National Hurling League 2023 Discussion

C4000 · 28-02-2023 12:51pm

I'd also disagree with the pundits that want to get rid of league semi finals. Don't think this would make the competition more competitive at all....it would lead to far more dead rubbers. For example, if Tipp were to beat Waterford in the Saturday night match during the next round of fixtures, that would guarentee them top spot in 1B and would render all the remaining round 4 and round 5 matches irrelevant in terms of qualification.

breezy1985 · 28-02-2023 1:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120297238#Comment_120297238

On Dalo they were pretty much in agreement that managers would happily be out again this weekend if it meant an extra week break before championship.

As for the old A&B merit based system I remember Limerick caught in it for a few years and trust me when it's your county down there then you will really know what apathy to the league feels like.

randd1 · 28-02-2023 1:14pm

Amalgamate the league and championship into a 12 team round robin championship. Top 2 into AISF's, 3-6 into AIQF's. Bottom team relegated. 14 rounds in total from start to finish.

Run the provincials as a secondary straight knockout cup competition. Give the winning team €50,000 towards their holiday fund, and another €50,000 for underage equipment for the county as an incentive.

Run the cup during the league phase, so we have knockout games every second/third week before the championship knockout begins, meaning we'll have knockout hurling for most of the season.

Start the first week in March/last week in February, finish mid July. Plenty of time pre-season for colleges/pre-season/end of Club Championships to be run off, and then plenty of time for county championships.

Simple.

As it is, we're effectively wasting half the season on a competition that, for the most part, has become a series of challenge matches, when a full national competition makes perfect sense.

28-02-2023 3:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120297329#Comment_120297329

Frustrating as the years in 1B (2012 to 2018) were I enjoyed it - every game was high stakes because one single slip up would ruin promotion chances. Limerick threw away promotion one or two years as a result of Offaly unexpectedly getting results against us. 2016 was good because ourselves and Clare met at Cusack Park in the final round having both played 4 and won 4. It was a winner takes it all fight for promotion which unfortunately for us Clare edged in the end.

Surely you remember the great sense of satisfaction in 2018 when we finally claimed promotion up in Galway after being 10 points behind coming up to half time?

1A was dog fight each season and it was very competitive. 1B was brutal in the sense that you couldn't afford one slip up. I'd go back to that format in a heartbeat.

breezy1985 · 28-02-2023 3:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120298039#Comment_120298039

Problem was you are picking the 1 game a season against the other top team in the group. 4 of the 5 games each year were crap.

1A was brilliant but 1B was way too unbalanced. And then you had too many knockout rounds to placate the 1B teams.

Same with doing a straight 8 like football. It D2 that causes the problems. Massive gaps between 9 and 10 to the rest.

The numbers are just tough in hurling no matter what system you go with.

The prestige is also not there for the league and never was. It will always be seen as a bit of a warm up no matter the system.

legendary.xix · 28-02-2023 7:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120297329#Comment_120297329

The football league finals are a week before the provincial championships. The hurlers are getting a good deal with two weeks. The Division 2A final has drawn the short straw. Only one week before the McDonagh Cup starts.

breezy1985 · 28-02-2023 10:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120298790#Comment_120298790

The provinces in football are not do or die for most teams.

lim4ev · 28-02-2023 11:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120296557#Comment_120296557

fair point but my group that normally go ain't going now that's all I can say

legendary.xix · 01-03-2023 8:40am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120299672#Comment_120299672

What about McDonagh counties? The 2A final is a week before the start of the McDonagh Cup. A Division 2A semi-final winner will be playing for 7 weekends in a row. 4 league weekends and straight into 3 McDonagh weekends.

Hurling League Round 5 is March 18/19. Munster and Leinster start on April 22/23. If the top two in Division 1A (for teams 1 to 6) contested a final on March 25/26. They can have 3 free weekends before the start of the championship.

If the top two in Division 2A contested a final on March 25/26, they can have 1 free weekend before the start of the McDonagh.

breezy1985 · 01-03-2023 9:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120300266#Comment_120300266

Ya it's stupid planning.

Just because I think D1 should be given a bigger gap does not mean I don't at the same time think others should not be given the same gap.

Pogue eile · 01-03-2023 9:31am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120291584#Comment_120291584

I'm sure if those were the fixtures that Limerick would have no objection in coming to Thurles?

Pogue eile · 01-03-2023 9:33am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120295751#Comment_120295751

What in the name of jaysus was a bona fide Clare man like yourself doing in Salthill watching Galway v Limerick and his beloved Clare in action at the same time, you're fooling non one Peggy only yourself and that's not much of an achievement to be honest!

PeggyShippen · 01-03-2023 9:44am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120300356#Comment_120300356

I watched the match on TV. Not that It needs explaining to nosey parkers.

breezy1985 · 01-03-2023 9:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120300352#Comment_120300352

I wouldn't say no. Handy trip up on the train. Although we already have 2 trips in the championship so in my selfishness would love to play Tipp in Ennis.

I always think in these situations that the 1st place team should just get home advantage.

01-03-2023 10:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120298080#Comment_120298080

I literally didn't pick one game a season - the Offaly games we slipped up in those two years wasn't one game. Take 2014 - we opened our campaign by drawing with Cork down in Páirc Ui Rinn. Which effectively meant if both teams won their remaining 4 games it all came down to scoring difference, so both teams now in a position where they don't just need to win, they need to win big.

The other 4 teams - Wexford, Offaly, Cork and Antrim - would obviously have not appreciated that perception.

Next round, Limerick hammered Antrim by 25, Cork had a trickier day against Laois, winning by 7.

Round 3 - Limerick edge Wexford by 3, Cork beat Offaly by 6. Limerick now at +28, Cork at +13.

Round 4 - Cork only beat Antrim by 3 bringing their scoring difference to +16. Limerick, after 70 minutes against Offaly in Tullamore up by 4 points look to be heading in to the last round with a scoring advantage of +16 over Cork. Cork would need to defeat Wexford by 16 more points than a margin of victory Limerick could achieve over Laois.

In injury time Offaly score a goal and a point. Suddenly, we need to beat Laois and now pray Cork don't beat Wexford.

In three minutes at the end of the Offaly game the whole thing was turned on its head - we threw away what was looking like a sure thing for promotion. It was a huge blow.

If it were only one game we would have been promoted long before 2018. Was it only one game in 2017 when Wexford earned promotion ahead of Limerick and Galway? I could take any of those seasons in 1B from 2012 to 2018 and explain why each season wasn't about just 1 game.

Yes, there were only 2 or 3 teams each season who were good enough to contend for promotion - but the fact of the matter is there was no room for error. One slip up, you were done. Consequently it always felt something was at stake.

01-03-2023 11:08am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120291568#Comment_120291568

Steady on now - I wouldn't rule Clare out at all.. Yes they're playing Galway and Cork but both games in Cusack Park and they're in an excellent position if it comes down to scoring difference. I reckon Clare will top that group ahead of Limerick.

Tipp are guaranteed to qualify if they beat Antrim. Whoever wins the round 5 game between Waterford and Kilkenny will join them.

My low confidence prediction for SF line ups is Tipperary v Limerick and Clare v Waterford. A lot depends on how much of a crap a number of counties give about qualifying. After last season it's definitely viewed as a poisoned chalice.

breezy1985 · 01-03-2023 11:21am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120300618#Comment_120300618

Cant see Cork not doing it at this stage. Form is very much with them.

01-03-2023 11:50am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120300660#Comment_120300660

Maybe but those Clare folks get themselves fierce worked up when it comes to playing at Cusack Park. That's not a dig either - I wish the Gaelic Grounds could be a more intimidating place for away teams.

If Clare want it they'll win both games in my opinion - I have a feeling Cork will be more than satisfied with what they have done to date. They have to go back to Cusack Park in May - we had to go there three times last year and they seemed to get angrier and angrier each time :D

evolvingtipperary101 · 01-03-2023 1:28pm

You know the way when Munster rugby was going very well, and Leinster people who supported them were called Lunsters... does that make Peggy a Clarick? (pronounced cleric (as in a member of the clergy). Just sayin...

breezy1985 · 01-03-2023 1:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120301107#Comment_120301107

Ide say a Crick. You know like a pain in the neck.

Quitelife · 01-03-2023 3:23pm

If i was a player or Manager of many counties id be happy enough to bag my League Title/medal if i didnt have one recently.

Kilkenny were well able to win leagues & Championships for many recent enough years & Limerick won the league recently as well.

Mad about baa baas · 01-03-2023 6:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120301107#Comment_120301107

I reckon Peggy's actual county of origin might end in shire..

newhouse87 · 03-03-2023 6:54am

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-41084401.html

Hayes get his deserved match ban. John Kiely must not have convinced officials Hayes was only pointing which way the sideline should go.

Pogue eile · 03-03-2023 9:30am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120301588#Comment_120301588

You're not comparing like with like though, we have a completely different calendar and different provincial structures as well. The league final is two weeks before the first round robin in Munster, if they want the league to regain its prominence then that gap has to be widened or alternatively you link the two competitions together, they something like that in the Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship if i'm not mistaken.

Rosita · 03-03-2023 3:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120292322#Comment_120292322

Tyrrell thought Hogan's one in the 2019 All Ireland final was not a red card so he has no credibility anyway. Hard to know with Canning. He needs to stop doing a Shane Dowling on it and looking around the panel for approval. There's enough group-think without having it unfolding live on television.

The Kyle Hayes incident was of course a clear red card. Hard to think of another sport where this would even be a discussion.