He wont have to, Kilkenny are fucked, Dublin are toast, Galway are reeling from a beating that will leave mental scars on an already damaged psyche, Offaly are a shambles.
Leinster is between Wexford, Laois and Kildare.
4 Likes
This is very true.
Weâve gone a long way to ensuring that the GAA now decide to put a 12-team Division 1 in place for next season.
Itâll be cast in stone if Cork can somehow get themselves relgated. Kilkenny would take it in good grace.
You can fro.
Cork were in 1B in 2014.
There is little point restructuring the league as there is no real equal way to do it. An 8 team top division didnât work as the top team or 2 in Division 2 are playing too many mismatches. While making it an open draw 12 team league does Laois, Kerry, Offaly et al no favours either.
Maybe a 10 team one might suit from a numbers point of view but 9 rounds or 2 groups of 5 donât really suit and then a convuluted way needs to be drawn up to add more games. Division 1A is a great division and the six team set up makes for a lot of tight games and competitive teams with a very real threat of relegation and should be kept until a better proposal is found. But the problem with the league is that the teams and administration donât know what they want from it.
2 Likes
Be a waste of time and too many games. I think the league is perfect as is ⌠whether you get out of 1b or not you can get a couple of really competitive games against 1a teams in April, which is all you want ⌠sets you up perfectly for the championship. In reality, teams like Wexford and Limerick would have to be well ahead of the rest physically to stay in 1a and then trying to sustain that to championship can be very difficult.
The only tweek Iâd suggest would be only two from 1b get through to the quarters, give the top two in 1a a semi final. Itâs a farce that itâs easier get to the quarters from 1b than 1a, that makes no sense.
I have no real issue with the Q/Fs at present. But your point has merit. I donât think it is any harm to potentially let the likes of Laois, Kerry or Offaly have the chance to play a Q/F against a Tipp or Kilkenny rather than just having to slog against relegation. It is as good as a bye for the team that tops Division 1 and means that they can use some fringe lads and the lesser county gets a game against a top side.
The logic of the 10th best team making a Q/F and the 5th best doesnât is a bit bizarre but no harm in giving the teams who arenât in the promotion mix something to aim for.
It does keep one b interesting for the weaker teams alright, as Kerry for example can focus on beating Offaly to get a quarter final. But itâs a bit stupid.
I think in all my time watching league Hurling the current format is the best, especially Div 1A.
5 Likes
Fagan is right.
There are bigger problems to address in the championship and the fixtures schedule.
1 Like
#Championsleagueformat
I think 2017 was the first year a lot of people were predicting that 1B would be a proper 3-contender division, having been seen as a 2 horse race for a number of years. And what do you know, Wexford go out and sew the thing up after two rounds. It makes less sense to change the league format now than ever imo.
agreed, with Wexford going up and potentially one of Cork or Kilkenny going down or even a young Dublin side it means that 1B will be a lot more competitive for the next few seasons.
Wouldnât be surprised to see the big games in 1B next year all being set for rounds 3,4&5.
1 Like
FAO @bandage
LIMERICK LOOK SET to be consigned to an eighth successive season of second tier Allianz League hurling in 2018.
Wexfordâs opening two Division 1B victories against fellow big-hitters Limerick and Galway have left Davy Fitzgeraldâs Slaneysiders in the box seat for promotion to the top flight.
But Limerick manager John Kiely isnât giving up the ghost just yet, even though it would take a major capitulation from Wexford to open the promotion door again.
And heâs warned that any drop-off in performances in Limerickâs three remaining group matches â and a League quarter-final against Division 1A opposition â wonât be tolerated.
Limerickâs next outing is against Offaly on Saturday week, 25 February, and Kiely will be keeping a close eye on how his players perform.
They racked up a massive victory over Kerry yesterday but when word filtered through that Wexford had beaten Galway in Salthill, gloom descended upon the Gaelic Grounds.
But a defiant Kiely said: âThereâs three more games to be played, you know?
âYouâd never know whatâs going to happen in this game but youâd have to say itâs probably most likely (Wexford promotion) at this stage.
âListen, weâll wait and see. Weâll take it one game at time, as we said we would do from the outset. Weâre focusing now on the Offaly game in two weeksâ time and thatâs that.â
Limerickâs opening day defeat to Wexford was a costly one but Kiely was pleased with the response of his players as they put Kerry to the sword.
He said: âHappy with the performance again, they worked hard throughout the 70 minutes. The most pleasing thing was we kept the scoreboard ticking over throughout and created loads of goal chances â converted six and could have had another five or six.
The most pleasing thing was the attitude of the players â before the game, all week long in training, the boys responded really well to the match last week and they got themselves right for today clearly. They worked hard and grew in confidence.â
And Kiely insists that while promotion is now a pipe dream, he doesnât believe that what Wexford are doing should impact on his charges.
âI donât see an issue with it. We didnât see an issue with it today, and I donât think weâll see an issue with it the next day.
Any fella that gets a jersey should do it justice on every day he gets it, no matter what the circumstance, whether itâs a challenge match, League match or a championship match. That message is clear from us, I can tell you. Any fella that doesnât go out there and put in the hard yards wonât be there too long.â
Limerick players, you have been warned!
While I agree that this situation is ridiculous, and Iâm against the concept by its very nature, it is only the league and the purpose is to give you competitive matches tom prepare for Championship. One extra game for everyone serves this purpose well.
The league is as competitive and interesting as its ever been. The Gaa need to leave it as is.
1 Like
There you go, being in 1b never did Limerick any harm at all, sure remember that time they nearly bate Kilkenny.
Kildare have five outsiders involved now, getting ridiculous.