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

GAA media is very much about match reports and the likes. It just doesn't have the likes of David Conn or Jonathan Wilson.

No one is gonna talk about the wages because it will create such an absolute avalanche that could see major fines and criminal convictions if it broke. Fans know it's happening too and I don't see many of us boycotting the game or protesting at matches like the soccer do when not happy with the bosses.

The choice and sacrifice go hand in hand. Yes, the player choose to continue to play the game, but by choosing that, they are automatically making the sacrifices.

If every current intercounty player choose not to make the sacrifice, then we would have no game. The players should be appreciated for choosing to make that sacrifice and effectively dedicating their lives to the intercounty game. You cannot dismiss it as basically "shure it was their own choice - no big deal".

A shame that this news got so little media coverage. There are many people unhappy with how hurling is evolving but not enough it would seem. I just wonder at what point will others see it for what its worth, a throw not a handpass?

So obvious really isn't it?

When football went down the possession at all costs route, it became less of a spectacle. The same is happening with hurling, albeit in a different way in that hurling is becoming much more stop start. Teams averaging around 25-30 scores a game, 10-15 wides each a game, 10 or so unscored frees (missed shots, free outs) each, side-lines, throw-ins from rucks. you're looking at 100 stoppages a game in most inter-county games. Take into account how long lads take for puckouts, taking frees/sidelines and you'd have to ask, how much hurling actually happens in hurling matches? It's becoming more like case of two teams taking turns at orchestrated scoring with the occasional bit of hurling breaking out. I'm not against the clever use of possession, and smart play is always welcome, but when smart attacking play is built around throwing/steps/charging and defending is built around pulling/dragging/spare arms then it becomes a real problem.

We get away with it somewhat because the good stuff is so good, particularly at the highest level, that it compensates for a lot of the ills. But even that top quality stuff exists because of an amount of pulling/dragging, spare arms, steps, charging, throws, and scores from all angles with illegal hurls.

We do need to bring the rules into line with the modern reality, but equally tackle the rampant and blatant cheating that is in every game. And unlike football, hurling has something which can facilitate that; the hurl. Having all tackles (except shoulders) and passing done off the hurl would certainly curb the over-use of the possession game a bit and introduce a bit more chaos into the game.

It might mean that we see games with 50/60 frees until teams adjust, but that might just be what has to happen. And call out the pundits moaning about it, it's all well and good having a rant on the Sunday Game about the ref not letting the game flow, but that's not the refs job, he's there to call the frees and if the players are fouling then it's on them, there'd be plenty of flow in games if players weren't consistently fouling. Have the people in charge of the game call out the pundits asking them to point where in the rule book it says that a ref shouldn't give a free for an infringement, and actually back the refs.

The problem with hurling is that it's spent so long with it's head up it's own arse convincing itself it was perfect, it's ended up with sh*t for brains. We've sleepwalked into a position where cheating is not only rampant, but accepted and encouraged by fans/pundits/media in order to be spectacle it is at times.

My fear is that one day the good stuff won't be good enough to cover the obvious ills in the game, and instead of tackling the challenges now we let the sport itself, and given it's somewhat parochial nature in this country, wither into a few enclaves in the traditional counties, because no-one will be interested in a sport where cheating is accepted and anything goes.

Football, for all it's ills, has consistently over the past 20 years or so tried and debated ways to improve the sport, called out it's problems, gave solutions, with pundits/players/managers/fans repeatedly calling for and trying changes to improve the game, it's rules and it's competitions. And one of these days, they'll get it right, because the were brave enough to ask the questions and give the criticisms in the first place.

If only hurling people had such bravery. Instead we're left with the like "there's about 2mm between the hand and ball" or "his hand was moving too fast to be seen" for what is obviously a blatant throw. Excuses while hurling, despite it's occasional still unsurpassable magnificence, withers in apathy and shared disrespect and near disregard of it's own rules.

Great post from start to finish. And the people that wont even consider change will be the first to tell you the game is gone to sheite. They will walk away from it rather than deal with the issues that you have outlined. In Neenagh they said that the players that played over recent years wouldn't be able to adjust to the new handpass rules, which is admitting that there is a problem but we will do nothing about it because its too difficult to solve now. Time wont solve it either, just make it worse.

The problem isn't catching it but the player making the pass.

If the hurley is the only way to pass every defender will just start blocking the hurley from ever making contact. The game would be a messy joke. You would end up with Shinty.

My comment which you replied to had nothing got to do with banning the catch.

Pay attention.

Players would block and hook rather than pull and drag. How can you be so sure that would be messy. It worked before the handpass became endemic. Would you rather a game where the ball is thrown around???Sounds like it. At least Shinty has held on to its core skills. We are going to dilute all the skills of hurling with throws.

In your opinion!

The Gaa should make the sliotar heavier for starters and bring in a rule that limits the number of hand passes. Try and clamp down on illegal throwing. Also coaches should encourage more ground hurling. It's gone by the wayside nowadays.

If there was more ground hurling there would be less rucks which are a scourge on the game.

I hope every team except Limerick agrees with you and plays dumb "pull on it" hurling

But if it's not exactly the hurling played just like in your youth it's shte. Don't you understand the point of this thread.

No one here has ever seen a game of "proper" hurling "the way it's supposed to be played"