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Wexford Hurling 2025

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The way I see the Current leinster hurling ratings due to the quality of players without an ageing Tj Reid.

1 wexford
2 galway
3 kilkenny
4 Antrim
5 Offaly
6 Dublin
7 westmeath
8 laois
9 carlow
10 Kildare
11 Meath
12 wicklow
13 louth
14 Longford

Munster hurling maybe way ahead at the moment but if some of these lower class leinster teams keep making progress under the radar and beating the bigger counties they will gradually get more and more confident , in years to come leinster hurlingcould become very strong and pass out Munster hurling. The wheel will always turn !

Jimbob96 (Wexford) - Posts: 14 - 05/01/2025 23:58:36    2584735

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Replying To Viking66:  "Yes and no. We are in a position where we likely are going to have, or at least need, half a dozen new players come championship. We have lads coming up who are just starting out at Senior, or who are on the fringes the last year or 2, who badly need facets of their game improving. This won't happen if they aren't getting top quality coaching.
I do agree that there shouldn't have been collective training anywhere in the country before December 7th, but how do you police that? And once you can't ensure it's not happening somewhere, then it's going to happen pretty much everywhere. The Ulster chairman made a good point about this, why aren't the GPA keeping a better eye on it? For the sake of their own members?
https://www.balls.ie/gaa/ulster-gaa-gpa-619292"
I never said about them not getting top quality coaching. They need that and that goes without saying. What they do not need is 5 months of it before the first really important game. Why do some teams flag in the last 10 minutes of a match in July (as Wexford have done time and again) while others (notably Limerick) have the gears and have taken a who cares attitude to league games?
The GPA need to look after their own members but the GAA culture is tell no one and say nothing. And the biggest losers are counties who lose players to travelling or just not being willing to put in the commitment.
I'm not saying lads coming back in January with a pot belly and starting training should be fine but most lads do gym work now anyway so that day is gone. S&C is something nearly everyone in their 20's does and looks after themselves.
But if training started in January after a month or two off then I think everyone, players and coaches would be the better for it at every level.

StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 1790 - 06/01/2025 00:08:51    2584737

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Replying To Past hurler:  "I presume this a wind-up regarding Kilkenny?

2024 is the first time I can ever remember Clare beating Kilkenny in a championship match and Kilkenny should have had that game over by half-time.

And in schools hurling there is no team in Clare or Cork that would lace St Kieran's boots year in and year out.

It would not surprise me one bit if Kilkenny won the All Ireland this year.

Wexford & Dublin are a different story, schools hurling is way off and we do find it very hard to beat Munster teams in knock-out championship."
WELL THEY BEAT Kilkenny in 1997 and if you are really a past Hurler you would be expected to know that and yes I do feel Kilkenny are always a threat and if Dublin had hurled for the full hour last year, they might have taken Cork. Offaly also seem to be improving.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4471 - 06/01/2025 08:49:21    2584744

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Replying To Jimbob96:  "The way I see the Current leinster hurling ratings due to the quality of players without an ageing Tj Reid.

1 wexford
2 galway
3 kilkenny
4 Antrim
5 Offaly
6 Dublin
7 westmeath
8 laois
9 carlow
10 Kildare
11 Meath
12 wicklow
13 louth
14 Longford

Munster hurling maybe way ahead at the moment but if some of these lower class leinster teams keep making progress under the radar and beating the bigger counties they will gradually get more and more confident , in years to come leinster hurlingcould become very strong and pass out Munster hurling. The wheel will always turn !"
Im always optimistic about Wexford hurling but its hard to put us as no 1 when we havent even been to a Leinster final since 2019 although we should have made 1 or 2 at least

Afinestick96 (Wexford) - Posts: 377 - 06/01/2025 09:52:05    2584747

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Replying To StoreysTash:  "I never said about them not getting top quality coaching. They need that and that goes without saying. What they do not need is 5 months of it before the first really important game. Why do some teams flag in the last 10 minutes of a match in July (as Wexford have done time and again) while others (notably Limerick) have the gears and have taken a who cares attitude to league games?
The GPA need to look after their own members but the GAA culture is tell no one and say nothing. And the biggest losers are counties who lose players to travelling or just not being willing to put in the commitment.
I'm not saying lads coming back in January with a pot belly and starting training should be fine but most lads do gym work now anyway so that day is gone. S&C is something nearly everyone in their 20's does and looks after themselves.
But if training started in January after a month or two off then I think everyone, players and coaches would be the better for it at every level."
Training wasn't supposed to start til 7th December anyway. By then everyone except lads playing for county champions would have had at least a month off, if nit around 2 months off as was the case with the Oylegate lads for example.
And I don't know where you get Limerick not taking it seriously from. Kiely, like Cody before him, always stressed how important it is. Limerick have won 3 of the last 5 League titles. Clare won it last year, and that didn't seem to do them any harm come championship either.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14165 - 06/01/2025 09:53:29    2584748

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Replying To Oldtourman:  "WELL THEY BEAT Kilkenny in 1997 and if you are really a past Hurler you would be expected to know that and yes I do feel Kilkenny are always a threat and if Dublin had hurled for the full hour last year, they might have taken Cork. Offaly also seem to be improving."
That was the only time though until this year, although they've only played eachother 9 times in championship.
I was at the Dublin Cork game and I agree, if Dublin had of been braver earlier in the game they could have won that game.
Everyone seems to be writing Galway off also, which is bizarre to say the least. They were absolutely terrible in 2021, worse than last year, and came back to run Limerick very close in the AISF in 2022 after beating Cork in the AIQF. In 2019 they failed to get out of the Round Robin also, yet the following year they beat the defending AI champions in the AIQF before losing to the eventual all ireland champions in the AISF by only the puck of a ball. In recent history theyve followed a bad year with a good one. And O'Donoghue is a top manager who has won it before with them. Nearly all their panel have underage AI winners medals also. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them go well tbh.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14165 - 06/01/2025 10:03:35    2584750

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Replying To Afinestick96:  "Im always optimistic about Wexford hurling but its hard to put us as no 1 when we havent even been to a Leinster final since 2019 although we should have made 1 or 2 at least"
We did get robbed by some poor refereeing in the last game last year, but that should've been irrelevant as we should've beaten Dublin when 5 points up deep into injury time, and we completely lost the plot against Antrim in the last 20 minutes.
We shouldve made it in 2023 also, losing to Westmeath when around 20 points up at halftime was inexcusable, and we missed easy chance after easy chance up in Croke Park against Dublin.
In 2022 we should've beaten Westmeath and Dublin also, again, only ourselves to blame.
We were unlucky in normal time in 2021 in the LSF.
We were just woefully underprepared in 2020.
No point saying we should have reached a final really, it was largely our own fault that we didn't.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14165 - 06/01/2025 10:12:24    2584753

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Replying To ExiledInWex:  "Happy new year and best luck to all Wexford teams again this year.
Without being a doom merchant, every team in Leinster is not in a good place. Kilkenny coming off a poor loss to Clare, Dublin with new manager and reeling from Eoghan moving to the footballers, Galway in total transition and Wexford beginning a rebuild but with some good players to build with in the next 5-10 years.
It pains me to say it, but every county in Leinster is 5 or possibly 10 points off the Munster champions. This is a fact and we can point to this result v that team all we want, no team in Leinster has Clare v Cork in the final in their locker. We just do not and can not hurl at that level. Our championship is stop-start, low-octane hurling.
We need to fix this at every level of the game in Leinster, club, underage, schools. Until we do that nobody in Leinster will win an All-Ireland."
Not so sure about that. Clare were lucky to be in the semi final at half time. They finished strongly and deserved the win but Kilkenny are still in the mix and consistently reaching finals in spite of being in a bit of a rebuild.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3239 - 06/01/2025 10:40:35    2584755

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Replying To Viking66:  "We did get robbed by some poor refereeing in the last game last year, but that should've been irrelevant as we should've beaten Dublin when 5 points up deep into injury time, and we completely lost the plot against Antrim in the last 20 minutes.
We shouldve made it in 2023 also, losing to Westmeath when around 20 points up at halftime was inexcusable, and we missed easy chance after easy chance up in Croke Park against Dublin.
In 2022 we should've beaten Westmeath and Dublin also, again, only ourselves to blame.
We were unlucky in normal time in 2021 in the LSF.
We were just woefully underprepared in 2020.
No point saying we should have reached a final really, it was largely our own fault that we didn't."
Exactly a couple of near misses but there is no way we can call ourselves the best team in Leinster Kilkenny are 5 in a row champions.

Our main target this year has to be get back to a Leinster final and hopefully win it

Really looking forward to the league really hope we can play the same style we had in last years league there will be loads of opportunities for our younger lads.

I am a bit worried about going into play Cork in the first game we seen how good they are last year.

Did our lads get a game played over the weekend?

Afinestick96 (Wexford) - Posts: 377 - 06/01/2025 10:41:55    2584756

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Replying To Oldtourman:  "WELL THEY BEAT Kilkenny in 1997 and if you are really a past Hurler you would be expected to know that and yes I do feel Kilkenny are always a threat and if Dublin had hurled for the full hour last year, they might have taken Cork. Offaly also seem to be improving."
Dublin are almost as over rated as the Munster championship.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3239 - 06/01/2025 10:42:40    2584757

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Replying To Viking66:  "We did get robbed by some poor refereeing in the last game last year, but that should've been irrelevant as we should've beaten Dublin when 5 points up deep into injury time, and we completely lost the plot against Antrim in the last 20 minutes.
We shouldve made it in 2023 also, losing to Westmeath when around 20 points up at halftime was inexcusable, and we missed easy chance after easy chance up in Croke Park against Dublin.
In 2022 we should've beaten Westmeath and Dublin also, again, only ourselves to blame.
We were unlucky in normal time in 2021 in the LSF.
We were just woefully underprepared in 2020.
No point saying we should have reached a final really, it was largely our own fault that we didn't."
There are a lot of should haves in there.

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2668 - 06/01/2025 10:46:39    2584758

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Replying To Viking66:  "We did get robbed by some poor refereeing in the last game last year, but that should've been irrelevant as we should've beaten Dublin when 5 points up deep into injury time, and we completely lost the plot against Antrim in the last 20 minutes.
We shouldve made it in 2023 also, losing to Westmeath when around 20 points up at halftime was inexcusable, and we missed easy chance after easy chance up in Croke Park against Dublin.
In 2022 we should've beaten Westmeath and Dublin also, again, only ourselves to blame.
We were unlucky in normal time in 2021 in the LSF.
We were just woefully underprepared in 2020.
No point saying we should have reached a final really, it was largely our own fault that we didn't."
You're right about all that but records are records and we've underachieved since 19.

Having said that it's useful to refer to those games in making the point that we're not as far away as some would have you believe.

Last year was tough to take. We were way better than Kilkenny in the first half but just didn't punish them enough on the scoreboard when we were absolutely all over them. I watched that game last Friday and we were even better than I'd remembered.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3239 - 06/01/2025 10:47:03    2584759

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Replying To Cockney_Cat:  "There are a lot of should haves in there."
Yep last paragraph is the important one.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14165 - 06/01/2025 12:02:23    2584764

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Replying To Afinestick96:  "Exactly a couple of near misses but there is no way we can call ourselves the best team in Leinster Kilkenny are 5 in a row champions.

Our main target this year has to be get back to a Leinster final and hopefully win it

Really looking forward to the league really hope we can play the same style we had in last years league there will be loads of opportunities for our younger lads.

I am a bit worried about going into play Cork in the first game we seen how good they are last year.

Did our lads get a game played over the weekend?"
Were supposed to be playing Kildare but a couple of the children weren't 100% so I didn't try find out more details as I wasn't going to go anyway. Maybe it got cancelled on account of the weather. We are supposed to be playing Westmeath and Waterford also I think.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14165 - 06/01/2025 12:05:10    2584765

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Wexford weekly have listed the 17 players who are on Fitzgibbon panels released for 2025.

Maynooth University:

Luke Roche (Shelmaliers)

Conor O'Toole (Ferns St Aidans)

Brian Óg Curran (Blackwater)

_

DCU:

Cian Byrne (St Mary's Rosslare)

Cian Doyle (Shelmaliers)

Darragh Carley (Glynn-Barntown)

Darragh Kehoe (Cloughbawn)

Eddie Kelly (Davidstown-Cortnacuddy)

Luke Murphy (Faythe Harriers)

Robbie Delaney (Shelmaliers)

_

SETU Waterford:

Darragh Hayes (Oulart-The Ballagh)

Paraic Wickham (Adamstown)

_

UCD:

Josh Walsh (Faythe Harriers)

Eoin Ryan (St Annes)

Robert Hillis (Glynn-Barntown)

David Codd (St Martins)

Liam Donoghue (Glynn-Barntown)


This is big drop compared to 2019 when 38 players from Wexford were involved in Fitzgibbon panels.

https://wexfordweekly.com/2019/01/17/38-wexford-players-involved-with-college-fitzgibbon-cup-teams/hurling/

Past hurler (None) - Posts: 839 - 07/01/2025 09:35:42    2584853

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Replying To Past hurler:  "Wexford weekly have listed the 17 players who are on Fitzgibbon panels released for 2025.

Maynooth University:

Luke Roche (Shelmaliers)

Conor O'Toole (Ferns St Aidans)

Brian Óg Curran (Blackwater)

_

DCU:

Cian Byrne (St Mary's Rosslare)

Cian Doyle (Shelmaliers)

Darragh Carley (Glynn-Barntown)

Darragh Kehoe (Cloughbawn)

Eddie Kelly (Davidstown-Cortnacuddy)

Luke Murphy (Faythe Harriers)

Robbie Delaney (Shelmaliers)

_

SETU Waterford:

Darragh Hayes (Oulart-The Ballagh)

Paraic Wickham (Adamstown)

_

UCD:

Josh Walsh (Faythe Harriers)

Eoin Ryan (St Annes)

Robert Hillis (Glynn-Barntown)

David Codd (St Martins)

Liam Donoghue (Glynn-Barntown)


This is big drop compared to 2019 when 38 players from Wexford were involved in Fitzgibbon panels.

https://wexfordweekly.com/2019/01/17/38-wexford-players-involved-with-college-fitzgibbon-cup-teams/hurling/"
That's a huge drop off more than 50% . Is this something we should be worried about or are there lads coming through behind this crop

Afinestick96 (Wexford) - Posts: 377 - 07/01/2025 10:04:48    2584862

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Replying To Afinestick96:  "That's a huge drop off more than 50% . Is this something we should be worried about or are there lads coming through behind this crop"
I don't think so.

That's as much to do with academic outcomes and migration statistics as the quality of hurlers we have.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3239 - 07/01/2025 11:21:49    2584871

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Replying To Afinestick96:  "That's a huge drop off more than 50% . Is this something we should be worried about or are there lads coming through behind this crop"
Not really. Some of the main colleges that Wexford people go to aren't hurling Fitzgibbon this year. Of the colleges that Wexford lads hurled for in 2019 DIT and Trinity haven't hurled in the Fitzgibbon for a few years, and SETU Carlow pulled out this year.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14165 - 07/01/2025 12:20:36    2584886

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "Dublin are almost as over rated as the Munster championship."
If Dublin are so over rated why do Wexford find it so hard to beat them. Could it be that Wexford are over rated as well?

ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1267 - 07/01/2025 13:16:36    2584898

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Replying To ExiledInWex:  "If Dublin are so over rated why do Wexford find it so hard to beat them. Could it be that Wexford are over rated as well?"
I think Dublin, Kilkenny, Galway and Wexford are all capable of beating each other. I just think the Leinster counties aren't consistent enough when it gets to the nitty gritty knockout, obviously apart from Kilkenny. Munster hurling is a level or more above where we're competing at in Leinster. As someone else said the wheel will turn eventually so we just have to keep building a squad that can first compete for a Leinster final and then try and build on that. Judging last seasons display by Dublin and Wexford in the All Ireland we're both quite a bit away unfortunately.

YellowShadeOfPurple (Wexford) - Posts: 30 - 07/01/2025 13:38:04    2584906

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