QF draw will be a fix.

por

OK I am only speculating here but do not be surprised if the QF draw pulled up Mayo v Derry\Fermanagh, and Armagh v Derry\Fermanagh.

The reason being that Mayo and Armagh are already scheduled to play on the 7th.

From Martin Breheny in Thursday’s Independent

Some dates are also pre-ordained. Mayo and Armagh will definitely be involved in the two quarter-finals ties on Saturday, August 7th, while Kerry and Laois/Westmeath will play on the following Saturday. Mayo/qualifier will play Armagh/qualifier in the semi-final on August 22nd while Kerry/qualifier will play Laois/Westmeath/qualifier in the other semi-final on August 29th.

So Derry and Fermanagh will have a 2 week break between their Qualifier victories and a QF and the winners of the QFs will have a 2 week break to the semi which will be Connaught v Ulster.

In the case of the other QF, it will be Kerry v Tyrone\Laois, Dublin\Ross and Westmeath v Tyrone\Laois or Ross, the Qualifiers having 2 weeks between next Sunday and the 14th, and then 2 weeks to the Leinster v Munster SF.

I hope I am wrong cos I would like to see a fully open QF draw, but I will not be surprised if it happens.

midget lord

the gaa have come up with the most complicated way of drawing a championship with the total number of participants perfectly divisable by 4. I think we should abolish the league and play a world cup format championship. Either 4 groups of 8, or 8 groups of 4.

scargill

I agree that a totally open draw with a champions league style format - with a league stage followed by a knockout stage would be ideal.

But (un)fortunately - provincial titles still mean an awful lot to people.
Westmeath are a prime example of this!!

por

Whether we have an open draw champions league style is an ongoing and worthwhile debate. What I am concerned with however is that the draw for the Quarter Finals which is supposed to be open will possibly be fixed. How difficult would it be for the people drawing the teams to put a little 'nick' on those stupid metal cylinders to distinguish one team form another, I am aware that this was already discussed on the ‘Dublin get easy draws' debate

midget lord

How difficult would it be for the people drawing the teams to put a little 'nick' on those stupid metal cylinders to distinguish one team form another

The answer to that is "not very". I was talking about this over the weekend and it was suggested that each container should be checked by an independent observer who should be present throughout the draw. Say an independent auditor or something. I think the GAA use kpmg, so they should get someone from there.

Imposter

Originally posted by scargill
I agree that a totally open draw with a champions league style format - with a league stage followed by a knockout stage would be ideal.

But (un)fortunately - provincial titles still mean an awful lot to people.
Westmeath are a prime example of this!!

I would suggest they do the groups of 4 (or 5 depending) for the championship with a possible seeding system but also play the provincial competitions seperately. That way all the competitions stay. Everyone must play the same number of games to win the Ireland and there is no back door (other than perhaps losing a league game). This might cause a lot of fixtures but it gives everyone a minimum of 4 decent games a year. Oh and scrap the league.

midget lord

i agree with imposter there. The provincials could be run in am FA cup style comp, i.e alongside the real deal. The O'Byrne cup has been succesfully ran like this for years.

Flukey

Look what it meant to Westmeath to win Leinster on Saturday. That is why you can never get rid of the Provincial Championships. As to a totally separate competition for it, well you already have the O'Byrne, McKenna and McGrath Cups and The Connacht League, none of which get the same interest as the Provincial championships. Remember too that under the current system now that the qualifiers are in, the Provincial Championships do run alongside the All-Ireland series.

No matter what way you do it there is always someone who is not going to be happy and there are always going to be conspiracy theorists. With such a small range of teams in any of the draws there is always going to be a game or two that the conspiracy theorists can latch onto. Things are better than they were. Things are fine as they are. Just sit back and enjoy the games.

Mighty_Mouse

I hope I am wrong cos I would like to see a fully open QF draw, but I will not be surprised if it happens.

But it is a pre-ordained draw for the semi's. Thats not a secret. It always has been the provincials versus provincials (swapping around every year)


1)Mayo v qualifier (Connaught provincial)

2) Kerry v qualifier (Munster provincial)

3) Armagh v qualifier (Ulster provincial)

4) Westmeath v qualifier (Leinster provincial)

This year:
Connaught v Ulster
Leinster v Munster

Add to that: Mayo cannot play Roscommon, Westmeath cannot play Laois, Any more?

por

Originally posted by Mighty_Mouse
But it is a pre-ordained draw for the semi's. Thats not a secret. It always has been the provincials versus provincials (swapping around every year)


1)Mayo v qualifier (Connaught provincial)

2) Kerry v qualifier (Munster provincial)

3) Armagh v qualifier (Ulster provincial)

4) Westmeath v qualifier (Leinster provincial)

This year:
Connaught v Ulster
Leinster v Munster

Add to that: Mayo cannot play Roscommon, Westmeath cannot play Laois, Any more?

I am aware that the semis are pre-arranged (which should be changed), it's the quater finals that I reckon could be fixed. I would prefer to see my team, Mayo, get a crack at Dublin, Tyrone, Loais, Derry or Fermaangh, rather than it being limited to being Derry and Fermanagh. It's just a theory that it is fixed in order to give each team 2 weeks between games, we'll see what happens.

Mighty_Mouse

I am aware that the semis are pre-arranged (which should be changed),

Don't see why it should be changed. You would prefer to see a system where its possible for kerry - armagh finals every year as opposed to completely different semi-finals every year?

I would prefer to see my team, Mayo, get a crack at Dublin, Tyrone, Loais, Derry or Fermaangh, rather than it being limited to being Derry and Fermanagh

Jasus! Mayo are really beginning to fancy themselves! If I was a Mayo man I'd prefer to be confined to Fermanagh/Derry than any amount of calculations which could turn up Tyrone!!

As a Roscommon man, I can honestly say Mayo haven't a hope in hell of beating a Northern team this year.

midget lord

Originally posted by Mighty_Mouse
As a Roscommon man, I can honestly say Mayo haven't a hope in hell of beating a Northern team this year.

Sounds like sour grapes to me

Imposter

Kids ye can stop bickering, everyone knows Sam is going to Westmeath this year.

por

Originally posted by Mighty_Mouse
As a Roscommon man, I can honestly say Mayo haven't a hope in hell of beating a Northern team this year.

I reckon they will be drawn against Derry or Fermanagh, so we will see what happens then, I off to teh bookies to get odds on that draw.....

The Rooster

por, its even money that Mayo will get either Fermanagh or Derry, so a bookie would quote you 10/11 if they were running a book on it.

Hardly a long shot, though if it happens people will still cry fix.

I do not agree that the draw is fixed. I do agree that it looks like its fixed!

Mighty_Mouse

Sounds like sour grapes to me

I suppose I mean as a man that has watched them play at their "best" this year. Mayo are dodgy in loads of positions with an ok forward line. Are you telling me Mortimor would have a hope against F Bellew? C McDonald against Geezer? Dodgy in the back line against Clarke, Mc Donnell etc. As for Tyrone ........!!

It's really not sour grapes but I really don't hold any hope for Mayo this year. Congrats with connaught but be happy and content with it!!

As a Connaught man I would love them to win it but ..... not a hope IMO

por

Originally posted by The Rooster

I do not agree that the draw is fixed. I do agree that it looks like its fixed!

Exactly, and I hope Mayo get either Derry or Fermanagh and Armagh get Tyrone or Laois to prove that it is not fixed.

Flukey

Any one team can still meet any one of the others at some stage in the remaining games.

Third_Echelon

Originally posted by Flukey
Any one team can still meet any one of the others at some stage in the remaining games.

I heard that teams that already played each other this year so far in the championship cannot meet each other in the quarter finals... This is only possible in the semis...

I think they said it after the laois vs westmeath game on saturday....

por

Originally posted by Flukey
Any one team can still meet any one of the others at some stage in the remaining games.

The following cannot occurr in the QF

Mayo v Roscommon
Westmeath v Dublin
Westmeath v Laois

After the QF the parings are

Winner Mayo v ?? v Winner Armagh v ??
Winner Kerry v ?? v Winner Westmarth v ??

regardless if teams meet already.

Flukey

They may not be able to meet in the QF, but my point is that any two teams could meet at some stage. So if two teams are deliberately kept apart in the QF they could still meet in the Semi or the Final. So at some point, any one team can meet any other. That is what I am saying. They won't cancel a final because the two teams have met already!

por

Ok,so it was not a fix, pitty, for Mayo's sake

Flukey

I'd still give Mayo some chance. They won't be as bad as Laois were today. Tyrone aren't as good as they were last year. Tyrone will be favourites, but they still could go out.