All-Ireland Hurling Championship 2019***

Sport
8797

Is that a game that takes place before a main event?

1 Like
8798

Start in April and finish in September?

8799

We’ve played two rounds already

1 Like
8800

I agree with this I said it last year.

1 Like
8801

In April though. No summer games. It’s a total joke.

8802

It’s rare you agree with me so I must be on to something.

8803

Inter county march to August bank holiday. Club season mid August for all Ireland finalists, late July for all other counties.

1 Like
8804

And scrap the league. Teams go back training the first of feb. you’ve inter county games played around Christmas and their first championship game is in May. It could well be finished in June too. It’s a crazy system.

1 Like
8805

Why can’t the two coincide. It’s like soccer players playing internationals and club games or rugby players doing the same. It isn’t rocket science. Club teams are going back training in January for two games in April and than a three month break till August it’s mental.

8806

That’s pretty much the type of structure I’m advocating as well. The round robin had a novelty factor too it last year but problems are becoming apparent now. It’s more a test of endurance and attrition than hurling skill.
Waterford the most obvious example last year of a team beset by injuries. Galway suffered as well. Tipperary in recent weeks losing Cathal Barrett and Patrick Maher.

1 Like
8807

You’ve the Fitzgibbon in January and February.

You’re advocating starting the championship in April and playing club games simultaneously.

When do lads get a break?

8808

I agree club and county games should be played together but county managers have so much power they will veto club games.

8809

Yes and they could also stagger the championship. Run Leinster off on week 1,4,7 and say Munster on 2,5,8 etc. so at least then you’ve very few weekends without decent games.

1 Like
8810

The national league won’t be scrapped. There’d be a situation where some teams would only play 4 competitive games in a calendar year for their county. Not happening.

Also, the national league generates tv and gate revenue. The club games don’t have the same draw.

You could scrap the national league but you’d have to make 2 groups of 6 and play it off round robin. You’d have to scrap the provinces. That’s not happening because the provincial championships generate revenue for the councils. It all comes down to money.

8811

The only Championship matches that have had any real bite in them this summer were the last series of the round robin in Leinster (which were de facto knock out for all four teams), the Leinster Final and Laois v Dublin yesterday. An awful lot of matches that were glorified challenge match intensity. Can’t beat the intensity of do or die knock out.

1 Like
8812

You could easily give clubs a break in July. You’d have a qualifiers and the provincial finals then so it would make sense. At the moment the clubs play 2 games in April and then don’t come back till around the middle of August while they play meaningless challenges and all county league games. Kilkenny seem to play club championship during the summer to be fair,

8813

Limerick vs Clare was knockout for Limerick

8814

Play the Fitzgibbon cup before Christmas. Judging by the crowds not much interest in it anyway.

8815

Overall I’m happy enough with the current structure. A bit of tweaking maybe but imo it’s much better than what went previously. You’re going to have seasons in any format and any sport where there are big gaps between the levels teams are at. I would like it if the games were staggered a bit alright. I’ve seen fuck all of the Leinster Champioship the last two years.

3 Likes
8816

The games are played at ridiculous times