Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 782 - 27/07/2022 13:00:18    2434846

jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1456 - 27/07/2022 16:15:31    2434911

CleanShoulder (Westmeath) - Posts: 270 - 27/07/2022 17:31:55    2434938

Past hurler (None) - Posts: 725 - 27/07/2022 21:42:15    2434978

Senior hurling championship proving enthralling already. Clonkill odds on to reach senior final having beaten two main challengers in four days. Huge victories for a young team, Cullion brought down to earth after their fantastic performance at weekend, Castlepollard were superb in giving them a bit of a trouncing and Cullion now face a mammoth task to avoid relegation as they play the three top teams in remaining fixtures, their main hope may be that the Gaels will struggle to accumulate many more points. Vital last gap win for Castletown which could prove crucial in reaching semi final. Clonkill the team to beat and they'll feel confident about winning all five group games.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1489 - 27/07/2022 21:42:25    2434979

Following last nights results Clonkill are in prime position to go straight to the senior final, they have certainly surprised everyone in the first two rounds. Castletown with a vital win & should do enough to meet Raharney in the semi final. Cullion will drop following last nights defeat by Pollard.
Senior B will be tight to call but having seen Daltons in their first two games they will be hard beaten.

Left Full (Westmeath) - Posts: 239 - 28/07/2022 08:19:51    2434985

Any reactions to last nights games lads, only game I seen was Castletown v LLG, not a bad game but sloppy at times, Castletown put to the pin of their collar by an under strength gaels team,
Another good win for the men of clonkill who seem to be motoring very well,
Massive win for pollard by all accounts, we're cullion down any main men or what happened?
Next round of games vital for a few teams with aspirations to stay in the championship

James73 (Westmeath) - Posts: 40 - 28/07/2022 08:47:43    2434988

Bunbros11 (Westmeath) - Posts: 67 - 28/07/2022 10:33:49    2435025

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 782 - 28/07/2022 11:46:55    2435042

There's huge commitment involved now in club football/hurling. The level of training is more frequent and intense than it ever was . A good part of the reason dual players are becoming rarer is that it's simply tough to do one code never mind balance two.

It's a massive undertaking to be available for matches and training with 2 codes. It's a significant lifestyle choice as much as anything, your weekends are done for most of the year. I know plenty of ex-players who will ask the question of why did gave so much to it. Not that they weren't in love with the sport, more so that they missed out on work/life opportunities that they don't have after retiring.

Yes, there 100% are clubs/influences pushing the one code agenda. However, at the same time, lads are quite often making these choices on their own.

gedupoutofit (Westmeath) - Posts: 163 - 28/07/2022 12:10:07    2435052

Interesting to note that the Westmeath Topic this week leads the sports pages with 'Player wefare a concern for GAA clubs and players'. I did think it was too quiet on this front so at lease some of the hurling managers have spoken out - Pat O'Toole, Alan Mangan and Brendan McKeogh. In response Chair of CB acknowledges the issue but also talks about the format was agreed with clubs and they have know about the fixtures schedule for months. Sounds like they are looking at some tweaks but at this stage the damage is done unless they postpone next week's hurling. Remember in the football they do have an extra week or 2 at the other end as WH have a bye in the 1st round of Leinster.

BigSur (Westmeath) - Posts: 1130 - 28/07/2022 13:55:43    2435088

jamsie (Westmeath) - Posts: 443 - 28/07/2022 15:52:19    2435116

Definitely one of the best suggestions I've heard in a long time. Leinster Council should make draws in January.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1489 - 28/07/2022 16:47:39    2435133

Thechick (Westmeath) - Posts: 232 - 29/07/2022 07:06:59    2435169

With there being all the fixtures was there actually many injuries ? It is utter madness for 30 plus years olds to play both codes in quick succession, how are all the pollards lads, Castletown, who play primarily both and other clubs 2 very hard on managers 2 not to play there stronger lads.
Has anyone got injured out of it ? Then can use it as leverage to the county board for following years

PowellJohn (Westmeath) - Posts: 95 - 29/07/2022 21:20:56    2435316

Senior clubs can probably do without their dual players fully committing or attending training/games

Smaller clubs like Turin need all their players. Its a disgrace if managers of senior football clubs are putting pressure on young lads not to play hurling with their clubs and the same for playing junior football.
As for the young lads - the big club will only want you when you're talented, the smaller club will always want players

valley84 (Westmeath) - Posts: 1890 - 30/07/2022 09:46:46    2435333

Wasn't one of cullions best players not available last year for the big leinster qtr final game against ballinakill from laois I think but he was on the lomans panel for the football the day after and he does not even start I think. That was a big loss for cullion. There's some sort of pressure being put on players it looks to me in some form

preddan (Kildare) - Posts: 736 - 31/07/2022 11:19:12    2435567

Sean Leech, Niall Mitchell, Darragh Egerton, Cillian Doyle, Sean Quinn, Eoin Keyes, Luke Loughlin, John Gilligan, David O' Reilly, Johnny Bermingham and several others can perform the dual role still at a high level in both codes, credit to them, the likes of Turin and Plunketts especially have no leeway when it comes to players being unavailable, Turin have lost three matches out of four in intermediate championship, Plunketts winless too.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1489 - 31/07/2022 14:39:29    2435599

Turin and Cullion got some hammering last night in the Intermediate. LLG couldnt even field. You would imagine its Ringtowns year unless CTG/Clonkill/Raharney catch them.

In the senior you would fancy Clonkill to dismiss Pollard in Joristown and CTG to get over Cullion. The Gaels and Raharney on Monday will be close. Very hard on lads with the Fleadh on.

Brownstown, the wood and Delvin to win in Senior B.

soreknee (Westmeath) - Posts: 166 - 05/08/2022 12:47:42    2436322

Didn't get to Friday evening match as was tied up at the fleadh, any reports on how it played out? Castlepollard finished closer to Clonkill than I would have expected. On the subject of the fleadh I think Collinstown pulled a fast one over their next opponents, got the game pushed back to tomorrow evening citing the involvement of dual players in football on Monday and then banned them all from playing, bought themselves a few days to get lads back who would've been missing. Was speaking with a few Raharney players who are very unhappy that the game was pushed back as it prevented them from getting to enjoy a proper night out at the fleadh, don't blame them being annoyed as all their dual players played their football fixtures last weekend and were fine to play the original fixture. Bit of gamesmanship at play from the gaels with this one.
Clonkill safely through to the knockouts anyway, fair play to them, actually thought they'd be pushed for third spot this year but quite the opposite. Looks like the usual suspects at the business end as would now expect Raharney and Castletown to join them without too much fuss, although Castletown are not firing as well as the last couple of years but still in a comfortable enough position with the games they've left. Cullion to make the drop straight back…
In the other grades I'd be expecting Delvin and Dalton's to secure knockouts tomorrow and then fight it out for top spot, Brownstown and the Wood will battle for the last spot which could come down to score difference. Plunketts and Brigids have been disappointing and will play for relegation among each other.
The third tier has been a non contest so far, poorly contested and even walkovers given, why bother entering if you haven't the players. Ringtown will play one of the second teams for the title, Turin and Southern Gaels struggling to make any underage gains count at adult level.

CleanShoulder (Westmeath) - Posts: 270 - 07/08/2022 16:01:18    2436547