Having watched a lot of Intercounty matches recently I cannot but wonder if some of the enjoyment is gone from hurling
Strength & Conditioning Gym work perfect diets and overall fitness are leading to players now being able to work a lot harder thereby allowing far less space a lot of rucks and far more physicality that ever before referees give soft frees

The ball not lighter can be struck 100 yards over the bar from the sideline this is happening more and more with the puck out now being conceded with no marking.

It was refreshing to see Shane Dowling catch a great ball at full forward carry it and lay off for a great goal haven't seen a lot of this for a while.

There is a lot more fitness and great fielding and first touch but IMO hurling was more enjoyable in 90s and 00 s

clooney (Clare) - Posts: 891 - 27/03/2018 12:50:38    2088676

It is becoming more boring. The long range shooting is not a novelty anymore. It's not exciting. There is some great fielding and passing which wasn't as strong in the 90s. There is zero ground hurling now or overhead pulling. Kilkenny helped kill that off unfortunately with their traditional game eschewing ground strokes or over head pulls ruling the roost. We all more or less play like Kilkenny now, less of a clash of styles. There will need to be a forum nationally to decide where we want the game to go. Lacrosse is more fun to watch and play at the moment. Iv been following it on espn

PeggyShippen (Limerick) - Posts: 300 - 27/03/2018 15:13:15    2088754

Personally would not agree, we have seen some superb games in the past 10 years in particular.
The club game at the weekend was great stuff.
I think we will have an absolute humdinger of a Munster Championship this year.
There is more of an emphasis on the skills now but thats no harm to have alot of the mullocking take out of it.
Now this new thing of the goalie playing a 1-2 with the full-back before launching the ball we could do without but all in all I still think its exciting.Now football...........

PremierGold (Tipperary) - Posts: 121 - 27/03/2018 15:42:49    2088767

i have long argued that the ball is too light,travels too far,etc.
but having said that,i have been watching old matches on eir sport,recently the 1994/1995 all-irelands were on there,and having re-watched the 96 all-ireland often enough,i have to say looking back to then is looking back with very rose tinted glasses.
the standard was far worse,the amount of bad control,try to pick it if not whip it,yes it was all blood and thunder but in reality,the players are better conditioned,teams now have tactics,it has never been better.
having seen wexford score points after 5-6-7 short passes,i think the skill of the players has never been better.
what is lacking is the knock-out affair,beat kk/tipp once they are gone.i do lament that.

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 27/03/2018 16:08:36    2088783

The sliothar needs stay in play for longer. The fielding is great to watch and the long distance scores are great too but when the ball goes from the puckout to one player and then out of play it can become a bit boring. When the intensity peaks we get alot more ball play but thats not always the case in some games. A slightly heavier ball might work but I also think the handpass should be limited now before it gets out of control like the football. There is no going back to hard pulling on the ball down low or high, unfotunately.

ZUL10 (Clare) - Posts: 693 - 27/03/2018 16:29:57    2088791

The weight of a Size 5 ball has not changed, it has always been between 110g and 130g. There could be three reasons that we are seeing more long range points. The balls are now waterproof, whereas years ago the ball on a wet day would have went from 110g at the start of a match to 135g within 15 minutes OR player/hurls are better at striking the ball OR the rim on the sliotar is now less deep and the hurl strikes more of the ball than in the past.

Agree that everyone has copied Kilkenny, about 13/14 years ago they brought in a Meath football coach to help them field the sliotar and break the tackle, now Wexford, Galway, Limerick, are able to match that level of fielding.
Great to see so many teams in with a shout, however there is a lot of handpassing and targeting of the opponents passing arm when trying to get the sliotar away which needs removed from the game. Like in football the blocking is a dying art.

Brian_Coyote (Antrim) - Posts: 346 - 27/03/2018 16:55:41    2088799

Hurling is far from boring. All of the top teams can beat each other on any given day.

And on ground hurling, its only for the better that its mainly gone from the game. Someone pulls on the ball and the crowd give a big cheer but most of the time it was totally inaccurate and ineffective.
Anyone can swipe and slash at the ball around midfield. If I wanted to watch that I'd go to a junior B game or an under 8 camogie game.

890202 (Wexford) - Posts: 1278 - 27/03/2018 16:56:21    2088801

I remember when clare drew with tipp in 1999 a super game but the score was so low compared to now 2-12 to 18 points I think it finished, 2-12 woukd be counted a very meagre return after 70mins now, its the sliotar thats got too light balls are hit now from one end to the other

preddan (Kildare) - Posts: 740 - 27/03/2018 17:03:45    2088804

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2386 - 27/03/2018 17:41:08    2088814

Hurling BORING? Nope. "Hurling" and "Boring" are Oxymorons of each other I'd say. Limerick vs Clare and the Galway vs Wexford and Tipp vs KK matches are recent examples of great events.

Trump2020 (Galway) - Posts: 2136 - 27/03/2018 17:49:17    2088818

Watch the recent Club Hurling Final and the replay and tell me Hurling is boring, Sean Moran gave an exhibition of high fielding and catching and blocks were aplenty on both sides. The skill level of players now far exceeds those of 20 years ago an example would be the 2 lifts from the ground by Cian Lynch and Podge Collins in the recent Limerick vs Clare game. I could go on and on but Hurling isn't boring and Hurling never will be boring

Saffronhurl (Antrim) - Posts: 30 - 27/03/2018 19:06:47    2088828

Great 'events' they may have been but we are talking about the game. Ground hurling is an artform of its own and I wouldn't agree that it's 'inaccurate. There actually still is a place for it but the coaching around it is poor. You can release a guy into space quickly without unnecessarily taking the ball into your hand. Refs don't even allow over head pulls now. Physicality is different aswell. No more full blooded shoulders yet you can pull guys free arms and hold their hurleys. Going the way of football instead of rugby there.
I love hurling. It's what I was brought up on. But the game I see today is not the way I personally would like to see it going.
Make the ball heavier. Make shoulders less severely reffed. Disallow all jersey and arm pulling or else allow retaliation if it occurs.

PeggyShippen (Limerick) - Posts: 300 - 27/03/2018 19:15:36    2088831

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 27/03/2018 19:36:56    2088836

Carefull what you wish for. The reason we dont have blanket defences and 14 behind the ball in hurling is that you can score from distance.

ZUL10 (Clare) - Posts: 693 - 27/03/2018 19:46:51    2088839

best sports event in the world is the Galway-Tipp Summer clash, nothing else compares

suckvalleypaddy (Galway) - Posts: 1674 - 27/03/2018 20:22:42    2088850

mrsme (USA) - Posts: 172 - 27/03/2018 20:46:13    2088859

Is hurling boring ---- it all depends what you compare it to. If you compare it to soccer - yes, if you compare it to a lot of rugby games - in my opinion - yes- if you compare it to a lot of football games - yes also.
I think it is the best game in the world - but it has changed and not all of the changes are welcome.
Ground hurling as perfected by Offaly and Birr is not being used as before. That is a big pity as the shoulder to shoulder pull was a great sight to see and enjoyable for the players too. It was manly and it was accurate when practiced by the best. It saved the scrums we have now that are an unsightly mess and are a result of the emphasis there is now on having and keeping possession.
These scrums to me are the worst part of the game at present.
All the Kilkenny Tipp games, Clare v Cork in 2013 - were great games of hurling. Galway v Tipp last year - an incredible game of fantastic hurling. We have the some problems in the game... I don't want to go into the other ones... but its a great game - and is definitely not boring.

carlowman (Carlow) - Posts: 1821 - 27/03/2018 21:04:34    2088865

It is not objectively 'boring'. That is a matter of opinion. In my opinion, intercounty hurling is boring. It is only one opinion. Many others won't agree. I vote with my feet anyway.

However, intercounty hurling is extremely cynical. The amount of playing a spare hand and guys flailing to the ground as if they have been decapitated is rampant. Hurling needs a black card and a sin bin for the cheating. In my opinion. I know it won't happen though.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 27/03/2018 22:19:41    2088876

890202 (Wexford) - Posts: 1278 - 27/03/2018 22:37:10    2088887

Come from the small hurling area of Roscommon where it was the only game i played growing up but find myself increasingly drawn to football. There is an increasing touch of rugby league about hurling these days , initially it looks and feels great , all action but gets a bit boring after a while. The scores are coming too easily and it is common to see scores from 65 - 90 m range where the intensity of the marking is not as great as closer to goal. It is getting more sophisticated tactically but theres still a lot of lumping the ball up the field and let the bloody forwards win their 50:50 battles. Good to see the range of AI contenders expanding but realistically the hurling base is still too narrow.

Solutions ? - heavier ball , cant score from outside 65m line and cant score from sideline ball ( great skill but the event leading to sideline ball is very random).

I am the type of guy who could cheerfully watch a 12- 9 penalties only forwards battle in rugby and be happy. Same goes for all sports i watch. Like a bit of tactical nous.

facethepuckout (Roscommon) - Posts: 214 - 27/03/2018 22:42:02    2088890