All-Ireland Hurling Championship 2019 II*** Up Laois

I used to make that point years ago. I suppose the issue is who owns the rights to the archived broadcasts which would fill the schedule in winter.

No one using them at the moment

Exactly, its great to win the Joe Mc and then have a last 8 game to look forward to. Would Laois or Carlow ever get that far if they were in the Leinster Championship?

They held Galway to six in their first game. They then got beaten by 14, 12 and 15 points respectively in their next three games. I have no doubt but that a properly marketed and on TV Joe McDonagh Cup where they’re playing quality close games against similar opposition would be better for hurling in the county

Laois putting in a good performance against Tipperary and beating Dublin is exactly my point. They had the confidence from winning all their games to drive on and believe they could beat Dublin

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And where will they be this time next year? Like I said, they should at least have all their games at home next year and then should be afforded the opportunity of a play off against the last team in Munster if they are bate. Fuck sake , Limerick didn’t win a championship match in 6 odd years before 2013 and I doubt if relegation would have helped their cause in that time

It leaves them back in a competition they have a chance of winning with a realistic aim of getting to the last 8 of the championship and promotion

I agree with all that

You can market the Joe mcdonagh all you like, but as a stand alone it won’t pull in significant viewing figures.

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It’ll pull in people in the counties involved and other hurling fans

The joe mcdonagh should be played the Saturday before the all ireland.

How would you price it: free to air funded by advertising or a subscription model?

Be so e Craic if one of the bigger counties got relegated and found themselves in a prelimi ary next year.

A bit of both.

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It would

The powers that be wouldn’t be long about shaking it up then.

That would be awkward seeing as how the winners and runners up of the JMcD play in the All Ireland

There shouldn’t be any link imo.

you are spot on , the reason that Laois were able to beat Dublin and reach an all Ireland qf was because of the momentum generated and confidence gained from beating teams of their own level in the Joe McDonagh and the home advantage that accrued from that to allow them have Dublin in their own backyard.

In many ways the present format is ideal for the Joe McDonagh winners. They play teams of their own level and have momentum , home advantage, confidence in a prelim quarter final then.

Plenty will whinge on the yo yo up and down aspect but I think the GAA have got this right. The reality is if the likes of Laois, Carlow, Antrim, Kerry, Antrim , Westmeath find themselves in a competition where they are not competitive, players drop out of the panel during the year or don’t make themselves available at all. They have the best of both worlds now, play teams of their own level and a shot at the big time that year as well if they reach the mcdonagh final.

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Too much common sense there .

The GAA have got it pretty spot on with the format. Laois success should be evidence of that rather than the reason to change it.

They do need to see if the McDonagh finalists can get an extra wk though to prepare for the all Ireland prelim QF

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Agree to a degree but he worst team in each provice should play off every year to see who gets relegated. Then we can talk about getting things spot on

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You are wrong