www.uibhfhaili.com

greenairfield wrote: ↑Sat Aug 17, 2024 6:54 pm Birr win very ugly v Belmont..Does this mean Belmont or Shinrone are the only ones who can face relegation ?

jimbob17 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 17, 2024 9:02 pm Shinrone should be better than that. Something amiss there and they've slipped a lot from where they were under Fletcher.

A couple out injured and travelling but yeah they should be better. 2022 was a one hit wonder.

KK are the team to beat no doubt but no team is infallible, even if they seem very well drilled at the moment. Shinrone turned them over 2 years ago against the odds when nobody expected it. The weather can be a leveller and in 6 or 8 weeks time the gap won't be as big for KK I think or else championship is waste of time.

The championship is a waste of time I think, nobody will touch KK, maybe not even within 10 points.

Belmont are most definitely out now and will likely put focus into football now - but should still be good enough to stay up if it comes to it. Clareen or Tullamore will likely drop down.

Ballinamere is an interesting one. Most of those are also dual players but they will be held back in the hurling by the football and vice versa, even if teams elsewhere have managed it well. They have Mark Troy, Ciaran Burke Sam Bourke and Ross Ravenhill on the county panel in their defensive unit. Fogarty is also good enough to be a county senior and plays at 6 for them. Dan Bourke, Dan Ravenhill and Brian Duignan are Co senior starters in their forwards while John Murphy (was recently and) probably could be also and are in their front 8. Kevin McDermot was Co footballer in 24 too and is a strong hurler and they have strong players on bench too. With 7 current co seniors and their other talent, They should have the tools to get close to KK if they play to their potential, and should really be aiming to be winning senior championship this year. The talk of them being future contenders should be over. They are old enough and experienced enough now not to be having any excuses. Their time has come to step up to the mark, but it won't be easy with the KK wave in motion.

I don't think the football will hold them back. Their last group game is a dead rubber and they have to face the winners of Rhode or Tullamore in the QF so their year is as good as over. In the same way Ferbane will now be all in on football, Ballinamere will be all in on hurling.

jimbob17 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 17, 2024 9:02 pm Shinrone should be better than that. Something amiss there and they've slipped a lot from where they were under Fletcher.

KK are the team to beat no doubt but no team is infallible, even if they seem very well drilled at the moment. Shinrone turned them over 2 years ago against the odds when nobody expected it. The weather can be a leveller and in 6 or 8 weeks time the gap won't be as big for KK I think or else championship is waste of time.

Belmont are most definitely out now and will likely put focus into football now - but should still be good enough to stay up if it comes to it. Clareen or Tullamore will likely drop down.

Ballinamere is an interesting one. Most of those are also dual players but they will be held back in the hurling by the football and vice versa, even if teams elsewhere have managed it well. They have Mark Troy, Ciaran Burke Sam Bourke and Ross Ravenhill on the county panel in their defensive unit. Fogarty is also good enough to be a county senior and plays at 6 for them. Dan Bourke, Dan Ravenhill and Brian Duignan are Co senior starters in their forwards while John Murphy (was recently and) probably could be also and are in their front 8. Kevin McDermot was Co footballer in 24 too and is a strong hurler and they have strong players on bench too. With 7 current co seniors and their other talent, They should have the tools to get close to KK if they play to their potential, and should really be aiming to be winning senior championship this year. The talk of them being future contenders should be over. They are old enough and experienced enough now not to be having any excuses. Their time has come to step up to the mark, but it won't be easy with the KK wave in motion.

G91 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2024 11:13 am What I seen with belmont v kinnitty was enough to tell a tale of what was to unfold for the rest of championship

Any team who have county players under 20 or senoir have them on the starting 15 belmont had 3 from under 20 ,2 of that were on the extended panel but were confined to the subs for belmont

Surely if taffe was good enough to start so was ronan flynn and connor dunican

There was also players who stood up against birr in the league final but some those also confined to subs

Some of them maybe been reserved for junior A

Looking at that sub bench there's youth there but don't get the opportunity

Connor grennan for example big strong physical player surley after kinnitty there was more than one change needed, definitely after ballinamere you'd shake things up

Kk will run away with it weather will have no play in stopping that ballinamere next best team but can't see them having enough to get past kk

Plain of the Herbs wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2024 3:21 pm The Ballinamere / Birr group taking shape now. It looks like Ballinamere and Birr will both reach seven points, with scoring difference to decide the semi-final spot. Ballinamere currently the most likely to finish top.

Kinnitty currently on three points, but have Ballinamere and Birr to come, so will likely end on the same three points. Shinrone will join them if they beat Belmont (which is by no means certain, not with Killian Sampson out). Should Shinrone beat Belmont, score difference would be used to separate they and Kinnitty, with no clear favourites on that front yet.

That scenario would see quarter final pairings of Birr v Coolderry and St Rynagh's v Kinnitty or Shinrone.

Prize for topping the Ballinamere / Birr group is avoiding Killoughey in the semi-final. Difficulty for Ballinamere is that they have their bye in round five, so would face a six week gap between facing Kinnitty in round four and a semi-final. And they won't be guaranteed the automatic semi-final place until they see the result of Birr v Kinnitty.

Anonymous1 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2024 4:23 pm

Plain of the Herbs wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2024 3:21 pm The Ballinamere / Birr group taking shape now. It looks like Ballinamere and Birr will both reach seven points, with scoring difference to decide the semi-final spot. Ballinamere currently the most likely to finish top.

Kinnitty currently on three points, but have Ballinamere and Birr to come, so will likely end on the same three points. Shinrone will join them if they beat Belmont (which is by no means certain, not with Killian Sampson out). Should Shinrone beat Belmont, score difference would be used to separate they and Kinnitty, with no clear favourites on that front yet.

That scenario would see quarter final pairings of Birr v Coolderry and St Rynagh's v Kinnitty or Shinrone.

Prize for topping the Ballinamere / Birr group is avoiding Killoughey in the semi-final. Difficulty for Ballinamere is that they have their bye in round five, so would face a six week gap between facing Kinnitty in round four and a semi-final. And they won't be guaranteed the automatic semi-final place until they see the result of Birr v Kinnitty.

I wouldn't be so sure Birr will beat Kinnitty, close to a 50-50.

FaithfulFuture wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2024 10:28 pm Made it to Rynaghs v Tullamore this evening.

Poor enough fare, Rynaghs kept tullamore at arms length for most of the game. Conneely and Rigney stood out for me but they were never really troubled.

You would have to wonder with Tullamore. They are very dependent on Dooley who is in the twilight of his career and don't seem to producing too many of note where hurling is their priority. Offaly needs 'The Blues' to be churning out players each year for underage teams and it doesn't seem to be the case at all.

It wouldn't surprise me if we see a KK winning both Senior A and B this year (not too familiar with the junior scene), but the likes of Tullamore and Seir Kierans preservation in Senior A is only papering over the cracks.