The 2024 All Ireland Senior Football Championship (Sam Maguire Cup)

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122086995#Comment_122086995

And the Sam Maguire draw does not suffer from being a hybrid of League and Provincial Championship plus the Tailteann winner. Last year Seeds 1 were Dublin, Kerry, Galway and Derry the Provincial winners. League positions would have made that Mayo, Galway, Roscommon and Tyrone. Would that have been balanced?

legendary.xix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122087114#Comment_122087114

I think it's ok to reward provincial winners as top seeds. Under the current format, it is the provincial runners-up who should be seeded based on league. Sligo were Seed 2 last year. Mayo were Seed 3. League winners Mayo had lost to Roscommon (3rd in Division 1). Sligo had beaten London and New York to make a Connacht final!

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122087665#Comment_122087665

And this year Clare would have been replaced by Down. Making 7 Ulster teams in the 16. Not well balanced from a regional point of view. You are determined to ensure that the likes of Sligo never get a rare bit of recognition. Whereas the counties voted overwhelmingly for this system, knowing the anomalies that can arise from Connacht and Munster.

overshoot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122086989#Comment_122086989

I was probably being harsh as Cavan will back themselves having well dispatched Monaghan and could well have beaten Tyrone, Meath will back themselves v Louth and cork v clare.

In fairness donegal gaa in it’s entirety was in dire straights the start of last year and our league/ulster form and then seeding reflected that. We did steady it in the groups under new management. Year before we were a few mins from beating Derry in the Ulster final, back again now, things can change quickly in Ulster!

legendary.xix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122087695#Comment_122087695

I'm not as against regional representation as others are. The GAA are not alone in world sport in having regional representation. Supporters and players like the league as it is a balanced format. It would just seem fair to use league placing for seeding provincial draws at the very least.

dxhound2005

The provinces seed their own championships. They would not stand for central interference. The League is good, but it is not played at championship intensity. There is no need to reinvent the wheel, when nearly every spoke is in place anyway. And again you want to ensure that no "weak" county ever gets a chance of mixing it with the big boys.

legendary.xix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122087894#Comment_122087894

That's fine if provinces want their own seeding. It should just be provincial winners only qualifying. That way no matter what seeding is used, all provinces still can only provide one winner.

There is merit in the idea of provincial championships before the league. Counties then know what they have to achieve in the league to qualify.

Coillte_Bhoy

If the provinces were more balanced then the respective winners being seeded 1 wouldnt be an issue, but the reality is Dublin are virtually guaranteed to be top seeds for years to come, ditto Kerry. It's a bonkers situation. Also unfair on weaker counties, the likes of Sligo or Leitrim by virtue of a lucky draw might have only to beat each other to be in the Sam Maguire, that possibility is not open to weaker counties in Leinster and Ulster, seeding by league position is the fairest system.

Coillte_Bhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122087114#Comment_122087114

Well at least you would have had probably the best 8 teams in the country occupying the top 8 seeds, thats not happening currently and if league position were to be used instead of provincial finals as a basis for seeding, i think you might find the bigger teams taking it more seriously

legendary.xix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122095150#Comment_122095150

Small tweaks to the current format:

1. Seeds 2, 3 and 4 on league placing, even if the GAA persist with provincial runners-up qualifying.
2. All-Ireland draw after provincial finals.
3. Winning a provincial title could be given the reward of 3 home games, with all other counties getting 1 home game each.
4. Otherwise if the provincial championship is moved before the league, provincial winners only should qualify. The winners of the four divisions could be rewarded with 3 home games. Where groups don't have a division winner, the top 2 seeds can be removed with an extra home game each.

dxhound2005

The other second tier competitions, All Ireland B and Tommy Murphy Cup failed. Possibly because there was no pathway to progress for the so called weak teams. This new format gives a place in Sam to the previous years Tailteann winner. And as the 94% of delegates voted in favour of, a small window for the likes of Sligo and Clare, via the provincial seedings.

The bad news for those who want the big teams to be given permanent ascendancy is that in 2027 one of Leitrim/London/New York/Sligo will be in Sam. If this format is still running. That is the nature of the Connacht seeding.

MacDanger

Interesting statistical analysis of whether it's better to win or lose the connacht final on Sunday

https://twitter.com/StatsAndSolos/status/1786455422922084429

Credit to @TsuDhoNimh for the idea

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122095827#Comment_122095827

The bad news for those who want the big teams to be given permanent ascendancy is that in 2027 one of Leitrim/London/New York/Sligo will be in Sam. If this format is still running. That is the nature of the Connacht seeding.

I don't believe this is the case.

I don't believe that there is any seeding in Connacht.

The only structure in the draw is that they rotate quarter finals v London and NY, but who plays who in each SF and who gets a bye to the SF is just random.

PTH2009

I'd imagine no jumping up and down celebrating after winning a provincial final. It's a bit of a 'tick box' thing with this 'All Ireland' format

legendary.xix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122095827#Comment_122095827

The current format is in place for three years. Unless something glaring need to be altered, they won't making any changes until after 3 years. With 2025 being year 3 however, they will be planning ahead of there are changes to be made. This is likely where the idea of provincial championships before league will come forward. Provincial councils are likely to seek the status quo but with provincial winners going directly to the quarter-finals! Seems bizarre when Galway were annoyed at losing to Tipperary in 2016. The Super 8s was to offer provincial winners an opportunity to have a safety net as well.

dxhound2005

All you need to know about the Connacht and Munster finals, according to RTE. Updated at 4:43 am, someone was up early.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2024/0503/1447255-connacht-munster-sfc-finals-all-you-need-to-know/

C__MC

The provincials would die a death if played in January.

MFPM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122098572#Comment_122098572

They are dead anyway.

C__MC

Kerry wont play a serious game until the semi final, what a bore fest of a championship

robbiezero

Decent half from Clare. Well able to create chances for scores. A 5 minute period with 4 points for Kerry the difference really.

It will probably remain a fairly tight game with Kerry pulling away in the last 15.

Say Your Number

Clare have been impressive but Kerry beginning to pull away.

FrancieBrady

Nothing overly impressive from Kerry. Will still win though.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122099957#Comment_122099957

And of course they have a reasonably handy group, with only Monaghan likely to rattle their cage. They avoided the Ulster final losers and Tyrone and Derry.

robbiezero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122099984#Comment_122099984

Id say they would like one big rattle without the jeopardy of being knocked out.

They look way off the likes of Dublin and fairly pedestrian.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122099984#Comment_122099984

Yep. Monaghan tortured with key injuries but they enjoy rattling Kerry

LetticebCivil

Mayo with at least 3 forwards who unable to kick a ball over the bar from 20 yards out.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122100201#Comment_122100201

My biggest gripe with the modern game. The amount of players who won't have a go because of the scoring zone BS.

Say Your Number

Galway aren't a whole lot better today.

LetticebCivil

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122100254#Comment_122100254

About 20 athletes out on the pitch. They sure are not footballers. Not their fault though. They have been coached to play like that

Say Your Number

Finnerty was one of their few good players in the semi final.