National Forum

Westmeath Hurling thread

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post


Replying To Claretandblue:  "Na Piarsaigh underage amalgamation has been outstanding success. They've done it in the right manner, different jerseys, both clubs buying in. The only cloud for Turin would be some of their top players are also excellent at football and that could limit their hurling commitments. They had three starters with county under 20 footballers this week and those lads would have been on county under 20 hurling squad. Sean Leech arguably best under 20 hurler in county. Clann Na Gael making progress too. It's the only option with limited playing numbers."
Quiet a good performance from a lot of our younger lads this evening against Wexford, majority of these lads underage for the next two years.
What killed us today was having no free taker and not having a decent goalkeeper.
I would disagree that Sean Leech is the best u20 hurler in the county. For me that'd be between Shane Williams, Peter Clarke, Eamonn Cunneen or David O'Reilly who was missing today due to injury.
Young lads performed well today and looking forward to seeing us at u20 next season because we have a lot of potential.

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 781 - 09/04/2022 19:35:20    2410403

Link

Also well done to the minors who had a comprehensive 6-26-0-02 win over Derry.

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 781 - 09/04/2022 20:22:51    2410409

Link

Replying To Dheen:  "Quiet a good performance from a lot of our younger lads this evening against Wexford, majority of these lads underage for the next two years.
What killed us today was having no free taker and not having a decent goalkeeper.
I would disagree that Sean Leech is the best u20 hurler in the county. For me that'd be between Shane Williams, Peter Clarke, Eamonn Cunneen or David O'Reilly who was missing today due to injury.
Young lads performed well today and looking forward to seeing us at u20 next season because we have a lot of potential."
We have lots of potential but have to sort out a free taker and puck outs.What a pity young Reilly from Castletown was injured.The fact that we lost a few to the football didnt help either.If we had taken our frees and didnt concede the junior B second goal we would have put them in big bother.Hopefully the board will help the management to prepare these lads for 2023 and ensure everyone is available.

jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1456 - 10/04/2022 11:02:56    2410424

Link

Lads will say about the players lost to football but Castletown have won the last 2 minors and last year's u19 championship and had only 3 lads on the panel with one of them being injured.
If we can get the likes of Maloney, Jackson, Boyne, P Murphy, Bolger and Doran of CTG , along with David Aughey of Turin (injured) and Kevin Hogan of Lough Lene Gaels all on the panel next year it'll add massively to what's already there as we are losing only 2/3 players from the current team.
I hope the county board keep Andrew Dermody on as manager as I've been impressed with how he motivated and set up this team the last two games and I believe he would work well with next years group.

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 781 - 10/04/2022 12:54:19    2410435

Link

It's not possible to have everyone available at under 20 level when we have dual players. Dual players are practically an impossibility at under 20 inter county level. I'm guessing there are no dual players at inter county under 20 level and if there are they are rare. Sean Leech, Danny McCartan, Jack Geoghegan at least would have featured yesterday against Wexford but not possible. Could be a problem next year with likes of Rian Holding and Jamie Mulkerrins who would be on football panel. We have at least five dual players on under 17 panels and in three years time they will have to choose. Difficult for young players but serving two masters at this level is impossible

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1488 - 10/04/2022 13:15:23    2410436

Link

Replying To Claretandblue:  "It's not possible to have everyone available at under 20 level when we have dual players. Dual players are practically an impossibility at under 20 inter county level. I'm guessing there are no dual players at inter county under 20 level and if there are they are rare. Sean Leech, Danny McCartan, Jack Geoghegan at least would have featured yesterday against Wexford but not possible. Could be a problem next year with likes of Rian Holding and Jamie Mulkerrins who would be on football panel. We have at least five dual players on under 17 panels and in three years time they will have to choose. Difficult for young players but serving two masters at this level is impossible"
Mulkearns and Holding won't play football

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 781 - 10/04/2022 13:31:14    2410439

Link

And I only say that because Mulkearns is currently on the Westmeath senior hurling panel and Holding will potentially be next year too.

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 781 - 10/04/2022 13:39:03    2410440

Link

Anyone hear many results from club league games? During the week the talk was clonkill were a spent force after taking a good beating from the wood only to turn around the hammer the gaels by 30 points. That's some swing. Things must be very bad out in Collinstown I hear they took a few very heavy defeats in the Leinster league also. Many young lads out there not involved with the county going to make an impact this year, early days but won't find it coming

James73 (Westmeath) - Posts: 40 - 11/04/2022 18:51:07    2410577

Link

Well guys all very quiet on here are ye planning another kk assassination the weekend.

Tiger1 (Wexford) - Posts: 221 - 11/04/2022 19:19:43    2410583

Link

Realistic Westmeath supporters would be content with anything less than a 20 point defeat. That probably applies to our first four games. In previous years Kilkenny and Cork came to Cusack Park in knockout matches and were content to win by simply notching points. Cork scored 40 points two years ago. Galway's elimination in 2019 on score difference changed that mindset. They only beat Carlow by 8-9 points and failed to qualify for the Leinster semi final. The onus on the top counties in a round robin with two weaker teams will be to win by big margins. We should score 1-15 but conceding fewer than three goals will be a challenge.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1488 - 11/04/2022 21:04:10    2410591

Link

Replying To James73:  "Anyone hear many results from club league games? During the week the talk was clonkill were a spent force after taking a good beating from the wood only to turn around the hammer the gaels by 30 points. That's some swing. Things must be very bad out in Collinstown I hear they took a few very heavy defeats in the Leinster league also. Many young lads out there not involved with the county going to make an impact this year, early days but won't find it coming"
In fairness there's not much hardship involved in beating the Gaels even when they're at full strength! They only have 3 on the county anyway which is probably 2 too many, so they can't use that excuse as Clonkill in the same boat short county players.

CleanShoulder (Westmeath) - Posts: 270 - 11/04/2022 21:10:28    2410592

Link

Replying To Claretandblue:  "Realistic Westmeath supporters would be content with anything less than a 20 point defeat. That probably applies to our first four games. In previous years Kilkenny and Cork came to Cusack Park in knockout matches and were content to win by simply notching points. Cork scored 40 points two years ago. Galway's elimination in 2019 on score difference changed that mindset. They only beat Carlow by 8-9 points and failed to qualify for the Leinster semi final. The onus on the top counties in a round robin with two weaker teams will be to win by big margins. We should score 1-15 but conceding fewer than three goals will be a challenge."
It was only 6 points Galway beat Carlow by in 2019 up in Salthill and we were only a few points down with 5 minutes to go.
We had drawn with Galway a few months earlier in the league and that was our strongest team at its peak.
Out of the 6 players that started at half back and half forward that day, only one remains.

Hope to see Westmeath do well on Sunday but Kilkenny are ruthless. We played them that year in Carlow and they cleaned us out in the first fifteen minutes.

Cody does his homework on all the teams. We had a serious half forward line that year so Cody just brought back the two wing forwards for each puck out to stand in front of them blocking their run.

Think we won the second half by a point but we were outclassed on the day. Those Kilkenny lads take their hurling very seriously.

Anyway good luck to Westmeath.

carlovia (None) - Posts: 1517 - 12/04/2022 10:27:08    2410627

Link

Replying To CleanShoulder:  "In fairness there's not much hardship involved in beating the Gaels even when they're at full strength! They only have 3 on the county anyway which is probably 2 too many, so they can't use that excuse as Clonkill in the same boat short county players."
I think it's imperative we get our best 15 out at the weekend vs Kilkenny if everyone is fit I'd go with something like
1. Noel Conaty
2. Darragh Egerton
3. Tommy Gallagher
4. Conor Shaw
5. Aaron Craig
6. Tommy Doyle
7. Jack Galvin
8. Robbie Greville
9. Joey Boyle
10. Killian Doyle
11. Aonghus Clarke
12. Davy Glennon
13. Niall O'Brien
14. Niall Mitchell
15. Ciaran Doyle/Jack Gillen

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 781 - 12/04/2022 11:20:21    2410637

Link

On form everyone playing out of their skins 6 or 7 point margin, true kilkenny are ruthless but still not what they were, you have to try be positive not saying stuff about 20 point margins and playing sweepers and that stuff, it's hard to call, the game is a different game now and the goalposts to reach the top level each year keep getting moved, the team that is there now if they were out 20 years or even 10 years ago they would go places, it's getting harder year on year though but you try remain positive.

preddan (Kildare) - Posts: 735 - 12/04/2022 13:16:56    2410656

Link

Bookies looking at a 16 point handicap and there's a reason it's one of the most profitable businesses around. If we get within 6-7 points it would be one of our greatest performances. Modern hurling has the scope for teams to notch massive scores. Not sure if 50 points tally has been achieved in championship but it's certainly a possibility. Our aim must be to be vaguely competitive in first four games before the crucial match vs Laois.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1488 - 12/04/2022 14:33:29    2410687

Link

How is Kevin Regan not on that suggested team? Easily one of our best league performers and definitely will start injury permitting. Jogger will be full back. Why change a selection that easily won recent league final?

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1488 - 12/04/2022 14:35:47    2410688

Link

Replying To Claretandblue:  "Bookies looking at a 16 point handicap and there's a reason it's one of the most profitable businesses around. If we get within 6-7 points it would be one of our greatest performances. Modern hurling has the scope for teams to notch massive scores. Not sure if 50 points tally has been achieved in championship but it's certainly a possibility. Our aim must be to be vaguely competitive in first four games before the crucial match vs Laois."
I still think it's probably the best westmeath panel/team with personal, coming of age and talent available in nearly 40 years though since the mid 80s,maybe ye guys think otherwise

preddan (Kildare) - Posts: 735 - 12/04/2022 14:44:00    2410689

Link

Replying To Claretandblue:  "How is Kevin Regan not on that suggested team? Easily one of our best league performers and definitely will start injury permitting. Jogger will be full back. Why change a selection that easily won recent league final?"
Your right Kevin Regan should be in there and I forgot to put him in. He definitely makes the side on form.
I feel Aonghus Clarke is wasted at wing back, he has always been an attacker for Castletown and thrives there. So I'd have him at centre forward.

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 781 - 12/04/2022 15:08:19    2410699

Link

Replying To Dheen:  "Your right Kevin Regan should be in there and I forgot to put him in. He definitely makes the side on form.
I feel Aonghus Clarke is wasted at wing back, he has always been an attacker for Castletown and thrives there. So I'd have him at centre forward."
Nobody in Westmeath expects us to win but nobody expects a performance like against Cork either.What we want is seventy minutes of controlled spirited effort.We have to be awake from the start not like in the last number of games.Kilkenny will try and bury us in the first quarter and will be ruthless.But our players confidence will be high and hopefully will give us a big performance.

jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1456 - 12/04/2022 19:20:17    2410738

Link

Well done to our minor hurlers who have went away to Carlow, minus a manager and won scoring 4 great goals in doing so, congratulations to all involved.
Best of luck to our senior hurlers today who face a daunting task against Kilkenny. Hopefully we can get a performance to be proud of.

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 781 - 16/04/2022 12:51:01    2411092

Link