Also now open to all types of shenanigans going into the final round of matches.
Letâs say Team A are already guaranteed to be in the provincial final after winning their first three games. Last group match for them is basically a dead rubber now.
They play Team B in the last match who need a win to reach the provincial final. Team A are hardly going to show their hand and put out their strongest available team, considering they might be playing them again in a few weeks time. Also can impact Team C who are also battling to reach the provincial final but know that Team B - who they are jostling with to reach the final - wonât face a side going hell for leather.
Overall I like it. More matches is good. From. A limerick perspective, less chance of winning anything, but more matches is good for us to build a team. Also good for players to shift the ratio of matches to trainings. Less likely for stronger teams to get caught out now but I donât think there was huge scope for teams like tipp to get get caught out twice with the qualifiers anyway.
Good points from @Big_Dan_Campbell and @dodgy_keeper about the big scope for dead rubbers in this format. Theyâll have to tweak it again after two years to deal with that, thereâll be uproar after a few examples of meaningless matches.
For ffs⌠Dead rubbers has been the argument laid out for months.
@Big_Dan_Campbell is right about league⌠They need to feed into each other as itâs just the same comp twice⌠Use league to seed and have an open championship
Itâs worth a shot but itâs doomed to failure for 2:reasons. Provincial winners are at a disadvantage in the All Ireland semi finals.They will be sitting ducks after a lengthy break, facing battle hardened Round Robin winners.
The extra games are on too early in the season. The business end of the championships which is now mid july/ August will only have 3 x hurling games but lots more football games.
Obviously each team in both Munster and Leinster will have one âfreeâ weekend off when there are two other matches taking place in the same province.
Are these matches going to be played over five consecutive weekends so? Presumably they are. Order of fixtures could be important so, youâd prefer to play two weeks in a row, a week off, play two weekends in a row rather than being idle the first or last week and playing four weeks on the trot as a result.
Also the team not playing in the last week may be at a disadvantage as the other four teams in action will know exactly what result they need (i.e a team might know theyâll have to win by four points or more to progress on scoring difference)
It will take five rounds to run it off, why not make it six teams if Kerry are good enough to get promoted, or even the winner of the other group and give them five home game against the Munster counties. Would do a huge amount for development and profile of hurling in those counties and wouldnt effect the schedule
That would be far too sensible an option. If Kerry get promoted stick them in Munster and let every team play five consecutive weeks. Would be novel going to Tralee or Killarney for a championship hurling match and obviously a boost for them to host some of the stronger teams.
Itâs worth experimenting with this new format but the more I analyse it they more sceptical I am about it. Two of the five teams in Munster wonât have a game between early June and the following February.
Ger Loughnane has been vociferous in his opposition to the new format anyway.
It would make pure shit of a championship where score difference will play a key role to have Kerry or Laois involved. Itâs bad enough having Offaly.
