Tailteann Cup 2024

Some show by the Offally lads yesterday! What were they at, were they in the lash for the last few weeks of what???

You'll hear the likes of Duignan(who I do have time for) and other chairmen looking for more funding, more access to playing in Sam for weaker counties and more this or that and then their teams act the bolloz during what should be their primary championship competition, like WTF are they playing at?

I was very disappointed with Wicklow yesterday. Sure it was not going to be easy but we were just putrid.

Are you thinking 3 tiers ?

In theory the Seeds 1 & 2 should be a higher standard. This first round was 1 v 3 and 2 v 4. Mostly worked out, except for London and Carlow upsetting expectations. Good weekend for Carlow drawing with Laois, and drawing with Kilkenny in the hurling. I think the standard in Division 4 suffers from no relegation.

Limerick just beat Offaly 2-10 to 8.

I'm assuming Offaly can't be that bad and are just not giving a fuk about this tournament. Or is there something internal going on.

Was just thinking the same myself, after a decent-ish performance against Dublin, they've been hammered by London and Limerick

Another way of looking at it is that there nothing in this competition for 15 counties, except a long slog of 6 or 7 games to get to the final. Or bow out gracefully or disgracefully after fulfilling the minimum 3 fixtures. One county out of 16 earning a place in Sam for a single year. No provincial final to aim for after a couple of games, no promotion to aspire to, or demotion to fight against in a league.

Offaly are facing a serious drubbing by Down if they continue like this. But the dubious reward for their neighbours Laois progressing last year was to concede 8-16 to Down in the semi final. It appears to have been player and supporter lack of interest which killed off the previous competitions, All Ireland B and Tommy Murphy Cup. In the end they are just invented competions for the also rans, and this one could suffer the same fate. They will get a bit of free to air TV coverage, but that will probably annoy the Munster hurling fans.

A) Player turnover makes these types of teams flip-flop with each other constantly.

B) League

Nobody is surprised, for all their big talk this was never going to be anything but another Tommy Murphy cup. People were trying to pretend otherwise but it was always going to be this way.

This.

Sure what's the point of any of it if you look at it like the earlier poster, just drop the whole thing and hand Dhnlkn Sam to keep and disband every competition.

Counties like Offaly should be what the secondary competition is for, a chance to test oneself at your own level and progress without getting hammering against the likes of Dublin or Kerry.

If they don't want to compete, then fair enough, pull out and let someone else do it, but don't then say you're 'an elite athlete who is adding to the sporting culture ' and therefore apply for the tax break..... Frauds.