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Galway Hurling thread

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Replying To baire: "By 'off the cuff' I meant thinking on your feet, using your hurling brain when a sliotar comes unexpectedly or in an unexpected way, the opposite to pre-planned, coached, drilled, pre-planned etc." Your dissing the 'planning' twice in 4 goes there at the finish. Let's hope you're not the first on here, or on Galway football thread in April/May, lamenting the lack of a gameplan. You don't seem to like plans that work!! Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3822 - 09/03/2023 15:32:13 2463011 Link
Replying To tommy k: "Very good post and another bugbear of mine (along with thrown passes that are allowed) is how light the sliotar is that points can now be scored from 100 to 120 metres out on a fairly regular basis. When I was watching hurling in the 70's / 80's / 90's / 00's the sliotar could barely be pucked past 70 metres and there would be tussles for the ball, ground hurling etc. which made for more exciting games. Now it has become too robotic and systematic with the lightness of the sliotar contributing to that to a large degree." This is not me being smart but have you any data to say the sliothar is lighter? I read somewhere a few years ago that its actually heavier but I cant find that article. The rim are definitely smaller and maybe softer - if that makes sense. My argument regarding weight is that a lighter ball (if it is lighter) doesnt necessarily mean it can travel further. I'm fairly sure I could strike a sliothar further than a tennis ball or a current soccer ball further than the old derby footballs we all had growing up. I do think that the old sliothars soaked moisture up more but i'm not convinced they were made heavier. tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 09/03/2023 16:30:52 2463029 Link
Replying To baire: "By 'off the cuff' I meant thinking on your feet, using your hurling brain when a sliotar comes unexpectedly or in an unexpected way, the opposite to pre-planned, coached, drilled, pre-planned etc." You'd some naive poster on here a few weeks ago lamenting the loss of over-the-head hurlers like Jimmy Barry Murphy. JBM was many things, incl. one of the greatest dual-players ever, but an over-the-head hurler he was not. He probably doubled on a ball in the air ONCE ever during his hurling career and scored one of the greatest goals of all time, against...Galway in 1983. Galway fans wouldn't be used to seeing stuff like that at all, and probably believed that it happens all the time in true hurling counties like Cork (Galway is after all a predominantly footballing county, but fair play for attempting the hurling too. You have to be commended). Lamenting the loss of over-the-head striking, aka as 'doubling on the ball in the air', what balderdash! Because it is a skill that never was anyway. Who did it and how often? Famed Gerald McCarthy of Cork is acclaimed as one of its greatest exponents. You could count on one hand the number of times we ever saw him do it. The mighty Frank Cummins could do it, but rarely did, as he didn't have to, such was his strength on the ball. The great Eamonn Grimes, once or twice! Actually, from chatting to old-timers years ago, the legendary Timmy Ryan from Ahane from the Mackey era, seems to be the player who employed this skill more often in games than any other player. Let's stop this nonsense of lamenting the loss of skills that in effect were never really there. And if any of you has any footage of a Galway player doubling on the ball in full flight in the air, please provide a link. It'd be much appreciated. foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 2067 - 09/03/2023 16:39:42 2463030 Link
Replying To Viking66: "Not so enjoyable as a Wexford fan!" Ditto for a Galway fan but there were some class hurlers on that Offaly team, you must admit! There was no talk of rugby sized yokes, rucks, S&C, etc! lol baire (Galway) - Posts: 1849 - 09/03/2023 16:47:21 2463034 Link
Replying To Pope_Benedict: "Your dissing the 'planning' twice in 4 goes there at the finish. Let's hope you're not the first on here, or on Galway football thread in April/May, lamenting the lack of a gameplan. You don't seem to like plans that work!!" Offaly bad of me! Must revise and re-write, important publication! lol baire (Galway) - Posts: 1849 - 09/03/2023 16:50:58 2463037 Link
Replying To daveboy: "Like cian lynch scoring a point off his knees in PUC last year?" There will always be exceptional players in every county, thankfully. baire (Galway) - Posts: 1849 - 09/03/2023 16:57:30 2463042 Link
Replying To tiobraid: "I quite enjoy the rivalry that seems to have developed between the two counties! In terms of hurling posters here theres feck all outside of Galway, Limerick and Wexford" If you add the two Galway Threads in Hurling and Football it dwarfs all others with Donegals Football Thread being the next closest. I agree with you in that I like others visiting the thread with their input. Isn't that what it's all about? Trump2020 (Galway) - Posts: 2212 - 09/03/2023 17:10:16 2463050 Link
Replying To tiobraid: "I quite enjoy the rivalry that seems to have developed between the two counties! In terms of hurling posters here theres feck all outside of Galway, Limerick and Wexford" Clare have their own very good forum. There's Canuck a very good poster from Waterford. A few Kilkenny and Offaly posters who have been posting a long time also. And a couple of sporadic contributors from Cork. And an excellent poster from Tipp; ) Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13301 - 09/03/2023 17:13:22 2463052 Link
Replying To tommy k: "Very good post and another bugbear of mine (along with thrown passes that are allowed) is how light the sliotar is that points can now be scored from 100 to 120 metres out on a fairly regular basis. When I was watching hurling in the 70's / 80's / 90's / 00's the sliotar could barely be pucked past 70 metres and there would be tussles for the ball, ground hurling etc. which made for more exciting games. Now it has become too robotic and systematic with the lightness of the sliotar contributing to that to a large degree." Not sure I enjoyed the rucks tbh. A few players down here are still fairly good at pulling on a ground ball. Think aerial pulling is now frowned upon by refs as dangerous play. 1 thing I agree with you about that there's less off is the good old fashioned high ball into the square and a lad reaching up and plucking it out of the sky and driving it into the net. There's less goalmouth action like that because it was such an inefficient way of scoring though. Most times the ball would end up being won by the backs and driven aimlessly back out the field. There definitely weren't more goals in the 90s. Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13301 - 09/03/2023 17:18:55 2463053 Link
Replying To FatLadySinging: "Could Limerick people please stick to their own forum? This is for Galway Hurling. Make the most of your successful phase as it's not going to last too long more. Crowing about your team on the Galway forum has become rather tiresome and boring." Get off it yourself and do a few rounds of the field! foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 2067 - 09/03/2023 18:57:24 2463069 Link
Replying To tiobraid: "This is not me being smart but have you any data to say the sliothar is lighter? I read somewhere a few years ago that its actually heavier but I cant find that article. The rim are definitely smaller and maybe softer - if that makes sense. My argument regarding weight is that a lighter ball (if it is lighter) doesnt necessarily mean it can travel further. I'm fairly sure I could strike a sliothar further than a tennis ball or a current soccer ball further than the old derby footballs we all had growing up. I do think that the old sliothars soaked moisture up more but i'm not convinced they were made heavier." Tiobraid, you're correct in what you say. Perhaps it was this article from John Allen (Once upon a time, and a very long time ago, an AI winning player and manager with Cork)? https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/john-allen-sliotar-dimensions-much-ado-about-nothing-1.2645802 As the old proverb goes, "If you want to know anything about hurling, just ask an American!" foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 2067 - 09/03/2023 20:52:09 2463081 Link
God aren't Limerick fantastic Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3030 - 09/03/2023 21:08:20 2463090 Link
Replying To foreveryoung: "You'd some naive poster on here a few weeks ago lamenting the loss of over-the-head hurlers like Jimmy Barry Murphy. JBM was many things, incl. one of the greatest dual-players ever, but an over-the-head hurler he was not. He probably doubled on a ball in the air ONCE ever during his hurling career and scored one of the greatest goals of all time, against...Galway in 1983. Galway fans wouldn't be used to seeing stuff like that at all, and probably believed that it happens all the time in true hurling counties like Cork (Galway is after all a predominantly footballing county, but fair play for attempting the hurling too. You have to be commended). Lamenting the loss of over-the-head striking, aka as 'doubling on the ball in the air', what balderdash! Because it is a skill that never was anyway. Who did it and how often? Famed Gerald McCarthy of Cork is acclaimed as one of its greatest exponents. You could count on one hand the number of times we ever saw him do it. The mighty Frank Cummins could do it, but rarely did, as he didn't have to, such was his strength on the ball. The great Eamonn Grimes, once or twice! Actually, from chatting to old-timers years ago, the legendary Timmy Ryan from Ahane from the Mackey era, seems to be the player who employed this skill more often in games than any other player. Let's stop this nonsense of lamenting the loss of skills that in effect were never really there. And if any of you has any footage of a Galway player doubling on the ball in full flight in the air, please provide a link. It'd be much appreciated." Rory McCarthy was excellent at it. Check out his goal in the 01 quarter final against Limerick. Or Quigley point in 05 leinster final against kk Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3030 - 09/03/2023 21:12:04 2463091 Link
Replying To Trump2020: "If you add the two Galway Threads in Hurling and Football it dwarfs all others with Donegals Football Thread being the next closest. I agree with you in that I like others visiting the thread with their input. Isn't that what it's all about?" It's definitely the most active hurling thread on HS and good for the craic! Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13301 - 09/03/2023 21:28:36 2463098 Link
There's a hurling team in Limerick Whose boss is surely no gimmick But to gloat on this forum Limlickers lack decorum They truly could do with a trimming. baire (Galway) - Posts: 1849 - 10/03/2023 10:07:47 2463116 Link
Replying To Viking66: "Not sure I enjoyed the rucks tbh. A few players down here are still fairly good at pulling on a ground ball. Think aerial pulling is now frowned upon by refs as dangerous play. 1 thing I agree with you about that there's less off is the good old fashioned high ball into the square and a lad reaching up and plucking it out of the sky and driving it into the net. There's less goalmouth action like that because it was such an inefficient way of scoring though. Most times the ball would end up being won by the backs and driven aimlessly back out the field. There definitely weren't more goals in the 90s." There was always rucks only they were schmozzels. Stripey men always seemed to emerge with the ball from them Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4454 - 10/03/2023 10:09:01 2463117 Link
Replying To Oldtourman: "There was always rucks only they were schmozzels. Stripey men always seemed to emerge with the ball from them" That was before the ruglers arrived! baire (Galway) - Posts: 1849 - 10/03/2023 11:08:40 2463134 Link
Replying To Doylerwex: "God aren't Limerick fantastic" Don't forget the American! lol baire (Galway) - Posts: 1849 - 10/03/2023 11:20:50 2463139 Link
Replying To Viking66: "It's definitely the most active hurling thread on HS and good for the craic!" Amen to that. Good for a few laughs and some good points brought up too. Trump2020 (Galway) - Posts: 2212 - 10/03/2023 11:31:32 2463148 Link
Replying To Doylerwex: "God aren't Limerick fantastic" Yes.. Yes we are. Thanks for the acknowledgement :) skillet (Limerick) - Posts: 1103 - 10/03/2023 11:43:03 2463156 Link