Just looking at the 8 teams involved in the division 1 semi finals in both hurling and football and I am starting to feel that the year is very predictable. Bar Derry, with all respects to them, I think the other 7 will be the semi finalists come August. The football in particular looks straight forward with Cork, Mayo and Dublin almost certain to win their provincial championships and probably the 1/4 finals.

The hurling looks the same way with possibly Dublin or Cork getting in instead of Galway.

I know it has been discussed to death at this stage but surely the longer this goes on the more having an open draw has to be considered? I was always against doing away with the provincial championships but looking at it now mid April do we really want a championship where we could all make a fairly educated guess as to who will still be involved in mid to late August??

mike03 (Limerick) - Posts: 2000 - 15/04/2014 10:24:42    1575334

every sport is the same
look at the champions league are you realy telling me you cannot pick 6 of he 8 teams who will make it to the quarter finals every year?
if you have an open draw the best 4 teams will still make the semi finals unless they meet in a knock out along the way

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 15/04/2014 10:41:32    1575348

Wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Derry myself. They have been quietly going about their business over the last couple of seasons and improving all the time. People go on about the fire power of the Dubs but when you look at the league campaign Derry outscored the Dubs 11-101 to 9-99 in the league fixtures and are still slightly ahead after the semis, 13-116 to 11-119. Their defences are quite comparable also.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 15/04/2014 11:10:25    1575370

That's my point Hillman. The champs league is designed to suit the elite as are the hurling and football championships. Nobody can say that if the FA Cup wasn't a knockout that Wigan would have won last year's FA Cup or Hull be in this year's final. The whole point of an open draw is to give us pairings and winners that would otherwise never happen.

As it is, there is no mystery behind the championship. Im all for a champs league style system if needs be in order to ensure every team gets more games. Just dont seed the thing as they do with the actual champions league in order to make sure the same 8 teams come out of the groups every year.

What is wrong with trialing it for a 2 or 3 year period? Just imagine the buzz there would be around a Kerry v Dublin first round game in Killarney or Kilkenny v Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds where the loser is under pressure straight away for their next few matches. It would add a bit of life to the Summer instead of the predictable few months we will have until August.

mike03 (Limerick) - Posts: 2000 - 15/04/2014 11:14:13    1575373

I agree totally, i think people want more matches, problem is would you get the numbers. There can be an element of too much. The Munster championship is what it is. Thing is the last few years crowds have been dwindling. I remember in Thurles 08, Limerick vs Clare, there was maybe 15-16k there and i would say Clare brought 2k at most. Limerick vs Waterford in 11, was there 15k there and they are two well supported counties? Limerick vs Tipp last year again 18-20k in our home ground but the minute we got to the final there was 49k in Limerick. Clare vs Cork 13 in Limerick, again only 11-12k. In truth the sunshine supporter only wants to go when the big games are on and unless it is marketed well i am not sure a league format would be a success. I do think it is worth a go though, the GAA have to make it affordable for people though. I would love Limerick to have a minimum of 7 games a season and we generally have a core of maybe 13-15k hurling supporters who never miss championship games, it is the hangers on who travel when we look like doing something, that is not just a Limerick issue but a countrywide issue.

Hoover78 (Limerick) - Posts: 865 - 15/04/2014 11:36:13    1575387

Mike03

You have a point. What gets me is the length of time it takes to reach the predictability. The hurling championship will start in a few weeks with the Leinster preliminaries and it drags on until September. There are only 15 teams in a knockout competition that takes 4 months to complete - meanwhile club players barely get a look in.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 15/04/2014 11:45:02    1575396

Clare vs Cork 13 in Limerick,

Official attendance was 19,000.

RebelCork (Cork) - Posts: 789 - 15/04/2014 11:48:35    1575397

Over the last 10 years the football league has been won by:
Dublin,
Kerry,
Tyrone,
Donegal.

Over the last 10 years the football championship has been won by:
......guess who!!!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 15/04/2014 11:57:53    1575404

You have a point there bennybunny. As several players and managers have pointed out, seems bizarre that 1A teams played 4 out of 5 weekends and then some of them go without a match for over two months!

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 15/04/2014 11:59:17    1575405

May have been but Rebel there was barely a sinner in the open or the terraces and the Mackey hods the bones of 9-10k so i would say that could have been tickets sold as it was a wicked day if i remember.

Hoover78 (Limerick) - Posts: 865 - 15/04/2014 12:03:40    1575409

Snufalufagus
Over the last 10 years the football league has been won by:
Dublin,
Kerry,
Tyrone,
Donegal.

Over the last 10 years the football championship has been won by:
......guess who!!!


Tyrone havent won the league in the last 10 years. Armagh and Derry have though... What was your point again?

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 15/04/2014 12:28:15    1575426

An open draw with the league as it stands will still keep the strong teams strongest. Kerry v Dublin in July would be great but the winner of that would still be an All Ireland favourite.They should scrap the current league and make 4 divisions made up of two from each current division. The championships where Sligo, Fermanagh, Wexford and Limerick went long into the summer showed how the so-called lesser counties can thrive in championship football. Having a league where the Division 3 and 4 counties play only similar standard counties keeps them in the doldrums I reckon. Will they get a few hidings in a league with old Division 1 and 2 teams? Yes they will. But they will get the same in the open draw championship but should be better able when playing the bigger teams. Also in the League, the New League (!), they can pick themselves up for the next week. Long term they can sink but many will swim and their standard will improve. When you're out of the Championship you're out.

I'm fed up of watching a championship that officially starts in May but doesn't actually start until August. Strengthen the weaker teams with a few different ideas in the league, scrap the backdoor, bring in the open draw and some summer day soon we'll see the Antrim footballers knock Cork out of the championship.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7337 - 15/04/2014 13:26:46    1575463

Snufalufagus did Derry not win the league in the last 10 years?

tommy k (Galway) - Posts: 3314 - 15/04/2014 14:22:50    1575491

Kilkenny & Tipp in last year's league hurling final. They & Galway were shoe-ins for the championship but none of them even made the All-Ireland semis.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 15/04/2014 14:33:51    1575498