Well seeing as how were all queuing up to try and make ourselves feel better about our own counties deficiencies by taking pot shots at the kingdom, how about we try a hurling version?
If Kerry have an advantage then so do Kilkenny.
I dont remember exactly but I think kerry needed to play 8 games to win the 2009 all ireland. Kilkenny could, with a favourable draw, win two all irelands with that amount of games, (and only a couple of the games would be tough).
While the Ulster guys here look for sympathy over their tough breaks, how about we spare a thought for the likes of Cork,Limerick, Tipp etc. who dont seem to complain at all about what is arguably, an equally lopsided championship.
(Sorry ballydalane, I couldnt resist)

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 14/10/2014 20:33:35    1663740

Why are you so worried about the Munster counties? Maybe you should worry more about Galway, oh but hold on, they're in Leinster too aren't they. So if they were any good they would have an easy run to the All Ireland too, yes?

Fester (Carlow) - Posts: 15 - 15/10/2014 10:14:43    1663823

Kilkenny certainly had an advantage upto 1980 before Offaly got their act together and won their first Leinster title.Kilkennys only challengers were Dublin,who upto thev 40s,were made up of mostly countrymen, and Wexford,who came strong in the 50s.Dublin have only won 1 Leinster since 61.Wexford have only won 2 Leinsters in 35 years.Galway joining Leinster was a must.Just happens to coincide with Kilkennys greatest ever team.But,compared to Tipp and Cork,Kilkenny had a huge advantage for near 100 years.Ballydallane is a fair man,ill wait for his response.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 15/10/2014 10:34:29    1663835

Have you even bothered to look at the Munster championship v the Leinster one this year? Had Tipp won their first match in Munster, which was a semi final, they would have had just three more matches (4 in total) to win the AI Final. Had Cork gone all the way they would have had five. Kilkenny had to beat Offaly, Galway, Dublin, Limerick and Tipp - five matches - to win the title. Every county in Leinster has the same route as Kilkenny but haven't managed one single title between them. We ourselves havent manage to win the title during our six years in Leinster.

Your argument doesn't stand up.

westisthebest (Galway) - Posts: 444 - 15/10/2014 10:41:10    1663842

Wexford won 4 Leinster titles between 1901-1951.In this 50 year timeframe,only Dublin won Leinster-apart from Kilkenny.Wexford have won 3 Leinster titles since 1977(37 years).

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 15/10/2014 10:45:03    1663844

It always makes me laugh when I hear of the advantage Kilkenny have due to Leinster being so soft, Galway were straight into a semi Final for years so only had to win two games to become champions, didn't happen too often though.

The begrudging goes on and on.

Arturo.Gatti (Kilkenny) - Posts: 52 - 15/10/2014 11:41:10    1663860

In comparison to Tiip and Cork arturo,Kilkenny had it better.2 of the big 3 in the same province immediately lowered their chances.Its pretty equal now with Dublin a decent hurling force,and Galway in Leinster.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 15/10/2014 12:58:21    1663902

In comparison to Tiip and Cork arturo,Kilkenny had it better.2 of the big 3 in the same province immediately lowered their chances.Its pretty equal now with Dublin a decent hurling force,and Galway in Leinster.But pre 1980,the cats had a sizeable advantage.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 15/10/2014 12:58:55    1663903

How good were the various hurling counties in Munster pre 1980. In fact, how good are they now? A lot of evenly matched teams? Apart from Tipp, and Clare last year, none were good enough to reach the Ctas standard since 2006. Back door, front door, trap door - perhaps the answer lies within Kilkenny!

I truly thought Galway would be capable of pushing on after joining Leinster but as we know now that's not the case.

westisthebest (Galway) - Posts: 444 - 15/10/2014 14:13:58    1663938

I can remember a time not so long ago when Leinster was the stronger hurling province, Tipperary were in the doldrums for almost 20 years and there were some very one sided munster finals, Cork's hammering of Waterford in the eighties springs to mind. In fact during the seventies and eighties Clare,Tipp,Waterford and Limerick were very poor to mediocre teams, and though Clare are remembered as the team of the nineties, three different Leinster teams won All Irelands with KK and Offally winning as many as Clare in that decade.

Munster is very competitive at the moment but these things go through cycles, in fact Wexford, arguably Leinster's 4th team beat Clare this year who happened to be All Ireland champions at the time.

Arturo.Gatti (Kilkenny) - Posts: 52 - 15/10/2014 14:20:35    1663941

Lads,i thinks its fair to say that if either Tipp/Cork were in Leinster since 1884 and Kilkenny were in Munster,that Tipp/Cork would have a lot more All Irelands,and Kilkenny a fair few fewer.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 15/10/2014 14:26:19    1663947

One can only sumise when it comes to second guessing what if Kilkenny had been in Leinster and so on. Galway had a handy enough route up to recent years and haven't much to show for it. As was posted above, Munster had its fair share of lean years when it was handy enough to win out there. If the Munster teams were as good as we're lead to believe they should have been well capable of defeating Kilkenny when they eventually met them over the last number of years.

westisthebest (Galway) - Posts: 444 - 15/10/2014 14:35:00    1663950

Absolute nonsense, they'd have more Leinster titles alright but they'd still have to meet Kilkenny when they got of Leinster.

Arturo.Gatti (Kilkenny) - Posts: 52 - 15/10/2014 14:35:12    1663951

Your missing the point arturo.The fact that Kilkenny would be in Munster with another one of the Big 3 would lower their provincial wins.Like it has done with Cork and Tipp.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 15/10/2014 14:39:14    1663952

Kerry very nearly beat Kilkenny in a league game in Tralee in the mid 90's. Obviously league is league. Kerry and Kilkenny were known to have a few good battles in the league in the late 70's early 80's as well.
Kilkenny have put in the hard work to win All-Irelands. We'll naturally have to focus on winning the Christy Ring Championship and climbing into the Provincial Qualifier Group. A return to the Munster Championship is the target.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7818 - 15/10/2014 14:41:33    1663954

I understand you're point cue but for every All Ireland Kilkenny has won, they had to be good enough to beat the best team in Munster , so it wouldn't have mattered if we'd played them earlier in the championship or not, if we were good enough to beat them in a final we were good enough to beat them in Munster.
The best team wins the All Ireland every year regardless of what province they come from.

Arturo.Gatti (Kilkenny) - Posts: 52 - 15/10/2014 14:50:20    1663957

Dublin and Galway won Leinster just recently, and guess what - neither went on to win the All Ireland! Cork have gone way back in the pack at all levels in the last 15 years or so - why is this? Well, mainly due to the fact that they've negelcted the underage structures. Meanwhile Kilkenny continue to reap the rewards of top class underage structures that are being copied throughout the country.

westisthebest (Galway) - Posts: 444 - 15/10/2014 15:04:20    1663967

Not sure if its black and white as that arturo.Id hazard a guess that were Kilkenny in Munster since the beginning,they wouldnt have won near as many provincial titles.Alas it is mere speculation,as well never know.Munster and Leinster are on a par now,thats for sure.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 15/10/2014 15:58:25    1663988

The big 1 in Leinster - Kilkenny 70 titles.
The big 2 in Munster - Cork 50 titles,Tipperary 40 titles.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 15/10/2014 16:15:23    1663997

Yes you can speculate and hazard a guess if you want but the facts are Kilkenny have won 35 all Ireland's and were the best team in the country on each occasion.
And if it has been a level playing field since 1980,as you state, (dont agree at all) Kilkenny have won 14 titles to Cork and Tipp's combined total of 10 since then.

Arturo.Gatti (Kilkenny) - Posts: 52 - 15/10/2014 16:20:36    1663999