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Not sure where the 62 figure came from. One club here had a panel of 30 last year & the other 2 surely had must've had 20-25 players each. The CB do hurling no favours & even refuse to print county players' hurling clubs on match programmes, instead insisting on printing their football club."]I spoke to a Longford hurler a number of years back who told me between emigration and retirement 1e of the panel from the previous year was unavailable. That just shows how difficult it can be and its a small group of die-hard who keep the show on the road. Looking at the tables next year either Derry or Armagh will be playing in a division below Warwickshire or Louth. I can remember Derry putting in decent displays in the Liam McCarthy at Croke Park, and Armagh were a growing force at one stage too. It's sad to see how far they are both falling. It looks like we could have a British derby next year too if Warwickshire beat Louth and London lose to Kildare."]Greetings Soma, my old kindred spirit. London can't be relegated - Kildare automatically go down. There's a good chance that Warwickshire & Lancashire will win promotion, however. While that's all fine & dandy, what's happening to the counties you mentioned? In fairness to Derry, they've been without the Slaughtneil hurlers all season so far."]Right you are about relegation from 2a keeper, I wonder why that division is different to the rest? Relegation for Kildare is a real blow after some recent successes, though I know some point to outside assistance there. The sides that seem to have underperformed most this year were Derry, Armagh and Roscommon. I believe there were 500 people at a league double header in Celtic Park earlier this year, and 3000 people at a schools football game in the county the same month. Adult GAA seems to be struggling badly in some places. Mayo have probably been a side who performed above expectations, having Higgins available will have helped there in terms of his contribution on the field and the lift he would have given the squad."]Relegation from Div 3A was automatic too. keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 14/03/2018 14:01:37 2084539 Link 0 |
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No combined championships but there are such leagues available.
keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 14/03/2018 14:04:05 2084542 Link 0 |
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These play off formats are ridiculous. The team that finishes last should be relegated. Before anyone screams I would say the same if Waterford were on 2 points and Cork on 4. Also the 4th placed team in 1B who could have less points that the 5th team in 1A going to the quarter finals. Really ? This system allowing the best teams advance ? Simple. With the new championship format do away with league quartet finals. The top three team in 1A should be joined by the team promoted fro 1B in the league semi finals. Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2660 - 17/03/2018 13:28:26 2085061 Link 0 |
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I think it's mainly to give teams an extra game in a league with only 6 teams per division.
keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 18/03/2018 01:33:00 2085188 Link 0 |
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Great effort from Offaly unlucky not to get something from the game ke40 (Kildare) - Posts: 209 - 19/03/2018 15:18:18 2085850 Link 1 |
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Lads what a game in Tullamore yesterday. Really thought we had the Cats with 5 minutes to go when Bergin levelled it but they just kept finding the scores every time. Ben Conneely was my man of the match and not for the first time this season. PortInFaithful (Offaly) - Posts: 472 - 20/03/2018 14:51:19 2086261 Link 1 |
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So where do Offaly stand now in the grand scheme of things? One brilliant performance in Croke Park & unlucky in league & Walsh Cup against the Cats aside, performances have been inconsistent at best. keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 20/03/2018 16:34:08 2086314 Link 0 |
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You're not wrong in saying our performances have been inconsistent. Hammering a depleted Dublin side in between scoring two moral victories over Kilkenny has been the height of it. Then came two harsh lessons against Limerick and Galway in which we went to sleep for after 20 minutes. Followed by a crucial win over Laois to make the knockouts and fielding our seconds against Antrim only to be denied by a late goal. So it has been a mixed bag of results for Offaly so far but I will say we're much better prepared than in previous years. The Leinster championship is going to be a completely different kettle of fish though and Dublin in Parnell Park is the game Kevin Martin will have targetted from the outset. Retaining our place in the Liam McCarthy Cup would be a huge achievement but who knows it could be third time lucky versus the Cats this summer!
PortInFaithful (Offaly) - Posts: 472 - 21/03/2018 12:41:01 2086593 Link 1 |
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Hasn't been mentioned on this thread but well done to the Mayo on winning Division 2B. Another great boost for hurling in the county following Tooreen's Connacht title success and All-Ireland semi-final appearance. PortInFaithful (Offaly) - Posts: 472 - 21/03/2018 16:06:38 2086674 Link 2 |
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Amen. I picked Down to beat them but was happily wrong. Great achievement.
Trump2020 (Galway) - Posts: 2120 - 21/03/2018 16:40:16 2086687 Link 0 |
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I like it the way it is. You somewhat contradict yourself in that you say the Top 3 in 1A (which is fine) AND the winner of 1B get to the semis. You're in favor of the team in 1B which logically faced lesser competition than ANYONE in 1A. Galway were beaten and relegated in 1A a few years ago by Cork who did not win a single match that year except for the relegation match vs Galway and yet I still like it as it gives both teams one extra match to play with "something on the line." Trump2020 (Galway) - Posts: 2120 - 21/03/2018 17:01:29 2086696 Link 0 |
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Huge game in Portlaoise Saturday for the hurlers of Westmeath and Carlow.Both teams have been knocking on the door of 1B for a few years.One of them will be full of ambition going into 2019 with the hope of competing with Laois,Offaly and Dublin and the hope of having home games with Galway and Waterford.The loser will really have it all to do in the Mcdonagh cup to save their season and their progress. jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1456 - 22/03/2018 11:28:05 2086904 Link 1 |
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Just what they need more games. Like a hole in the head. O.K. let division 1B winner try and win the next years league. Or better still a real league where the top team are divisional winners. The bottom team relegated and top ream promoted. To make them take it seriously the winners get all championship games at home. Stop these ridiculous pre season tournaments and ridiculous play off arrangements and be serious about giving space to the club game. Starting in February the league would end on time even allowing for weather. If the league ends earlier like mid March managers compelled to release players to their clubs in preparation for club competition.
Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2660 - 22/03/2018 22:13:57 2087131 Link 0 |
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Not sure where the 62 figure came from. One club here had a panel of 30 last year & the other 2 surely had must've had 20-25 players each. The CB do hurling no favours & even refuse to print county players' hurling clubs on match programmes, instead insisting on printing their football club."]I spoke to a Longford hurler a number of years back who told me between emigration and retirement 1e of the panel from the previous year was unavailable. That just shows how difficult it can be and its a small group of die-hard who keep the show on the road. Looking at the tables next year either Derry or Armagh will be playing in a division below Warwickshire or Louth. I can remember Derry putting in decent displays in the Liam McCarthy at Croke Park, and Armagh were a growing force at one stage too. It's sad to see how far they are both falling. It looks like we could have a British derby next year too if Warwickshire beat Louth and London lose to Kildare."]Greetings Soma, my old kindred spirit. London can't be relegated - Kildare automatically go down. There's a good chance that Warwickshire & Lancashire will win promotion, however. While that's all fine & dandy, what's happening to the counties you mentioned? In fairness to Derry, they've been without the Slaughtneil hurlers all season so far."]Right you are about relegation from 2a keeper, I wonder why that division is different to the rest? Relegation for Kildare is a real blow after some recent successes, though I know some point to outside assistance there. The sides that seem to have underperformed most this year were Derry, Armagh and Roscommon. I believe there were 500 people at a league double header in Celtic Park earlier this year, and 3000 people at a schools football game in the county the same month. Adult GAA seems to be struggling badly in some places. Mayo have probably been a side who performed above expectations, having Higgins available will have helped there in terms of his contribution on the field and the lift he would have given the squad."]Relegation from Div 3A was automatic too."]God be with the early to mid 1980's when Offaly and Tipp were in Division 2 of the NHL and of a Sunday evening we would hear results like Offaly 1-14 Kildare 0-12 and Tipperary 1-17 Westmeath 0-12 the next week...I remember Derry playing in Croke park in hurling too..Geoffrey McGonigle and Seamus Downey giving great displays be in on the losing team..Armagh were knocking on the door too as were Roscommon...Down really made serious strides some years back with Noel Sands, Greg Blayney etc....Meath had a good side too with Massey and Ferguson at midfield...I dont know hurling was more balanced back then...no disrespect to them but the teams above would get blown out the gate against the modern ultra fit Division 1A and some of the Division 1B teams....not forgetting Antrim when they were alot stronger and Westmeath and David Kilcoyne and a fellah named Jackson from what I remember...its all so professional now with warm ups and downs and sponsorship and trackers on players etc..give me the old structure and late 70's and early to mid 80's..the League Finals of 1982, 3 and 1984- Limerick and Wexford (Clare and Galway was a novel pairing in 1985)..times were simple then and no TG4 for live matches..it was radio one for the games and Sunday Sport on TV of Sunday night where we seemed to see most of the action - not the "blink and you miss it" coverage we get now... Fairplayalways (Offaly) - Posts: 1034 - 22/03/2018 23:38:24 2087142 Link 0 |
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I agree with you about the ridiculous pre season tournaments.
Trump2020 (Galway) - Posts: 2120 - 23/03/2018 06:11:26 2087160 Link 0 |
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Not sure where the 62 figure came from. One club here had a panel of 30 last year & the other 2 surely had must've had 20-25 players each. The CB do hurling no favours & even refuse to print county players' hurling clubs on match programmes, instead insisting on printing their football club."]I spoke to a Longford hurler a number of years back who told me between emigration and retirement 1e of the panel from the previous year was unavailable. That just shows how difficult it can be and its a small group of die-hard who keep the show on the road. Looking at the tables next year either Derry or Armagh will be playing in a division below Warwickshire or Louth. I can remember Derry putting in decent displays in the Liam McCarthy at Croke Park, and Armagh were a growing force at one stage too. It's sad to see how far they are both falling. It looks like we could have a British derby next year too if Warwickshire beat Louth and London lose to Kildare."]Greetings Soma, my old kindred spirit. London can't be relegated - Kildare automatically go down. There's a good chance that Warwickshire & Lancashire will win promotion, however. While that's all fine & dandy, what's happening to the counties you mentioned? In fairness to Derry, they've been without the Slaughtneil hurlers all season so far."]Right you are about relegation from 2a keeper, I wonder why that division is different to the rest? Relegation for Kildare is a real blow after some recent successes, though I know some point to outside assistance there. The sides that seem to have underperformed most this year were Derry, Armagh and Roscommon. I believe there were 500 people at a league double header in Celtic Park earlier this year, and 3000 people at a schools football game in the county the same month. Adult GAA seems to be struggling badly in some places. Mayo have probably been a side who performed above expectations, having Higgins available will have helped there in terms of his contribution on the field and the lift he would have given the squad."]Relegation from Div 3A was automatic too."]God be with the early to mid 1980's when Offaly and Tipp were in Division 2 of the NHL and of a Sunday evening we would hear results like Offaly 1-14 Kildare 0-12 and Tipperary 1-17 Westmeath 0-12 the next week...I remember Derry playing in Croke park in hurling too..Geoffrey McGonigle and Seamus Downey giving great displays be in on the losing team..Armagh were knocking on the door too as were Roscommon...Down really made serious strides some years back with Noel Sands, Greg Blayney etc....Meath had a good side too with Massey and Ferguson at midfield...I dont know hurling was more balanced back then...no disrespect to them but the teams above would get blown out the gate against the modern ultra fit Division 1A and some of the Division 1B teams....not forgetting Antrim when they were alot stronger and Westmeath and David Kilcoyne and a fellah named Jackson from what I remember...its all so professional now with warm ups and downs and sponsorship and trackers on players etc..give me the old structure and late 70's and early to mid 80's..the League Finals of 1982, 3 and 1984- Limerick and Wexford (Clare and Galway was a novel pairing in 1985)..times were simple then and no TG4 for live matches..it was radio one for the games and Sunday Sport on TV of Sunday night where we seemed to see most of the action - not the "blink and you miss it" coverage we get now..."]I enjoyed that! keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 23/03/2018 14:31:45 2087265 Link 0 |
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Tipp are a typical example of how the Gaa leagues schedule are so bad. No allowance for weather cancellation means the a lotted time in April for club championship is gone up in smoke. Simple top team on points first, tied on points the head to head clash, still no separation go to scoring differences. League over. Simple promotion and relegation. Go back to your club and look after the grass roots of the sport for April,May and June . Inter county championship run from July to October in what ever format gets that done. If it takes knock out so be it. Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2660 - 23/03/2018 23:48:12 2087342 Link 0 |
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Any thoughts on the semi finals this weekend? Really think we will see a Limerick v Wexford final. Tipperary and Limerick should be a belter. Limerick have very rarely beaten Tipp in Thurles. I remember the 2014 Munster semi final was their first victory over Tipp there in a long long time. Semple isn't exactly a happy hunting ground for the Treaty County. The draw has fallen nicely for Wexford with them having another home game. PortInFaithful (Offaly) - Posts: 472 - 28/03/2018 12:12:19 2089004 Link 0 |
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Tough to call. I think all 4 teams are happy with what they have gotten from the league to date. I'd expect Tipp to heavily rotate again. I'll wait to see what teams are named before I'd put money on it but currently I'd probably fancy Tipp & Wexford to shade the games. For Tipp I'd expect Barrett and Bubbles to start and I'm particualrly interested to see who the keeper is as it should give us a good idea who's number 1. Many of the expected first choice players have seen less than expected or limited game time. McCormack, Brendan Maher, Barrett, Bubbles, O'Meara, Barry, Noel McGrath, Kennedy, Callinan (none), Bonner have all had plenty of time on the bench. Whether that's a good thing or not remains to be seen. It'll be interesting to see this weekends team but I think you'll see a mix again. A few players have put their hands up. Flynn being the obvious one who looks to have nailed down right corner back which looks ominous for Barrett. tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 28/03/2018 12:25:58 2089016 Link 0 |
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True. We will know more when we see the line outs. Would you see Barrett as a viable option at midfield alongside Brendan Maher?
PortInFaithful (Offaly) - Posts: 472 - 28/03/2018 12:52:28 2089022 Link 0 |