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Wexford Hurling 2025

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Replying To Viking66:  "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."
You don't even have to go outside the borders of the county to see a correlation. From the 2013-15 U21 group, at least one player that played on those teams lined out on every line of the field from 2-15 in 2019. Jippo, P Foley, K Foley, Chin, McDonald, Jack OC.

Look at the team from 2022 alone that were bet by a point above in Carlow, we didn't play well that evening but if they had won that and got to an AI final I think a lot of people would be singing a very different tune about what has come through between then and now from that group.

Eoin Ryan, Conor Foley, Molloy, Carley, Lawlor, Jack Redmond , Cian Byrne, CBD and Tucker all involved that evening are now on the senior panel. Just over a third of the current panel is no older than 24 and should be coming in to their prime in the next 2 or 3 years. And based on this year 3 or 4 of those are nailed on starters already.

OpenStandWall (Wexford) - Posts: 280 - 22/07/2025 12:10:38    2627091

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Replying To OpenStandWall:  "You don't even have to go outside the borders of the county to see a correlation. From the 2013-15 U21 group, at least one player that played on those teams lined out on every line of the field from 2-15 in 2019. Jippo, P Foley, K Foley, Chin, McDonald, Jack OC.

Look at the team from 2022 alone that were bet by a point above in Carlow, we didn't play well that evening but if they had won that and got to an AI final I think a lot of people would be singing a very different tune about what has come through between then and now from that group.

Eoin Ryan, Conor Foley, Molloy, Carley, Lawlor, Jack Redmond , Cian Byrne, CBD and Tucker all involved that evening are now on the senior panel. Just over a third of the current panel is no older than 24 and should be coming in to their prime in the next 2 or 3 years. And based on this year 3 or 4 of those are nailed on starters already."
I get your point regards the 2022 team, however we need be realistic, In KK they counted that as an extremely poor crop. Only Billy Drennan has made the breakthrough to the senior panel. Aidan Tallis & Killian Doyle have made their senior panel with little to no gametime. They beat a Limerick without Cathal O'Neill due to the senior rule that year and then there was the hawkeye incident. I'm just skeptical that if our team could not beat that KK team who have had very little players make their way onto the senior team, yet we have had a large amount of the Wex team getting onto our senior panel, is that showing the difference in qquality on the senior teams? Or standards.

countyman2022 (Wexford) - Posts: 856 - 22/07/2025 12:30:28    2627107

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I absolutely can't stand the "we only lost to them by a point" mindset in Wexford. As if its some sort of justification.
The fact is, the game was lost. And I often see matches where Wexford lost to a team by a point only to see the opponents next game and its a way higher intensity and they look like a different team. I've seen this often with Dublin underage teams.
The fact is lads, hurling in Wexford needs more money and bodies thrown at it. Rory Jacob was up in Dublin training our u20s, to me that is crazy. In my view Rory Jacob would be nailed on perfect for an u14 development squad. Pay him whatever he gets for training whoever. Everyone knows these lads are being paid. So what. They are being paid across the country and not paying them is penny wise pound foolish.
I've said all I can about combined colleges but more players playing at a higher level is better for the game. Make it work, find a way.
Its a long time since Wexford produced a top top hurler, Rory O'Connor is the last star to roar on to the senior team. Everyone else has been a development product. Maybe this Sean O'Brien chap is the next one. But you need the top top player every couple of years, not every 5-10 years.
I also can't get my head around how there is 5 rounds of club championship yet in theory nothing matters and there is no consequence. Who the heck thought that was a good idea?

ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1445 - 22/07/2025 12:47:28    2627118

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Replying To countyman2022:  "I get your point regards the 2022 team, however we need be realistic, In KK they counted that as an extremely poor crop. Only Billy Drennan has made the breakthrough to the senior panel. Aidan Tallis & Killian Doyle have made their senior panel with little to no gametime. They beat a Limerick without Cathal O'Neill due to the senior rule that year and then there was the hawkeye incident. I'm just skeptical that if our team could not beat that KK team who have had very little players make their way onto the senior team, yet we have had a large amount of the Wex team getting onto our senior panel, is that showing the difference in qquality on the senior teams? Or standards."
At the end of the day we can only play the hand we're dealt. And from this year so far and last year in terms of the club scene I'm not seeing anyone really make me wonder as to why they haven't been involved in the senior set up, so most players are probably going to continue to come from the 20s groups rather than being brought in on club form.

I'm not trying to make us feel sorry for ourselves and it probably comes across that way but you'd also have to factor in tradition, pedigree also as well probably most important how lofty their standards and expectations are compared to ours and that's no overnight fix. they have 55 or 56 more Leinster titles than we do and 6 times the amount of all irelands, and at underage are probably fairly far ahead of us in every roll of honour possible .

We haven't won an underage AI in about 60 years and would probably treat it close to winning a senior AI at this stage, yet they have the luxury of call an All Ireland winning u20 group a poor crop.

OpenStandWall (Wexford) - Posts: 280 - 22/07/2025 13:23:41    2627135

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Replying To ExiledInWex:  "I absolutely can't stand the "we only lost to them by a point" mindset in Wexford. As if its some sort of justification.
The fact is, the game was lost. And I often see matches where Wexford lost to a team by a point only to see the opponents next game and its a way higher intensity and they look like a different team. I've seen this often with Dublin underage teams.
The fact is lads, hurling in Wexford needs more money and bodies thrown at it. Rory Jacob was up in Dublin training our u20s, to me that is crazy. In my view Rory Jacob would be nailed on perfect for an u14 development squad. Pay him whatever he gets for training whoever. Everyone knows these lads are being paid. So what. They are being paid across the country and not paying them is penny wise pound foolish.
I've said all I can about combined colleges but more players playing at a higher level is better for the game. Make it work, find a way.
Its a long time since Wexford produced a top top hurler, Rory O'Connor is the last star to roar on to the senior team. Everyone else has been a development product. Maybe this Sean O'Brien chap is the next one. But you need the top top player every couple of years, not every 5-10 years.
I also can't get my head around how there is 5 rounds of club championship yet in theory nothing matters and there is no consequence. Who the heck thought that was a good idea?"
Exactly, lob the money on one high quality coach per age group. We spent millions on a few purple and gold seats and the offices in Wex Pk. Put the money into squads. Period. As for championship structure, 150 games played across 5 grades, not one team knocked out. Its dropping the standard further. Less intensity in games due to lack of jepordy. Its diminishing the standard.

countyman2022 (Wexford) - Posts: 856 - 22/07/2025 13:38:31    2627143

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Replying To WEXILE:  "How did we do in the u14. U15 & u16 development games did anyone hear?"
U14 teams both won well against Laois, u15s lost to Limerick, u16As beat Antrim and Bs lost by a point to Westmeath As.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16639 - 22/07/2025 13:55:45    2627152

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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 ?"
We have 10 indoor Astros in the county, think that's way more than any other hurling county tbh.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16639 - 22/07/2025 13:56:52    2627153

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Replying To wexford2012:  "What is the Clare model like?"
Very good

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16639 - 22/07/2025 13:57:52    2627154

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Replying To countyman2022:  "I get your point regards the 2022 team, however we need be realistic, In KK they counted that as an extremely poor crop. Only Billy Drennan has made the breakthrough to the senior panel. Aidan Tallis & Killian Doyle have made their senior panel with little to no gametime. They beat a Limerick without Cathal O'Neill due to the senior rule that year and then there was the hawkeye incident. I'm just skeptical that if our team could not beat that KK team who have had very little players make their way onto the senior team, yet we have had a large amount of the Wex team getting onto our senior panel, is that showing the difference in qquality on the senior teams? Or standards."
I'd agree, except for this one fact. Teams of ours that had some or many of those lads on them beat Kilkenny in Senior Championship. Our only Championship defeat to them in 70 minutes since 2018 was last year in Nowlan Park, when they needed a penalty for a foul that nearly wasn't in the same county as the large recrangle to do it.
Kilkenny aren't good this last good while. They shouldnt be the benchmark for us. They are more consistent than we are, but they aren't better hurlers. If they were they'd be beating us the whole time. Or even half the time.
And as regards u20 we didn't just lose to them by a point in 2022, many of the same lads played eachother again twice in 2023, and we beat them both times, including a knockout Leinster semi final in Nowlan Park.
Forget about Kilkenny. We need to sort our own problems out. We have a young team. We need to coach them to be better. More consistent. They've plenty of room to develop. And plenty of time. Be patient. Back them.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16639 - 22/07/2025 14:28:23    2627173

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The primary goal of underage squads should be to develop players for the Senior team, development comes before winning at that level (Although the better you are at development, the more likely you are to win so they're not mutually exclusive). At Senior level, winning is the be all and end all so I don't think you could ever justify "We only lost a point" but as development is the most important thing at under-age level, "We only lost by a point" is less of a bad point. Development must come before winning, otherwise you end up like Galway

Also, organising a combined colleges team is a major logistical challenge and with four teams hurling in Senior A next year, there isn't really a pressing need for it. Even with KK players at Good Counsel, some Carlow players at GC and the FCJ, and then a few stragglers from Wicklow in the FCJ, that'll be 45+ hurlers from Wexford in all likelihood starting Senior A next season

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 604 - 22/07/2025 14:40:41    2627179

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Replying To Viking66:  "I'd agree, except for this one fact. Teams of ours that had some or many of those lads on them beat Kilkenny in Senior Championship. Our only Championship defeat to them in 70 minutes since 2018 was last year in Nowlan Park, when they needed a penalty for a foul that nearly wasn't in the same county as the large recrangle to do it.
Kilkenny aren't good this last good while. They shouldnt be the benchmark for us. They are more consistent than we are, but they aren't better hurlers. If they were they'd be beating us the whole time. Or even half the time.
And as regards u20 we didn't just lose to them by a point in 2022, many of the same lads played eachother again twice in 2023, and we beat them both times, including a knockout Leinster semi final in Nowlan Park.
Forget about Kilkenny. We need to sort our own problems out. We have a young team. We need to coach them to be better. More consistent. They've plenty of room to develop. And plenty of time. Be patient. Back them."
Probably should be a slight benchmark for us and are better hurlers. They have won 6 Leinsters in a row. We have won 1 in 21 years.

countyman2022 (Wexford) - Posts: 856 - 22/07/2025 14:51:14    2627184

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Replying To countyman2022:  "Probably should be a slight benchmark for us and are better hurlers. They have won 6 Leinsters in a row. We have won 1 in 21 years."
They have won 6 Leinsters in a row by being more consistent than we are. They did draw with Carlow last year, but always beat the bottom 2 ranked teams otherwise in the Round Robin era, and they nearly always beat Dublin, and usually beat Galway. We have lost to both Westmeath and Antrim, drew with Westmeath also, and have only beaten Galway and Dublin once each in round robin years.
Hard to make a Leinster Final at all when you are that inconsistent.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16639 - 22/07/2025 15:37:24    2627202

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Replying To Viking66:  "I'd agree, except for this one fact. Teams of ours that had some or many of those lads on them beat Kilkenny in Senior Championship. Our only Championship defeat to them in 70 minutes since 2018 was last year in Nowlan Park, when they needed a penalty for a foul that nearly wasn't in the same county as the large recrangle to do it.
Kilkenny aren't good this last good while. They shouldnt be the benchmark for us. They are more consistent than we are, but they aren't better hurlers. If they were they'd be beating us the whole time. Or even half the time.
And as regards u20 we didn't just lose to them by a point in 2022, many of the same lads played eachother again twice in 2023, and we beat them both times, including a knockout Leinster semi final in Nowlan Park.
Forget about Kilkenny. We need to sort our own problems out. We have a young team. We need to coach them to be better. More consistent. They've plenty of room to develop. And plenty of time. Be patient. Back them."
I've always admired your positivity and your passion for GAA is very evident but if KIlkenny aren't the benchmark for us then I'd like to ask who should be our benchmark?

Yes, we've beaten KK a few times since Davy's time but we almost never back it up and we struggle to get back up after a defeat, which if we're being honest is a huge flaw in Wexford the past few years.

I'm sure KK don't like being beaten by Wexford or any other team for that matter but the simple fact is that they win Leinster championships when Wexford have certain supporters that are still dreaming about beating KK once every so often.

Kilkenny of today might not be the best we've seen but by god they give every drop, almost every game and that winning mentality should surely be something we aspire to get to.

Our mindset needs to change dramatically if we ever want to win another Leinster, never mind dreaming about All irelands.

YellowShadeOfPurple (Wexford) - Posts: 56 - 22/07/2025 17:54:38    2627235

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Replying To YellowShadeOfPurple:  "I've always admired your positivity and your passion for GAA is very evident but if KIlkenny aren't the benchmark for us then I'd like to ask who should be our benchmark?

Yes, we've beaten KK a few times since Davy's time but we almost never back it up and we struggle to get back up after a defeat, which if we're being honest is a huge flaw in Wexford the past few years.

I'm sure KK don't like being beaten by Wexford or any other team for that matter but the simple fact is that they win Leinster championships when Wexford have certain supporters that are still dreaming about beating KK once every so often.

Kilkenny of today might not be the best we've seen but by god they give every drop, almost every game and that winning mentality should surely be something we aspire to get to.

Our mindset needs to change dramatically if we ever want to win another Leinster, never mind dreaming about All irelands."
Your last line is the point I'm making. We should be our own benchmark. We need to improve year on year from now on. At every level, from club under 6 to Senior intercounty. Little steps will make a big journey. That was how a friend from Limerick summed up the findings of their root and branch review back in the early teens. It's also what Clare have been doing the last good while. We need to do everything better than we did it last year.
No point comparing ourselves to whoever is best at any point in time.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16639 - 22/07/2025 20:56:27    2627290

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "The primary goal of underage squads should be to develop players for the Senior team, development comes before winning at that level (Although the better you are at development, the more likely you are to win so they're not mutually exclusive). At Senior level, winning is the be all and end all so I don't think you could ever justify "We only lost a point" but as development is the most important thing at under-age level, "We only lost by a point" is less of a bad point. Development must come before winning, otherwise you end up like Galway

Also, organising a combined colleges team is a major logistical challenge and with four teams hurling in Senior A next year, there isn't really a pressing need for it. Even with KK players at Good Counsel, some Carlow players at GC and the FCJ, and then a few stragglers from Wicklow in the FCJ, that'll be 45+ hurlers from Wexford in all likelihood starting Senior A next season"
At Senior development is still important. With good coaching good players can still improve whatever age they are.
Tipp have shown that whole teams can improve over the course of a year. They were 25-1 before their win over Clare, 10-1 on June 18th, then won it out.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16639 - 22/07/2025 21:53:07    2627308

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Replying To Viking66:  "U14 teams both won well against Laois, u15s lost to Limerick, u16As beat Antrim and Bs lost by a point to Westmeath As."
U15s were 15 points down to Limerick with 10 minutes left and ended up losing by 7 points, limerick brought on subs and we got a couple of soft goals but totally outclassed the lack of space creative a forward play was shocking. The only plan seemed to be just drive the ball in. U16s struggled to beat Antrim by 2 points Wexford 1.18 Antrim 2.13. Wexford really struggled in this game but again forward coaching is non existent in Development squads just drive it in is the game plan. Worried about the future to be honest.

Bryson (Wexford) - Posts: 20 - 22/07/2025 22:16:16    2627315

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Replying To Bryson:  "U15s were 15 points down to Limerick with 10 minutes left and ended up losing by 7 points, limerick brought on subs and we got a couple of soft goals but totally outclassed the lack of space creative a forward play was shocking. The only plan seemed to be just drive the ball in. U16s struggled to beat Antrim by 2 points Wexford 1.18 Antrim 2.13. Wexford really struggled in this game but again forward coaching is non existent in Development squads just drive it in is the game plan. Worried about the future to be honest."
Thats fairly grim reading. We are in a bad place.

countyman2022 (Wexford) - Posts: 856 - 23/07/2025 08:48:56    2627345

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Replying To Bryson:  "U15s were 15 points down to Limerick with 10 minutes left and ended up losing by 7 points, limerick brought on subs and we got a couple of soft goals but totally outclassed the lack of space creative a forward play was shocking. The only plan seemed to be just drive the ball in. U16s struggled to beat Antrim by 2 points Wexford 1.18 Antrim 2.13. Wexford really struggled in this game but again forward coaching is non existent in Development squads just drive it in is the game plan. Worried about the future to be honest."
Disappointing to hear that . From what I see on here it is crucial we figure out a way of getting top quality coaches involved in development squads

Afinestick96 (Wexford) - Posts: 672 - 23/07/2025 09:18:44    2627354

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Replying To countyman2022:  "Thats fairly grim reading. We are in a bad place."
Im a firm believer we need to forget about pumping money into wexford park and the COE for now all our efforts have to be put into player development and coaching or we risk falling further behind. Urgent action is needed this Autumn/Winter so we can get to work on this from early next year. As Viking as said here previously winter hurling at least one night a week for underage teams has to be started at all clubs with the facilites available to them. I can think of 3 things that must change from next year also. We need to pay top quality coaching to get them to coach our development squads if not they will be involved in adult club teams. Coaching of our development squads is vital. We need to let 18 year olds hurl adult from next year. We need to get rid of this ridiculous format in our club championships and make every game matter . What we've seen in the club championships so far shows this format is not working and is not helping Wexford hurling

Afinestick96 (Wexford) - Posts: 672 - 23/07/2025 09:56:11    2627367

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Replying To Afinestick96:  "Im a firm believer we need to forget about pumping money into wexford park and the COE for now all our efforts have to be put into player development and coaching or we risk falling further behind. Urgent action is needed this Autumn/Winter so we can get to work on this from early next year. As Viking as said here previously winter hurling at least one night a week for underage teams has to be started at all clubs with the facilites available to them. I can think of 3 things that must change from next year also. We need to pay top quality coaching to get them to coach our development squads if not they will be involved in adult club teams. Coaching of our development squads is vital. We need to let 18 year olds hurl adult from next year. We need to get rid of this ridiculous format in our club championships and make every game matter . What we've seen in the club championships so far shows this format is not working and is not helping Wexford hurling"
''We need to pay top quality coaching to get them to coach our development squads if not they will be involved in adult club teams. Coaching of our development squads is vital. We need to let 18 year olds hurl adult from next year. We need to get rid of this ridiculous format in our club championships and make every game matter . What we've seen in the club championships so far shows this format is not working and is not helping Wexford hurling"

I have been beating that drum for 18 months on all 3 fronts you have mentioned and its been taken as I'm negative and mouthy. Its basically the truth and just being a realist. We are going to be further and further behind if we don't do something soon. Look how bad our minor and u-20 results were this year. If that cant have lads worried I dont know what will. And sad thing is, we are so far behind from u-15 to adult, it is going to be possiblky up to 8-10 years time before we might see any results from changes made at develoment level made now with adult teams.

countyman2022 (Wexford) - Posts: 856 - 23/07/2025 10:28:13    2627374

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