In international rugby and soccer all teams despite their level get the opportunity to qualify for the World Cups.

In the UEFA Champions League all domestic league champions get the opportunity to qualify.

In the GAA, with group stages on the way, all counties should have the opportunity to qualify for the main event.

A group stage of 4 groups of 4 should consist of 8 provincial finalists and 8 qualifiers.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7871 - 08/07/2017 09:34:48    2012273

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2614 - 08/07/2017 15:16:35    2012352

Should the Prov Championships br restricted to 4 counties each (NFL as qualifier) ?
Two SFs and Final only - the best matchups, more excitement and get rid of the boredom.
Put each of the 8 SFs in each of the 8 groups of 4 (double up matches) - all play 3 matches, with the 8 Finalists getting a bonus 4th match against their out of group Prov Finalist. Top 3 each group and 4 Prov Champs to AI KO 28 (4 Champs byes to 16, other group seeding based on position, eg 1st v 3rd placed etc).

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2614 - 08/07/2017 15:42:45    2012363

4 4-team Prov SFs - 2 KO Rds - 4 Champs to AI Rd of 16;
Other 16 non-Prov SFs - 4 KO Rds - 1 Paudi O Se Cup Champ to AI Rd of 16; and
8 groups of 4 (1,1,2,3 and 2,3,4,4) - 3 group games - 8 winners and 3 best 2nds to complete Rd of 16.
Any teams doubling up to AI QFs.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2614 - 08/07/2017 15:57:47    2012370

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1126 - 10/07/2017 09:52:56    2013723

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4236 - 10/07/2017 11:41:31    2013861

Sorry guys - I feel you'd prefer this topic to have a quick death - it seems I am the one usually guilty of waking the sleeping lion.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2614 - 10/07/2017 14:14:50    2014079

i would not support a b championship, it will never work for so many reasons not least the players dont want it, the"only" way it might be attractive if the final was played as a double bill with the sam final, that will mean moving the minor final [invoking the " its our tradition" argument] but bigger still would make the gaa change the way tickets are distributed for the final, and HERE is why it wont happen, less tickets for the sponsors and companys and the money men the gaa will always look after that why it will never happen , money

Stmunnsriver (Wexford) - Posts: 2845 - 10/07/2017 15:19:11    2014171

They could play a variation of the '8 x 4 GPA' plan, with 'handicapping' to give the weaker teams a leg up.
Teams ranked 17-32 drawn to 4 pools of 4 - 3 games - 4 wild cards and 4 pool winners to POS QFs - Champ to AI KO Last 11.
Teams ranked 1-16 drawn to 4 groups of 4 - 6 games (double rd) - 6 wild cards & 4 winners to AI Last 11 - with byes for best 5 of 10 to AI QFs.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2614 - 11/07/2017 16:46:33    2015067

I'm going to post something crazy.

Not much needs changed.

You look at some of the games the qualifiers are throwing up. They are interesting matches.

As for more games, it's hard to offer many more games whilst keeping excitement up. Any team losing more than twice really is unlikely to be involved at the business end of things.

The qualifiers could be tweaked to reduce the Provincial imbalance and the league could be pushed back to April and May. You do that and I think you're very close to having a quality intercounty season.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4236 - 12/07/2017 13:44:12    2015576

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2614 - 12/07/2017 16:48:35    2015701

Merging NFL and Championship (a la AFL) is the best way to go.
Div 1 - 18 teams - 3 groups of 6 - 12 matches (play all once except avoid own group = keeps game count down).
Top 4 each group to AI KO Last 13 (incl. P O Se Cup champ from Div 2).
Div 2 - 14 teams - 2 groups, North 7 & South 7 - 9 matches (play own group and 3 only from other).
Top 4 each group to POS Cup QFs - Champ to Sam AI Last 13.
AI Last 13 - best 3 records of 12 from Div 1 get byes to AI QFs and others seeded by position.
Prov Championsips - restrict to SFs and Finals only - build the pairings into group phase above.
Prov Champs to AI KO as well, if already not in the Last 13.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2614 - 12/07/2017 17:30:28    2015722

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2614 - 13/07/2017 00:34:08    2015877

Every second day we have different ideas on the championship but 2 things are known, 1 the provincial titles have to be retained, 2 weaker counties need more games so here is my idea run the Munster and Connacht championship in a League format with every team playing 5 games in Munster and 6 in Connacht with the top 2 playing in the provincial championship final. In Ulster and Leinster you need 2 groups each playing each other once in their group with the top 4 playing in the provincial finals, then 2 in the final, 1 problem is Ulster where you have 9 teams so 2 groups of 4 and 5 teams which means if you are in the smaller group you are guaranteed 3 games, that's roughly the same as the current qualifiers, you could play everybody in your group twice that's 6 and 8 games but time could be an issue especially with the super 8 plan which is only a money making rack and nothing to do with helping weaker counties. At least in this League format weak counties get 5 or 6 games where at the moment they are guaranteed 2 matches

riverboys (Mayo) - Posts: 1389 - 13/07/2017 12:08:07    2016033

To discourage tanking under the 8 x 4 idea, I would have the following 'Rd of 16' with pairings reset (high v low) after each rd
(that is, nobody would want to be an 8 seed needing to beat seeds 1, 2, 3 in sequence)
Also, note the 6 pairings in brackets reduce the KO field from 22 to 16, and are promotion/relegation playoffs that
effectively represent 1.5 up/ 1.5 down:

1 1N1st v 8 (3N3rd or 4N2nd)
4 (1S3rd or 2S2nd) v 5 3S1st
2 2S1st v 7 4S1st
3 1N2nd v 6 (2N3rd or 3N2nd)
1 1S1st v 8 (3S3rd or 4S2nd)
4 (1N3rd or 2N2nd) v 5 3N1st
2 2N1st v 7 4N1st
3 1S2nd v 6 (2S3rd or 3S2nd)

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2614 - 14/07/2017 05:30:42    2016340

madbull (Westmeath) - Posts: 195 - 14/07/2017 09:17:41    2016379

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4236 - 14/07/2017 10:51:55    2016424