Senior Hurling Championship 2014

Realt Dearg Sec · 27-05-2014 01:26PM

nice_guy80 wrote: »

This round robin format is a joke. And it is ridiculous to treat counties differently.

What other counties would allow it?
Would Tipperary, Clare, Cork and Waterford play a round robin over 4 weeks? Not a hope in hell.

They want more games, this gives them more games. Is there even one instance of a team manager or player complaining about the format? Anyone demanding a return to getting a preliminary round hiding from Galway or Kilkenny first day out?

I don't see why it's ridiculous to treat counties differently when counties are different. Championship games against reasonable opposition are the best way to improve everyone.

robbiezero · 27-05-2014 01:34PM

nice_guy80 wrote: »

This round robin format is a joke. And it is ridiculous to treat counties differently.

What other counties would allow it?
Would Tipperary, Clare, Cork and Waterford play a round robin over 4 weeks? Not a hope in hell.

Well, they could avoid it by becoming good.

I think its quite a good system, gets a few games into the weaker counties and the best two of them go forward into the championship. Whats the alternative? enter the championship proper and get the stuffing hammered out of them a few times?

blue note · 27-05-2014 01:40PM

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

They want more games, this gives them more games. Is there even one instance of a team manager or player complaining about the format? Anyone demanding a return to getting a preliminary round hiding from Galway or Kilkenny first day out?

I don't see why it's ridiculous to treat counties differently when counties are different. Championship games against reasonable opposition are the best way to improve everyone.

Kevin Ryan (Antrim) was saying on morning ireland that it's a terrible system and all the counties in it would agree. He was of the opinion that it was a means of getting rid of these counties over a few years.

It's not perfect - they do have a lot of games in a short period of time. Perhaps they could finish them off a week or two earlier to give those who come through them a better chance to get over injuries and prepare for the next day. But I think it's much better that they have a few games where they have a good chance and then the best of them get to play the better teams anyway.

Peace · 27-05-2014 01:42PM

What happens the teams who do not progress out of the round robin. Are they now out of Leinster and in the back door system?

Tombo2001 · 27-05-2014 01:43PM

Its should be up to the counties themselves to determine which system they want to be part of.

It would do Galway or Kilkenny no harm whatsoever to play Carlow in the first round of the Leinster Championship, and it would do Carlow the world of good.

If getting hammered was a reason for them not to play, then the likes of Wexford, Dublin and Offaly would have been dropped from the championship by now.

Nobody likes to be treated as a second class citizen.

nice_guy80 · 27-05-2014 04:26PM

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

They want more games, this gives them more games. Is there even one instance of a team manager or player complaining about the format? Anyone demanding a return to getting a preliminary round hiding from Galway or Kilkenny first day out?

I don't see why it's ridiculous to treat counties differently when counties are different. Championship games against reasonable opposition are the best way to improve everyone.

4 games in 4 weekends? And then to be out of the championship in late May? No further backdoor.
What good does that do anyone?

These counties need to be playing the higher ranked counties to improve. Not each other.

nice_guy80 · 27-05-2014 04:27PM

robbiezero wrote: »

Well, they could avoid it by becoming good.

I think its quite a good system, gets a few games into the weaker counties and the best two of them go forward into the championship. Whats the alternative? enter the championship proper and get the stuffing hammered out of them a few times?

Where are you from? Would you like your county hurlers treated like this?

robbiezero · 27-05-2014 04:31PM

nice_guy80 wrote: »

4 games in 4 weekends? And then to be out of the championship in late May? No further backdoor.
What good does that do anyone?

These counties need to be playing the higher ranked counties to improve. Not each other.

How will 30 point hammerings improve any county?

If they are good enough to compete against Kilkenny, Dublin and Galway etc, they are good enough to come through that round robin.

If they can't come out of the round robin, how do you expect them to compete against the top counties, they would be annihilated and that would set hurling back far more.

Maybe they should get more of a break after the round robin is over.

Tombo2001 · 27-05-2014 04:31PM

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

I don't see why it's ridiculous to treat counties differently when counties are different. Championship games against reasonable opposition are the best way to improve everyone.

Who is different?

Kilkenny, Cork and Tipp are different, and thats about it.

Take these three out of it, and you would see Carlow or Laois or Antrim getting to all Ireland semi finals every couple of years and maybe even finals.

The gap between Wexford and Carlow is a lot closer than the gap between Wexford and Kilkenny.

robbiezero · 27-05-2014 04:32PM

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Where are you from? Would you like your county hurlers treated like this?

I'm from Tipperary, and if that was the position the hurlers were in, then so be it.
I would have no problem with our footballers having to come through a round robin before facing Kerry and Cork in the Munster championship if that was the case.

robbiezero · 27-05-2014 04:34PM

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Who is different?

Kilkenny, Cork and Tipp are different, and thats about it.

Take these three out of it, and you would see Carlow or Laois or Antrim getting to all Ireland semi finals every couple of years and maybe even finals.

The gap between Wexford and Carlow is a lot closer than the gap between Wexford and Kilkenny.

Carlow, Laois and Antrim are miles off an All-Ireland semi-final.

Clare, Waterford, Limerick, Dublin, Galway would all soundly beat the counties you mentioned.

nice_guy80 · 27-05-2014 04:35PM

robbiezero wrote: »

I'm from Tipperary, and if that was the position the hurlers were in, then so be it.
I would have no problem with our footballers having to come through a round robin before facing Kerry and Cork in the Munster championship if that was the case.

Westmeath were making progress a few years ago. They beat Dublin in the open draw, put up a good show v Kilkenny and Galway and lost to Waterford last year by 8/9 points.

Laois did well the last two years.

YOU need to look up past results and inform yourself.

Very hard to improve when you are being kicked back down again via the format and the lack of funding for hurling in the county in comparison to other counties.

robbiezero · 27-05-2014 04:38PM

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Westmeath were making progress a few years ago. They beat Dublin in the open draw, put up a good show v Kilkenny and Galway and lost to Waterford last year by 8/9 points.

Laois did well the last two years.

YOU need to look up past results and inform yourself.

Very hard to improve when you are being kicked back down again via the format and the lack of funding for hurling in the county in comparison to other counties.

How are they being kicked back down?
If they are not good enough to come through v Antrim, Laois etc, what hope have they against the top teams.

Funding is a different issue.

nice_guy80 · 27-05-2014 04:40PM

robbiezero wrote: »

How are they being kicked back down?
If they are not good enough to come through v Antrim, Laois etc, what hope have they against the top teams.

Funding is a different issue.

I'm after saying they put up good performances v Dublin, Kilkenny, Galway and Waterford.
Playing 4 games in 4 weeks isn't going to improve a team much.

robbiezero · 27-05-2014 04:47PM

nice_guy80 wrote: »

I'm after saying they put up good performances v Dublin, Kilkenny, Galway and Waterford.
Playing 4 games in 4 weeks isn't going to improve a team much.

Last year
Westmeath 2-13 - 3-18 Antrim
Westmeath 0-14 - 3-22 Waterford

You really think playing Kilkenny in the first round of the Leinster championship this year would improve Westmeath hurling?

They would be beaten by 30+ points.

Roquentin · 27-05-2014 08:32PM

Il probably come in for a **** storm of criticism, but anyhow i shall proceed.

The football championship benefits because nearly every team bar kilkenny is competitive. By competitive i dont mean they can win the all ireland, but rather they wont get hammered. Thus the whole provincial system works in the football because you have teams getting games that are maybe not good to watch, but competitive.

The hurling for me is strange. There are no ulster and no connaught championships. They could play ulster, but antrim would win comfortably and galway likewise in connaught. Moving them to leinster is a very good idea, but like other posters say i would think the lesser teams deserve more.

In my opinion the hurling championship more so than the football because of there is only two provincial championships could be changed around more to further the game. I would be interested to hear other peoples views, but i think there is scope to do away with the leinster and munster championships and have it some other way.

I would still like to keep the quarter finals, semi finals and final methodology of course, but perhaps change what happens before that.

Grats · 27-05-2014 08:49PM

It is unfair to have so many games coming so quick and that should be rectified next year. All those involved were aware of the structures before it started.

With regards to competing against the top teams - perhaps there would be an argument for that if and when those weaker teams make some impact in the league. In truth nothing from their league form suggests they're ready to take on the big guns at present.

Fireball07 · 27-05-2014 08:51PM

Grats wrote: »

It is unfair to have so many games coming so quick and that should be rectified next year. All those involved were aware of the structures before it started.

With regards to competing against the top teams - perhaps there would be an argument for that if and when those weaker teams make some impact in the league. In truth nothing from their league form suggests they're ready to take on the big guns at present.

Laois had a very good league, played well against Cork, beat Offaly, should have beaten Limerick and were close against Clare- lost by less than Waterford, for example.

They are coming along well... but still lost to Antrim at the weekend.

Roquentin · 27-05-2014 09:08PM

Fireball07 wrote: »

Laois had a very good league, played well against Cork, beat Offaly, should have beaten Limerick and were close against Clare- lost by less than Waterford, for example.

They are coming along well... but still lost to Antrim at the weekend.

Most teams dont be firing on all cylinders during the league.

padders67 · 27-05-2014 09:40PM

Hotale.com wrote: »

Cork were in division 1b, they played shockingly and were completely uninterested in every game and still ended up getting promoted above Limerick. If they actually took that league seriously they'd have won every game by a good 15 points, no disrespect to the opposition, that's simply a fact.

And like I've said before, Cork never take the league seriously. Won it twice in the past 32 years.

is that right ? that's a shocking stat alright .

beggars_bush · 27-05-2014 10:21PM

Fireball07 wrote: »

Laois had a very good league, played well against Cork, beat Offaly, should have beaten Limerick and were close against Clare- lost by less than Waterford, for example.

They are coming along well... but still lost to Antrim at the weekend.

After having to play 3 games in 3 weeks. Injuries can mount up very quickly.

These counties deserve to be treated the same as others

feargale · 27-05-2014 10:48PM

nice_guy80 wrote: »

These counties need to be playing the higher ranked counties to improve. Not each other.

A Division Two county needs to play in two competitions, one where they play mainly against better opposition and so get a chance to learn and improve, and the second against counties of equal or lesser standard where they get a chance to win some silverware and so keep morale up,

feargale · 27-05-2014 10:49PM

nice_guy80 wrote: »

These counties need to be playing the higher ranked counties to improve. Not each other.

A Division Two county needs to play in two competitions, one where they play mainly against better opposition and so get a chance to learn and improve, and the second against counties of equal or lesser standard where they get a chance to win some silverware and so keep morale up,

beggars_bush · 27-05-2014 11:30PM

feargale wrote: »

A Division Two county needs to play in two competitions, one where they play mainly against better opposition and so get a chance to learn and improve, and the second against counties of equal or lesser standard where they get a chance to win some silverware and so keep morale up,

That's bull.
Most of the counties in football wouldn't bother then

Grats · 27-05-2014 11:43PM

Is part of the problem that there are too many teams in Leinster? If the answer is yes, then they must review the participation of Antrim and Galway in the province and give Laois more consideration.

Realt Dearg Sec · 27-05-2014 11:57PM

Grats wrote: »

Is part of the problem that there are too many teams in Leinster? If the answer is yes, then they must review the participation of Antrim and Galway in the province and give Laois more consideration.

As always, the open draw is the obvious solution to virtually every problem with the current structure. But the magical mystical Munster love in, which opened to a crowd of 12000 people last week, must be protected at all costs.

Mountainlad · 27-05-2014 11:58PM

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

As always, the open draw is the obvious solution to virtually every problem with the current structure. But the magical mystical Munster love in, which opened to a crowd of 12000 people last week, must be protected at all costs.

Think it would take an awful lot away removing it having experienced it first hand for 13 years now.

Hotale.com · 28-05-2014 12:02AM

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

As always, the open draw is the obvious solution to virtually every problem with the current structure. But the magical mystical Munster love in, which opened to a crowd of 12000 people last week, must be protected at all costs.

I don't know why people won't travel. That game was as good as any.

Last year's quarter final had 30000 at it. Cork vs. Kilkenny, and Clare vs. Galway. 30000 people turned up on a lovely sunny day.

The mind boggles.

Grats · 28-05-2014 12:13AM

Hotale.com wrote: »

I don't know why people won't travel. That game was as good as any.

Last year's quarter final had 30000 at it. Cork vs. Kilkenny, and Clare vs. Galway. 30000 people turned up on a lovely sunny day.

The mind boggles.

A few reasons I guess - the back door, Cork were confident of a comfortable win, Waterford supporters had little faith in their team and there was always the next day!

HeadPig · 28-05-2014 12:40AM

Can those abroad pay to see this year's championship matches or is that next year?

Senior Hurling Championship 2014

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