Next years hurling championship

KevIRL

Lester and the boys were talking a good bit about this yesterday. I know only 12 teams will be able to win the all ireland and there will be a 2nd and 3th division also. Also I know everyone will get at least 3 games but can anyone explain how its all gonna work?

KevIRL

Everyone as confused as me then? Or is it a case of no one gives a Sh!t?

cruiserweight

This should explain it, it still seems a bit confusing though

http://www.munster-express.ie/031226/sportsx.htm

KevIRL

Originally posted by cruiserweight
This should explain it, it still seems a bit confusing though

http://www.munster-express.ie/031226/sportsx.htm

Frome the article

"Twelve teams would contest the Senior All Ireland Championship on the following basis: five teams each from Munster and Leinster, the Ulster Championship winners and Galway. The Munster, Leinster and Ulster Championships shall be retained in their current format

The beaten first round teams in the Munster and Leinster Championships (one team from each province) to enter the qualifying draw, together with Galway and the Ulster Championship winners. The eight participating teams will be divided into two groups of four, with no more than two teams from Munster and Leinster in either groups. The counties designated by GAC will be provided with two home games on the basis of their home ground capacity meets National Safety Council guidelines.

The group winners advance to an All-Ireland quarter final against the Munster and Leinster Championship runners up. The second placed team in each group advances to a quarter final against either the Munster or Leinster champions.

The Ulster Champions of each year, if not already in the Senior All Ireland Championship, have the option of playing in a preliminary quarter final against the Munster and Leinster runners up on a rotating basis or to participate in the Tier Two Championship.

The provincial winners, if still involved at the semi final stage shall be seeded. If either provincial champion is eliminated at the quarter final stage, the semi final pairings will be determined on the basis of the predetermined seeded draw.

Relegation would become part of the new Championship format. The teams finishing in third and fourth place in each qualifying group will contest play-offs, i.e. third in pool A V fourth in pool B and vice versa, with the two losers contesting a relegation `final' with the losers relegated to Tier Two and replaced in Tier One the following year by the winners of the All-Ireland Championship (Tier Two) "


Clear as mud then!

Imposter

Just after reading what Kev posted it seems like Munster counties (except maybe waterford and Clare) will be getting 2 home games each as they have the biggest stadia afaik. Will dublin be based at Croker or Parnell park?

Other that that it made no sense to me.

KevIRL

Originally posted by Imposter
Just after reading what Kev posted it seems like Munster counties (except maybe waterford and Clare) will be getting 2 home games each as they have the biggest stadia afaik.

I thought that too. Surely thats not fair now. Its handing a huge advantage to the old guard of Cork and Tipp.

The Rooster

Right, so if it was in this year, you could have had the following groups:

Kilkenny
Clare
Dublin
Antrim

Tipp
Galway
Limerick
Laois

I think you misread it lads re the home advantage. Its "designated counties" who will get 2 home games, presumably Dublin, Antrim and Laois. That has the proviso that each has a suitable ground. I'd say plenty of the other games would be played at neutral venues.

Then assuming the groups finished in the order above, you'd have the following quarter finals:

Wexford v Clare
Waterford v Galway
Offaly v Tipp
Cork v Kilkenny

KevIRL

Originally posted by The Rooster
Right, so if it was in this year, you could have had the following groups:

Kilkenny
Clare
Dublin
Antrim

Tipp
Galway
Limerick
Laois

I think you misread it lads re the home advantage. Its "designated counties" who will get 2 home games, presumably Dublin, Antrim and Laois. That has the proviso that each has a suitable ground. I'd say plenty of the other games would be played at neutral venues.

Then assuming the groups finished in the order above, you'd have the following quarter finals:

Wexford v Clare
Waterford v Galway
Offaly v Tipp
Cork v Kilkenny

Thats some great games right there! wow! We'll be spoiled for choice.

Flukey

What they really should be doing is promoting the game properly in the other counties. Kilkenny has no advantage over the likes of Longford in terms of Hurling. The only thing is that as soon as a child can walk in Kilkenny a hurley is presented to them. If the game was coached and promoted in other counties like it is in the big 3, we would have more competing teams. It can be done. It'll take time, but it can be done. The reason Westmeath won the Leinster Football Championship this year and Laois last year, has more to do with what those counties were doing 10 years ago than what they did over the past 2 years. Counties may not have tradition, but it can be created. Offaly have only a handful of clubs and prior to 1980 had no history of success. Since then, with their limited resources, they have kept at or near the top table consistently, because the work is being put in on the ground. If they started doing that today in Longford, they could be putting it up to Kilkenny in the Leinster Championship 10 years from now.

Zuriel

I think you mean well Flukey but all you need to do is look at the insurmountable amount of time, effort and money that is being poured into counties like Dublin, and look at the results, trounced when push comes to shove, they are pedalling backwards, infairness it will take more than 10 years for counties like that to come one, but when they do it will be no bad thing. The big three will still be the big three though.

kilkennycat2004

Kilkenny county board objected to this at congress on the basis that it more or less takes away any reward for being provincial champions.
If people in Waterford & Wexford have a think about it based on this year which would they prefer. Could have the scenario of beaten teams in the semi-finals & the provincial winners having fell by the wayside.
If its the rules we have to adhere to it but is this scheme well thought out? I agree with Kilkenny county board vote at congress.

KevIRL

Originally posted by kilkennycat2004
Kilkenny county board objected to this at congress on the basis that it more or less takes away any reward for being provincial champions.
If people in Waterford & Wexford have a think about it based on this year which would they prefer. Could have the scenario of beaten teams in the semi-finals & the provincial winners having fell by the wayside.
If its the rules we have to adhere to it but is this scheme well thought out? I agree with Kilkenny county board vote at congress.

I think the whole point of the new system is to encourage the lesser lesser lights to get into hurling. I mean those waaaay down the ladder - Louth, Leitrim etc. Over a long period of time we should see a much more even spread of hurling honours. I would be fully behind the new idea as it means much more games and a great variety. It will also give the lesser lights a big day out in Croke Park as well (they plan to play the 3th division decider before All Ireland semi final etc) which can only be a good thing. Not that Kilkenny would care about hurling being developed around the country of course. If it ended up being Kilkenny 'A' v Kilkenny 'B' every year in the all ireland, as long as Killkenny won they dont care.

Big Ears

I like the look of this idea , and it will eventully even out the hurling playing field .

29 teams all playing competitive games with , almost all teams getting at least 3 games each.

The idea of relegation and promotion makes it more exciting (I know it dosent do much for the league)

we will see a lot of competitive games with teams , playing teams equal to them .(which nowdays u dont see until the later days of the Championship , minus the provincial semi finals and the final itself )

Big Ears

Originally posted by KevIRL
I think the whole point of the new system is to encourage the lesser lesser lights to get into hurling. I mean those waaaay down the ladder - Louth, Leitrim etc. Over a long period of time we should see a much more even spread of hurling honours. I would be fully behind the new idea as it means much more games and a great variety. It will also give the lesser lights a big day out in Croke Park as well (they plan to play the 3th division decider before All Ireland semi final etc) which can only be a good thing. Not that Kilkenny would care about hurling being developed around the country of course. If it ended up being Kilkenny 'A' v Kilkenny 'B' every year in the all ireland, as long as Killkenny won they dont care.

well us have said most of the things I said in my later post .

you'res wasnt there at the time I started reading the thread , and now it seems as if ive copied a lot of what uve said:o .

kilkennycat2004

.

If it ended up being Kilkenny 'A' v Kilkenny 'B' every year in the all ireland, as long as Killkenny won they dont care.

Absolutely garbage Kev.
The DJ Carey school of hurling with 30 players from All 12 Leinster counties has been running this summer & last. A Totally Kilkenny initiative.
We will not be dropping our standards thats for sure. Reward for provincial winners is the point I made.
My son is an u-14 & u-16 hurler in Waterford. Think hes had 4 games so far in 2004. His cousin in Kilkenny about 40. Thats the difference.:cool:

country_gurl

Sure thats a silly remark about kilkenny dont care as long as they win. Thats every team in the country and any sport... why else would u play it and follow it... everyone loves to win and just cause the last 2 years kilkenny have been top people want to be begrudge us. Well i hope we get 3 in a row. And maybe that'll quieten the critics... for awhile. And if we dont win the All - Ireland i hope wexford or waterford win it.

Flukey

Waterford v Wexford would be the dream final. Pity about Clare today. Kilkenny definitely have weakenesses. They are not guaranteed anything this year.