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We won the Leinster minor title in 2019 beating Kilkenny in the final so this group are probably better than average. We've had alot of injuries this year when we played yourselves we were missing around a half dozen of the lads who will likely start the final on Monday. Hard to know what we will see in Carlow though as u20 players can be very inconsistent from 1 week to the next. Alot of these lads lost to a good Kildare u20 team last year for example. Hopefully as a team we will not have an off day. If we play to our potential it should be a close game. Kilkenny teams at any level very rarely have an off day. The only one I can think of typing this you were probably at!
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11730 - 05/05/2022 17:56:14 2415125 Link 0 |
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Whilst it is good to be optimistic, it is also necessary to be realistic… I would say that teams 10-12 is where we need to be looking. Teams 1-9 Kilkenny, Galway, Wexford, Dublin, Waterford, Tipperary, Limerick, Clare and Cork are most definitely outside our range as it stands. If we were to participate in a mini league with say Antrim, Laois and Offaly, I would expect that at the moment we might win 1 out of 3 on a given day, so this group is tentatively within our range and these are the teams we should be setting our initial sights on matching consistently. Our current level as it stands is more in line with Kerry, Down, Carlow to be fair, which is what our recent league campaign would suggest.
CleanShoulder (Westmeath) - Posts: 268 - 05/05/2022 18:19:36 2415128 Link 0 |
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I would strongly disagree with you, and I'd agree with Jobber. We aren't far off the 8-10 teams. We just need more self believe and be confident in our own ability. Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 769 - 05/05/2022 18:30:57 2415129 Link 0 |
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We need to beat Laois and guarantee our survival in Liam Mccarthy. Then for next season Joe Fortune needs to try and bolster the squad, get Liam Varley, Gary Greville, Adam Ennis, Shane Clavin, Josh Coll and Eoin Daly to commit and there a few young u20s that may shine for their clubs this year that could potentially be brought on board too. I will be particularly keeping an eye out for Darragh McCormack and Conor Gaffney of Pollard, Kevin Hogan and Davy Williams of the Gaels, Rhian Holding of Clonkill and Peter Clarke, David O'Reilly, and David Maloney of Castletown. All players with huge potential. Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 769 - 05/05/2022 19:09:18 2415138 Link 0 |
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I am usually cautious but we have played Kerry three times in 12 months and won all three. We Hammered Down in the Division 2 final and IMO despite loss in Carlow are ahead of them.We are the Mcdonagh champions we are the 2A league champions so we have to have ambition.Dublin beat us by 8 after we hit 13 wides and missed two open goals.If you cant have ambition of reaching that you should stick to football or is that whats worrying you?
jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1445 - 05/05/2022 21:18:54 2415149 Link 2 |
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Plenty of work being done in fairness in westmeath Kildale and kerry but it seems very hard to bridge the gap to ourselves and some of the other top counties but if ye can stay competitive and keep up the good work a breakthrough might come in a few years. Tiger1 (Wexford) - Posts: 218 - 05/05/2022 21:50:57 2415156 Link 0 |
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I never for a second suggested there's anything wrong with ambition, every team in every sport at all levels must have ambition, otherwise why bother. What I am basing my opinions on is that the league table is generally a good yardstick for where we are at a given time. Won 3, lost 2 in the group stage, while we got over Kerry the score lines do suggest that there is very little between the sides and that's usually the case when we play Carlow as well and they got the better of us last time out, and while the final win over Down was convincing they also beat us in the same campaign. Please correct me if anything I've just said is inaccurate?? Not sure what context your question about worrying about football is meant in, maybe elaborate or rephrase? CleanShoulder (Westmeath) - Posts: 268 - 06/05/2022 13:32:12 2415255 Link 0 |
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Fair enough, I don't except everyone to agree with what is an opinion. I'd be interested to know who yourself and Jobber consider to be teams 8-10, possibly not a hundred miles from my own thoughts if analysed. However I've said who I believe to be the 3 teams who are legitimately within striking distance and who we should be initially striving to get over, but you seem to take exception to my suggesting that there are 12 teams above us, without actually offering an opinion of your own?
CleanShoulder (Westmeath) - Posts: 268 - 06/05/2022 13:43:13 2415261 Link 0 |
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Antrim ranked 10 based on results over past 2-3 years, we're not miles behind them but they've been more consistent than us in recent years, Dublin probably ranked 9th and we are a distance behind them. We haven't beaten them since the water polo match of 2006 and they were comfortable winners last Sunday. Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1478 - 06/05/2022 17:48:35 2415334 Link 0 |
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Id say the 8-12 group includes Wexford,Dublin,Antrim,Laois and ourselves.We have to beat Laois this year and of course everyone knows they will have all their "injured" players back for that.We were competitive in two of our three games so far.We need to be the same next weekend and then Portlaois.I think this Leinster council admin being there must be the reason we are ALWAYS away to them.When did they play in Mullingar last 1950?
jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1445 - 07/05/2022 10:51:25 2415373 Link 0 |
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I'd say that's a fair assessment, and that Laois and Offaly are quite similar standard to Antrim in 11-12 and this is the group slightly ahead of us but not by much, that we should have our sights on? So maybe you don't strongly disagree with my earlier assessment after all when you take a step back and have a broader look?
CleanShoulder (Westmeath) - Posts: 268 - 07/05/2022 11:08:11 2415379 Link 0 |
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Self belief is very important. If you don't have that as a panel and team other lads who might be good enough might not commit or might choose other sports as they get older. If you could spread the hurling gospel into more national schools and clubs in the South of the county would probably be a good place to start trying to get playing numbers up.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11730 - 07/05/2022 11:12:46 2415380 Link 1 |
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Funny you should say that but me n a couple of friends were wondering when we would next play Laois at home at some grade too!
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11730 - 07/05/2022 11:29:00 2415384 Link 0 |
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Laois into the Leinster minor final after we should have beaten them here a couple of weeks ago. Shows what a bit of momentum does. Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 769 - 07/05/2022 13:26:25 2415400 Link 0 |
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Great to see Laois and Offaly in the final! Hopefully be your turn in the near future!
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11730 - 07/05/2022 15:23:49 2415423 Link 0 |
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Every team has had a bit of luck now Laois minors today, laois seniors in 2019, different carlow teams in the past ten years have taken big scalps...Westmeath are just not getting the luck. Today was a further example that the minor team might not have been far away either..the 1999, 2011, 2015 were definitely 3 westmeath minor teams that could have got to finals but it didnt happen sadly preddan (Kildare) - Posts: 733 - 07/05/2022 18:32:59 2415452 Link 0 |
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Our minor hurlers were annihilated by Carlow last week in a competitive fixture. 26 points is a serious beating at any level. Any hurling county with ambitions wouldn't let this happen. Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1478 - 08/05/2022 15:36:18 2415581 Link 1 |
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U15s had a great win over Offaly today in Robinstown. Some promising young players coming through. Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 769 - 08/05/2022 15:58:53 2415593 Link 0 |
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Add in the recent success of Mullingar CBS
jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1445 - 08/05/2022 16:54:21 2415611 Link 1 |
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I seen Mullingar cbs beat Colaiste Eoin of Dublin in the u14 "A" semi final last week too. I'd imagine our county u14s are strong as a result of this. I was at the u15 game today, Westmeath had a large panel and rotated regularly throughout the game with the players coming on as good as the players they were replacing. It's promising, and nice to remain positive. Plunketts seem to be a driving force behind the u15s with a good few stand out players. Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 769 - 08/05/2022 17:10:25 2415617 Link 0 |