http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=247894

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 08/12/2015 15:03:33    1812034

I for one would love to see more coverage of these competitions. Hopefully work can be done and options examined sooner rather than later so that they could be looked at for the coming year or if this isn't possible 2017.

It would be great to be able to see 1st hand the progress that non-traditional counties are having and recognition given where due instead of just reading reports. A highlights show before the Sunday game could also be considered perhaps when these competitions are running.

wing back (Offaly) - Posts: 115 - 09/12/2015 14:05:48    1812317

I for one would love to see more coverage of these competitions. Hopefully work can be done and options examined sooner rather than later so that they could be looked at for the coming year or if this isn't possible 2017.

It would be great to be able to see 1st hand the progress that non-traditional counties are having and recognition given where due instead of just reading reports. A highlights show before the Sunday game could also be considered perhaps when these competitions are running.

wing back (Offaly) - Posts: 115 - 09/12/2015 14:16:59    1812320

GPA are a joke I know off a young player looking for help of them was refused or no reply why ? Because he only club player

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 09/12/2015 17:21:48    1812374

GPA are a joke I know off a young player looking for help of them was refused or no reply why ? Because he only club player

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 09/12/2015 17:23:06    1812375

Hopefully the GAA and the media give these hurling competitions more importance and air time. Still a joke the way these lads are treated. Tyrone hurlers played 12 games in 14 weeks this last year. That was the some total of 2015

Dellboy You know full well the GPA represent Inter County players. But you also know full well that Conor Cusack (for one) has helped many a club player and indeed, referee's. ;-)

26plus6equals1 (Tyrone) - Posts: 430 - 09/12/2015 18:05:16    1812385

In fairness to us weaker counties the standard is getting a bit better each year. Look at the Ulster railway squad this year. Lot of counties represented. A long long way before we would be playing at the top level but solid work is being done hurling clubs here to promote and some football only clubs have taken it up at underage too which is great. A bit of exposure does wonders.
Just out of interest del, what was the young lads issue? Did his club not look after him that he had to seek help from the gpa?

Bain (Donegal) - Posts: 470 - 09/12/2015 20:01:20    1812403

the GPA had to commission a Report to determine that players in the lower tier competitions would like more coverage for the competitions !!??? Could have told them all that during the GAA beo ad break. How much did they spend on this Report? Probably enough to build several hurling walls in lower tier counties...

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4627 - 09/12/2015 20:40:45    1812418

26plus6equals1

Is that why some GPA members abused me on Twitter on from Tyrone well known. And I know for a fact of a young player struggling with mental health and no reply back from them .shameful

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 09/12/2015 21:16:12    1812424

Bain he at first confided in me after I came out with my story and he did not want to say to his club .we tried to contact GPA on several occasions with no help then he did decide to turn to club after it and they helped. GPA did not help me as26plus6equals1 thinks the Meath county board helped me , after some big name members in the GPA give me hard time also one from Tyrone .

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 09/12/2015 21:29:18    1812428

the GPA had to commission a Report to determine that players in the lower tier competitions would like more coverage for the competitions !!??? Could have told them all that during the GAA beo ad break. How much did they spend on this Report? Probably enough to build several hurling walls in lower tier counties...


You're missing the point bad.monkey

While your views are highly respected here, you are just one individual. The GPA are a recognised organisation whose voice carries weight. By commissioning a report, they are creating an official publication which once in place should mean action is taken on it. By doing this they are also officially putting the feedback from players at non-McCarthy Cup level on record.

I think this is positive and places the comments into the public eye which should have a positive outcome only.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 10/12/2015 08:09:23    1812434

This report is to be welcomed if it draws attention to the lack of promotion of these competitions by the likes of RTE & indeed the GAA itself. We were debating this on here 2 or 3 years ago, suggesting that TG4 should be given the rights to show these games as RTE, TV3, Setanta or SKY had no interest. The fact that most of these games are happening before the McCarthy & Maguire Cups begin in earnest should leave a window in opportunity to showcase these competitions & indeed usher in the 'big two' championships. There also needs to be more done at local level to get people out to support their county hurling teams in football-orientated counties.

See the full report here:
link

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 10/12/2015 08:50:10    1812437

Not sure these competitions are really serving any purpose though. The reason there's no coverage is because they were created to be small time. Somewhere for county hurling to die outside the traditional areas. What prestige comes from winning Lory Meagher or Nicky Rackard? They have simply made formalised counties status as weak. Has any county really made huge improvments as a result of it? Carlow maybe has made modest gains but its slim pickings.
I would merge the 3 into an All Ireland Intermediate competition with 2 provincial championships mirroring the format of the Liam McCarthy. The 2 provinces can be Ulster and Connacht with Connacht catering for Kerry and Leinster teams frozen out of the current Munster and Leinster championships.
Currently the Connacht Council doesn't arrange any provincial championship so this will make them pull their finger out. The Ulster championship will then have some real status instead of being a stand alone competition.
Full participation will be required...I'm looking at you Cavan!
The champions then gain promotion to the Liam McCarthy.
With provincial titles and an All Ireland/Promotion available then maybe the TV companies (and fans) might be interested.

RoyalBadger (Meath) - Posts: 571 - 10/12/2015 09:07:44    1812441

Royalbadger,

Interesting ideas there which may have some worth. However, the Ring, Rackard & Meagher Cups have definitely helped develop a lot of counties & gave them an impetus (do you remember what was there before???): Donegal, Tyrone, Kerry & Kildare to name a few have all made huge progress. Even see what it meant to Down to finally win the CR after losing a couple of finals.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 10/12/2015 10:23:17    1812457

RoyalBadger

Started reading your post and was disagreeing but by the end of it, it makes a lot of sense.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 10/12/2015 12:37:29    1812485

Read the article, very nice, warm words from Donal, but what actions do the GPA think need taken, move the minors out to a 12.00pm throw in on AI semi-final days to allow the Ring and Rackard finals to be played then perchance?

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 10/12/2015 13:32:31    1812504

Read the article, very nice, warm words from Donal, but what actions do the GPA think need taken, move the minors out to a 12.00pm throw in on AI semi-final days to allow the Ring and Rackard finals to be played then perchance?

why not play the finals of all three non-McCarthy cup competitions on the Saturday before the All-Ireland final? If the GAA are afraid of Croker not being in good condition, then why not play them in Thurles, Cork, Limerick, but all in the same venue to have a complete weekend of All-Ireland senior hurling finals? At least then the highlights could be shown on up for the match etc. But if possible, broadcasting the finals of those 3 competitions on TV would expose those counties more.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 10/12/2015 14:51:01    1812519

Thurles, Cork, Limerick

You are aware that apart from Kerry (not even them now) all other teams competing in these competitions are from Leinster, Ulster, Connacht and the UK?

What would be on in these places the day before the AI? Another ghost town?

Put the finals back to the AI semi final days please.

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 10/12/2015 16:51:34    1812551

I would the cost of this survey was next to nil
The competitions are great for the players concerned but as long as up to 5 players from other countys can play for a county its a joke really. Longford play with 6 players that play club hurling in other counties. But the suits look good at a final

your.right (Longford) - Posts: 74 - 11/12/2015 21:40:29    1812714

I think that before the AI semis is the best time. It will raise the profile, more people will watch them and more supporters from the participating counties might attend when there a big hurling match to see afterwards. Saturday matches are just tokens, give them the big stage.

ZUL10 (Clare) - Posts: 693 - 12/12/2015 12:00:12    1812735