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All boils down to the same elephant Pikeman. We have too many games in our club championship. When we start being genuinely competitive at county AI level again in a few years time we will have to address the problem properly ;-) Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14123 - 21/11/2024 14:40:40 2580591 Link 0 |
If we get to All Ireland semi final so be it . Formertownie (Wexford) - Posts: 305 - 21/11/2024 15:01:09 2580597 Link 0 |
It's up to each county to sort out this problem as they see fit. Its not really up to individual clubs, except insofar as if they keep voting to keep as many championship games as we currently have they are part of the problem. A problem every county and club is facing is player retention, both at underage and adult. If players get the feeling their club or county doesn't give a #### about them they are less likely to stick around, especially as there are so many alternatives to playing Football and Hurling compared to years ago. Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14123 - 21/11/2024 15:23:19 2580601 Link 0 |
It happened to be a football weekend in both 2023 and '22 because it was held on last weekend of August or first weekend of September, we had the split season that clubs had voted for, and so the hurling championships were already finished. Happened to be a football weekend this year because of the order the games were played in so as to finish our football championships first, due to how our county football champions were scheduled for Leinster action before our hurling champions were. If the games are run in the same order next year, then EP will be on a hurling weekend all right. But overalll, Viking66 is correct here. The real elephant in the room is too many games in our club championships and too short a timeframe to play them, if you want a free weekend for EP but also want to avoid midweek matches. tearintom also makes a valid point. Clubs have a greater responsibility here. If some in a club want EP weekend free of fixtures, but then the club goes and supports a championship structure that doesn't really allow for free weekends (unless you have midweek games that the club doesn't want either), then surely it's up to the club to square that circle? Anyway, let's say 10% or even 20% of players want to go to EP. The other 80% have no intention of going anywhere near it, and would rather play on a Friday evening/Saturday/Sunday than a midweek match. Would it be fair or right to make them play midweek anyway, for the sake of the minority? Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2648 - 21/11/2024 16:17:20 2580611 Link 0 |
Rory Jacob was on the Wexford podcast after the Clare defeat in the summer and he felt the quality of player coming into St Peter's College wasn't of a good standard from primary school/clubs. I think a major problem in Wexford is the 7-12 age group, kids just don't have the hurl in their hands enough each week. Michael Fennelly said when he came in as Offaly manager he told the clubs to really work hard on the 7-12 age groups in primary school as doing it at 14-18 is too late to produce elite hurlers consistently. He referred to a teacher he had in primary school, Joe Dunphy who built a culture in Ballyhale primary school of kids playing hurling every day at lunchtime. I do feel Wexford are working hard to create this culture of hurling and you'd hope in 5-6 years we see some fruits of the new initiatives that are currently in place. There is no secret to it, for Wexford to be at the very top table our club hurling needs to improve, our primary schools needs to have a culture of kids brining hurls to school and obviously non dual from 14 onwards should help too. Past hurler (None) - Posts: 835 - 21/11/2024 23:26:41 2580665 Link 0 |
Sad to say the National school my lads are at don't allow the kids to bring hurls in, except for hurling training on Mondays. Fear of broken windows etc. They do support GAA initiatives like Hurling 365, which is on Tuesdays, and we are getting hurls and helmets for them for non playing kids because they asked us to. They have 2 current intercounty footballers there, one of whom played underage camogie, so they aren't anti GAA or anti Hurling. The other school in the parish, the larger one with a far lower participation rate, did have a very unsupportive Principal, who has been replaced by one who is now pushing the games, organising in school mini blitzes etc. Again our club agreed to support him by supplying the school with new hurling equipment. I agree with you 100%, those are the ages we really need to be focusing on, and in fairness to Games Development, and the CB, there has been a real emphasis put on those age groups the last few years. And as you say, hopefully those efforts will bear fruit, although I agree that we are talking a good few years down the line. Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14123 - 22/11/2024 09:41:55 2580681 Link 0 |
Surely a few of the younger Martins players wil be given a chance if there interested, David Codd, Joe Barrett to name a couple…think both of them would be well up to it. That game today was as close as you'll get to inter county WexMurph (Wexford) - Posts: 240 - 24/11/2024 19:25:30 2581054 Link 0 |
Hard luck to Martins. Na Fianna probably marginally better but still could've won it. Gave a good account of themselves and best showing by Wexford champs in the guts of a decade. Judging by other semi final which was entertaining if not exactly high in quality, Na Fianna look a very likely winner of Leinster this year. If you could get more hurling in to Barry O'Connor he would've been a great option for Wexford the last few years, might be too late in the day for a go at the county team now and don't know what his living situation will be for next year, if he's moving back to Oz. Rathnure and Mellows both had good wins but hard to see them winning Leinster. But it's definitely been the best club performance in a long while on all fronts for hurling. Always good to see. Throughthemidfieldhewasstormin (Wexford) - Posts: 285 - 24/11/2024 20:48:48 2581066 Link 0 |
Agreed, they were up against Dublins inter county hurlers in the Curries, Burkes etc and matched them and more.
Past hurler (None) - Posts: 835 - 24/11/2024 20:55:00 2581068 Link 0 |
Horeswood won the Leinster Junior Championship 2 years ago, and Oylegate made the Intermediate final 3 years ago.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14123 - 24/11/2024 23:01:15 2581083 Link 0 |
1 team in Leinster intermediate final, another looking good in junior and a senior team that lost to the best team in it and won a game…think that's better than either of them two years tbh….like I said best overall club year in a long time for Wexford.
Throughthemidfieldhewasstormin (Wexford) - Posts: 285 - 24/11/2024 23:16:31 2581087 Link 0 |
Wristy stickmen viking.
BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3221 - 25/11/2024 01:15:51 2581100 Link 0 |
How exactly is it hard to see Rathnure winning Leinster?
countyman2022 (Wexford) - Posts: 742 - 25/11/2024 09:16:48 2581110 Link 0 |
NF good value for their win Barney! Hope they kick on now. KK will be tough opponents in the final.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14123 - 25/11/2024 09:40:39 2581117 Link 1 |
Was wondering that myself. They're in the final so anything can happen. And in the semifinal they beat one of the strongest teams in it who won it only year before last.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14123 - 25/11/2024 09:46:09 2581119 Link 0 |
Liam Mellows and Rathnure both had super wins over the weekend. Why would it be hard to see either of them winning Leinster? Watched the Rathnure game on Clubber - was actually a really good game with no quarters given from either team. Tough and hard honest hurling. Rathnure have really shined during their last 4 games in the closing 10 minutes period. This is something they failed to do for the last few years and it cost them dearly. Jack Redmond was superb yesterday. The Wickham brothers got through a mountain of work. Rathnure conceded some soft scores and that maybe a worry but AJ Redmond was a big loss in his sweeper role. Lisdowney are a good young team (similiar to Rathnure) so if the weather plays its part next weekend I expect a real battle in Wexford Park Am I correct in saying Liam Mellows are through to a Leinster S/F now? It is a pity the Martins didn't get the win - but again they can stand tall and their heads up. For the last number of years Wexford clubs have failed pitifully in Leinster and bowed out without even a whimper MyOhMi (Wexford) - Posts: 164 - 25/11/2024 10:00:59 2581125 Link 0 |
It was good tough game. Some frustrating calls on both sides. Great skill on both sides considering conditions although Fianna short game is heart attack territory at times. Rory O'C got majestic point late on from out on stand sideline in front of us. Thought Martins had it at that stage but well worked goal turned it around again. Final should be good. Impossible to call. BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3221 - 25/11/2024 10:53:41 2581134 Link 0 |
Any of the younger NF players likely to figure for your county side next year Barney?
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14123 - 25/11/2024 11:07:43 2581140 Link 0 |
Great wins for Rathnure & Liam Mellows - but would have to question the standard in the junior comp. Mellows are playing the Louth champions in the semi final... Horeswood beat the same team from Louth by a few points in 2022. Mellows play Kilkenny champs then in final if they win that. Junior and intermediate Leinster hurling has been dominated by Kilkenny teams. When Horsewood won it in 2022 Commercials from Dublin that Rathnure played few weeks ago knocked out the Black and Whites from Kilkenny in the semi final. Last year Fr'ORegans Craanford were the only team in Leinster to give a strong Tullagher team any sort of a game and could have won it. Based on this I think Liam Mellows will have a good chance - especially as the pitches are a lot heavier now and it'll suit their physicality and running game. grassroots01 (Wexford) - Posts: 178 - 25/11/2024 11:19:42 2581144 Link 0 |
I'd imagine so,. Be particularly interested to see AJ Murphy getting a proper run at county. There would be a few others like O'Dea as well, Stacey maybe. Meagher who is great workhorse. I'm sure he won't want to be too top heavy with NF lads and Cuala dominance arguably was factor in fall off after 2013. That's where the focus was.
BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3221 - 25/11/2024 11:57:10 2581150 Link 0 |