Podge Collins believes this current Limerick side are operating at a level reminiscent of one of the greatest teams the game has ever seen.
Speaking on GAA+’s The View following Limerick’s Division 1A final win over Cork, Collins drew comparisons between John Kiely’s side and Kilkenny under Brian Cody during their dominant run in the late 2000s.
Yeah, definitely, they’re the most dominant team in Ireland by a long, long way.
What they have, it nearly reminds me of Kilkenny around the noughties.
They’ve ball winners everywhere.
Podge Collins Draws Interesting Kilkenny Comparison With This Limerick Team
Collins pointed to Limerick’s physical dominance and structure as key factors behind that comparison, highlighting their ability to win primary possession all over the field.
Hegarty and O’Neill win ball overhead, the half-back line win ball overhead.
Patrick Collins yesterday just avoided Kyle Hayes’s side of the field with his puck-outs.
Will O’Donoghue was organising it, he had the lads on a string either side of him.
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According to Collins, it wasn’t just their physicality, but their organisation that stood out.
Their structure was just unbelievable, the way they set up for the puck-outs.
They’re so strong… Kyle Hayes will drop back in nearly as a sweeper when it goes down the other side, and they’re just so well set up.
He also highlighted how Limerick’s movement caused serious problems for Cork’s defensive system.
Cork’s half-back line were trying to man-mark, and the Limerick half-forward line were running them all over the place.
For Collins, the performance offered a clear glimpse of what lies ahead in the championship.
They just seem unbelievably organised, unbelievably structured. They all know what they’re doing, they all know their jobs, and then their main men are stepping up and producing performances.
In truth, he struggled to find many flaws, highlighting a couple of missed frees by Aidan O’Connor as a slight concern but not a major issue.
If Collins’ comparison holds true, the rest of the country could be facing a big challenge to topple John Kiely and Limerick in championship.
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