Hurling- what’s gone wrong and where do we go from here.

Davys Fits

There is a big difference between scoring under pressure and standing alone in loads of space and having the time to put the ball between the posts from 100 yards. The modern game is a series of crowded rucks striving for possession, to then releasing the ball to a player in loads of space. What we needs is a game that brings back marking players rather than swarmed rucks to gain possession in the middle of the middle third.

The handpass or throw is facilitating the current situation. Once possession is gained in he ruck the throw out from the ruck is inevitable. It really is looking more like rugby.

Sunny Disposition

I think the fact the ball can be hit so far now is the big problem. It's just too risky to lose possession, so it's a passing game now, with far fewer contests than there once were. If the ball were to be adjusted or the rule on bas size enforced, it'd go a really long way to improving things.

Brendan Bendar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120498949#Comment_120498949

Good post… in my opinion you outlined a lot of the issues there.

First team I recall using that tactic were KK….ie.. if a player was under pressure, rather than taking the shot under pressure immediately looked for a free player to pass the ball to.

It didn’t matter if the player available was 20 yards behind him, the philosophy was ‘ an unchallenged player 100 yards out is more effective than a challenged player 70- 80 yards out.

This is how the monotonous pucking over of points from way out began, both from frees and play.

I would favor the goal value to go to five points myself.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120498949#Comment_120498949

Going back to 14 individual battles I would see as the natural evolution of what is happening now.

Some teams are already getting there with man marking forwards. Limerick do it to opposition half backs and all the teams that have come close to beating Limerick were going man to man as much as possible too.

Gusser09

Puck outs should have to travel beyond the 45. Do away with this "Surrendering possession" BS. Would make teams go man for man.

Have a look this week and tell me how many foul handpasses there are in games. I'm going to say 60%+ will be fouled.

Eoinbmw

Let's just tie one hand behind the back replace the hurls with hockey sticks for the ground hurllin and use rocks as sliotars all sorted!

Oh and get rid of helmets cause you know its a man's game 😉

Gusser09

I see that the handpass rule isnt implemented in the munster hurling championship either. Laughable rule at this stage.

thinkabouit

Whats people's opinions on the game after the opening round of Munster.

For me,

attendances, Semple not even half full

Referees have an impossible job I'd say hurling had to be one of the most impossible sports to referee

Manager's & selectors jumping up & down the sideline criticising everything

Davys Fits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120515762#Comment_120515762

The game has become impossible to referee. And the reasons are all outlined in this thread. Too 'many let it flow merchants' have brought us to this point.

thinkabouit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120516523#Comment_120516523

Yeah the inconsistency of what is given a fowl or isn't a fowl has just become impossible for a referee.

Something that has to be addressed

GAA need to hire or train referee's up to the same standard's as player's.

What would be a fair wage for a full time pro referee's?

Billy Ocean

Taught the 2 games yesterday were very entertaining to be fair and 2 very different games.

Sunny Disposition

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120516523#Comment_120516523

‘Let it flow’ merchants are a pox. We could have done with more ‘implement the rules’ merchants over the years.

carq

Taught the 2 games yesterday were very entertaining to be fair and 2 very different games.

Limerick drag the opposition down into these ugly fouling fests where they just want rucks and are happy to give away frees. Theres literally so much fouling that the ref has fo let a lot go, and that is what limerick want.

Bet that limerick vs clare will be more that style again.

It is what it is at this point but it is not good for the game.

opinionated3

Outside of Limerick county, I think I've never felt less hype or enthusiasm for the hurling championship. I attended the Clare match on Sunday and whilst the was a decent crowd in Cusack park, there was still plenty of space around. I was shocked at the poor attendance from Tipperary. I've only seen the highlights of the Limerick Waterford match but it seemed pitiful enough in semple.

IMO there are loads of reasons for this. The cost involved of buying tickets, transport, having a bit to eat etc. But I think one of the biggest reasons (from talking to other individuals who normally love to go to games) was the perception that Limerick have the title in the bag already, there is no other team to touch them. I agree with this, but I generally go to the Clare matches to give them support. They train just as hard as any other team and deserve support even when they are not expected to win. I think Saturdays match will be a cakewalk for Limerick but I'll still travel. But a lot of people are watching their expenses right now and for obvious reasons.

I would agree with other posters regarding the game itself. I hate the constant handpassing and short game in general. It's also not helping the referees who are constantly having to watch out for foul passes. I'm struggling to figure out what constitutes a legitimate tackle these days as well, when players get surrounded by the opposition. But it works, and it's been proven to work multiple times now. It's not pretty to watch but I'm certainly not going to blame Limerick. It's not their job to entertain. Their remit is to bring home the cup. The rest of us have to catch up somehow but it's happened before.

Billy Ocean

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120518671#Comment_120518671

I definitely think when supporters feel a team has it in the bag or its a 2 horse race ( kilkenny and tipp in my example) it can effect crowds, from 2009-2012 only 2 out of 8 All Ireland semi finals got over 50k at it, Kilkenny and Waterford in 2009 got 63k but it was double header with football quarter final of Meath/Mayo and Kilkenny Tipp in 2012 got 50,220, well thats if Wikipedia is right. I remember the semi finals in 2013 both got over 60k then when it was a wide open All Ireland. During Dublin's dominance I remember a semi final between Kerry and Tyrone only got around 34k at it.

randd1

I see Darragh Egan commenting on the state of the hand-pass. Pat Ryan the same last month.

I'm hoping we see a move towards a ban on passing from the same hand that releases the ball, the throwing has hit near farcical levels.

Crucially, removing the pass from the same hand would also be easier to police at every level, not just at senior inter-county.

Hopefully we'll see it come in.

shocs07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120518671#Comment_120518671

Saturday's match between yourselves and Limerick will be another titanic battle. It'll certainly be no cakewalk

evolvingtipperary101

https://twitter.com/ConorOd27121808/status/1653043982635548678?s=20

...

Vinnie222

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120543793#Comment_120543793

Umpire looking straight at it

blackcard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120543793#Comment_120543793

The problem for referees is that they are afraid that some camera angle is going to show a gap of a few millimetres between hand and ball. Whereas the rule is that there has to be clear separation between ball and hand and there has to be a definite striking action with the hand. At the moment, the benefit of the doubt assumes that it is a legitimate handpass. Whereas if there is doubt, it should be assumed to be a throw. There would be consternation for a while as some legitimate handpasses are penalised but I would be saying to players that they can make sure that they are not penalised by clearly demonstrating clear separation

evolvingtipperary101

I think we might need to switch to the passing action coming from the opposite hand and hand passing off the hurl.

joebloggs32

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120543826#Comment_120543826

The umpire need to be empowered more to be able to call in the ref for that.

Australian Rules football now has 4 umpires (referees) on the field.

Brendan Bendar

Galway v Kilkenny……53 points scored..1 goal.

Nuff said…

5948ai

I've been a staunch hurling fan all my life but the game is not now the one I grew up loving. Lack of man on man contests, full forward lines being bypassed, lack of goal scoring etc, players throwing the ball around,goal keepers hitting full forward line with puckouts.

Some changes that could improve things would be increase in weight of sliotar and/or rim size. Size limit on bas size for outfield players, refs to correctly referee puckouts i.e. Strike within the Square. Refs to correctly police free taking i.e. Lift and strike unlike Brynes from Limerick who half solos before strike!!

The GAA and critics of my points above might say we've never had such high scoring games, that may be true but give me a 90s classic contest over some of these current 25 points plus snorefests!!

Rosita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120544217#Comment_120544217

Cork v Waterford 45 points no goal.

Limerick v Clare 46 points one goal.

But there was a guy arguing here recently that there was no reduction in goals being scored at all. Maybe it was just desperation to not back down but it seems at odds with what is now happening regularly.

Davys Fits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120544416#Comment_120544416

Clare v Limerick on Saturday was everything you want in a game and a throw back in ways to the 90's. But there was plenty of ball throwing. What worries me is the amount of pundits who hail the ref for turning a blind eye to throwing. Its not the way forward and sooner or later we got to deal with it. I can understand letting it flow for championship but those same pundits complain all year round about refs. Very short sighted analysis!

dohboy

Can we also stop young fellas in the terrace saying "you're sh1t ahhhhh" or "you fat b@stard" when the goalie pucks out the ball? Mortifying stuff that seems to have emerged in the last few years

evolvingtipperary101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120544630#Comment_120544630

Soccer nonsense.

dohboy

Yeh, imported around 40 years late and embarrassing sh1te!

Rosita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120544630#Comment_120544630

Very working class English, the inability to say "fat" without the 'b' word after it.

You'd wonder if by the time they are 50 if they'll have dropped that or if it'll have become so normalized that the entire stadium will be at it.