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Carlow GAA thread

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Replying To Viking66:  "Are we really that poor in Leinster? In the Leinster Championship in the last few years we have beaten Wicklow, Offaly, and Carlow, and hung in there with Laois and Louth. Dublin are the only team to have given us a good trimming.
In Division 4 the last 3 seasons including this one we have only lost to Laois, Sligo and Leitrim, although it was a controversial loss to Leitrim last year, and we beat them in 2023. All 3 of those teams are in div3 now.
We aren't great, we are in div 4 because we haven't got promoted, but we aren't all that poor either."
Unfortunately we are poor leinster team, Dublin, meath, kildare offaly louth laois westmeath all ahead of us, we should beat carlow wicklow Longford doe, but I do know we are closing the gap on top teams I think

Lockerroomboy (Wexford) - Posts: 474 - 18/02/2025 10:46:34    2591739

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Replying To Freethinker:  "I will have to agree with you on this. There is very little separating the top 4 in Div 4 and the bottom 4 in Div 3. A point or two at most and on any day that can be reversed. And I would be very hesitant to label Wexford as "poor" We got relegated last year because we lost too many games by a point or two. It's true that there are no Leinster champs in Div 4 but some of the teams there can rattle most others with the exception of the Dubs."
We are down a few lads from last year with injury so far this year, including some of our starters from last year including a few of our best prospects and our captain, but most will be back before the end of the League. Also if we could get up to and be competitive in Division 3 it might encourage some others who declined calls to join the panel to change their minds.
It's like throwing a snowball down a mountain, if we could get rolling at all we might gather steam.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14821 - 18/02/2025 16:53:22    2591819

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Replying To Barrowsider:  "I somewhat disagree with this. I think a panel has to have both. Obviously you need decent representation from your strongest clubs but sometimes a strong team can gloss over individual weakness. I've never seen a panel where you have had ten strong lads from the one club 5 at most but never anywhere near ten. So those other 5 could as easily be replaced with a division 2 player. There is also no evidence that picking mainly from the "big two" leads to better results. If you look back to the 07 minor team there was representation from nearly all clubs. Now I know that's a long time ago but it's definitely better for team bonding to have a good mix of clubs.

It's probably too late when you get to minor to sort out things like that but I think in the initial selection process you should be looking for as much club diversity as possible. Now if you have a freak of a club team where you have ten gifted footballers then yes work ahead but I've yet to see one of those.

Some of the best footballers I've seen at underage playing for Carlow came from division 2 clubs. A lot of the time these lads are carrying a weak enough club team they tend to be leaders and very determined. I wouldn't be ruling them out."
Well said. Every division 2 team has a leader/captain and always at least one more chap beside him, that a lot of times carry a "weaker" team on their shoulders. They are the lads that will muck in in any game and lead from the front. Just because they happen to be born outside of Carlow Town should be a mute point when it comes to county teams.

Bracker1984 (Carlow) - Posts: 13 - 18/02/2025 18:21:21    2591836

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Replying To CW88:  "The lads from the bigger clubs are just better players. It's hard enough to get the players up to speed as it is.if you throw in loads of lads from Div 2/3 clubs, they're not used to being under pressure, never been in big games, and think it's half acceptable to make basic errors because they don't get punished at club level. Look at the senior team, if they made up a team from just EO Rathvilly and Pal, it'd do just as well (or better) than the current team."
Years ago, I'd have said - "you're wrong. How dare you." But maybe you're not a million miles off. That's essentially what the hurlers are doing. A very tightly knit team, based on two clubs.

Carlow football is in a very bad place right now. I wonder is there any logic in trying to shepherd all the best players into the SFC using area teams? Same idea with underage grades. And then pulling county teams out of it?

Again, I point out that Carlow is almost unique in that one town is half the county's population. Look at underage... the two town clubs (EO and Pal) dominate in every grade. That's not by accident.

(and, yes, Palatine, are now a town club).

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 777 - 20/02/2025 00:43:07    2592006

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No Ross Dunphy or Jamie Clarke in the starting 15 is a strange decision, also Fenaghs Sean Murphy hasn't been selected on any 26 man squad this season. If you took those 3 with some of last year's players Morrissey, Foley, Hulton, Sean Bambrick, Josh Moore and Brandon Kelly you'd have the bones of a better side.

How many games is Mikey Bambrick suspended for?

Carlowrising (Carlow) - Posts: 156 - 21/02/2025 11:25:26    2592253

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Replying To Carlowrising:  "No Ross Dunphy or Jamie Clarke in the starting 15 is a strange decision, also Fenaghs Sean Murphy hasn't been selected on any 26 man squad this season. If you took those 3 with some of last year's players Morrissey, Foley, Hulton, Sean Bambrick, Josh Moore and Brandon Kelly you'd have the bones of a better side.

How many games is Mikey Bambrick suspended for?"
You have a better side this year than last, having seen both games ladt year and ladt weekend. You have size around the middle, lads who can win primary possession. You were shocking that way last year. Also there's a bit more cut to you also. Good ballers are no good if they never have the ball.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14821 - 21/02/2025 11:42:50    2592254

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Replying To Carlowrising:  "No Ross Dunphy or Jamie Clarke in the starting 15 is a strange decision, also Fenaghs Sean Murphy hasn't been selected on any 26 man squad this season. If you took those 3 with some of last year's players Morrissey, Foley, Hulton, Sean Bambrick, Josh Moore and Brandon Kelly you'd have the bones of a better side.

How many games is Mikey Bambrick suspended for?"
Sean is injured. Will be back soon

Barrowsider (Carlow) - Posts: 1687 - 21/02/2025 12:36:30    2592264

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Replying To Viking66:  "You have a better side this year than last, having seen both games ladt year and ladt weekend. You have size around the middle, lads who can win primary possession. You were shocking that way last year. Also there's a bit more cut to you also. Good ballers are no good if they never have the ball."
I can't remember the last time we have beaten Wexford, yea seem to have our number for the past few years. Unfortunately I can't say I see any improvement this year we should have comfortably beaten Tipp and looked poor since but tomorrow is a good opportunity as Limerick have also been in a downward spiral the last few years

Carlowrising (Carlow) - Posts: 156 - 21/02/2025 13:26:23    2592280

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Replying To Carlowrising:  "I can't remember the last time we have beaten Wexford, yea seem to have our number for the past few years. Unfortunately I can't say I see any improvement this year we should have comfortably beaten Tipp and looked poor since but tomorrow is a good opportunity as Limerick have also been in a downward spiral the last few years"
Beat them in 3 team league section ( covid) by 10 points in 2021. Drew in league 2022. Last Championship win was in 2017 when we also beat them in the league but they still go promoted

carlo (Carlow) - Posts: 236 - 21/02/2025 15:29:45    2592299

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Very poor tonight. Promotion gone but don't think it was ever possible. Few things I observed tonight
We can't win our kick out when we go long. Destroyed at Midfield. We have to go short to win possession but then it's a long slow trek up the field
We don't seem to have any player capable of kicking 2 pointers ( maybe Doyle but didn't get chance tonight)
Our management waited far too long to make any changes. Game was lost from a long way out but was slow to give game time to panel. Lomax came on near end & scored a good point but got very little time.
Playing Amond & Crowley in full forward line won't work as they both small & couldn't escape the big Limerick defenders.
We need Cho Cho, John Phiri, Bambrick etc back to make any impression but I feel it won't be a good year. I'd love to be proven wrong but I'm already fearful of what Meath will do to us in Navan come championship time

carlo (Carlow) - Posts: 236 - 22/02/2025 20:50:48    2592512

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Replying To carlo:  "Very poor tonight. Promotion gone but don't think it was ever possible. Few things I observed tonight
We can't win our kick out when we go long. Destroyed at Midfield. We have to go short to win possession but then it's a long slow trek up the field
We don't seem to have any player capable of kicking 2 pointers ( maybe Doyle but didn't get chance tonight)
Our management waited far too long to make any changes. Game was lost from a long way out but was slow to give game time to panel. Lomax came on near end & scored a good point but got very little time.
Playing Amond & Crowley in full forward line won't work as they both small & couldn't escape the big Limerick defenders.
We need Cho Cho, John Phiri, Bambrick etc back to make any impression but I feel it won't be a good year. I'd love to be proven wrong but I'm already fearful of what Meath will do to us in Navan come championship time"
Promotion gone?

We are lucky there is no relegation in Division Four.

At least we have a Division 1B hurling game to look forward to tomorrow.

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 777 - 22/02/2025 21:04:22    2592516

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We are the longest serving tenants in div.4. measured in years.

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 3112 - 22/02/2025 21:20:56    2592519

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Replying To CARPS:  "Promotion gone?

We are lucky there is no relegation in Division Four.

At least we have a Division 1B hurling game to look forward to tomorrow."
Dreadful stuff tonight. Nothing else to be said.

Overthebar53 (Carlow) - Posts: 311 - 22/02/2025 21:25:00    2592520

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Holy God that was tough watching.

I think it's fair to say we might have made the wrong appointment, maybe it was worth the punt maybe it wasn't but we need to change things immediately.

John Murphy had a great game to be fair and Cormac Lomax who always seems to get 5 minutes always makes an impact but never gets rewarded with a start? But very few positives to take overall with the exception of the nice white geansaí. The league is gone now and the current regime needs to go or our guys will lose interest. Give a young up and coming manager with new ideas a chance, doesn't need to be a carlovian but we have been subjected to stone age football for years and the joke is gone flat.

Shane Curran has all the ingredients but can't bake the cake.

Carlowrising (Carlow) - Posts: 156 - 23/02/2025 00:59:22    2592541

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That performance couldn't have been much worse. It was shocking. No game plan and making changes when the game was gone. Mad team selection too, he needs to pick the best players.

CW88 (Carlow) - Posts: 33 - 23/02/2025 07:28:10    2592553

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After many many years following caelow i finally gave up after our only attacking threat john murphy was taken off. Driving home i heard on kclr that he was man of match.

Kclr using new team as an excuae. By my reckoning only regan and atkinson are in their first year.. Is this correct?. Some are light on experience but its no excuse.

Some of the management decxisions are mind boggling especially one under performing player playing every minute.

Desperate times, i know tippereary are not great but where has that first half peeformance gone?

Bimb (Carlow) - Posts: 483 - 23/02/2025 10:15:55    2592561

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Replying To Bimb:  "After many many years following caelow i finally gave up after our only attacking threat john murphy was taken off. Driving home i heard on kclr that he was man of match.

Kclr using new team as an excuae. By my reckoning only regan and atkinson are in their first year.. Is this correct?. Some are light on experience but its no excuse.

Some of the management decxisions are mind boggling especially one under performing player playing every minute.

Desperate times, i know tippereary are not great but where has that first half peeformance gone?"
Good point. We did play really well v Tipp in the first half but after the second half collapse in that it's been getting worse game by game since. A bit like I feared it's a bit like Cake all early bluster but lacking any substance and that's what we saw last night.

That team has no game plan and compare them to limerick who are not great but at least are well coached and clearly well drilled based on their movement.

Our kick outs are a disaster and management coaches had no ideas other than shouting out kick it away from the Limerick no. 8 but still it happened. Amateur hour. Complete shambles.

Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1470 - 23/02/2025 10:43:00    2592566

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Whatever the outcome at least today we'll see a properly managed Carlow team. It's a big swing game. A win coming our way hopefully which should leave us safe from relegation but lose it and we could be in a right fight to stay up. Win and we would be in the promotion shake up. I heard Leix have had issues this past week in the background which could either help us if the spirit isn't great or there could be a backlash from them. Hopefully a good crowd will travel today.

Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1470 - 23/02/2025 10:48:04    2592568

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Replying To Onion Breath:  "Whatever the outcome at least today we'll see a properly managed Carlow team. It's a big swing game. A win coming our way hopefully which should leave us safe from relegation but lose it and we could be in a right fight to stay up. Win and we would be in the promotion shake up. I heard Leix have had issues this past week in the background which could either help us if the spirit isn't great or there could be a backlash from them. Hopefully a good crowd will travel today."
Not a great day weatther weather wise so could boil down to spirit. Hopefully we have advantage there. Tough assignement and massive 2 poiints to be fought for.

Bimb (Carlow) - Posts: 483 - 23/02/2025 11:01:27    2592572

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A few games already postponed today already. I usually buy my tickets early before a match but I'm holding off as long as possible for the game in portlaoise. Assuming it goes ahead it'll be a tough game. Carlow are playing really well but regardless will need to be on form to get a result. Hopefully we being our A game and come away with the points.

Unusedsub (Carlow) - Posts: 104 - 23/02/2025 11:04:41    2592575

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