'We expected to win – we were well prepared and very well focused. We knew the game would be a high intensity and we knew we were up against it but we have been working hard for this. Since last October, we have worked to get this right today and we did. I am delighted for the lads.' Monaghan manager Seamus McEneaney after his side's 'expected' win over Down.
'What I do know for certain is that there are assessors in the stands screwing referees. They've been torn apart and slaughtered, but the game has to be refereed the way it's played. That's lunacy; let the referee go and referee the match. This has nothing to do with Kilkenny, but I know players are confused by what they can do. So that assessor, I would shoot him.' Kilkenny manager Brian Cody, not exactly sitting on the fence on this issue!
'That was a five-star performance. People might be knocking this team but we knew they had great courage and they proved that. I didn’t have to say much to them at half-time. They stood up and wanted to do something for Damien Reale. They were outstanding in the second half.' Manager Richie Bennis hails the guile of his Limerick hurlers.
'Kilkenny are very experienced, they have greater inner belief and they are driven by a ruthless manager. They do it so well and it means so much to them. They’re driven, they’re savage competitors. As much as they’ve won, they want to win more and that is the essence of sport.' Offaly manager John McIntyre sends a warning out to any pretenders to Kilkenny's crown.
'It wasn’t the most competitive game. No offence to Carlow, but it is a huge step-up for us in two weeks’ time and whatever we did today we are going to have to do it by another 50 per cent in the next two weeks.' Offaly manager Pat Roe acknowledges Meath or Dublin will provide a stiffer test than inexperienced Carlow did on Sunday.
'No, it wasn’t fitness – every team in the country is at the same level. The referee didn’t beat us. We have no complaints, we were beaten by a better team. It was a day when both attacks were on top and whichever one took their chances was going to win the game.' A refreshingly honest appraisal by Down manager Ross Carr following their defeat by Monaghan in the Ulster SFC.
'Enda is playing the football of his life and anybody would always be afraid of Enda Muldoon. He’s going to be a handful for any set of backs.' Derry boss Paddy Crozier on Enda Muldoon following his return to the side and to form form.
'I knew I had a yard on my man because I saw him go to Ollie (Moran) when he was about to palm the ball. One of the lads said to me afterwards that it was like slow motion and it was slow motion – I looked into the corner and I put it in there.' Limerick goal hero Pat Tobin recounts his stunning equalising strike against Tipperary.
'I told the guys at half-time that we have two options – you can stay down and die or be men and fight to the final whistle – and to be fair to them they kept it going.' Carlow boss John Kearns, happy that his men refused to give up the fight against Offaly.
'We've regrouped before and we’ll do it again. If we’re good enough we should have no fears going back to Thurles next Saturday. It's still all to play for.' Tipperary manager Babs Keating is confident his side can progress to the Munster SHC final.
'Perhaps it's time to get rid of the rule. Let forwards stand all day in the square if they want to – what difference would it make, other than to end the 50-50 decisions that are regularly made at club and inter-county matches and that often decide the winners and losers.' The Irish Times journalist Damian Cullen suggests we might be better off without the square ball rule, following some questionable decisions which ultimately benefited Donegal, Laois and Dublin in recent weeks.
'It was great to have the Offaly supporters, for maybe 40 minutes, thinking the unthinkable was going to happen. Maybe the shock of the century.' Offaly manager John McIntyre, looks back on the surprisingly close opening 40 minutes of his side's eventual heavy defeat to Kilkenny.
'People go to rugby matches and have to wait a few minutes before a decision is arrived at, but, afterwards they don’t have a whole lot to talk about. I don’t know if we want to lose that element to our games. Apart from the expense, it would be slow and cumbersome, and, besides, people like controversy.' Referee Pat McEneaney offers his reasons why the GAA should resist the temptation to employ video technology during matches.
'To me, Derry didn’t look like getting a goal and it came from an error we made ourselves. That was very frustrating because up to the goal we were back in the game – it was the goal that gave them the platform for the win.' Antrim boss Jody Gormley pinpoints the turning point of his side's defeat to Derry.
