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Westmeath Hurling thread

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Same old story with Westmeath social media, no team up the evening before a match when every other county are on the ball with it. Poor stuff.

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 786 - 04/01/2024 09:38:12    2518286

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I presume the manager dictates when the team is made public?

stonemadbeany (USA) - Posts: 543 - 04/01/2024 11:22:59    2518311

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Team up from 430pm today and I'd say it is down to the manager.

BigSur (Westmeath) - Posts: 1130 - 04/01/2024 17:26:28    2518368

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Team named on our social media since lunchtime. Experimental look to it as expected, Conor Lynch starting as keeper, he's obviously back up to Noel, full back line solid looking, a deserved start for Conor Gaffney, Jack Gillen at wing back is interesting, half forward line very young, N. Mitchell back in corner forward. Think we're in action again on Sunday if we lose.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1492 - 04/01/2024 17:58:50    2518380

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Replying To Claretandblue:  "Team named on our social media since lunchtime. Experimental look to it as expected, Conor Lynch starting as keeper, he's obviously back up to Noel, full back line solid looking, a deserved start for Conor Gaffney, Jack Gillen at wing back is interesting, half forward line very young, N. Mitchell back in corner forward. Think we're in action again on Sunday if we lose."
Half time, down by 1-10-0-08, defence has looked decent up until the goal. Conor Gaffney, Darragh Egerton, Micheal Daly and David Williams most prominent for Westmeath.

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 786 - 04/01/2024 20:11:58    2518393

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Trailing by 16 points in closing stages, Dublin have missed lots, David Williams has been accurate from placed balls. Antrim on Sunday

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1492 - 04/01/2024 20:56:20    2518398

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Replying To Dheen:  "Half time, down by 1-10-0-08, defence has looked decent up until the goal. Conor Gaffney, Darragh Egerton, Micheal Daly and David Williams most prominent for Westmeath."
Brutal second half, but you'd have to say that was a team made up of players who didn't stand out in the club championship, some didn't even start for their clubs. From this evening you could really only say Conor Gaffney, David Williams and Micheal Daly put their hands up for a place, and two of those guys are u20s. Bad defeat, but it was expected.

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 786 - 04/01/2024 21:00:57    2518400

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Agree with you that it wasn't a good watch, fitness an issue too as we were outscored comprehensively in second half. We are missing 6-7 regulars but at least 4-5 of those are not coming back, Fortune has his work cut out with league starting in 4 weeks.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1492 - 04/01/2024 21:14:00    2518403

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Heads dropped massively after goalie put 4 puck outs in less than 2 minutes straight to Dubs for scores. Way off the pace. Worrying

puglerdaly (Westmeath) - Posts: 125 - 04/01/2024 21:36:28    2518408

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Our best player throughout 2023 at inter county level Darragh Egerton was again our best player tonight, he'd be close to starting for virtually any county team bar Limerick. He's going to be needed at his best when the league starts, felt sorry for Joe Fortune tonight, it's only the Walsh Cup but he's a long time involved with Dublin hurling scene and would have wanted to be competitive, the gap between the sides was a chasm.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1492 - 04/01/2024 21:36:34    2518409

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Replying To Claretandblue:  "Agree with you that it wasn't a good watch, fitness an issue too as we were outscored comprehensively in second half. We are missing 6-7 regulars but at least 4-5 of those are not coming back, Fortune has his work cut out with league starting in 4 weeks."
We will have Jogger, the grevilles, the doyles and outside of that I don't know. Definitely has his work cut out.

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 786 - 04/01/2024 21:38:47    2518410

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Replying To Claretandblue:  "Agree with you that it wasn't a good watch, fitness an issue too as we were outscored comprehensively in second half. We are missing 6-7 regulars but at least 4-5 of those are not coming back, Fortune has his work cut out with league starting in 4 weeks."
At this time of year you can't read too much into games. Your lads could've done 4 heavy blocks of fitness work in the last week. That would explain tiredness. Dublin had some good players playing. Who did you have marking Purcell, O'Sullivan, Crummy and Hayes in the 1st half? They must've done ok on them.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11864 - 04/01/2024 22:12:22    2518411

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You had four u20s playing tonight, and I'm not sure if David O'Reilly and Darragh McCormack are in with seniors or not, but I'd suspect they are. You feel they will be used a lot this year at senior level and you'd fear that could hinder our u20s a lot, who have great potential as has been stated here countless times.
A lot of the players given a chance tonight were players who didn't particularly stand out at club level, I'm not going to name anyone but they were the wrong lads to be putting in. We know about the regulars who are missing, but Shane Williams, David Hickey, Josh Coll, Dean Ennis, Adam Ennis, Charlie McCormack, Luke Moore, David Devine, Eamonn Cunneen, Brian McGrath, Dan Higgins, those type of lads should be brought in and given a chance in a walsh cup.
To be fair, I'd say Fortune has asked those players in, we just don't have the playing numbers in the county to be missing the calibre of players we are or when players turn down joining up with the county panel.

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 786 - 04/01/2024 22:52:02    2518418

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Ennis and McCormack are injured, hopefully available on Sunday, some lads you mentioned are emigrating or already have left, others need to prove themselves at club level firstly, as you said yourself some lads said no to inclusion, Dublin had 3-4 regulars playing, that's reality, we have lost 5-6 regular starters from last year, difficult to replace, just need to be remotely competitive during some league matches and boost confidence before McDonagh cup

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1492 - 04/01/2024 23:48:56    2518424

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Alot of talk on here about our u20's & their potential. What are we expecting from them, a Leinster final? Have this group done well at previous age groups? We are still Tier 2 as far as i know. Hopefully they can get some good results & all the talk of this potential will actually happen.

Left Full (Westmeath) - Posts: 239 - 05/01/2024 08:47:34    2518432

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Replying To Claretandblue:  "Ennis and McCormack are injured, hopefully available on Sunday, some lads you mentioned are emigrating or already have left, others need to prove themselves at club level firstly, as you said yourself some lads said no to inclusion, Dublin had 3-4 regulars playing, that's reality, we have lost 5-6 regular starters from last year, difficult to replace, just need to be remotely competitive during some league matches and boost confidence before McDonagh cup"
They had 7 championship players from the game against us last year starting last night. Smyth, Donohue, Hayes, O'Sullivan, Purcell, Power and Crummey. You only had Bermingham and Egerton of the team played against us last year. So they would have had a stronger team out by their own standards than you last night.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11864 - 05/01/2024 09:31:00    2518440

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Replying To Left Full:  "Alot of talk on here about our u20's & their potential. What are we expecting from them, a Leinster final? Have this group done well at previous age groups? We are still Tier 2 as far as i know. Hopefully they can get some good results & all the talk of this potential will actually happen."
If all your lads commit you should be in the mix. Obviously things like the draw and injuries will affect it like any year, but you were near enough as good last year as any of the teams we played, and we played everyone who would be likely to win it. All the other tier 1 counties plus yourselves and Offaly. Obviously the tier 1 counties will likely have more new lads, but that might stand to yourselves and Offaly, who will likely have more of the lads from last year still u20. I think we will have 6 or 7 from last years team.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11864 - 05/01/2024 09:38:22    2518442

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Replying To Dheen:  "I really hope the county board put a good management team in place for the u20s, I'm excited by them, they have great potential. I was looking at the players available and you could field a very formidable starting 15 with about 5/6 strong subs to bring in.
You'd be looking at something like,

1. Sean Jackson
2. Jack Murtagh
3. Josh Murtagh
4. Conor Gaffney
5. Darragh Smith
6. Rhian Holding
7. David Maloney
8. Peter Clarke
9. Ivan Smyth
10. Joe Mulvaney
11. David O'Reilly
12. Peter Murphy
13. Conor Heffernan
14. Darragh McCormack
15. David Williams

On paper the strongest we've had at this grade since 2016/2017.
It's vital they have a solid management team with them. Shame Andrew Dermody stepped away, he would have done wonders with them.

Ian Corrigan will be in charge of a promising minor team as well.
I'll be accused of hyping young players up, but we should be backing them. The quality is there and they deserve the recognition and support next year."
I posted this in awhile ago, but if we get a team similar to this one out in the u20 then it's fair to say it has potential and hopefully put a run together in the Leinster championship. Kevin O'Brien is an excellent manager as well and will hopefully get the best out of them. Darragh McCormack was injured all last season, having him back could be huge as he is arguably this age groups best player. A poster recently said the u20s have had 50 players training and are motoring well.

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 786 - 05/01/2024 11:03:57    2518455

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Replying To Dheen:  "I posted this in awhile ago, but if we get a team similar to this one out in the u20 then it's fair to say it has potential and hopefully put a run together in the Leinster championship. Kevin O'Brien is an excellent manager as well and will hopefully get the best out of them. Darragh McCormack was injured all last season, having him back could be huge as he is arguably this age groups best player. A poster recently said the u20s have had 50 players training and are motoring well."
Mc cormack not in with seniors. I believe there will be a rotation of the 20's in with seniors. Westmeath I think are tier two which has the Kildare minor team from 3 years back that got to a leinster final in it. You'd be thinking coming out of tier 2 would be a good days work. I wouldn't be too worried about last night Dublin. Glorified challenge matches.

Greenandgoldie (Westmeath) - Posts: 98 - 05/01/2024 11:44:24    2518461

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Replying To Greenandgoldie:  "Mc cormack not in with seniors. I believe there will be a rotation of the 20's in with seniors. Westmeath I think are tier two which has the Kildare minor team from 3 years back that got to a leinster final in it. You'd be thinking coming out of tier 2 would be a good days work. I wouldn't be too worried about last night Dublin. Glorified challenge matches."
It's better he isn't, only coming back from an ACL injury. Having him fit for u20 is what matters.
We are in a group with Meath and Antrim, the other group has Carlow, Kildare and Kerry.

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 786 - 05/01/2024 12:14:30    2518467

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