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Wexford Hurling Thread

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Replying To countyman2022:  "Shane defo will not be. Damien may come back."
If Damien is gone that's our biggest loss in decades.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 4045 - 12/11/2025 15:06:12    2644179

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Good win in an entertaining high scoring game in awful conditions for Good Counsel over Kilkenny CBS in the opening game of the Corn ui Dhuill. Mostly Wexford players starting for Counsel too which is a positive. Two pretty even teams who are likely to meet again Id be thinking.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17606 - 12/11/2025 15:15:03    2644186

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Replying To countyman2022:  "Shane defo will not be. Damien may come back."
Have no problem with lads like Damien Lee or Rory going travelling during the league. Although the league is important them lads have enough credit in the bank to take time off during the league and come back fresh and raring for championship. Liam Og and Lee have done this for us in the past and it done them no harm

Afinestick96 (Wexford) - Posts: 756 - 12/11/2025 15:59:02    2644192

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Replying To Afinestick96:  "Have no problem with lads like Damien Lee or Rory going travelling during the league. Although the league is important them lads have enough credit in the bank to take time off during the league and come back fresh and raring for championship. Liam Og and Lee have done this for us in the past and it done them no harm"
Ties in with the committment angle too, it's a slog training inter-county seven months of the year, four months or so might be what they can mentally take at the moment

Also opens spots for younger players in the league who we need to make the breakthrough

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 711 - 12/11/2025 17:26:08    2644208

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Replying To countyman2022:  "Shane defo will not be. Damien may come back."
If we're down two Ryan's (Eoin looking likely not to be back), Shane and Molloy that's very worrying from defence perspective.

OpenStandWall (Wexford) - Posts: 303 - 12/11/2025 19:19:09    2644217

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Replying To OpenStandWall:  "If we're down two Ryan's (Eoin looking likely not to be back), Shane and Molloy that's very worrying from defence perspective."
I agree would be worried if we are down that many players.

Afinestick96 (Wexford) - Posts: 756 - 13/11/2025 09:24:36    2644238

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Replying To OpenStandWall:  "If we're down two Ryan's (Eoin looking likely not to be back), Shane and Molloy that's very worrying from defence perspective."
Believe Molloy will be back. McCuckian, Dunbar not whilst mac most likely not.

countyman2022 (Wexford) - Posts: 920 - 13/11/2025 11:38:22    2644263

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Replying To OpenStandWall:  "If we're down two Ryan's (Eoin looking likely not to be back), Shane and Molloy that's very worrying from defence perspective."
Don't be worrying about any of those eventualities until they happen, though it's disappointing to hear Eoin might not be returning from an Annes poster.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17606 - 13/11/2025 11:46:14    2644268

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Replying To Afinestick96:  "I agree would be worried if we are down that many players."
I would be too. But we are down that many players nearly every year at this time of year, so I'm not worrying yet. Also there are loads of lads who will get in training and try fill any spots on the team that may become vacant . Some will turn out to be better than the lads they are replacing. Some won't. No point worrying about all that now.

Right now the only thing to be worrying about is that we don't have a lead coach currently.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17606 - 13/11/2025 11:49:38    2644270

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Replying To Viking66:  "I would be too. But we are down that many players nearly every year at this time of year, so I'm not worrying yet. Also there are loads of lads who will get in training and try fill any spots on the team that may become vacant . Some will turn out to be better than the lads they are replacing. Some won't. No point worrying about all that now.

Right now the only thing to be worrying about is that we don't have a lead coach currently."
Tbf, when you look back at 2025, Jippo came on against Dublin and played against Galway, those were his only two games

Conor Mac came off the bench against Galway, Offaly, and Kilkenny

Shane Reck started against Dublin and that was it from him

They're all losses, don't get me wrong, but they haven't really been playing regularly for us anyway

I think the most frustrating part is that Leinster is winnable next year (Not because we're brilliant but because Galway and Kilkenny look like they're in need of a rebuild)

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 711 - 13/11/2025 12:35:19    2644279

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "Tbf, when you look back at 2025, Jippo came on against Dublin and played against Galway, those were his only two games

Conor Mac came off the bench against Galway, Offaly, and Kilkenny

Shane Reck started against Dublin and that was it from him

They're all losses, don't get me wrong, but they haven't really been playing regularly for us anyway

I think the most frustrating part is that Leinster is winnable next year (Not because we're brilliant but because Galway and Kilkenny look like they're in need of a rebuild)"
Dublin will be good, and the na Fianna lads will be in for a whole pre season.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17606 - 13/11/2025 13:32:34    2644285

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "Tbf, when you look back at 2025, Jippo came on against Dublin and played against Galway, those were his only two games

Conor Mac came off the bench against Galway, Offaly, and Kilkenny

Shane Reck started against Dublin and that was it from him

They're all losses, don't get me wrong, but they haven't really been playing regularly for us anyway

I think the most frustrating part is that Leinster is winnable next year (Not because we're brilliant but because Galway and Kilkenny look like they're in need of a rebuild)"
Honest question, who is replacing those players in the squad? I would hazard a guess that they won't be of the same standard?
Leinster is winnable but if you have me 20 quid now I wouldn't put it on Wexford at any odds. I just don't think Wexford are close to winning it. I believe Kllkenny are still the top dogs, we are number 2, Galway are 3.
Wexford with a full squad might be in the mix, I thought your bench was poor enough last year and would be threadbare without half the names mentioned Wexford are way off it.
You also need to think about this from players perspective and controversial opinion follows.
Supporters have abandoned the Wexford hurling team. Why would any of them bother going to all the effort to play in front of 5-6k people in a championship match in Wexford Park? Wexford fans are as big a bandwagon as Cork in reality, only show up when big games in Croke Park. Couldn't even sell out Wexford Park when fighting for their lives to stay in the Liam McCarthy Cup and needed all the support they could get. I'm not saying Dublin support better, its not, but Wexford people view themselves as better supporters than they are. You'd think the way Liam Griffin and Gizzy talk Wexford people eat breathe and sleep hurling, the reality is far from it.
Just how I see it in truth. Hope to eat my words in 2026 because I want successful Wexford also.

ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1516 - 13/11/2025 17:58:04    2644343

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "Tbf, when you look back at 2025, Jippo came on against Dublin and played against Galway, those were his only two games

Conor Mac came off the bench against Galway, Offaly, and Kilkenny

Shane Reck started against Dublin and that was it from him

They're all losses, don't get me wrong, but they haven't really been playing regularly for us anyway

I think the most frustrating part is that Leinster is winnable next year (Not because we're brilliant but because Galway and Kilkenny look like they're in need of a rebuild)"
A fit Shane Reck would be a massive loss. He's our only defender that has the necessary physicality in him to succeed at the highest level. Liam Ryan and Conor Mac have been riddled with injuries in recent years so unless that can be addressed then I could see why they won't commit. Ryan was still our best defender in that awful day v Galway.

Timbertony (Wexford) - Posts: 473 - 13/11/2025 23:10:05    2644371

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Replying To countyman2022:  "Believe Molloy will be back. McCuckian, Dunbar not whilst mac most likely not."
Some of them travelling or just walking away from it?

Timbertony (Wexford) - Posts: 473 - 13/11/2025 23:32:50    2644374

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It is very difficult to see where or how the improvement is going to come from if we lose those players.
I only saw my own club in the championship but I didn't hear about anyone tearing it up.
Maybe we can unearth someone but we're really in big trouble if we lose even some of them. Who are the up and coming players who aren't travelling, injured or not wanting to commit to it?

StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 1939 - 14/11/2025 00:34:14    2644377

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Replying To Timbertony:  "A fit Shane Reck would be a massive loss. He's our only defender that has the necessary physicality in him to succeed at the highest level. Liam Ryan and Conor Mac have been riddled with injuries in recent years so unless that can be addressed then I could see why they won't commit. Ryan was still our best defender in that awful day v Galway."
Yes and when he got injured after we used all our subs the floodgates opened a bit. Some bizarre selection decisions that day too though.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17606 - 14/11/2025 06:00:10    2644381

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Replying To ExiledInWex:  "Honest question, who is replacing those players in the squad? I would hazard a guess that they won't be of the same standard?
Leinster is winnable but if you have me 20 quid now I wouldn't put it on Wexford at any odds. I just don't think Wexford are close to winning it. I believe Kllkenny are still the top dogs, we are number 2, Galway are 3.
Wexford with a full squad might be in the mix, I thought your bench was poor enough last year and would be threadbare without half the names mentioned Wexford are way off it.
You also need to think about this from players perspective and controversial opinion follows.
Supporters have abandoned the Wexford hurling team. Why would any of them bother going to all the effort to play in front of 5-6k people in a championship match in Wexford Park? Wexford fans are as big a bandwagon as Cork in reality, only show up when big games in Croke Park. Couldn't even sell out Wexford Park when fighting for their lives to stay in the Liam McCarthy Cup and needed all the support they could get. I'm not saying Dublin support better, its not, but Wexford people view themselves as better supporters than they are. You'd think the way Liam Griffin and Gizzy talk Wexford people eat breathe and sleep hurling, the reality is far from it.
Just how I see it in truth. Hope to eat my words in 2026 because I want successful Wexford also."
1. KK
2. Galway
3. Dubs
4. Wexford

I am not quite sure how you could put Dublin ahead of Galway considering the considerate ease in which Galway beat Dublin by in Parnell Pk last year. I know they had the flash in the pan result against Limerick, but Cork game showed their real level.

countyman2022 (Wexford) - Posts: 920 - 14/11/2025 09:10:18    2644395

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Replying To ExiledInWex:  "Honest question, who is replacing those players in the squad? I would hazard a guess that they won't be of the same standard?
Leinster is winnable but if you have me 20 quid now I wouldn't put it on Wexford at any odds. I just don't think Wexford are close to winning it. I believe Kllkenny are still the top dogs, we are number 2, Galway are 3.
Wexford with a full squad might be in the mix, I thought your bench was poor enough last year and would be threadbare without half the names mentioned Wexford are way off it.
You also need to think about this from players perspective and controversial opinion follows.
Supporters have abandoned the Wexford hurling team. Why would any of them bother going to all the effort to play in front of 5-6k people in a championship match in Wexford Park? Wexford fans are as big a bandwagon as Cork in reality, only show up when big games in Croke Park. Couldn't even sell out Wexford Park when fighting for their lives to stay in the Liam McCarthy Cup and needed all the support they could get. I'm not saying Dublin support better, its not, but Wexford people view themselves as better supporters than they are. You'd think the way Liam Griffin and Gizzy talk Wexford people eat breathe and sleep hurling, the reality is far from it.
Just how I see it in truth. Hope to eat my words in 2026 because I want successful Wexford also."
I both agree and disagree with your "controversial" statement. And my disagreement might make what I say even more controversial!

I fully agree that Wexford people in general are not the great hurling supporters they think they are, and that what we have instead is a massive bandwagon that likes going to Croke Park, but nowhere else.

I'm thinking of things like how Wexford Park generally has less than 10,000 in it for a match in the group stage of the Leinster Championship, or how we'd generally have only around 6,000 to 8,000 in Thurles for an All-Ireland quarter-final. But as soon as we'd get to Croke Park, there'd be 30,000 or more Wexford people there, clapping themselves on the back for how they're part of such "great" support.

And even with Croke Park - thinking back to Leinster Final day 2019. One thing that always grated with me was the videos went around of the huge crowds of "great" Wexford supporters who were queueing to get in about 20 minutes ahead of the senior final. These "great" supporters didn't bother going in earlier to see the minors play their own Leinster Final. They'd decided to instead have an extra hour or two at home before heading to Dublin at all, or having an extra couple of hours in the pub after they got there.

Where I disagree is I don't believe supporters have "abandoned" the team, and that's because it was always this way. It's not as though we used to always have big crowds at everything. Even going back to 1996, and the massive crowds of "great" supporters that swelled as the year went on - there were only about 15,000 people in Croke Park that year for our first round match v Kilkenny.

We've a massive bandwagon when things are good, but we don't have great supporters through thick and thin.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3250 - 14/11/2025 10:02:00    2644400

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Replying To ExiledInWex:  "Honest question, who is replacing those players in the squad? I would hazard a guess that they won't be of the same standard?
Leinster is winnable but if you have me 20 quid now I wouldn't put it on Wexford at any odds. I just don't think Wexford are close to winning it. I believe Kllkenny are still the top dogs, we are number 2, Galway are 3.
Wexford with a full squad might be in the mix, I thought your bench was poor enough last year and would be threadbare without half the names mentioned Wexford are way off it.
You also need to think about this from players perspective and controversial opinion follows.
Supporters have abandoned the Wexford hurling team. Why would any of them bother going to all the effort to play in front of 5-6k people in a championship match in Wexford Park? Wexford fans are as big a bandwagon as Cork in reality, only show up when big games in Croke Park. Couldn't even sell out Wexford Park when fighting for their lives to stay in the Liam McCarthy Cup and needed all the support they could get. I'm not saying Dublin support better, its not, but Wexford people view themselves as better supporters than they are. You'd think the way Liam Griffin and Gizzy talk Wexford people eat breathe and sleep hurling, the reality is far from it.
Just how I see it in truth. Hope to eat my words in 2026 because I want successful Wexford also."
I hate saying it but going on last year and if we lose a few players this year you'd have to say Wexford are starting out as 4th in Leinster behind Kilkenny, Galway and Dublin.

Wexford on their day can beat any of the three but to reach a Leinster final in 2026, we will need to beating 2 of the 3 anyway and then not slipping up agaisnt Offaly and Kildare.

Past hurler (None) - Posts: 1001 - 14/11/2025 10:35:58    2644412

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Replying To StoreysTash:  "It is very difficult to see where or how the improvement is going to come from if we lose those players.
I only saw my own club in the championship but I didn't hear about anyone tearing it up.
Maybe we can unearth someone but we're really in big trouble if we lose even some of them. Who are the up and coming players who aren't travelling, injured or not wanting to commit to it?"
In fairness we have plenty of them, from the 2 good u20 teams that came close in 22 and 23, some from the poorer teams before and since.
Lads who mightve played some part in championship last year but didnt on account of injury include James Byrne, David Codd, Dara Kehoe, Eoin Whelan. Other lads not starting on the 22/23 u20 teams Mike Kelly might be an option at wing forward from 2021, Cathal Parker, Eamon Wickham, Dara Farrell and Jake Molloy from the 2024 u20s, Simon Roche had a good club championship, Sean Rowley, and Cillian Byrne who played well against a physical Danesfort team, from this year's u20s.
From the 22/23 lads there's Conor Foley, Richie Lawlor, Patsy Molloy, both Cian Byrnes from Fethard and Rosslare, Jack Redmond who was 2nd top scorer from play in this years championship and a good free taker too, Corey Byrne Dunbar, Eoin Ryan if he commits, Michael Dundon, Tucker Kinsella, Dara Carley if he can find some confidence, Seamie Hagan and Cormac Walsh maybe?
Other non Senior lads include Colum Fitzgerald, Tadg Brohan has a bit of X factor up front, Jason Byrne and Aodhan Whitty from Craanford, Mossy Murphy is a really underrated player.
Probably left a few out, but there's a long list of lads who will be a year stronger than last season, have another years adult club hurling behind them, and might be able to do an Adam Hogan or Darragh McCarthy on it and make a giant leap forwards. Will take hard work, luck but most of all belief and confidence.
We badly badly need to get a good lead coach in place ASAP.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17606 - 14/11/2025 10:55:10    2644417

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