Hurling Championship (6 Viewers)

[Franco]

If you want someone to blame, then look south. The Munster championship is fast becoming as uncompetitive as Leinster. Sure there are more decent teams, but no one gives a shit about it. Tipp were the only ones this year who did, and look what happened there. After winning they turned out to be the third best team in the province.

Its time to do away with the provincials altogether. They serve little purpose. And the only ones blocking it are Munster.

Can't agree with that really. Munster is still competitive, and they way it works these days it's practically an open draw anyways once the provisional title is decided.

It's also still a crowd puller. Almost a full house in limerick last year for the Clare V Tipp final - about 45,000 - and the other games were well attended too, not on a par with the old knockout days but still very respectable. The GAA ain't going to tamper with it while it's still pulling those numbers.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

They should go back to the this type of format.

Leinster championship - winner straight to All Ireland semi final

Munster championship - winner straight to All Ireland semi final

Ulster championship - winner straight to All Ireland semi final

Galway to play B championship winner. Whoever wins to make up the fourth All Ireland semi final place.

Lose once and you're out.

League to run from October to April.

Under the old arrangement Galway won three All Irelands [1980, 1987 and 1988] and could have won three or four more.

Going into the All Ireland semi final cold [or after one game against relatively weak opposition] did them no harm.

Back doors benefit strong counties.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

The benefit of my proposal is that players would prolong their career. You wouldn't see as many rash retirements from guys who are barely 30.

 

[Franco]

It's all about the benjamins tho innit nigglebits? The GAA have invested in so many tv deals, sponsors, upgraded stadiums that the old system simply doesn't have enough busy, money spinning sundays. or saturdays in these times.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

It's all about the benjamins tho innit nigglebits? The GAA have invested in so many tv deals, sponsors, upgraded stadiums that the old system simply doesn't have enough busy, money spinning sundays. or saturdays in these times.

Sadly true.

 

[rettucs]

Can't agree with that really. Munster is still competitive, and they way it works these days it's practically an open draw anyways once the provisional title is decided.

yes, but increasingly teams are starting to realise that winning Munster is not in their best interest if they have their sights set on all-Ireland success. Waterford have no interest in it anymore. Likewise Cork. Clare and Tipp were the only ones bothered this year, and Tipp were too far ahead of Clare for their game to have been any way decent.

Tipp will realise the same thing in time too. Winning 4 Munsters in a row with no all-Ireland to show for it isn't much to aim for. They really need to set their sights higher, and getting carried away with Munster this year is what eventually brought them down.

I agree with what nggglllbbbbtttthhh is saything though. The old days were the best.

 

[Franco]

I think it just goes in cycles. If Cork go without winning Munster for 3/4 years, then they'll want to win it again. I know Clare would be happy with any bit of tin next year. Waterford have hang-ups at the minute, but it wasn't long ago that winning munster was a great achievement for them.

I reckon Tipp's undoing was the five week gap between the munster final and the semi-final, not necesssarily getting hyped by winning Munster.

Personally i feel the summer would be diminished without a munster championship. The tipp fans were delighted with it last year and rightly so. Would they swap that day out for an open draw and subsequent defeat in a semi final? I doubt it.

 

[Jerry Twig]

It's all about the benjamins tho innit nigglebits?

They're paid in dollars?

 

[rettucs]

I think it just goes in cycles. If Cork go without winning Munster for 3/4 years, then they'll want to win it again. I know Clare would be happy with any bit of tin next year. Waterford have hang-ups at the minute, but it wasn't long ago that winning munster was a great achievement for them.

I reckon Tipp's undoing was the five week gap between the munster final and the semi-final, not necesssarily getting hyped by winning Munster.

Personally i feel the summer would be diminished without a munster championship. The tipp fans were delighted with it last year and rightly so. Would they swap that day out for an open draw and subsequent defeat in a semi final? I doubt it.

they'd swap it for an all-Ireland though.

I think Tipp's downfall had a lot to do with Munster, and the league for that matter. They were impressive in beating everyone that stood in their way but because of this they had no real feel for how good they really were. They beat pretty much everybody comfortably. Then when championship came around, it was a whole different ball game, but I don't think they really realised it. The Waterford-Tipp semi-final was a good game, but it wasn't a great standard. It was error-ridden and though it could have gone either way, I think Waterford won through because of mental strength that came about because of the soul-searching they were forced to do.

When you think back on Munster this year. Tipp won it without anyone giving them a decent game. The sunday game were in their hotel after, which I can't ever recall having happened before. Yes, the media had their part to play in bigging Tipp up, but it was completely ridiculous. And I feel sorry for Sheedy, hes a solid manager, new to this level, and will be great before hes done. But the whole thing got out of hand and there wasn't a thing he could do about it. They'll be the wiser for it next year, but this year will always remain a bitter pill.

More competitive games earlier in the summer will do all the world of good, whether in or out of the provincial structure. I just think its not gonna happen unless theres more at stake in the earlier rounds, and being knocked out of the provincial doesn't really seem to bother teams much these days.

 

[Ciarán R]

They should go back to the this type of format.

Leinster championship - winner straight to All Ireland semi final

Munster championship - winner straight to All Ireland semi final

Ulster championship - winner straight to All Ireland semi final

Galway to play B championship winner. Whoever wins to make up the fourth All Ireland semi final place.

Lose once and you're out.

League to run from October to April.

Under the old arrangement Galway won three All Irelands [1980, 1987 and 1988] and could have won three or four more.

Going into the All Ireland semi final cold [or after one game against relatively weak opposition] did them no harm.

Back doors benefit strong counties.

aye but that galway team was a great one.

had a fantastic half back line; and had skill, strength, and a little slyness all over the pitch required to win all irelands.

The current Galway IMO are well off that.

 

[Franco]

aye but that galway team was a great one.

had a fantastic half back line; and had skill, strength, and a little slyness all over the pitch required to win all irelands.

The current Galway IMO are well off that.

And they're looking for a new manager too. Loughnane out by 26 votes to 28.

 

[rettucs]

And they're looking for a new manager too. Loughnane out by 26 votes to 28.

yeah, galway politics will continue to ensure that galway will never win anything again.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centenary_Cup

different times.

football results are incomplete btw.

 

[Franco]

Cork hurlers - what a bunch of clowns.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2008/1106/cork.html?gaa

 

[rettucs]

some interesting news in hurling circles this week.

Ormonde and Corcoran announce retirement from Tipp panel.
John Lee withdraws from Galway panel.
Cork acknowledge they're running out of time quickly and have to resolve their impasse soon so agree to meet county board.

First game of the year to me to go watch is this sunday. Dublin-Kilkenny in parnell. Realistically Dublin's only chance to get a result against KK every year. The interest in this game should be pretty huge. Its KK's first game since the all-Ireland. And its Anthony Daly's first game proper in charge of Dublin.

The Dublin panel was announced this week also. Very disappointing really. I would have thought Daly might have had his own ideas about players but hes persisting with the same old same old, who have failed year on year to produce. Shame. It'll be interesting to see how many club games he attends in the county this coming year.

 

[BonsaiSuperstar]

for the record here was the Cork Senior Hurling Panel that played the other week.

Cork SH panel v WIT: A Kennedy, C. O’Sullivan, C. McCarthy, T. Óg Murphy, R. Ryan, R. O’Driscoll (all Sarsfields); C. O’Leary, G. Norberg, B. Ahern (Blackrock), A. Kearney, A. Ryan, P. Barry (Midleton); E. Keane, G. O’Connor (St Finbarrs); J. Moran, W. O’Brien (Carrigaline); E. Clancy, B. O’Sullivan (Fermoy), C. Hickey (Glen Rovers), P. Lynch (Kilwoth), C. Brosnan (Brian Dillons), P. Honohan (Bishopstown), D. Crowley (Bandon) and B. Johnston (Bride Rovers)

 

[rettucs]

for the record here was the Cork Senior Hurling Panel that played the other week.

Cork SH panel v WIT: A Kennedy, C. O’Sullivan, C. McCarthy, T. Óg Murphy, R. Ryan, R. O’Driscoll (all Sarsfields); C. O’Leary, G. Norberg, B. Ahern (Blackrock), A. Kearney, A. Ryan, P. Barry (Midleton); E. Keane, G. O’Connor (St Finbarrs); J. Moran, W. O’Brien (Carrigaline); E. Clancy, B. O’Sullivan (Fermoy), C. Hickey (Glen Rovers), P. Lynch (Kilworth), C. Brosnan (Brian Dillons), P. Honohan (Bishopstown), D. Crowley (Bandon) and B. Johnston (Bride Rovers)

whats most interesting about that list is that they're almost exclusively from clubs that weren't represented amongst the 'striking' panel. I'd love to have seen a couple of Cloyne or Na Piarsaigh lads on it. That'd be a true sign that the groundswell is against the striking players and that people are willing to stand up to them.

I think Bride Rovers and Sars are the exception, but both only have a single representative on the striking panel, and neither are among the so-called 'senior' players.

Good to see the young lads of Teddy Mac and Bertie Og in the Sars contingent. I believe they're shaping up to be decent players.

 

[Franco]

John McIntyre taking that Galway job is a joke. Surely being sports editor of the local paper compromises your situation a bit? I have it on reasonable authority that the Offaly panel told him to fuck off as he didn't know what he was doing. John Lee will be a major absentee for them. They're fucked.

 

[rettucs]

John McIntyre taking that Galway job is a joke. Surely being sports editor of the local paper compromises your situation a bit? I have it on reasonable authority that the Offaly panel told him to fuck off as he didn't know what he was doing. John Lee will be a major absentee for them. They're fucked.

He brought Clarinbridge to an all-Ireland club final so maybe his cred is a little better in Galway than it was in Offaly (who are hard-pleased at the best of times).

The demise of Athenry has to be a positive thing for Galway with the politics up there. Pity for them that there seems to be always some kind of shit stirring in the background.

Interesting to see McClearn in the panel too. One wonders what the Canning lads make of that!!

 

[rettucs]

did anyone read that Cork hurling statement?

was anybody able to read it before falling asleep?

I can get about 2/3s of the way through it before losing the will to live.