Replying To Bon:  "But when it does become extremely competitive again it will be because of Limerick slipping back to the chasing pack and not the pack catching up with them."

Replying To daveboy:  "There has been huge change in hurling in last 10 or so years. You'd swear hurling hasn't moved on at all the way some people say. You can't go around jabbing people any more with the hurley which was a cowardly act. The game has gotten safer in an immeasurable way but still retains its huge physicality and abrasiveness. I always say to our underage kids when coaching you must be brave to hurl. Thuggery is no longer condoned as "manly". Slapping freely with the hurley has been stamped out pretty much because of the bravery of referees. You can't freely pull on a players hand catching a ball anymore that "the ball was there" mantra is gone. This is allowing way more high fielding than before. Look at hegarty in.munster final. I see it regularly now at u10s high catching from puckouts which is one of my favourite skills to see underage players perform.

Players can now express themselves on the hurling field without the risk of serious injury because they are talented. This is a huge progression from not very long ago because of the risk of red cards now


The black card was introduced and you see it being used more and more as the refs get used to it. Like all human error there will be debate on certain decisions but the will is there to make the game more free flowing which it has at times. Again refs are slowly getting a handle on this. There have been scourges in the past where people have said this and that is "ruining" the game. The referee is in charge and slowly players are realising there is consequence when you don't obey the rules . There are more goals this year as the black card is being utilised more. A huge positive. In time the handpass will follow imo.

Frees are now thankfully being taken from where the foul was committed. Before you could gain up to 5 or 6 yards without a bother. The 65s albeit need another tweak possibly 10 yards further back are taken from the 65. The penalty has been changed completely. The Anthony Nash 13 metre penalty is gone and a much better 1v1 is there now. Hawkeye has been introduced to help umpires.

Yes technology has improved as has the strength of the modern hurler and again there might need to be a tweak here again but let that come

I implore that this game is the best we have. I hate the throw. I hate 10 steps. I hate simulation. But I see the overall product. Its a beautiful thing. Cockney cat is correct. Let's not rest let's always try and make it better. But not drastically change it.

One thing that hurling needs more than anything and it was mentioned here is expansion among other countys. Investment. The money is there. Use it. Pay good people proper money to drive hurling in those smaller countys because its so worth the investment and lastly Hurling needs to be treated for what it is. The best sport in this country. The pundits are constantly saying this and Saturday afternoon double headers must go. Jarlath burns really needs this off season to think strong and hard what needs to be done because Donal og is right. Hurling is a lot kinder to the GAA than the GAA is to hurling."

Replying To daveboy:  "I did come up with a solution. If you change the rules you will not see any improvement in my opinion. There will be more stoppages and gatherings around the ball. I just disagree with this that's all my opinion. It drives me mad when I see players throwing the ball but it's not as prevalent as people think. Some throws given have been shown in replay to be legitimate handpasses. This is far from a limerick jersey on debate I'm.having. Limerick were penalised several times in munster RR for throws and rightly so. They've stopped doing it consequently from what I see. Refs need to courage to call it. And call them out when they don't. Soon enough the players will get it. There will always be a few throws as the player may hsve no other option. That should be penalised. Hurling is absolutely fine."

Replying To Cockney_Cat:  ""Wow you must have really fallen out of love with the game. There will be always small things in hurling to frustrate."

No. I haven't 'fallen out of love with the game'. Unlike you, who thinks the game is 'absolutely fine', I recognise the problems, which if not addressed, will get worse."

Replying To Bon:  "But when it does become extremely competitive again it will be because of Limerick slipping back to the chasing pack and not the pack catching up with them."

Replying To Bon:  "But when it does become extremely competitive again it will be because of Limerick slipping back to the chasing pack and not the pack catching up with them."

Replying To daveboy:  "I'm totally against the throw. Totally. Limerick have started using the short stick pass more and more as the inevitable clamp down on throwing is coming. My argument is removing the legitimate hand pass or the ability to do it under current rules will drastically slow down the game at the elite level due to the conditioning of the modern hurler where space isn't what it used to be. Limerick if you actually looked closely are not near the biggest culprits of the throw. It's a media narrative that's thrown out to suit certain quarters."

Replying To Cockney_Cat:  "How can you say that? I mean, how do you know, or what criteria are you basing your statement on? In effect, you are suggesting that this Limerick team can never be improved on, or surpassed. Great hurling generational teams come and go. The teams that follow their demise, have learnt from them, and some take the game to a new level. Add to this all continuing advances in technology, sports fitness an coaching. Every great team is of its time, and every great team that follows, is 'standing on the shoulders of giants'."

Replying To Claretandblue:  "Not as prevalent as people think? Approx 100-110 handpasses per game according to Gaelic Stats, if only 25% are fouls which is a significant underestimation that's 27-28 extra frees per game."

Replying To SixtiesKid:  "I accept what he says ahead of some fictional work of the middle ages"

Replying To Magpie2:  "Seems very harsh on Ryan Dwyer, Doyler.
What do you base your statement on?
Are there previous comments from him that are inaccurate or outlandish?"

Replying To Doylerwex:  "I wouldn't believe the gospel of John if Ryan O'Dwyer read it to me"

Replying To daveboy:  "I would say at every match I went to this year I witnessed maybe 5 or 6 throws that I'd consider a free. Maybe 2 given as frees. Ryan Dwyer 80% is beyond farcical. What i will say is the rule states a clear striking action with the hand. What it should say in my opinion is separation of ball and hand and a striking action of the hand on the ball. There are throws yes and as I've said here before there have been frees given incorrectly for throws when replayed back. The rule imo needs modifying to make it more keeping with the skills of the modern hurler. Just my opinion."

Replying To Oldtourman:  "Look, for 18 long years, while Cork, Tipp and Kilkenny ruled the roost, there was hardly a work about the handpassing, and remember it has been part of the game since Cusack and Cork started their short Puck out nonsense in the Mid Ninetes"

Replying To Cockney_Cat:  "How can you say that? I mean, how do you know, or what criteria are you basing your statement on? In effect, you are suggesting that this Limerick team can never be improved on, or surpassed. Great hurling generational teams come and go. The teams that follow their demise, have learnt from them, and some take the game to a new level. Add to this all continuing advances in technology, sports fitness an coaching. Every great team is of its time, and every great team that follows, is 'standing on the shoulders of giants'."

Replying To PatOLogical:  "Yes , it's only a problem when talking about " upstarts"
Limerick. Would not be a word about it if Cork, Tipp or Kilkenny- the anointed 3. As a matter of fact it would. e lauded as further refinement of the game by these Gods. The whole "problem "with all aspects of today's game is that Limerick are a different gravy and the rest are scratching their anterior to come to terms with it.

That said I would love to see Pat Horgan get a Celtic Criss in 2029 or 30. CORKNESS it ."

Replying To Viking66:  "Might be harsh but the original statement was pure conjecture on O'Dwyers part. Most handpasses are legal handpasses when frozen on TV. There are of course some throws, but I'd love to know which game O'Dwyer watched that led him to make that claim. 80% FFS."

Replying To Oldtourman:  "Yes indeed, look at the goal got in the 2021 All Ireland Final and you will see there was nine handpassed involved in the bud up to it. In the 2018 Semi Final Cork ran out steam near the end and the huge amount of handpassing they did that day was a lot of the reason for their fade out. But of course it is all Limericks fault"

Replying To gunman:  "People are defending the indefenceable.When a handpass is done properly it is quite obvious and very rare.If you can't see it is proper then it is a throw."