main street in Gorey to welcome back our lads as All Ireland Champions one day. The performances of both Tipp and Dublin is proof if you have good players who are willing to work their socks off and stick to a game plan anything is possible,

Afinestick96 (Wexford) - Posts: 669 - 22/07/2025 10:55:00    2627062

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Replying To countyman2022:  "Extremely tough. If you seen the quality of some of the coaches, it adds up to why we are where we are. Really need to have a well paid coach with each underage team to guide other coaches a long. Not having them reading a book before training to give them instruction. Follow the Clare model."
What is the Clare model like?

wexford2012 (Wexford) - Posts: 126 - 22/07/2025 11:43:52    2627078

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Replying To wexford2012:  "What is the Clare model like?"
https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-41122222.html#:~:text=Essentially%20it%20means%20grouping%20players,playing%20the%20evening%20we%20meet.

Well worth a read. The coaches they have with these teams are of the highest level. Work with coaches then with less experience and basically coach these to coach at high levels.

countyman2022 (Wexford) - Posts: 854 - 22/07/2025 11:58:11    2627085

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Replying To Afinestick96:  "Working in Limerick this week so decided to head over to Thurles last night as Id never been at an All Ireland homecoming. It was unbelievable to see the joy for the people of Tipp. I would do anything to stand on the main street in Gorey to welcome back our lads as All Ireland Champions one day. The performances of both Tipp and Dublin is proof if you have good players who are willing to work their socks off and stick to a game plan anything is possible,"
The game plan has to be the right game plan too mind and the man at the helm is as important if not even more important i feel.

tearintom (Wexford) - Posts: 1537 - 22/07/2025 12:00:16    2627086

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