Originally posted by GluteusMaximus:
Amazed no topic yet. Writing from my phone.Saw Davy watchin Tipp v Limerick so I guess the Banner is expected to be flying in the Munster final?I heard some WD players are not happy with the training demands being put on them by Ken McGrath? True or false?
How are things in the Deise camp? should they just grant Clare a walkover? :-) Would it be better to lose narrowly and avoid another 7 goal or similar hammering in the final?Is all of this irrelevant anyway as the real Munster final will be the Cark v Tipp semi "oh the glory of it" etc?

Originally posted by ozabroad:
What odds would we get on Ken and Davey having a run in on the sideline!!! Anyways apart from this sideshow iv been looking forward to this game since the draw was made, one could have predicted it even before the draw was made with Davey going up against the team he use to manage. it has the makings of a great game.

Originally posted by johnny cash:
all the stories coming from waterford plus the injuries, loss of shane sullivan etc, one would have to be fancying clare

This message has been edited - 29-may-2012 @ 22:28

Originally posted by staycalm:
On what basis are lads making Clare favourites for this match? They haven't won a championship match in a few years while at the same time Waterford have consistently played at the business end of the championship. Clare have it all to prove really

Originally posted by An Early Bath:
A lot of that sounds like smoke and mirrors to me, mind games, etc.All levity aside, I'm anticipating a fierce close game between too pretty evenly matched sides. On league form and reports emanating from recent challenge matches, I fancy Clare to shave it by a couple of points.

Originally posted by Keanes Road:
Well in my mind I would have Clare favourites.They seem to have a more settled camp at the moment. We are suffering from the upheaval of a few defections and also a good few injuries.I have seen Clare a few times this year and I always thought they looked impressive. Very fit and focused and also playing a nice simple brand of hurling.
Davy will have knowledge on most if not all the players he will face from Waterford and you can be sure he will be a tuned in as anyone to ensure Clare win this game. Long time ago now but they blew Waterford away in the crystal cup. I know that’s not a great pointer to championship hurling but back then they seemed way ahead of us in terms of fitness and play.Despite what people outside the county think there are genuine injury concerns about a number of players. In a few recent challenge matches Ringo Kearney has been full back with Stephen Daniels and Phillip Mahony as corner backs. Both those lads would be seen as natural half backs coming through. The 3 players from last year Darragh Fives, Liam Lawlor and Noel Connors have been missing for a combination of issues. There is no way I can see Connors play now and indeed imo he has been out for too long now anyway to be considered even if he did come through the club match last weekend. I would think he is too far away fitness wise.
Shane O’Sullivan’s departure to the US (along with club mate Brian O’Sullivan) is a big loss to our midfield options. Pauric Mahony is also missing from our forward division due to a recent operation. Molumphy too, is now an injury doubt and this would be seen as big year for him as he hasn’t been at his best in recent campaigns. I heard Shane Walsh also hobbled off the weekend with an ankle injury but I don’t know if that’s serious or not. Kelly and Maurice Shanahan coming back from hand injuries at just the right time to be considered for this game. Richie Foley was very good in a recent challenge v Dublin at midfield (after his long injury layoff) but apparently did not stand out at wing back in the championship v Dungarvan last weekend.
On top of all this has been a very ropey league campaign where we were beaten out the gate by Cork and Kilkenny and trounced by Tipp. With Ken and Sean Cullinane coming on board we settled down for the last 2 games and salvaged our division 1 status with two narrow victories against the two teams that fell into the relegation play off. Things went quite for a while since the club championship started up, but everything seems to be boiling up again now with lads leaving the panel for whatever reason.Righ now our team is looking along the lines of the following if injuries and recent challenges are to be considered.O’KeeffeDaniels
Kearney
MahonyBrowne
Brick
HutchinsonMoran
Foley (Twomey)I could see the forwards take the field along the lines of - but rotatingPrendergast
Mullane
ShanahanKelly
Walsh
Gavin O’BrienSubs to come in
Nagle
David O’Sullivan
O’Neill
Twomey (Foley)
Paul O’Brien
Would that be enough to get us over the line v Clare?

Originally posted by TheMonastery:
Clare are favorites with the books, all be it match betting is not available yet but Clare are 7/1 for Munster with Waterford 15/2The books are rarely wrong Clare should be favorites based on the league this yearWaterford had a nightmare of a league, whereas Clare can draw plenty of positives from their campaign. The victory in Galway was a dreadful match where Mr Hyde turned up in maroon as is often the case when they face Waterford and lets be honest Dublin were far from interested in beating waterford in the last game BUT nearly did. Of the injuries \ withdrawals i know of, only 4 would have started so that is not a complete disaster, I have seen it worse before without the big song and dance Just look at the Waterford county championship, people may say it is great that it is so competitive and a sign of strength that fancied teams are being turned over. I would beg to differ, when at our peak between 1998 and 2004 (imho) Ballygunner and Mount Sion would have beaten any club team in the country on their day, that cannot be about any team in the county today. De La Salle are a good outfit and have some serious hurlers but still think they would not live with the Ballygunner or Mount Sion from a few years back. Mount Sion are at their weakest in 25 – 30 years and it has been said many a time in the past and proven true when Mount Sion are weak Waterford are weakLump on Clare

Originally posted by TheMonastery:
Clare are favorites with the books, all be it match betting is not available yet but Clare are 7/1 for Munster with Waterford 15/2The books are rarely wrong Clare should be favorites based on the league this yearWaterford had a nightmare of a league, whereas Clare can draw plenty of positives from their campaign. The victory in Galway was a dreadful match where Mr Hyde turned up in maroon as is often the case when they face Waterford and lets be honest Dublin were far from interested in beating waterford in the last game BUT nearly did. Of the injuries \ withdrawals i know of, only 4 would have started so that is not a complete disaster, I have seen it worse before without the big song and dance Just look at the Waterford county championship, people may say it is great that it is so competitive and a sign of strength that fancied teams are being turned over. I would beg to differ, when at our peak between 1998 and 2004 (imho) Ballygunner and Mount Sion would have beaten any club team in the country on their day, that cannot be about any team in the county today. De La Salle are a good outfit and have some serious hurlers but still think they would not live with the Ballygunner or Mount Sion from a few years back. Mount Sion are at their weakest in 25 – 30 years and it has been said many a time in the past and proven true when Mount Sion are weak Waterford are weakLump on Clare

Originally posted by Keanes Road:
O’Keeffe
Daniels-Kearney-Mahony
Browne-Brick-Hutchinson
Moran-Foley (Twomey)
Prendergast-Mullane-Shanahan
Kelly-Walsh-Gavin O’Brien

This message has been edited - 30-may-2012 @ 19:39

Originally posted by Incognito:
It is'nt smoke and mirrors, I wish it was, things are a shambles

Originally posted by Banner1995:
when you say shambles, do you mean everything or just the injuries? i thought ken mcgrath n cullinane coming back had steadied the ship..?

This message has been edited - 31-may-2012 @ 15:11