The Europa League was UEFA's ugly duckling. It has become more of a swan now that it offers the winner a place in the Champions League.

There have been some discussions and reports by the GAA into raising the profile of the Christy Ring Cup. Allowing the Ring finalists into the qualifier rounds of the same year can be a natural step to raising the standing of the competition.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7868 - 16/04/2016 13:30:32    1846134

Agreed!

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 16/04/2016 13:55:08    1846139

Christy Ring winners could play 3rd place in qualifier group and winner could play in the championship qualifiers

carlovia (None) - Posts: 1517 - 16/04/2016 14:01:27    1846140

Winning the Europa league allows you to enter the following season's Champions league. Winning the CR allows you to enter the following years SHC. They're pretty much the same system as it is, so I'm not sure what parallel you're trying to draw there.

It's a pretty poor comparison anyway. The Europa league was seen as less prestigious because a lot of the teams in it reckoned they should be in the champions league instead. Nobody in the CR doesn't take the CR seriously because they think they should be in the SHC.

A "big" team can disregard the EL because they could get into the CL the following year through their domestic league. There's no comparison to hurling, where if a team disregards the Christy Ring they have no other ways of reaching the SHC.

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1646 - 16/04/2016 14:16:18    1846143

The Christy Ring Cup is over before the qualifiers begin. The Qualifier Group only offers championship hurling in May. In my own humble opinion a better prize could be offered. The timescale is there for it. An extra qualifying round can easily be scheduled for the same weekend as the provincial semi-finals.

I have gone to many Christy Ring Cup games down through the years. When Kerry lost the Ring final in '14, if they had entered a 1st round qualifier in June, it would have been a fair reward for a decent year. When they won the Ring last year, similarly a qualifier game in June would have been a good reward for a decent year.

The free weekends are there in the calendar. 4 provincial losers against the next 4 in the hurling championship pecking order. It's the next step for the evolution of the championship structure that has taken place over the last few years.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7868 - 16/04/2016 14:44:16    1846147

The game on Sunday against Carlow will be Kerry's first at McCarthy level in 12 years.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7868 - 26/04/2016 20:25:39    1849893

Westmeath have the best team on paper, Kerry are on a high after their 1b exploits, Offaly have fallen alarmingly but are trying to hang in there, while Carlow on their day a previous poster said can beat any of the three teams. Makes for a very interesting group. I think it was a success last year with the final game between laois and westmeath was a high scoring close encounter,one of the better games in an overall drab championship last year.

preddan (Kildare) - Posts: 738 - 26/04/2016 21:41:50    1849924

Why do you get rewarded for winning the round robin with a game against Galway but the runners up get Laois???


CRAZY

BigJohn.6_8 (Galway) - Posts: 704 - 27/04/2016 10:10:20    1849974

It's a tough group. I think it is very harsh on the bottom 2 that their hurling year is over after the group stage. The top 2 advance to the Leinster quarter-finals and an opportunity to earn a provincial seeding. I do not see the harm in allowing the bottom 2 from the group and the 2 Ring finalists enter a qualifier knock-out round against the 4 losing provincial quarter-finalists.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7868 - 27/04/2016 19:09:43    1850236

http://kclrfanzone.com/sean-campion-interview-carlow-hurling-kerry/

The Carlow Chairman complaining about Kerry having home games. Did he to that when Antrim + London were competing in this competition I wonder? It's not our fault that the powers that be wouldnt allow us compete in the Munster SHC.

Re:the game we've had the better of Carlow the last few meetings and I think playing 1B Hurling should give us a significant edge on Sunday

However before the last few games Carlow had a long streak of success against us (notably scoring 6 goals in Tralee in a CR semi final a few years back) so they certainly wont fear us.

I'd go Kerry by 5/6 points and in the other game Offaly by a similar margin over Westmeath.

KYTitletown (Kerry) - Posts: 816 - 28/04/2016 10:30:41    1850338

2015: Westmeath v Carlow
2016: Carlow v Westmeath

2015: Antrim v Laois
2016: Offaly v Kerry

2015: Westmeath v Antrim
2016: Kerry v Westmeath

2015: Carlow v Laois
2016: Offaly v Carlow

2015: Carlow v Antrim
2016: Kerry v Carlow

2015: Laois v Westmeath
2016: Westmeath v Offaly

As seen above, the GAA have swapped the fixtures from last year. Offaly take the place of Laois and Kerry take the place of Antrim.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7868 - 28/04/2016 19:15:03    1850548

KYTitletown (Kerry)
It's not our fault that the powers that be wouldnt allow us compete in the Munster SHC

Are Kerry actively seeking to join the Munster SHC? Who is preventing Kerry from joining Munster?

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 28/04/2016 19:25:41    1850550

http://www.the42.ie/kerry-hurling-leinster-championship-christy-ring-2149337-Jun2015/

According to this it was dictated by Croke Park.

I fully understand and agree with competing in the Qualifying Group, I dont get why we can't enter Munster after (should we finish top 2 of course)

Galway + Kilkenny were the AI finalists from last year I dont see how we would more competitive against them than we would in Munster SHC.

At least in Munster we'd have opportunity to host the likes of Clare + Tipp which would be big occasions regardless of outcome. As opposed to playing Galway in somewhere like Portlaoise or Tullamore in front of a small crowd.

KYTitletown (Kerry) - Posts: 816 - 29/04/2016 13:36:48    1850690

Westmeath have the best team on paper, Kerry are on a high after their 1b exploits, Offaly have fallen alarmingly but are trying to hang in there, while Carlow on their day a previous poster said can beat any of the three teams. Makes for a very interesting group. I think it was a success last year with the final game between laois and westmeath was a high scoring close encounter,one of the better games in an overall drab championship last year.

I would not know if Westmeath has the best team on paper. Not saying they don't. It is an interesting note all the same and clearly you did not just make it up. Good, balanced perspective all around. The 2 slots are very much up for grabs. I would not want to be trying to post odds on this preliminary competition.

Good luck to all involved - obviously hoping Offaly pull through.

UpOffaly (Offaly) - Posts: 68 - 29/04/2016 18:07:54    1850759

Certainly not the most convincing Kerry display of the year - they led by two at the break, but tellingly, Carlow hit 13 wides in that period. Ultimately, the Kingdom pulled away to win by eight in the finish, but they'll certainly have to up their game to get past Westmeath next Saturday.

anciarraioch82 (Kerry) - Posts: 33 - 01/05/2016 14:37:04    1851112

Seems to be a turn-up for the books in Mullingar - Westmeath leading Offaly 1-9 to 0-6 as half-time approaches.

anciarraioch82 (Kerry) - Posts: 33 - 01/05/2016 15:33:55    1851127

Looks like Westmeath are gonna pull off a big upset against Offaly!!!

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 01/05/2016 16:14:03    1851135

And by double scores! 2-22 to 1-11, makes Saturday's game all the more intriguing.

anciarraioch82 (Kerry) - Posts: 33 - 01/05/2016 16:30:01    1851138

Westmeath 2-22 Offaly 1-11, wow.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 01/05/2016 16:33:49    1851140

Fair play to Westmeath. That result really shakes things up.

Gaillimh_Abu (Galway) - Posts: 996 - 01/05/2016 17:30:35    1851154