Kerry have not embraced the benefits of the new gaelic football rules – it could cost them in the All-Ireland race
IF Kerry continue to turn their noses up at the new double-or-nothing opportunities presented by the new rules, it could prove costly when the stakes get higher.
A preference to feed inside forwards of the quality of David Clifford and Paul Geaney is understandable.
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David Clifford of Kerry reacts after his point, after the hooter, wasn't allowed during the Munster GAA Football Senior Championship semi-final against Cork
Credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
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Captain Graham Geraghty of the 1999 All-Ireland winning Meath football jubilee team at the All-Ireland Senior Championship Final
Credit: Ben McShane/Sportsfile
And they reaped the rewards by racking up 0-11 after just 23 minutes of last weekend's Munster semi-final against Cork.
But Jack O'Connor's side have yet to fully embrace the possibilities on offer outside the 40-metre arc.
Until Clifford kicked their only one of the night in the sixth minute of extra-time at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Kerry were on course to go without scoring a single two-pointer for the fourth game in succession.
By contrast, Cork stayed in the game because of their willingness to shoot from long range. Six two-pointers helped the Rebels get so close to pulling off a major upset.
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We have already seen countless examples of teams looking dead and buried, only to mount big comebacks with the aid of the extra points on offer by shooting from what would previously have been regarded as low-percentage zones.
In the long run, getting such an almighty scare at this early stage in the season might be the best thing that could have happened to Kerry, on the back of their National League success.
Having tipped them as my All-Ireland winners before the Championship began, events on Leeside did not quite cause me to regret that prediction.
But it certainly exposed a few chinks in their armour.
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One of the positives for Kerry was that they scored all but 0-1 of their 3-21 tally from play.
They are being rewarded for supplying their inside forwards and having the ambition to take the opposition on, which is something that you can only applaud.
Oisin McConville urges GAA to ditch big rule change mid-season after controversial ending to Championship clash
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RTÉ News
28 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
A season of Sundays on a single Saturday evening
As I cycled my bike across Limerick city on Saturday evening the atmosphere could be sensed a couple of kilometers from the Gaelic Grounds. Drawing closer to the stadium it was easier to dismount and walk in along with the moving sea of green and red. I parked the bike up safely near a house of God and as I walked down the Ennis Road the flashing blue lights could be seen in the distance followed by a team bus. That buzz those players feel as they wade through the traffic and crowds en route to a Munster Final is something they will not truly appreciate for years to come until, like me, they are the ones walking in. Then they will look back and think, wasn't that a magical time? I worried that the game might not live up to the buzz beforehand, especially after what happened a few weeks previously. But in terms of excitement, tension and drama we got all that and more. Much more. The hurling probably was not at the pitch we have to come expect with these teams. But then when you consider the atmosphere and tension everywhere how could we expect a flawless display to go with that? The hits were ferocious, the tackles intense, the anger felt by many was only surpassed by the volume of sarcasm from fans when a free eventually was awarded. Sportsfile's 'A Season of Sundays' is a review of the GAA year in pictures and is often a great stocking filler at Christmas. This year I feel they will have to bring out two volumes of this famed book because one could be full of images from Saturday night alone. Here's just a few examples of such iconic images: Adam English helping out referee Thomas Walsh in the middle of the field with cramp. Darragh Fitzgibbon as he gazes into a sea of green waving arms to nail the 65 to take it to penalties. The view from above as the world stands still for a brief second for each penalty taker. And finally the sea of jubilant Rebels gathered in front of the Mackey Stand to see the cup of the same name held aloft. Iconic images from a night that will live long in the memory for all those lucky to be there in person to experience it. It was a pleasure to be there to call it on radio and I was mentally drained from it all by the time Robert Downey lifted that cup so I can only imagine what way those players and management team were feeling afterwards. Limerick will need every bit of the three weeks off to get the bodies right after that physical battle and allow the minds time to come back down and breathe once again. For many players the body will recover quicker than the minds because it can be solved with stretching, pool sessions and cold plunges. But there are no physical stretches for the mind. Only time and space to help yourself to get over it all and get ready to go at it again. This might mean a few days off completely, then back to some light pitch stuff by Friday. Then, it's back into third gear work by Sunday and you should be ready to go again by next week, both physically and mentally. So when you think of it the three weeks off allows only one week of proper training, with the week after taken up with the recovery and the third week just fine-tuning before more knockout hurling. One of the most important people in the room during this period could be the sports psychologist. Questions will be asked where did it go wrong, what did we get right? Everything is fine when you win. The right subs came on at the right time, tactically we got it spot on, our match-ups were on point. When you lose then, you're questioning everything from the way you ate the chicken and pasta to did I put my grips on properly this time? But it just came down to a literal puck of a ball. The margins are so small that maybe not much, if anything, needs to change in the coming weeks for Limerick. I fully believe they will be back in Croke Park and will be meeting Kilkenny and that has the potential to be a battle akin to the 2019 semi-final. For Cork they'll still be walking on air. Their victory will give them the real belief now that they can finish the job this year but I feel they are there now to be knocked off. We saw the passion they brought to that game Saturday night because they were hurting from a few weeks ago. Where will the drive and hunger come from next time against Galway or Tipp? That will be their biggest challenge now I feel over the coming weeks. To get themselves back into a kill or be killed mindset for Croke Park. Find an angle of hurt or disrespect from somewhere to come at this game and bring that hunger and desire they showed in the Munster Final. If they bring that fight to Croke Park they will take serious beating - maybe they just won't be stopped now if they do. I believe Tipp are still involved in this year's championship (or so I read in the paper). That's nice for us here in Tipp. Not much if anything is being said and it is a lovely way for the Premier lads to be coming into knockout hurling. I honestly do feel it is a punishment rather than a reward for the Joe McDonagh finalists to be asked to go and play again this weekend. I mean let's be honest - what is the point of these games? We're asking both Kildare - who will still be enjoying themselves at the time of writing - and Laois - who won't be over the heartache - to tog out again on Saturday against a top tier team coming into the game after three weeks of rest and are no doubt bursting for road. The prize for Kildare is next year - not next week. I think we are doing them an injustice asking them to go out and play again on Saturday. Some will say, 'oh they deserve a crack at the Liam MacCarthy.' They do and they will get that next year when they are in a much better place to perform for it. Fixture-makers have constant headaches over the squashed calender. One solution could be to do away with this week of fixtures. Just send the provincial winners into the semi-finals and match up the provincial finalists and the third place team in the province. We haven't had an upset here since Laois defeated Dublin in 2019. That was a very good Laois team, so arguably not even much of a shock at the time. But we won't see that happen again for a long time. Partly because the top tier teams are aware of what happened the Dubs that season. Forewarned is forearmed. No shocks this weekend, Tipp will win, as will Dublin. But I really do hope the hurling people of Kildare enjoy every second of the day on Saturday as a precursor for Liam MacCarthy hurling in 2026. What a story and when the Team of the Year or Manager of the Year Awards are being spoken of I really hope this Kildare team and their manager Brian Dowling are in that conversation. YT:
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Five-goal Cork girls win All-Ireland U-14 football title with extra-time goals
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The Irish Sun
an hour ago
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Reid going for another title win, the 2025 championship promises to be another unmissable summer of hurling. ☘️ All-Ireland SHC 2025 quick tip Limerick to win the 2025 SHC - 2025 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship odds Here are the odds for other teams participating in the All-Ireland SHC Cork 11/8 Killkenny 9/2 Tipperary 11/1 Galway 25/1 Dublin 100/1 Laois 500/1 Kildare 500/1 Odds provided by Who are the current bookies' favourites? Limerick Limerick and Cork have had a fierce rivalry over the years, but it has reached new levels in recent years with their All-Ireland semi-final clash in 2024, and the 2025 Munster Senior Hurling Championship final penalty-shoot out. Limerick came out on the wrong side of both. But given their form over the past five years, John Kiely's team are rightly one of the favourites again in 2025. The bookies are split between the two. Bet365 are just favouring Cork at 11/8, with Limerick at 7/5, whereas BetVictor have both at 11/8. Cork Cork and Limerick made history in the 2025 Munster Senior Hurling Championship final, with a penalty shootout needed to decide the winner for the first time ever. Cork held their nerve to prevail 3-2 in the shootout, securing their 55th provincial title in the process. The shootout win also ended Limerick's run of six Munster titles in a row, and along with Cork's All-Ireland semi-final win in 2024, could the pendulum be starting to swing back towards Pat Ryan's team in the big matches? With Cork already into the semi-finals, the Kilkenny Kilkenny claimed their sixth straight Leinster title, and 77th overall, with a 3-22 to 1-20 victory over Galway in the final. While the scoreline appeared convincing, Derek Lyng's side were forced to weather a late Galway comeback, conceding 1-6 without reply in the closing stages. The win sees Kilkenny progress directly to the All-Ireland semi-finals, where a likely showdown with Limerick looms. Given the path ahead, bookmakers have priced the Cats as third favourites for the Liam MacCarthy Cup at 9/2. With the ever-reliable T.J. Reid leading the charge, Kilkenny will still fancy their chances of another title, although overcoming a fired-up Limerick will be no easy task. Who are among the underdogs? With the defending champions Clare already out, Tipperary (11/1), Galway (25/1) and Dublin (100/1) are the shortest-priced outsiders with the bookmakers. Dublin face Kildare in the Preliminary quarter-finals, with the winners facing the unenviable task of trying to stop Limerick in the quarter-final. Kildare are 500/1 to win the All-Ireland final, but the reality is, Dublin could well be the same odds, as neither have any real chance of getting past Limerick Tipperary are in the other half of the draw. They will face Laois (500/1) in the other Preliminary quarter-final, with the winner taking on Galway. Whoever comes through that quarter-final, will face Cork in the other semi. Limerick to win 2025 SHC It took two huge performances from Cork to beat Limerick in the All-Ireland semi-final in 2024 and in the Munster Championship final in 2025. They will likely need a third if they are to win their first All-Ireland title since 2005. A closer look at recent results shows us that Limerick thrashed Cork by 16 points in the fourth match of round-robin group stage, and with a semi-final against Kilkenny likely to be the only real obstacle to John Kiely's team reaching the final again, we are backing Limerick to come good and win their fifth title in six years. ➡️ Last year's All-Ireland SHC Clare shocked the nation in 2024 by winning the All-Ireland hurling championship for the first time since 2013. A dominant 12-point win over Wexford in the quarter-final was followed by an edgy two-point victory over Kilkenny in the semi-final. In the other half of the draw, Cork did the unthinkable and ended Limerick's four-year winning-streak. As a result, the title seemed certain to return to the south coast again. But Clare had other ideas, and thanks to the likes of Aidan McCarthy, Mark Rodgers, and a Man of the Match display by captain Tony Kelly, they beat Cork by one point after extra-time. All-Ireland SHC betting markets Match Betting This is the most straightforward market in hurling betting. You are simply backing either of the two teams to win or the match to end in a draw. For example, you could bet on Kilkenny to beat Galway at 4/5. Odds are offered on all three outcomes, and it's a popular choice for casual punters. Draws are rare but can offer excellent value. Goalscorer(s) This market allows you to bet on individual players to score a goal during the match. It can apply to first goalscorer, anytime goalscorer, or even multiple goals from a player. A multiple goals bet is often where value lies, especially with in-form forwards. An example bet could be for Tony Kelly to score a goal anytime against Tipperary at odds of 5/2. Or to back him for the first goal at better odds of 9/1. Handicap Handicap betting levels the playing field by giving one team a virtual advantage or disadvantage. It's useful when one side is a clear favourite, which can often be the case in the earlier stages of the hurling season. If your team still wins by more than the handicap margin, your bet comes in. For example, you back Limerick at -10.5 points to beat Offaly, meaning Limerick must win by 11 points or more. The odds are usually 10/11 or something similar in this market. Total Points This market involves betting on the total number of points scored in a game, usually in the form of over/under. It includes points from goals (worth 3 each) and regular points. Odds are typically at around 10/11. A bet on over 49.5 total points in a match that finished 26-25 (51 points in total) would win, while if the match finished 25-24 (49 points), the bet would be under and lose. Outrights Outright bets focus on long-term outcomes like who will win the All-Ireland Championship, provincial titles, or who will be top scorer. These are popular before and during the championship for value hunting. An example would be a bet on Cork to win the All-Ireland outright at 5/1, or Patrick Horgan to finish as top scorer in the championship at 6/1. How to bet on the All-Ireland SHC Whether you're betting on individual matches, or the outright winner of the Liam MacCarthy Cup, betting on the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship isn't difficult. Below we have put together a quick and easy to follow guide: Sign up or log in to your chosen bookmaker Navigate to the GAA/hurling section. Browse and select your market. This could be match odds, player specials, or outright winner. Add selection to your bet slip Enter your stake and then double check all looks correct Confirm your bet 📺 How to watch the All-Ireland SHC In Ireland, the championship is shown live on RTÉ. There is also streaming available on GAA Go and GAA+ for selected games. Semi-finals and finals will be televised, but early rounds may require live score apps, radio coverage, or GAA social media for match updates. In the UK, coverage is available on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. About the author Craig Mahood Craig Mahood is an expert in sports betting and online casinos and has worked with the company since 2020. He joined the Betting & Gaming team at The Sun in June 2022 and works closely with the leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to provide content on all areas of sports betting and gaming. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter at the Scottish Sun, covering Scottish football with particular focus on Celtic and Rangers, As well as football, he has covered horse racing, boxing, darts, the Olympics and tennis for the Sun. Responsible gambling A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chase their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry, or depressed Problem gambling – Gamble Aware – Help with gambling addiction If you have a problem with gambling, or you know someone who does, help is out there. Extern Problem Gambling is the leading provider of information, treatment, advice, and support for anyone affected by gambling harms across Ireland. Most read in GAA Hurling
