WE SHOULD TAKE a moment after yesterday’s first All-Ireland hurling semi-final to thank the team that made a game like that possible… and that team, of course, is Kilkenny.
Because a game of that quality, of that physicality, just would not have happened without the staggering rise in standards brought about by the team we were all so eager to see out of this year’s championship.
I’ll say it myself — I was happier than anyone to see them gone. Galway couldn’t take any satisfaction from winning the Leinster final once the All-Ireland final replay went the way it did last year. How could they? And in a similar way, if Limerick or Dublin were put ruthlessly back in their place by Kilkenny in the latter stages of this year’s championship, it would be hard for them to feel as if their progression was something they could believe in for next year.
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Kilkenny will be back in 2014 of course — but the stranglehold they have had over the psyche of their opponents is broken now, and what we’re left with is the game they have done so much to mould in the last 10 years. Dublin’s physicality was forged in the fire of so many unsuccessful encounters with Kilkenny over the last five or six years, while Cork’s first touch and pure hurling ability is as good as it is because Kilkenny have made it an absolute prerequisite to succeed in the modern game.
This was the game of the year so far, in a year garlanded by great games. The first half in particular, with 27 scores in 35 minutes, was magnificent. Much of the post-match focus centred on the sending off of Ryan O’Dwyer, and in fairness the yellow card for Liam Rushe that could easily have been red.
Hurling has a problem with this, I’m afraid, and it has a lot to do with the almost religious fervour that the game’s followers have for it. We hear people crying out for referees to show some common-sense, and to ‘let the game flow’ — everyone was very quick to applaud James Owens yesterday for his first half display. But you can’t have it both ways.
‘Common-sense’ is far too nebulous a concept to rule a game by. ‘Refereeing by common-sense’ unfortunately means that you’re left with a situation where if Cork’s William Egan had swung his hurley behind him in the same reckless fashion as Liam Rushe had, at the same stage of the game with Dublin down to 14 men, the referee couldn’t have sent him off quickly enough. It would have been a guaranteed red-card. But what’s good for the goose has to be good for the gander.
I really like Michael Duignan as a pundit, but when he said as Owens was weighing up the Rushe incident that the referee had put himself in a very difficult position, I had to disagree – Liam Rushe had put Liam Rushe in a very difficult position. The ref’s job at that stage was pretty simple I would have thought.
Capital gains
Dublin will wonder if this was their greatest ever chance of winning an All-Ireland, but they shouldn’t dwell too long on that. They have done extraordinary things this year, and unlike their reaction to the National Hurling League win of 2011, they’re a seasoned, professional outfit that will look at how to improve next year, not rest on their laurels.
They’ve beaten Kilkenny in the championship, won their first Leinster title in 60 years, and have in their number some of the best hurlers in the country, without a shadow of a doubt. They’ll have All Stars at full-back, centre-back, across the half-forward line… and they’ll start next year’s championship in the Leinster semi-final. Win that game and they’re hurling into late July, one way or the other. That’s not a bad starting point for 2014, as far away as that may seem to their players this morning.
So after two weeks of Dublin/Cork summit meetings, and 130,000 happy customers, Dublin won the football and Cork won the hurling. I would never dream of saying it to the respective players, but deep down (in places they don’t talk about at parties) the counties’ fans will be happy enough with that.
This Week Murph Was – at a Presbyterian wedding in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, where the talk was of little else other than Joe Brolly. Truly that man is a unifying force for good…
As a Kilkenny man, I would prefer to not have everyone say that Kilkenny invented this. We’re hated enough as it is. We went through a fantastic period with numerous fantastic hurlers at our disposal, however to say Kilkenny provided the template for other counties is a bit of a stretch. Every county knows what they have to do themselves, it’s called skill, and hard work and most counties have had a golden period in their history. This was ours.
If Kilkenny had such a strong underage system, where are our endless supply of top quality hurlers to replace the likes of Shefflin? Clare have been quite strong in the U21s for the last few years, and only now is this bearing fruit. Likewise, Limerick were dominant in the early 00′s. This dominance at underage doesn’t always translate to Senior success.
For years it’s been touted that we’ve had an assembly line. Kilkenny have been competitive, they raised the bar at little, when some counties were fading a little. Now our team are waning, and we’re being surpassed. I think we should just enjoy it for what it is, a great game to watch, irrespective of who is playing.
I’m almost sick of reading about the demise of Kilkenny as everyone else. Jebus wept, we lost. How about concentrating on who’s left instead of hammering nails into Kilkenny’s coffin, we’re not dead, just out of it for a year.
Well said who’s yer man.. I think it’s an insult to the likes of the Waterford and cork teams who played out classics, at their peak over the last decade, to say they weren’t up to today’s teams. Honestly, I wouldn’t fancy the current cork team against the 2005 cork team, so you definitely couldn’t thank kilkenny for this crop. If thats the case Tipp should be unbeatable..
As a cork supporter I am happy we are in the final & I pry we win as its been a long time since we won anything now! I do have to say though I do have the upmost respect for the Kilkenny team.. Years back I used to be sales rep in the Kilkenny region & come winter or summer I would see the Kilkenny team out in full force training… that’s dedication which I believe no other county has! Kilkenny will be back next yr fighting for The final & I sincerely hope to see brian cody & henry scheflin back as well as they are both a great inspiration for the team I think… But in a way we do have Kilkenny to thank for the hard work teams have put in to hurling this year, they have all finally taken a leaf from the masters book!
Veronica, as a Corkman and friends with some of the current panel, both football and hurling, the amount of time these men commit to play their sport at the highest level is just unbelievable, it just does not only happen in Kilkenny but across the whole country!!!!
Murph I normally look forward to your pieces but suggesting cork players have Cody to thank for their skill is off the wall stuff! Every hurling man knows cork have always had skill, it’s a trait that has made cork hurling famous! The only people the cork hurlers have to thank for their skill levels is themselves!
Cork looked at the Kilkenny underage structure including development squads a few years ago and put them in place. They finally accepted it wasn’t everyone elses fault as to why Cork were in decline and decided to copy the best.
Dublin saw what Kilkenny were doing years ago and decided to copy it and they are reaping the rewards now.
I think ye are missing the point of Murph’s article. Cork and Dublin were sitting back for years but both eventually copied the blue print of Kilkenny. They realised they were going to have to put the work in underage and not just wait for good hurlers to just magically appear.
Steve that’s nonsense! Cork still struggle at underage. It’s a massive problem with Cork! Harnedy for example has never even been on a panel for minor or u21 in Cork and Conor O Sullivan and Daniel Kearney only had a match or so! If ye did give us the blueprint for underage developemtn clearly ye can take it back? Suggesting our three better players are there because of our underage development is nonsense! They are there in spite of it! Cork HAVE ALWAYS had skillful hurlers, the dogs on the street know that! Murph insinuates that Conor Lehane should be sending a tin of roses to Cody cause he’s like Messi with a hurley is the craziest load of nonsense I have heard yet!
Cork could have and should have beaten the Tipp team that hammered Galway in the U21 final a few years ago. That was an exceptionally good Tipp team with 7 or more players who were playing or have so far gone on to play senior. I remember watching the game and Cork really should have won. Cork were involved in some real close U21 and minor battles in the past 5 years or so that could have gone either way. They were unlucky in many of them. Just because they were not winning All Ireland underage titles doesn’t mean they were not producing good teams and players. You often have to look back at the results and see how and who teams got beat to see if they were actually poor or unlucky. In Corks case I think they have been unlucky not to come out of Munster a few times in the past few years but were only narrowly beaten by a top class team a few times not just an average oul team who went on to do nothing.
if you can ever get 3/4 players from a good minor/u21 team you would be doing very well!!!
the transition is enormous! cork have a very good under age setup and believe me it has nothing to do with “looking at Kilkenny” I know because I have been involved with it. hurling in cork is like a religion but is struggling to compete with soccer and rugby. take, darren sweetnam, one of the most talented hurlers I’ve seen in ages from the football stronghold of west cork, lost to rugby (and fine rugby player he is too, will serve Munster & Ireland well).
Dublin changed their colleges hurling setup a few yrs back by amalgamating schools and getting the best out of the talent they have and it’s been paying rewards over the last few yrs.
what I don’t like about the article is that it’s all about Kilkenny & Dublin losing and not enough about Corks excellent win!
Exactly, it’s disingenuous to not congratulate a Cork team who at the beginning of the year, many would have scoffed at the thought of this relatively unknown team getting to the All-Ireland final.
Before the game yesterday I was leaning towards Dublin myself, I genuinely thought they had the confidence and momentum to take them across the line.
But if Cork end up winning, I would say there’ll be articles aplenty about JBM & Cork’s return to glory, so much so, we’ll all be sick of it!
Pat, everything you say is bang on, but I’d have to disagree with you on underage! I have read and heard from too many people deeply involved in Cork hurling to suggest there is not an issue. CIT and UCC may be doing well which is where alot of the current panel are, but many talk about the demise of hurling in secondary schools – eg; the closing of Farranferis, the demise of city clubs which as we both know are the traditional powerhouses in Cork hurling! Look at the clubs represented on the panel – Kanturk, St Itas etc etc. As well as that 3 of the current starting 15 were totally overlooked by the underage Cork setup? Surely that is proof it aint working no?
diarmuid,corks problem, hurling wise, was only looking to the big city clubs, those days are long gone.
East Cork is where Cork hurling is at, at the moment (plus North Cork), You, realistically look at UCC or CIT as a bedrock of Cork hurling, seeing that the majority of these inter collegiate players are not from Cork(ie from clare or tipp/etc)!!!!!…..so there is nout to be gained from there!!!
The closing of Farrnna or the demise of the North Mon’ or the demise of the city clubs is just a lame excuse, simply because of the way Cork selected their hurlers from years gone by!!!
JBM and his current board of selectors are choosing the best hurlers in the county, not just from the “famous” clubs!!!
plus if you are good at underage doesnt mean ul make it in the big league!!!!!!
Pat, with the greatest of respect that doesn’t answer my question! How can you say there are no problems with underage if the same underage development overlooked 3 players on the starting 15 from yesterday? And 3 quality players at that! A quality underage setup would not have overlooked a player of the quality of Harnedy? Ironically you say it’s the big clubs not automatically getting players in to squads anymore, but I would suggest Harnedy got overlooked cause he’s from a small club in the very east of east Cork! If thats not the explanation, what is? Forget JBM and his choices, JBM is a legend and is doing an unbelievable job, answer me why JBM had to find players that underage squads and managers were incapable of finding!?
What are you on about. Thank kilkenny. For what? Can the media for once shut up about the tragedy of the fall of kilkenny. Its exhausting. Each team that got to semi play different style of hurling. Faster more hungrier than kilkenny. Let’s admire the new generation of hurling.
This article is shite. We should maybe also thank Clare,Wexford and Offaly in the 90s as well for forcing teams to improve. Galway, Cork and Kilkenny in the 80s all forced each other to improve. All the way back to jack Lynch’s Cork being pushed by Limerick in the 40s. All teams are chasing the previous champions. The game is about winning. No thanks necessary.
Corks skill level is phenomenal, always has been! What’s extraordinary is cork are doing so well now and are doing so poorly over last few years underage
Ah Murph, two great teams in an amazing championship game and you bring it back to… Kilkenny. Fair point made but not the moment for talking about, essentially, a team of the past.
OK under Cody developed the physicality of the game and brought it to the edge and oft times indeed went over that edge.Cody on the line or in the media played his part, “let the game flow” and “it’s a man’s game ” etc, it was refreshing yesterday to see a great clean and skillful game of hurling, the game flowed because both teams generally played hurling
I think Dublin might suffer a second season syndrome next year.
Can it be said they only beat a battered Kilkenny team, a Galway team who had all kinds of internal unrest and who often suffer second season syndrome themselves and then lost to the Munster final loosers? I’m not too sure if Dublin are the real deal yet. Only time will tell if they are going to be the real deal at all.
Not too sure if Dublin are the real deal yet. They were in the game until the 70th min yesterday with being down a man for the majority of the second half. If that ain’t real deal then nothing is !!!
But Cork were not even Munster champions and are only still building themselves. It’s not like Dublin lost to Kilkenny or Tipp at their peak or something. They lost to the Munster losers and them as Leinster champions should have been able to beat them and failed to do so.
Steve do you ever stop talking rubbish. The dubs were and are a fine team. Any Munster final loser is generally up there with the best in the country. Wake up and smell the roses
But Dublin as Leinster champions should have won. That is why I think they got carried away by defeating Kilkenny and Galway, they might not be that good.
In fairness to Dublin they were down to 14 men so like Kilkenny they were up against it. Cork have the ref to blame for loosing the Munster final but to thank for getting to the All Ireland final. I think their luck might just run out in the final. I hope not though as one good thing would be to shove Sean Og’s words earlier in the year fully down his troat.
I remember there was a lot of disgust from people in Cork when JBM cut some of the elder players but I knew it would do them good as Sean Og and Donal Og and Gardiner were just a complete and utter nuisance
Steve, there was no disgust in Cork when JBM cut them loose, everyone I know, myself included fully trusted JBM and were delighted he was going for a youthful team which Cork could build on! Stop peddling infactual bias nonsense!
sorry Steve, your argument that Dublin should of because their were Leinster champs is just utter pants!!!!!
plus the rest of your comment is just pure rubbish, you obviously havent a clue what your talking about!!!!
Well there was a lot of disgust on here and on other fourms. I was down in Cork around that time and a lot of people were outraged. I think you are talking the nonsense. Of course nobody wants to doubt JBM now since he has ye in an All Ireland final but its common knowledge that there was a lot of outrage so dont be bullshiteing
You took a trip to Cork and wandered Pana with a booklet taking an opinion poll did ya? You are odds on to be crowned the biggest bullsh**er on this site while favourite for being the most clueless too! You know nothing of Cork hurling so keep a lid on it will ya!
No opinion poll required but when you have friends in college in Cork and some from Cork playing at a high level you don’t really need to go around interviewing people. Just been out and about chatting to people and you got the general feeling.
One of the most blatant lies I’ve ever heard is you saying nobody in Cork batted an eyelid when the likes of Sean Og, Donal Og and Gardiner were dropped. Just go back and access the articles that were written about it and read the comments. I don’t think you need to do that though as I think you actually know the truth!! When Cork were relegated the knives were out big time too. I suppose this never happened either did it?
Leinster champions should be able to beat the Munster losers if they already beat the two all Ireland finalists from last year. That is why I would doubt how good Dublin actually are as Kilkenny and Galway were absolutely brutal and Cork are not exactly an established team yet.
Cork followed the Kilkenny way of fouling the Dublin attackers under a high ball . Wrapping one arm round their oponents etc but owens is terrible at seeing anything off the ball. Niall corcoran was hacked across the arm lost possesion an cork scored. Clear foul and yellow card. As for Kilkenny conveyor belt look at their minors yesterday. Terrible team they were. Waterford far better but they had same failings as their senior team .No leaders.No killer instinct. Bad wides. Needless fouling and yellow cards.
What absolute nonsense. Cork imitating a style of fouling created by Kilkenny? I’ve heard it all now. There was only one dirty stroke in that game yesterday.
Matry there were 2 actually O’Dwyer was pulled on off the ball in the first half but it wasn’t picked up by cameras Cork centre back lucky to be on the field at half time
Yeah and sure we’ve kilkenny to thank for dufner winning the pga tour, usain bolt winning the world championship in moscow and wigan winning the f.a cup in may too
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As a Kilkenny man, I would prefer to not have everyone say that Kilkenny invented this. We’re hated enough as it is. We went through a fantastic period with numerous fantastic hurlers at our disposal, however to say Kilkenny provided the template for other counties is a bit of a stretch. Every county knows what they have to do themselves, it’s called skill, and hard work and most counties have had a golden period in their history. This was ours.
If Kilkenny had such a strong underage system, where are our endless supply of top quality hurlers to replace the likes of Shefflin? Clare have been quite strong in the U21s for the last few years, and only now is this bearing fruit. Likewise, Limerick were dominant in the early 00′s. This dominance at underage doesn’t always translate to Senior success.
For years it’s been touted that we’ve had an assembly line. Kilkenny have been competitive, they raised the bar at little, when some counties were fading a little. Now our team are waning, and we’re being surpassed. I think we should just enjoy it for what it is, a great game to watch, irrespective of who is playing.
WYM: You are one of my favourite posters on here! Always common sense and objectivity!
I’m almost sick of reading about the demise of Kilkenny as everyone else. Jebus wept, we lost. How about concentrating on who’s left instead of hammering nails into Kilkenny’s coffin, we’re not dead, just out of it for a year.
@WYM As a Cork man I have to compliment you on the eloquence of that first post. Very well said.
Well said who’s yer man.. I think it’s an insult to the likes of the Waterford and cork teams who played out classics, at their peak over the last decade, to say they weren’t up to today’s teams. Honestly, I wouldn’t fancy the current cork team against the 2005 cork team, so you definitely couldn’t thank kilkenny for this crop. If thats the case Tipp should be unbeatable..
As a cork supporter I am happy we are in the final & I pry we win as its been a long time since we won anything now! I do have to say though I do have the upmost respect for the Kilkenny team.. Years back I used to be sales rep in the Kilkenny region & come winter or summer I would see the Kilkenny team out in full force training… that’s dedication which I believe no other county has! Kilkenny will be back next yr fighting for The final & I sincerely hope to see brian cody & henry scheflin back as well as they are both a great inspiration for the team I think… But in a way we do have Kilkenny to thank for the hard work teams have put in to hurling this year, they have all finally taken a leaf from the masters book!
U ll be sending him flowers next
Duignan is an ass of a pundit nothing good to say cant say I enjoy his commentating !!
Veronica, as a Corkman and friends with some of the current panel, both football and hurling, the amount of time these men commit to play their sport at the highest level is just unbelievable, it just does not only happen in Kilkenny but across the whole country!!!!
Murph I normally look forward to your pieces but suggesting cork players have Cody to thank for their skill is off the wall stuff! Every hurling man knows cork have always had skill, it’s a trait that has made cork hurling famous! The only people the cork hurlers have to thank for their skill levels is themselves!
Cork looked at the Kilkenny underage structure including development squads a few years ago and put them in place. They finally accepted it wasn’t everyone elses fault as to why Cork were in decline and decided to copy the best.
Dublin saw what Kilkenny were doing years ago and decided to copy it and they are reaping the rewards now.
I think ye are missing the point of Murph’s article. Cork and Dublin were sitting back for years but both eventually copied the blue print of Kilkenny. They realised they were going to have to put the work in underage and not just wait for good hurlers to just magically appear.
Steve that’s nonsense! Cork still struggle at underage. It’s a massive problem with Cork! Harnedy for example has never even been on a panel for minor or u21 in Cork and Conor O Sullivan and Daniel Kearney only had a match or so! If ye did give us the blueprint for underage developemtn clearly ye can take it back? Suggesting our three better players are there because of our underage development is nonsense! They are there in spite of it! Cork HAVE ALWAYS had skillful hurlers, the dogs on the street know that! Murph insinuates that Conor Lehane should be sending a tin of roses to Cody cause he’s like Messi with a hurley is the craziest load of nonsense I have heard yet!
Cork could have and should have beaten the Tipp team that hammered Galway in the U21 final a few years ago. That was an exceptionally good Tipp team with 7 or more players who were playing or have so far gone on to play senior. I remember watching the game and Cork really should have won. Cork were involved in some real close U21 and minor battles in the past 5 years or so that could have gone either way. They were unlucky in many of them. Just because they were not winning All Ireland underage titles doesn’t mean they were not producing good teams and players. You often have to look back at the results and see how and who teams got beat to see if they were actually poor or unlucky. In Corks case I think they have been unlucky not to come out of Munster a few times in the past few years but were only narrowly beaten by a top class team a few times not just an average oul team who went on to do nothing.
if you can ever get 3/4 players from a good minor/u21 team you would be doing very well!!!
the transition is enormous! cork have a very good under age setup and believe me it has nothing to do with “looking at Kilkenny” I know because I have been involved with it. hurling in cork is like a religion but is struggling to compete with soccer and rugby. take, darren sweetnam, one of the most talented hurlers I’ve seen in ages from the football stronghold of west cork, lost to rugby (and fine rugby player he is too, will serve Munster & Ireland well).
Dublin changed their colleges hurling setup a few yrs back by amalgamating schools and getting the best out of the talent they have and it’s been paying rewards over the last few yrs.
what I don’t like about the article is that it’s all about Kilkenny & Dublin losing and not enough about Corks excellent win!
Exactly, it’s disingenuous to not congratulate a Cork team who at the beginning of the year, many would have scoffed at the thought of this relatively unknown team getting to the All-Ireland final.
Before the game yesterday I was leaning towards Dublin myself, I genuinely thought they had the confidence and momentum to take them across the line.
But if Cork end up winning, I would say there’ll be articles aplenty about JBM & Cork’s return to glory, so much so, we’ll all be sick of it!
Pat, everything you say is bang on, but I’d have to disagree with you on underage! I have read and heard from too many people deeply involved in Cork hurling to suggest there is not an issue. CIT and UCC may be doing well which is where alot of the current panel are, but many talk about the demise of hurling in secondary schools – eg; the closing of Farranferis, the demise of city clubs which as we both know are the traditional powerhouses in Cork hurling! Look at the clubs represented on the panel – Kanturk, St Itas etc etc. As well as that 3 of the current starting 15 were totally overlooked by the underage Cork setup? Surely that is proof it aint working no?
diarmuid,corks problem, hurling wise, was only looking to the big city clubs, those days are long gone.
East Cork is where Cork hurling is at, at the moment (plus North Cork), You, realistically look at UCC or CIT as a bedrock of Cork hurling, seeing that the majority of these inter collegiate players are not from Cork(ie from clare or tipp/etc)!!!!!…..so there is nout to be gained from there!!!
The closing of Farrnna or the demise of the North Mon’ or the demise of the city clubs is just a lame excuse, simply because of the way Cork selected their hurlers from years gone by!!!
JBM and his current board of selectors are choosing the best hurlers in the county, not just from the “famous” clubs!!!
plus if you are good at underage doesnt mean ul make it in the big league!!!!!!
Pat, with the greatest of respect that doesn’t answer my question! How can you say there are no problems with underage if the same underage development overlooked 3 players on the starting 15 from yesterday? And 3 quality players at that! A quality underage setup would not have overlooked a player of the quality of Harnedy? Ironically you say it’s the big clubs not automatically getting players in to squads anymore, but I would suggest Harnedy got overlooked cause he’s from a small club in the very east of east Cork! If thats not the explanation, what is? Forget JBM and his choices, JBM is a legend and is doing an unbelievable job, answer me why JBM had to find players that underage squads and managers were incapable of finding!?
Was semi not playing against tip in u21 Munster championship… As for the article the biggest load of crap! Not worth an argument !
What are you on about. Thank kilkenny. For what? Can the media for once shut up about the tragedy of the fall of kilkenny. Its exhausting. Each team that got to semi play different style of hurling. Faster more hungrier than kilkenny. Let’s admire the new generation of hurling.
Murphy I think you should roll up this article and smoke it buddy, it has to be better than the crap you must have smoked when you wrote this.
This article is shite. We should maybe also thank Clare,Wexford and Offaly in the 90s as well for forcing teams to improve. Galway, Cork and Kilkenny in the 80s all forced each other to improve. All the way back to jack Lynch’s Cork being pushed by Limerick in the 40s. All teams are chasing the previous champions. The game is about winning. No thanks necessary.
Corks skill level is phenomenal, always has been! What’s extraordinary is cork are doing so well now and are doing so poorly over last few years underage
Ah Murph, two great teams in an amazing championship game and you bring it back to… Kilkenny. Fair point made but not the moment for talking about, essentially, a team of the past.
I think the only reason the other teams are competitive is that Kilkenny have slipped, not that the other teams have come up to there level.
Absolutely agree. It took Dublin 2 games to get over Kilkenny and they just about got over the line and Cork had a lot of luck in the quarter.
OK under Cody developed the physicality of the game and brought it to the edge and oft times indeed went over that edge.Cody on the line or in the media played his part, “let the game flow” and “it’s a man’s game ” etc, it was refreshing yesterday to see a great clean and skillful game of hurling, the game flowed because both teams generally played hurling
I think Dublin might suffer a second season syndrome next year.
Can it be said they only beat a battered Kilkenny team, a Galway team who had all kinds of internal unrest and who often suffer second season syndrome themselves and then lost to the Munster final loosers? I’m not too sure if Dublin are the real deal yet. Only time will tell if they are going to be the real deal at all.
Not too sure if Dublin are the real deal yet. They were in the game until the 70th min yesterday with being down a man for the majority of the second half. If that ain’t real deal then nothing is !!!
But Cork were not even Munster champions and are only still building themselves. It’s not like Dublin lost to Kilkenny or Tipp at their peak or something. They lost to the Munster losers and them as Leinster champions should have been able to beat them and failed to do so.
Steve do you ever stop talking rubbish. The dubs were and are a fine team. Any Munster final loser is generally up there with the best in the country. Wake up and smell the roses
They lost to the Munster final losers and the last 3 left in the AI are Munster teams! Hardly a bad feat! Stop talking out your arse Steve!
But Dublin as Leinster champions should have won. That is why I think they got carried away by defeating Kilkenny and Galway, they might not be that good.
In fairness to Dublin they were down to 14 men so like Kilkenny they were up against it. Cork have the ref to blame for loosing the Munster final but to thank for getting to the All Ireland final. I think their luck might just run out in the final. I hope not though as one good thing would be to shove Sean Og’s words earlier in the year fully down his troat.
I remember there was a lot of disgust from people in Cork when JBM cut some of the elder players but I knew it would do them good as Sean Og and Donal Og and Gardiner were just a complete and utter nuisance
Steve, there was no disgust in Cork when JBM cut them loose, everyone I know, myself included fully trusted JBM and were delighted he was going for a youthful team which Cork could build on! Stop peddling infactual bias nonsense!
sorry Steve, your argument that Dublin should of because their were Leinster champs is just utter pants!!!!!
plus the rest of your comment is just pure rubbish, you obviously havent a clue what your talking about!!!!
Well there was a lot of disgust on here and on other fourms. I was down in Cork around that time and a lot of people were outraged. I think you are talking the nonsense. Of course nobody wants to doubt JBM now since he has ye in an All Ireland final but its common knowledge that there was a lot of outrage so dont be bullshiteing
You took a trip to Cork and wandered Pana with a booklet taking an opinion poll did ya? You are odds on to be crowned the biggest bullsh**er on this site while favourite for being the most clueless too! You know nothing of Cork hurling so keep a lid on it will ya!
No opinion poll required but when you have friends in college in Cork and some from Cork playing at a high level you don’t really need to go around interviewing people. Just been out and about chatting to people and you got the general feeling.
One of the most blatant lies I’ve ever heard is you saying nobody in Cork batted an eyelid when the likes of Sean Og, Donal Og and Gardiner were dropped. Just go back and access the articles that were written about it and read the comments. I don’t think you need to do that though as I think you actually know the truth!! When Cork were relegated the knives were out big time too. I suppose this never happened either did it?
Leinster champions should be able to beat the Munster losers if they already beat the two all Ireland finalists from last year. That is why I would doubt how good Dublin actually are as Kilkenny and Galway were absolutely brutal and Cork are not exactly an established team yet.
Cork followed the Kilkenny way of fouling the Dublin attackers under a high ball . Wrapping one arm round their oponents etc but owens is terrible at seeing anything off the ball. Niall corcoran was hacked across the arm lost possesion an cork scored. Clear foul and yellow card. As for Kilkenny conveyor belt look at their minors yesterday. Terrible team they were. Waterford far better but they had same failings as their senior team .No leaders.No killer instinct. Bad wides. Needless fouling and yellow cards.
What absolute nonsense. Cork imitating a style of fouling created by Kilkenny? I’ve heard it all now. There was only one dirty stroke in that game yesterday.
Jim, are you drunk?
Sadly not:). You not agree that the kilkenny minor team were very poor?
Matry there were 2 actually O’Dwyer was pulled on off the ball in the first half but it wasn’t picked up by cameras Cork centre back lucky to be on the field at half time
Yeah and sure we’ve kilkenny to thank for dufner winning the pga tour, usain bolt winning the world championship in moscow and wigan winning the f.a cup in may too