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Replying To Viking66: "Of course its been good for the Leinster Championship to have Galway in it, the largest ever (I think) crowd for a Leinster final featured Galway, and theyve made it more competitive and exciting also. Its a shame Galway isnt actually in Leinster. And it's also meant we have won less Leinster titles, which do actually still mean something to people down here!" I'd take just getting to a final to be honest:)
Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 4449 - 01/04/2026 18:30:52
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Replying To Doylerwex: "Correct of course. We drew with Limerick in the league." League is pretty irrelevant though Doyler. Between League and Championship in 2022 we beat the current AI Champions, the AI losing finalist, the current Leinster Champions, the current Munster Champions, both the current joint League Champions, both the 2022 AI finalists, both the 2022 losing AI semifinalists, the other 2022 losing quarterfinalist, both the 2022 Leinster finalists, and both the 2022 Munster finalists.
And according to narrative we were only a Joe Mac team in the Egan years.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19243 - 02/04/2026 14:20:26
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Replying To Viking66: "League is pretty irrelevant though Doyler. Between League and Championship in 2022 we beat the current AI Champions, the AI losing finalist, the current Leinster Champions, the current Munster Champions, both the current joint League Champions, both the 2022 AI finalists, both the 2022 losing AI semifinalists, the other 2022 losing quarterfinalist, both the 2022 Leinster finalists, and both the 2022 Munster finalists.
And according to narrative we were only a Joe Mac team in the Egan years." I know, and I said the same thing a few pages ago. But where we were coming from in 2013 we had to take the positives wherever we could find them which is why I was delighted to get a draw with Limerick at the time baring in mind Dublin beat is in the park in that league by 23 points I think.
Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 4449 - 02/04/2026 15:14:57
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I'm just starting to wonder if anybody has any thoughts on this year's National Hurling League, to post in this thread! Think there's a final coming up, or something :)
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3492 - 02/04/2026 16:00:55
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Replying To Viking66: "Of course its been good for the Leinster Championship to have Galway in it, the largest ever (I think) crowd for a Leinster final featured Galway, and theyve made it more competitive and exciting also. Its a shame Galway isnt actually in Leinster. And it's also meant we have won less Leinster titles, which do actually still mean something to people down here!" How many more Leinster titles would Wexford have won, and in what years, if Galway hadn't been admitted to Leinster?
Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2868 - 02/04/2026 16:52:01
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Replying To Pikeman96: "I'm just starting to wonder if anybody has any thoughts on this year's National Hurling League, to post in this thread! Think there's a final coming up, or something :)" Looking forward to both games. First one most of all obviously and hope we give a good account of ourselves in what is ideal prep for the championship.
Will stay for second game - unless beaten out the gate! - and that might be another classic. Fancy Limerick for that one and be interesting to see what approach both take to it.
BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 4194 - 02/04/2026 18:09:47
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Replying To Cockney_Cat: "How many more Leinster titles would Wexford have won, and in what years, if Galway hadn't been admitted to Leinster?" How long is a piece of string?
Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 4449 - 02/04/2026 19:18:18
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Replying To Pikeman96: "I'm just starting to wonder if anybody has any thoughts on this year's National Hurling League, to post in this thread! Think there's a final coming up, or something :)" Everyone has already moved on :)
Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 4449 - 02/04/2026 19:18:52
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Replying To Cockney_Cat: "How many more Leinster titles would Wexford have won, and in what years, if Galway hadn't been admitted to Leinster?" 2017 definitely. 2018 probably.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19243 - 02/04/2026 21:06:34
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Replying To Pikeman96: "I'm just starting to wonder if anybody has any thoughts on this year's National Hurling League, to post in this thread! Think there's a final coming up, or something :)" Hard to say how hard the 2 teams will go at it in the 1a final, but I think after last year Cork are going out hard to win every game, so I expect Cork to win it.
The 1b final will be closer, I think Dublin might just shade it, as Clares cornerbacks and halfback line havent been that confidence inspiring so far. Think it will be fairly high scoring.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19243 - 02/04/2026 21:09:40
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Replying To Viking66: "Hard to say how hard the 2 teams will go at it in the 1a final, but I think after last year Cork are going out hard to win every game, so I expect Cork to win it.
The 1b final will be closer, I think Dublin might just shade it, as Clares cornerbacks and halfback line havent been that confidence inspiring so far. Think it will be fairly high scoring." I'd imagine both games might be like high octane challenges. The argument that none of the four will want to show their hand is only partly I think. Teams not in the two finals will be trying to recreate that very same level in challenge games and training so would be foolish not to take advantage.
And, as with all games, once the ball is thrown in no one on pitch will be taking it easy! Applies more so to the Cork/Limerick game given the intensity of the rivalry.
Good chance for Dublin to test themselves against fast inside line which we have found it difficult to deal with. Scoring lots of goals, but shedding them too.
BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 4194 - 03/04/2026 08:18:40
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Replying To BarneyGrant: "I'd imagine both games might be like high octane challenges. The argument that none of the four will want to show their hand is only partly I think. Teams not in the two finals will be trying to recreate that very same level in challenge games and training so would be foolish not to take advantage.
And, as with all games, once the ball is thrown in no one on pitch will be taking it easy! Applies more so to the Cork/Limerick game given the intensity of the rivalry.
Good chance for Dublin to test themselves against fast inside line which we have found it difficult to deal with. Scoring lots of goals, but shedding them too." Alot will depend on who Clare select where up front as to how fast their inside forwards will be. They will attack from deep, they run the ball well, and they can take points from out the field too. They've an embarrassment of riches up top.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19243 - 03/04/2026 10:13:22
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Limerick will put out close to their starting Championship XV. There may be one or two instances where they will want to give minutes to guys who might not start in a months time but it will be a very strong team
I think Cork will, as in the last day, mix and match and try out some new combinations
The team they put out will go for it 100% but I dont think they will put out their best team
It will be close, but I think a win is more important for Limerick so I think they will shade it
Re the 1B final does anybody really care? A year from now will anybody remember who are the Division 1B League winners? Maybe Dublin do slightly more than Clare so they might just do it.
And Limerick v Cork would sell out by themselves so really I have no idea why they would make this a double header
Put Clare Dublin on in Ennis or Tullamore and get 10k in (they would in Ennis although in Tullamore I think they would be lucky to get 5-6k)
Yadse (Limerick) - Posts: 232 - 03/04/2026 16:23:20
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Replying To Yadse: "Limerick will put out close to their starting Championship XV. There may be one or two instances where they will want to give minutes to guys who might not start in a months time but it will be a very strong team
I think Cork will, as in the last day, mix and match and try out some new combinations
The team they put out will go for it 100% but I dont think they will put out their best team
It will be close, but I think a win is more important for Limerick so I think they will shade it
Re the 1B final does anybody really care? A year from now will anybody remember who are the Division 1B League winners? Maybe Dublin do slightly more than Clare so they might just do it.
And Limerick v Cork would sell out by themselves so really I have no idea why they would make this a double header
Put Clare Dublin on in Ennis or Tullamore and get 10k in (they would in Ennis although in Tullamore I think they would be lucky to get 5-6k)" They're national finals. Should be double or triple header in Croke Park.
Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 4449 - 04/04/2026 09:28:07
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After all the talk the Gaelic Grounds wasn't full. A 41,000 attendance means there was room for 2,000 to 3,000 more.
In the first match I feel like Dublin were their own undoing. I felt they had so much needless passing around their own backs and when their accuracy dipped Clare simply turned them over and punished them. like a team with the class that Clare possess in the midfield and forwards should. I would have question marks about the Clare defence in the second half when Dublin did turn up (but the game was over as contest by then so maybe they took the foot off the gas a bit.
In the second match I got what I expected, Limerick were going all out for it (since they could, having a three week break to Championship). I honestly feel Cork (consciously or subconsciously) had one eye on Tipperary in two weeks time. They were a fraction off what they can normally bring to it, on the intensity front. The fact that they didn't start a proper row (like they have done in nearly every other match) proves thus point.
Limerick happy with the win. As John Kiely said afterwards put "a full stop after it". Bigger challenges lie ahead in Cork in three weeks time and in Ennis the week after that
LimerickandProud (Limerick) - Posts: 230 - 07/04/2026 11:03:54
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Replying To Yadse: "Limerick will put out close to their starting Championship XV. There may be one or two instances where they will want to give minutes to guys who might not start in a months time but it will be a very strong team
I think Cork will, as in the last day, mix and match and try out some new combinations
The team they put out will go for it 100% but I dont think they will put out their best team
It will be close, but I think a win is more important for Limerick so I think they will shade it
Re the 1B final does anybody really care? A year from now will anybody remember who are the Division 1B League winners? Maybe Dublin do slightly more than Clare so they might just do it.
And Limerick v Cork would sell out by themselves so really I have no idea why they would make this a double header
Put Clare Dublin on in Ennis or Tullamore and get 10k in (they would in Ennis although in Tullamore I think they would be lucky to get 5-6k)" It didn't sell out and there was close to as many Dublin supporters as there was Clare,
Huge crowd nonetheless and both games were worth seeing and most people were there for both.
BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 4194 - 07/04/2026 12:22:19
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Replying To LimerickandProud: "After all the talk the Gaelic Grounds wasn't full. A 41,000 attendance means there was room for 2,000 to 3,000 more.
In the first match I feel like Dublin were their own undoing. I felt they had so much needless passing around their own backs and when their accuracy dipped Clare simply turned them over and punished them. like a team with the class that Clare possess in the midfield and forwards should. I would have question marks about the Clare defence in the second half when Dublin did turn up (but the game was over as contest by then so maybe they took the foot off the gas a bit.
In the second match I got what I expected, Limerick were going all out for it (since they could, having a three week break to Championship). I honestly feel Cork (consciously or subconsciously) had one eye on Tipperary in two weeks time. They were a fraction off what they can normally bring to it, on the intensity front. The fact that they didn't start a proper row (like they have done in nearly every other match) proves thus point.
Limerick happy with the win. As John Kiely said afterwards put "a full stop after it". Bigger challenges lie ahead in Cork in three weeks time and in Ennis the week after that" Firstly, congratulations Limerick. Easily the better team on the day, and only for some wayward shooting, would have won by much more. I don't know what to think about our performance. We were very lethargic in the opening 20 minutes and only for a fortuitous goal, it could have been a lot worse.
Our half forward line were completely cleaned out, and our half back line wasn't much better. I've been saying it to anyone that would listen that Darragh Fitz has to go to midfield. He can influence the game much better from there. Leaving all that space in front of Gillane for him to run into made no sense, as he will murder you in 1v1 situations.
I don't know what to think now for Thurles. We will be better, but will it be good enough to beat Tipp, I'm not so sure.
At least it's dampened the hype in Cork.
bloodandbandage (Cork) - Posts: 497 - 07/04/2026 13:12:26
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Replying To bloodandbandage: "Firstly, congratulations Limerick. Easily the better team on the day, and only for some wayward shooting, would have won by much more. I don't know what to think about our performance. We were very lethargic in the opening 20 minutes and only for a fortuitous goal, it could have been a lot worse.
Our half forward line were completely cleaned out, and our half back line wasn't much better. I've been saying it to anyone that would listen that Darragh Fitz has to go to midfield. He can influence the game much better from there. Leaving all that space in front of Gillane for him to run into made no sense, as he will murder you in 1v1 situations.
I don't know what to think now for Thurles. We will be better, but will it be good enough to beat Tipp, I'm not so sure.
At least it's dampened the hype in Cork." I think its one of those things that if Cork beat Tipp, and play well, BOC will be a genius who got the prep exactly right including the League Final
Cork lose and the pundits will say the writing was on the wall in the League Final
If I were a Cork fan I'd be concerned that it doesn't look like BOC knows his best team and some key positions like FB, CB and midfield are still uncertain. Or maybe he does and was holding something back for Championship?
Do they miss Hoggie in the forwards? He was no longer the best forward in Cork but always performed, especially on the days when others struggled and scored and made scores for others
The margins are tight in these games, and expectations are high and I dont know how much patience is there for Cork management to figure this all out.
Yadse (Limerick) - Posts: 232 - 07/04/2026 14:26:42
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Replying To bloodandbandage: "Firstly, congratulations Limerick. Easily the better team on the day, and only for some wayward shooting, would have won by much more. I don't know what to think about our performance. We were very lethargic in the opening 20 minutes and only for a fortuitous goal, it could have been a lot worse.
Our half forward line were completely cleaned out, and our half back line wasn't much better. I've been saying it to anyone that would listen that Darragh Fitz has to go to midfield. He can influence the game much better from there. Leaving all that space in front of Gillane for him to run into made no sense, as he will murder you in 1v1 situations.
I don't know what to think now for Thurles. We will be better, but will it be good enough to beat Tipp, I'm not so sure.
At least it's dampened the hype in Cork." You will beat Tipp in 2 weeks. You have more work done this year so far. If Tipp are going to beat you it will be later in the year. But like DOC Im not sure they will be as good this year even later on, should they make it out of Munster at all.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19243 - 07/04/2026 15:07:55
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My take on Cork was that he was trying a few things up front but not showing his hand for later, Their approach - up to the last ten minutes at least - was much less "expansive" for the want of a better word than we have seen.
Or was it that the Limerick backs were less inclined to allow the space? Or that O'Connor himself has decided on trench warfare rather than what we have seen mostly?
BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 4194 - 07/04/2026 15:47:19
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