Kilkenny/Tipperary/Cork won 17 of the 18 All Ireland’s between 1999-2016. There’s never been an era of such utter and complete domination like that stretching all the way back to 1887. They’ll win it most years regardless of what system you have but a more traditional knock out system would most likely have seen Wexford or Waterford win in 2004 and Galway in 2012.
in that time, one of the big three has also been the losing finalist 10 times.
It’ll be interesting to see how Galway evolve after the breakthrough win last year. In terms of playing pool, number of clubs, sustained success at underage level over last 35 years, Galway should be operating at the same levels as the traditional big guns.
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When have Cork last won one, 12 years ago? Tipperary went 10 years between 2001 - 2011 without winning one. Kilkenny simply had a collection of unbelievable players over the last 20 years and a soft Leinster championship meant they only had to win 2 big games most years. Of course the back door helped - But advocating going back to giving counties 1 or 2 days a year is not the answer.
Wexford, Limerick, Clare, Waterford have all shown sparks in recent years because they have put an onus on developing youth. Tipperary and KK have been at this for years, proper coaching - Cork have always had the playing numbers.
There’s plenty of merit in what you say of course, but there’s much more to it than just the back door.
How many of those 17 wins were through the back door by the way?
Kildare v Mayo in the bear pit of Newbridge at 5pm on a Saturday evening with temperatures of 31 degrees is a tantalising prospect.
Sky Sports ???
Sporting organisations either evolve or die in the face of competition.
Going back to straight knock-out is a surefire way for the GAA to kill itself off.
Media attention is everything.
This is why they will soon realise that the new hurling format is a fuck up.
Kilkenny 2012, Tipperary 2010 and Cork 2005 were all won through the back door.
The new systems with increased number of games ultimately make it a war of attrition as to panel depth and playing numbers. That will only be to the benefit of the traditional playing powers who have the depth of players. What happened to Waterford this year will happen to Limerick, Clare and Wexford over the years as these four counties do not have the player depth of Kilkenny, Galway, Cork and Tipperary.
This has already been evident for a few years with the number of subs. Mayo essentially lost the 2016 and 2017 All Ireland finals by a point both times (and in a replay in 2016) because they had the bare bones of 15 players. Dublin has 24-25 players, they could have called on. It got very little coverage over the years but the increase from 3 subs was a really significant development which has had a disproportionately detrimental effect on smaller counties.
So you’re saying the game needs to go professional to even out?
The format is fine, just too condensed.
The Super 8’s on one side will be a pile of scutter with Dublin dishing out three quarter final thumpings instead of one. Kerry possibly/probably doing the same on the other.
How so? Hurling had six successive Sundays from May 13th to June 17th where it had pretty much exclusive attention with Gaelic football very much fading into the background. It has never had that before.
And now you’re into the prime time of the year for hurling and after 17 June there are 7 meaningful hurling matches left in the summer. At the same stage on 17 June, there were still 35 matches to be played in the football championship.
Three provincial football finals this weekend yielded beatings of 12, 17 and 18 points and now there’s an elongated football quarter final process of 12 games to look forward to after last years four football quarter finals yielded four hammerings of 8, 10, 16 and 18 points.
Sod all difference from last year, so.
Compare that to football where since the qualifiers were introduced in 2001, 6 AI winners have come through the back-door, including a 3 in a row from 2008 to 2010.
5 of the 6 winners of the finals from 2005 to 2010 came through the qualifiers. It’s calmed down in recent years because Dublin have been dominating Leinster and then winning the AI. Dublin have never won through the backdoor.
Ooooft.
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Kerry won through the back door in 2006 and 2009 and also got to the final in 2002 and 2008 after losing to Cork in Munster put then beating Cork in Croke Park in each of those two years. If you have a system that gives second and even third chances to Kerry and Kilkenny, you’re only expanding the dominance.
It’ll be carnage in the town, the Irish Derby is on that afternoon too
My thoughts are with your torn soul.
Doesn’t traffic for the Curragh not generally exit the M7 at the junction west of Newbridge rather than go through the town?
Newbridge is a wonderful setting for a match with the stadium right in the town centre. Smashing atmosphere.
Who will you be supporting?