this is a bit long winded but it could work
i agree with you in theory bandage but i don’t think that two groups of six would work…i was only discussing this the weekend and i came up with a plan for the hurling year…
the league should be split into 4 divisions like the football doing away with this 1A and 1B craic…7 teams in division 1 and 2 and the reamainder split between the other 2 divisions…the divisions would look like
Division 1:
kilkenny
tipp
cork
galway
waterford
dublin
limerick
Division 2:
clare
wexford
offaly
antrim
laois
down
westmeath
top two go into league final with the bottom 2 being relegated each year…guarentees every team 6 games plus a free week also…play the league during february and march and the finals the start of april…let the players go back to their clubs the last two weeks in april and first week in may so the clubs can all start their championships…
play the provincial championships (with galway and antrim in leinster) from the third week in may and have them finished with towards the end of june and then send the players back to the clubs for a round of club games…second week of july start a new championship straight knock out with 12 teams with the 4 teams that made the 2 provincial finals getting a bye to the quarter finals…
championship would be something like this for example:
munster played as normal:5 teams
leinster woud contain:kilkenny offaly wexford dublin laois antrim and galway(with the previous provincial winner getting a bye to the semifinal)
this is where it might seem conplicated:
it would stay something similar to the current format that the loser of he first round in munster and the 3 team that lose in the first ound in leinster would go into an open draw with the winners seeded in the open draw…same for the semi final loser from each province would playoff to see who is seeded…this would make sure that each team gets a minimum of three championship games…replays would be done away with:
so for example if limerick, antrim, dublin and laois were all knocked out in the first round they would play off for seeding and for arguement sake we will say that dublin and limerick won the play offs…
clare, waterford, offaly and wexford were the semi final losers they would play off and for arguements sake we will say that clare and wexford won the playoff…these play off would be played when the provencial are being played so that teams would get game time…
so it would go to an open draw in july with for arguements sake:
clare v laois
wexford v offaly
limerick v waterford
dublin v antrim
quarter finals
clare v galway
wexford v cork
waterford v kilkenny
dublin v tipp and i don’t think i have to go through the semi’s and final
granted it might seem long winded but i think it could work very well as it allows clubs to have their players and it guarentees every team three championship games and it also would make it a bit more competitive…