No more league semi finals.

Fr Tod Umptious · 19-03-2016 10:53pm #1

Just read on Hogan Stand that Central Council have decided to get rid of the league Div 1 semi finals from next year.

No bad harm I'd say, and the playing of them in CP as a double header was a daft idea all along.

ProudDUB · 19-03-2016 11:03pm

Yep. No harm in doing away with them. Should shorten the overall length of the league too, which gives more time to the clubs to get things going when the weather is starting to get nice.

Stoner · 20-03-2016 12:01am

No loss

Speak Now · 20-03-2016 12:03am

Now if we could rid the hurling of the quarter finals also.

PTH2009 · 20-03-2016 12:24am

What way will the hurling league work now with no knockout games ??

If Dublin win the nfl this year they will barley celebrate

Speak Now · 20-03-2016 12:31am

PTH2009 wrote: »

What way will the hurling league work now with no knockout games ??

If Dublin win the nfl this year they will barley celebrate

Only changed for the football.

Xenophile · 20-03-2016 12:37am

Speak Now wrote: »

Only changed for the football.

Good, hurling format is about as good as you can get it. Impossible to get things 100%.

Realt Dearg Sec · 20-03-2016 4:47am

Speak Now wrote: »

Now if we could rid the hurling of the quarter finals also.

Jesus there's few enough hurling matches in the year as it is. Why would you get rid of more?

Xenophile · 20-03-2016 5:21am

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Jesus there's few enough hurling matches in the year as it is. Why would you get rid of more?

There are only 8 counties playing hurling near the top level and to keep the game alive you need to maintain hope for the weaker of these 8.

Realt Dearg Sec · 20-03-2016 5:30am

Xenophile wrote: »

There are only 8 counties playing hurling near the top level and to keep the game alive you need to maintain hope for the weaker of these 8.

I think the current setup is as good as we're gonna get (I would favour getting rid of the provincial championship but it's a different argument)

rpurfield · 20-03-2016 9:48am

Good decision to get rid of them, totally pointless set of games.

HanaleiJ5N · 20-03-2016 11:03am

Xenophile wrote: »

Good, hurling format is about as good as you can get it. Impossible to get things 100%.

It really isn't. It was fine in 2012, 2013 and 2014 but then they went and ruined it by introducing the quarter finals. A 1B team can win the overall competition and still not be promoted. Two weak 3rd and 4th placed 1B teams thrown in just for the sake of guaranteeing all the Div 1 counties a minimum 6 games, a privilege not extended to div2 or div3 counties.

It was an excellent format for those three seasons but as usual the powers that be just refuse to leave things alone and keep making changes for the sake of making changes. They've just gone and done the same to the championship at the most recent congress with the Ring champion being brought into Leinster.

Xenophile · 20-03-2016 12:57pm

HanaleiJ5N wrote: »

It really isn't. It was fine in 2012, 2013 and 2014 but then they went and ruined it by introducing the quarter finals. A 1B team can win the overall competition and still not be promoted. Two weak 3rd and 4th placed 1B teams thrown in just for the sake of guaranteeing all the Div 1 counties a minimum 6 games, a privilege not extended to div2 or div3 counties.

I note your comments but I do not agree with your viewpoint. If my memory serves me right, on the last games of the league Div1A last year there were four teams playing at the same time for the quarter finals and to avoid the relegation game. This year and last year we have had some wonderful hurling matches in the league which is now a proper competition, which it never has been up to now.

Speak Now · 20-03-2016 1:13pm

Xenophile wrote: »

I note your comments but I do not agree with your viewpoint. If my memory serves me right, on the last games of the league Div1A last year there were four teams playing at the same time for the quarter finals and to avoid the relegation game. This year and last year we have had some wonderful hurling matches in the league which is now a proper competition, which it never has been up to now.

I think in the current format the top 4 in 1a should be in the semi's not the quarters. Wouldn't take away from the competitiveness then.

I mean fair play to Waterford for winning the league last year but it's an odd format when you can be relgated one year and win it out the following year.

HanaleiJ5N · 20-03-2016 1:52pm

Xenophile wrote: »

I note your comments but I do not agree with your viewpoint. If my memory serves me right, on the last games of the league Div1A last year there were four teams playing at the same time for the quarter finals and to avoid the relegation game. This year and last year we have had some wonderful hurling matches in the league which is now a proper competition, which it never has been up to now.

Your memory fails you. You're thinking of 2013. I agree, that was an excellent season, it also was one of the three seasons I state the structure was best. It's a pity the new system you love prevents seasons like that. Three teams have already made the quarter finals, one team is already in the relegation final. That's four out of 6 teams in 1A with nothing at stake today.

Realt Dearg Sec · 20-03-2016 2:40pm

HanaleiJ5N wrote: »

Your memory fails you. You're thinking of 2013. I agree, that was an excellent season, it also was one of the three seasons I state the structure was best. It's a pity the new system you love prevents seasons like that. Three teams have already made the quarter finals, one team is already in the relegation final. That's four out of 6 teams in 1A with nothing at stake today.

Not quite nothing inside as the order if the quarter finals is still n the air. Anyway it's better than the old days, when nearly every team had nothing at stake every day.

seligehgit · 20-03-2016 4:10pm

Small loss,so is it the top 2 that contest the league final?

iDave · 21-03-2016 9:08am

Won't be missed. You had situations where teams entered the final round of games could of been relegated or made the semis. Playing them in CP was silly also. The teams that finished first and second should of been given home advantage.

munchkin_utd · 21-03-2016 12:07pm

iDave wrote: »

Won't be missed. You had situations where teams entered the final round of games could of been relegated or made the semis. Playing them in CP was silly also. The teams that finished first and second should of been given home advantage.

back in the 90s they were ding dong affairs, and that was also when there was no back door so for big teams it may be their day in croke park, and there was massive crowds back then, at least relative to a 60,000 capacity croke park. Both stands would be full (I remember sitting on the steps as it was literally full) and a good crowd on both terraces.

but to have semis in div1 and nowhere else means the country is put on hold literally just for the benefit of 2 counties to enter the playoffs.

its sad to see them go but they arent needed when theres so much pressure on the schedule as it is.

Boom__Boom · 30-03-2016 12:53pm

Looking at this year's league standings going into the last round of games and if the no semi-finals rule were in effect this year, there would be no dead rubber games in the last round as both Kerry and Roscommon would be battling for a final place and all of Donegal, Monaghan, Cork and Mayo are still in the technically possible to be relegated category. The two teams with nothing to play for are Down and Dublin and the fixtures have kept them apart. While it worked out this season I'm not sure I wouldn't bet against it continuing for that long.

No more league semi finals.

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