Decent Leinster campaign overall I think, we seem to be improving as we go, the second half on Sunday aside but hopefully lessons learned all around.
The form of Donal Burke is really encouraging but I think he looks fitter and faster than in previous seasons, played in the corner to great effect v Galway which is not something I think would’ve worked before. O’Donnell is really flying after a slow enough start, was he playing in the HB line at times in the Galway game?
Danny and Boland were in good form, I do think we need a replacement for Danny when he tires and I’m not sure who that is. Paddy Smyth did a great job on Whelan, he’s a great man for shutting down a big unit/dangerman.
Of the new lads I feel like Doyle, Donohoe, Grogan, and Currie are really growing into this campaign and this level, some mistakes here and there but you’ll have that. Grogan and Currie faded a bit in the second half but then you could say the whole team did really.
Carlow will relish a lash at us in this, i didn’t see the JoeMc final on Saturday, had a family thing on, but by all accounts it was a belter so we need to be on our toes and we have a tendency to be flat when expected to win handy enough, but surely after the Laois lesson a few years ago the lads will be up for this, these trips down to midland venues are major banana skins. Just look at KK v Wexford, if you’re not on it you can be beaten.
If we get through this then we get the Munster final losers in the 1/4 final? Likely Clare IMO (i think limerick are going to drive on now).
Carlow being put to the pin of their collar in extra time will have an effect.
Hurling at the higher level so far this year should stand to us. Even in the defeat to KK we seemed to be clued in and not as naiive as previous years, i dont see a repeat of Laois ambush.
Hardly by June 17th? They’ll be buoyed up from winning mcdonagh and getting promotion to Leinster next year.
Do feel like we’re improving but we need to push on again, we finished Leinster with a score different of +8, struggling to score more then 24-25 scores even against the not so strong teams.
And we have a long history of playing to the level of the opposition and also of flopping when we’re heavily tipped to win. if we’re flat in any way we’ll be in a battle before we know it and down there that can spell disaster. Don’t take this for granted.
Hope we’re up for it and sharp, if we are from the start we can win with a decent margin but even dalo’s teams flopped in fixtures like this and they had bags more experience then this team has.
