2024 Senior A Hurling Championship

[Keeks]

A ridiculous comment from Cusack

Who would have thought that could happen

 

[Sir Shadow]

A ridiculous comment from Cusack for a few reasons.
Hartnettt played senior hurling with UCC and Imokilly.
Hartnett made the Cork senior panel, indeed I'm nearly certain he has an All Ireland medal from the bench in 2005.
Hartnett got plenty chances to become a regular on the Cork team but was just slightly off it. It had nothing to do with him playing for Russell Rovers.

It's never a good idea to belittle or demean other clubs. All club cycles are cyclical especially smaller rural clubs. They go up and scale incredible heights before crashing back down, Cloyne in the noughties to what's coming ahead of them in the next 2 or 3 years are just another case in point, St. Catherine's, Killbrittan, Cloughduv etc all can testify to former greatness and the disappointing lows that can follow.
Indeed Newtown are the only small club I can think off that have had serious longevity at the top level.

Totally agree. When Kevin Harnett was still a Juvenille around 1999 Cusack was allegedly approached with talks of a Harnett transfer for him to develop as his brother done after to Midleton. I think Donal og suffers over that because Harnett could have been the difference after for Cloyne especially in midfield and remembering the narrow loss in semi final against Blackrock before the 3 losses. That Cloyne team were an inspiration to other teams though. Big, strong, unique hurling ideas and guys that would die in the field but naturally that comes with a price to next generation as younger lads hadn't the same desire and the old die hards were letting anyone through without same commitment. I dunno what 3 families as I recall 5 Sullivans, 3 Cusacks, 2 Motherway's & Cahills with each 1 made of steel

 

[jimmym]

Totally agree. When Kevin Harnett was still a Juvenille around 1999 Cusack was allegedly approached with talks of a Harnett transfer for him to develop as his brother done after to Midleton. I think Donal og suffers over that because Harnett could have been the difference after for Cloyne especially in midfield and remembering the narrow loss in semi final against Blackrock before the 3 losses. That Cloyne team were an inspiration to other teams though. Big, strong, unique hurling ideas and guys that would die in the field but naturally that comes with a price to next generation as younger lads hadn't the same desire and the old die hards were letting anyone through without same commitment. I dunno what 3 families as I recall 5 Sullivans, 3 Cusacks, 2 Motherway's & Cahills with each 1 made of steel

Cillian Cronin was tough as well,

 

[Sir Shadow]

Cillian Cronin was tough as well,

He was solid with the big claws and probably the best Full back in the county at club level at the time just short a step of pace for intercounty

 

[Vladimir The Bear]

Totally agree. When Kevin Harnett was still a Juvenille around 1999 Cusack was allegedly approached with talks of a Harnett transfer for him to develop as his brother done after to Midleton. I think Donal og suffers over that because Harnett could have been the difference after for Cloyne especially in midfield and remembering the narrow loss in semi final against Blackrock before the 3 losses. That Cloyne team were an inspiration to other teams though. Big, strong, unique hurling ideas and guys that would die in the field but naturally that comes with a price to next generation as younger lads hadn't the same desire and the old die hards were letting anyone through without same commitment. I dunno what 3 families as I recall 5 Sullivans, 3 Cusacks, 2 Motherway's & Cahills with each 1 made of steel

Mike Naughton was a dose to mark as well. Constantly moving.

 

[jimmym]

He was solid with the big claws and probably the best Full back in the county at club level at the time just short a step of pace for intercounty

A cloyne man told me they were so over trained for the final they lost to Na Piarsaighs that the legs were gone on the day of the final,

 

[leeside_rebel]

A cloyne man told me they were so over trained for the final they lost to Na Piarsaighs that the legs were gone on the day of the final,

At the time there was serious stories about the training they were doing. It was claimed there was a couple of times they trained early morning before work and were back again that evening for another session, not sure how true that was.
Another thing I remember was they always went for goals, they used finish with unusual scorelines that could be like 5-8 but were so tight at the back teams couldn't catch them on points alone and they rarely conceded many goals

 

[red&blue]

A cloyne man told me they were so over trained for the final they lost to Na Piarsaighs that the legs were gone on the day of the final,

What lunatic was coaching them?

 

[Jon Hurling]

There is a short highlights of the Cloyne Na P final on Youtube. The Rock makes an incredible diving block on Setanta and John Gardiner scores a wonder point. I can recall the Na P backs absolutely cleaning out the Cloyne forwards. Hurling was very different then and was literally get it and lump it. If you're driving ball down on Gardiner Mark Prendergast and Sean Og it's like feeding milk to a baby.

Paudi Sull must have only been 15 or 16 in that Final. In today's world it'd possible he wouldn't play senior till he was 19.

 

[Vladimir The Bear]

There is a short highlights of the Cloyne Na P final on Youtube. The Rock makes an incredible diving block on Setanta and John Gardiner scores a wonder point. I can recall the Na P backs absolutely cleaning out the Cloyne forwards. Hurling was very different then and was literally get it and lump it. If you're driving ball down on Gardiner Mark Prendergast and Sean Og it's like feeding milk to a baby.

I hurled at adult level from the mid 90s and finished up playing Jr B in 2018. The evolution of the game in the 23 years I played was absolutely phenomenonal.

I played senior championship where our game plan was drive it long and as far as possible and if that failed try harder or someone is coming off. By the time I finished playing at Jr B level we had various plans for puck outs, sidelines, frees. Where to move when such and such a player got the ball etc.
It was like a different sport. I actually much preferred playing the game it had become by the end of my career compared to the game it was in the 90s early noughties.
Although there was a lot to be said for the championship post match piss up in the olden days