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Wexford Hurling thread 2024

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Replying To Heartandhand96:  "There's no sign of an exceptional group coming through. We might be able to pick one or two out of each group but that doesn't tend to lead to senior success most of the time. Were hanging onto being a serious team at senior. The core group that won those U21s are still the driving force at senior and very little has followed it of the same quality. It comes down to the standard of coaching. Why is our first touch so poor and compared to other countries, why do we seemingly make so many unforced errors?

Offaly were in the pits. Christy Ring at one point. They've now won an All Ireland at U20 in both codes. Where's our All Ireland? It ain't coming anytime soon at any grade or code, I'm telling you!"
It all comes down to the clubs. First touch isn't something that players get at minor. We are the only county I know of whose development squads from u14 to u16 only train once a week. They don't start back til after trials in February. The rest all start back at the beginning of January. Even the Wicklow u16s train 3 times a week. The clubs won't let it happen here. Hopefully they will change their minds. It would have to be a benefit to them to have their lads getting better coaching more often. And it's not as if the club u14s or u16s are playing championship hurling between January and June anyway.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13746 - 03/06/2024 18:18:17    2549244

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I think a huge turning point was the free that hit the post to bring us level instead Clare went down and scored a point. Straight away keeper rushed the puck out Clare scored, did this twice after and Clare went 5 up and unfortunately the lads lost their heads. I taught they competed well at times but as someone said we're to reliant on o Brien and he's too young to be leading a whole forward line. Clare weren't as good as a 9 point win but were deserving winners no doubt

Wexfordgaa (Wexford) - Posts: 308 - 03/06/2024 18:47:51    2549252

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Another major turning point was we had an easy point to score instead we drop it in to try and get a goal and clare went up the other end and scored a goal. 4 point turn around. Small things make such a difference

hunting (Wexford) - Posts: 1021 - 03/06/2024 20:06:19    2549269

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Replying To Heartandhand96:  "There's no sign of an exceptional group coming through. We might be able to pick one or two out of each group but that doesn't tend to lead to senior success most of the time. Were hanging onto being a serious team at senior. The core group that won those U21s are still the driving force at senior and very little has followed it of the same quality. It comes down to the standard of coaching. Why is our first touch so poor and compared to other countries, why do we seemingly make so many unforced errors?

Offaly were in the pits. Christy Ring at one point. They've now won an All Ireland at U20 in both codes. Where's our All Ireland? It ain't coming anytime soon at any grade or code, I'm telling you!"
There's a lot
Of hype about Offaly and their 20s are excellent but we have beaten them at minor by ten points for the last two years.

wexfordwin (Wexford) - Posts: 185 - 03/06/2024 22:23:02    2549305

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Replying To Wexfordgaa:  "I think a huge turning point was the free that hit the post to bring us level instead Clare went down and scored a point. Straight away keeper rushed the puck out Clare scored, did this twice after and Clare went 5 up and unfortunately the lads lost their heads. I taught they competed well at times but as someone said we're to reliant on o Brien and he's too young to be leading a whole forward line. Clare weren't as good as a 9 point win but were deserving winners no doubt"
I think if O'Brien had got that free, it would have left 3 points in it and not levelled it. Almost immediately Clare got a free from around the same distance at the other end and nailed it.

Purpleandgold72 (Wexford) - Posts: 226 - 03/06/2024 22:46:28    2549306

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Replying To HurlingBuzz:  "Offaly winning an u20 football all Ireland has done nothing for their senior team. Time will tell whether their hurler's fortunes improve."
Guarentee it will. They've won 3 Leinsters and been to 3 AI and now won one. It's a special group of players. It's probably easier to make a breakthrough in hurling as there's fewer teams at the top in comparison to football. Fair play to them but Wexford need to worry about Wexford and if Offaly do make a breakthrough, they would have warned by getting their house finally in order.

Heartandhand96 (Wexford) - Posts: 21 - 03/06/2024 23:11:41    2549312

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Replying To Heartandhand96:  "Guarentee it will. They've won 3 Leinsters and been to 3 AI and now won one. It's a special group of players. It's probably easier to make a breakthrough in hurling as there's fewer teams at the top in comparison to football. Fair play to them but Wexford need to worry about Wexford and if Offaly do make a breakthrough, they would have warned by getting their house finally in order."
It's a good group of young lads for sure. Most of them, 10 or 11, will be under 20 next year too. No guarantee that they win anything at Senior though. At Senior they will be against the best lads off of 10 or more years of u20 teams from other counties.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13746 - 04/06/2024 07:02:58    2549323

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Replying To wexfordwin:  "There's a lot
Of hype about Offaly and their 20s are excellent but we have beaten them at minor by ten points for the last two years."
The problem is the drop off in wexford between minor and u20 up to senior level seems to be an issue, across both disciplines football and hurling.

tearintom (Wexford) - Posts: 1422 - 04/06/2024 08:13:58    2549329

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Replying To Purpleandgold72:  "I think if O'Brien had got that free, it would have left 3 points in it and not levelled it. Almost immediately Clare got a free from around the same distance at the other end and nailed it."
Carley could've levelled it on 45 minutes when he broke through, but got caught in 2 minds. A point would've made it 1-08 to 11 points. A goal would've put us ahead if he had of offloaded it. Small margins.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13746 - 04/06/2024 08:43:43    2549333

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Replying To wexfordwin:  "There's a lot
Of hype about Offaly and their 20s are excellent but we have beaten them at minor by ten points for the last two years."
That Offaly team reached the Tony Forristal final at u14 in 2019 where they lost to Tipp. They lost again at minor to Tipp in 2022. They beat Tipp in this years u20. Likely be Tipp and Offaly will be strong again next year in u20. They are the 2 strongest teams in that year group. But as you say our minors have beat them well the last 2 years.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13746 - 04/06/2024 08:47:06    2549334

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Replying To tearintom:  "The problem is the drop off in wexford between minor and u20 up to senior level seems to be an issue, across both disciplines football and hurling."
Hopefully that problem is starting to be addressed . Egan last year and Rossi this year gave alot of younger lads gametime. Rossis management team probably put them in a better position to do ok in the League by devising a gameplan to suit them. Davy brought hardly anyone through, unless they were already exceptional. Stephen O Gorman started for our u21s 2 years in a row, and is a great stick man, just won player of the tournament a few months back in an Australian hurling tournament playing in a team with Joey Holden and Conor Browne from Kilkenny, but never got a call from a Senior intercounty manager even for a trial until Rossi rang him at the end of last year. He already had his tickets for Oz bought and paid for sadly. Ian Carty got nominated for an u21 all star in 2018. Never got a call from a hurling management until the start of last season.
I think that's another benefit to having a Wexford man managing the Senior team. He's more likely to put time into developing lads, and helping them make the step up, as he is interested in more than just the length of his term as manager.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13746 - 04/06/2024 09:21:14    2549340

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Replying To tearintom:  "The problem is the drop off in wexford between minor and u20 up to senior level seems to be an issue, across both disciplines football and hurling."
I do think we have made major progress on this in the last few years. Niall Williams has been appointed with that as his major aim. I think I said before that we had 6 under the age of 22 in the 26 v Kilkenny

wexfordwin (Wexford) - Posts: 185 - 04/06/2024 10:17:46    2549351

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Not saying everything is wonderful at under-age but the 2022 U20 side only lost to Kilkenny by a final in the Leinster Final and that was with a chance missed at the end to equalise plus they gave KK a six-point head start early on, that KK team then won the All-Ireland Final by a point so we were very close that year.

There was pretty much nothing between us and Offaly last year so we did produce two good U20 teams two years in a row, not quite what Offaly have produced this year or what Limerick produced in 2015 and 2017 but still good teams nonetheless, don't think the talent level is that far off the 2013-2015 Leinster three-in-a-row sides, have to remember that Leinster was quite weak back then

Don't know what the deal is with either AJ Redmond or Oisín Pepper but I feel like Richie Lawlor, Cian Molloy, Eoin Ryan, Tucker Kinsella, Cian Byrne, Corey Byrne-Dunbar, Conor Foley, Darragh Carley, Eoin Whelan, Simon Roche, Cillian Byrne, Seán Rowley, and Michael Dundon could all end up contributing in big ways to our Senior side

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 350 - 04/06/2024 11:48:45    2549369

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "Not saying everything is wonderful at under-age but the 2022 U20 side only lost to Kilkenny by a final in the Leinster Final and that was with a chance missed at the end to equalise plus they gave KK a six-point head start early on, that KK team then won the All-Ireland Final by a point so we were very close that year.

There was pretty much nothing between us and Offaly last year so we did produce two good U20 teams two years in a row, not quite what Offaly have produced this year or what Limerick produced in 2015 and 2017 but still good teams nonetheless, don't think the talent level is that far off the 2013-2015 Leinster three-in-a-row sides, have to remember that Leinster was quite weak back then

Don't know what the deal is with either AJ Redmond or Oisín Pepper but I feel like Richie Lawlor, Cian Molloy, Eoin Ryan, Tucker Kinsella, Cian Byrne, Corey Byrne-Dunbar, Conor Foley, Darragh Carley, Eoin Whelan, Simon Roche, Cillian Byrne, Seán Rowley, and Michael Dundon could all end up contributing in big ways to our Senior side"
We do need a few more forwards to put their hand up though. Most of the lads there are backs or midfielders.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13746 - 04/06/2024 12:12:54    2549375

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Replying To wexfordwin:  "There's a lot
Of hype about Offaly and their 20s are excellent but we have beaten them at minor by ten points for the last two years."
The problem with the minor grade is that many of them fall away before they progress to u20.
At 16 and 17 years of age the reasons are various.
College, travel, other sports, romance, training demands and so on.
For those. who do stay with it they are more committed by virtue of the fact that they are willing to continue and hopefully make it to senior intercounty in the future. As with everything in life not all will make the step up.
The Offaly minors have not been good for the last few years but their current u20s will be the backbone of their team for the next 10 years or so.
I can see them challenging for leinster or even all ireland trophies down the road. Remember they came from nowhere in the 80s to win all irelands.

Magpie2 (Wexford) - Posts: 383 - 04/06/2024 12:24:06    2549377

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "Not saying everything is wonderful at under-age but the 2022 U20 side only lost to Kilkenny by a final in the Leinster Final and that was with a chance missed at the end to equalise plus they gave KK a six-point head start early on, that KK team then won the All-Ireland Final by a point so we were very close that year.

There was pretty much nothing between us and Offaly last year so we did produce two good U20 teams two years in a row, not quite what Offaly have produced this year or what Limerick produced in 2015 and 2017 but still good teams nonetheless, don't think the talent level is that far off the 2013-2015 Leinster three-in-a-row sides, have to remember that Leinster was quite weak back then

Don't know what the deal is with either AJ Redmond or Oisín Pepper but I feel like Richie Lawlor, Cian Molloy, Eoin Ryan, Tucker Kinsella, Cian Byrne, Corey Byrne-Dunbar, Conor Foley, Darragh Carley, Eoin Whelan, Simon Roche, Cillian Byrne, Seán Rowley, and Michael Dundon could all end up contributing in big ways to our Senior side"
There is definitely talent coming through from the under 20 squads . One thing we are missing coming through is a big ball winning forward like Mac or Chin. These guys will be extremely hard to replace

Afinestick96 (Wexford) - Posts: 358 - 04/06/2024 12:27:00    2549378

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Replying To Afinestick96:  "There is definitely talent coming through from the under 20 squads . One thing we are missing coming through is a big ball winning forward like Mac or Chin. These guys will be extremely hard to replace"
Ball winners are what changed Corks season fortunes this year.

Connolly, Barrett and Hayes can win their own ball
now and constantly relying on Harnedy to win every puck out.

Lehane and Kingston etc good hurlers, but no good in the air.

The biggest skill in hurling is being able to clean catch a ball out of the air coming down.

Kilkenny and Limerick won all Irelands on the back of it.

Past hurler (None) - Posts: 797 - 04/06/2024 13:00:45    2549392

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Replying To Magpie2:  "The problem with the minor grade is that many of them fall away before they progress to u20.
At 16 and 17 years of age the reasons are various.
College, travel, other sports, romance, training demands and so on.
For those. who do stay with it they are more committed by virtue of the fact that they are willing to continue and hopefully make it to senior intercounty in the future. As with everything in life not all will make the step up.
The Offaly minors have not been good for the last few years but their current u20s will be the backbone of their team for the next 10 years or so.
I can see them challenging for leinster or even all ireland trophies down the road. Remember they came from nowhere in the 80s to win all irelands."
I always think too that if you are one of those 16/17 years olds and your with a club that's not winning anything or not even competeting for titles that it makes it much more appealing to step away to any of the other factors you mentioned . You are training for nothing .

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2081 - 04/06/2024 13:09:20    2549393

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Replying To tearintom:  "The problem is the drop off in wexford between minor and u20 up to senior level seems to be an issue, across both disciplines football and hurling."
That's hardly unique to Wexford tbf

Stool Pigeon (Galway) - Posts: 905 - 04/06/2024 13:41:23    2549408

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Replying To Afinestick96:  "There is definitely talent coming through from the under 20 squads . One thing we are missing coming through is a big ball winning forward like Mac or Chin. These guys will be extremely hard to replace"
Carley and O'Brien are both not bad in the air of the current minor team. On the current Senior panel Mark Byrne has the height if Rossi could bring out the inner dog in him. Rory is also good at catching a contested ball.
At the end of the day though teams have to come up with ways of playing that suit what they have. Cork won their last 3 all Irelands with a set of forwards whose average height was less than 6ft.
The problem with having ball winning forwards can be that you become very predictable if you don't mix it up. We didn't help ourselves in the 2 games we lost at Senior so far this year when we started going route one the whole time. Antrim and Kilkenny found this very easy to defend against. Cian Byrne outscored Mac by 3 points over the 4 games he played in, despite only playing 15 minutes against Dublin and 50 against Galway. You could actually say Cian outscored Mac by 3 points playing a whole game less over those 4 games.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13746 - 04/06/2024 13:47:05    2549410

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