Following Galways defeat to Limerick in the Minor C'Ship last Sunday Mattie Murphy was asked on Galway Bay FM has the time come to move our underage teams into the Leinster.

He's reply was a straight up no. He went on to say that the hurling championship had met a cross roads and Galway let the GAA off the hook by accepting a move into Leinster.

Mattie went on to say that in our 7 years in the province we have got nothing in return, we have only given our opponents extra fiance and cushioned the coffers of the Leinster council. He was of the opinion that at the time of decision making someone with "for want of a better word balls" needed to stand up and challenge this provincial system.

Should Galway have rejected a move at the time? Would we have a better structure today as a result?

Personally I believe that the current system in muk and its probably the only competition in any sport which allows one team to play 4 weeks in a row and another to have a break. To me for a championship to be structurally viable all teams have to arrive that a point (quarter, semis etc) having the same route which doesn't happen.

crossfieldball (Galway) - Posts: 650 - 20/08/2014 16:46:00    1639483

Goes to show how much winning the Leinster championship meant to Galway so if he reckons Galway got nothing out of been in Leinster . Maybe Galway should pull out of Leinster and just wait to be put into an All Ireland quarter final or a semi like the old days , ah feck it sure just put them straight into the final. The hurling championship needs Galway to be competitive and the only way for that is if they get more games and that is what they are getting in Leinster , they drew with Kilkenny this year don't forget that . What Galway need is a new manager to freshen the whole thing up .

ke40 (Kildare) - Posts: 209 - 20/08/2014 18:18:25    1639552

ke40 very good :-)

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 20/08/2014 18:25:33    1639558

Galway need a manager to be in charge for 5 years.They have had too many managerial changes over the years resulting in a high of too many players. Where the likes of players gone below who were once promising young players
John Lee
Ger Farragher
Keril Wade
Joe Gantley
Ritchie Murray
Ger Mahon
Ritchie Cummins
Shane Maloney
Adrian Cullinane
Aonghus Callanan

HandyMoran (Roscommon) - Posts: 327 - 20/08/2014 18:41:55    1639568

There are two things here Mattie Murphy's comments on Galway joining Leinster SHC which is not quite correct, Galway need a new approach. And then the point Crossfieldball is making which is not the same thing. Crossfieldball is right and he does have a point - the provincial championship system is not working. The current all-Ireland competitions as part of the current provincial championship system is not fair, is not working and is a sticky plaster solution. Just do what Ladies Football and Camogie do - end off. They both still have the provincial championship competitions but they are not "plugged into" an entirely separate competition, they are stand alone competitions separate to the All Ireland.
IMO god only knows what drunk committee devised and constructed such a truly bizarre system.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4895 - 20/08/2014 19:02:49    1639582

Oh Matt. No. Just no.

The current arrangment is BS and needs some balance; at the very least some home games would be nice. But leave Leinster? No. Just no.

festinog (Galway) - Posts: 3097 - 20/08/2014 19:07:29    1639586

Crossfied,i agree in your point regards the unevenness of the championship.Ive been saying this about the difference in Kerry playing in Munster,with 6 counties,and 5 of them predominantly hurling counties,and Dublin playing in a province of 12,with most of them football counties.Connacht with 5 counties is easier to win than 9 county Ulster.As u correctly stated,what other sport in the world,do teams,or individuals,have to play more,or less,games to win a tournament.But just because its what the GAA have done since 1884 means it must be the right structure?130 years and counting,and the penny hasnt dropped yet.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 20/08/2014 19:09:40    1639589

When Galway were winning 3 U21, and 3 Minor All Irelands over the past ten years there was none of this talk emanating from Galway. Now however when a county who has not won an All Ireland Minor title in 30 years defeat them all hell breaks loose. How very odd indeed

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4317 - 20/08/2014 19:41:24    1639600

Galway should stay in Leinster under the current set up as moving out would be by far the worst option.

However, I agree with crossfield ball. The current championship structure should be reviewed to address some of the disparities in fixture scheduling.

We cannot be certain what type of schedule is the best preparation, but we probably would all like to see an even number of games for each team before reaching a certain stage in the championship (if possible of course).

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 20/08/2014 19:50:50    1639607

I remember HS when Galway were coming into Leinster and the Galway posters attitude at the time was:

1. We are coming into Leinster to use it as a hardy build-up to the All Ireland Series and LIAM!
2. The Bob O'Keeffe Cup meant nothing!

Within that 7 years their record is the same as that of Dublin......one Leinster and 'NO' All Ireland!

Has Leinster helped Galway achieve their own stated 'Point Number 1' above?.....draw your own conclusions!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 20/08/2014 19:53:50    1639611

Oldtourman "Now however when a county who has not won an All Ireland Minor title in 30 years defeat them all hell breaks loose. How very odd indeed"

One man expressing an opinion is hardly the equivalent of "all hell breaking loose". At least where I live.

Well done on ye're win on Sunday BTW, very convincing and puts the ghosts from last year to rest for ye.

festinog (Galway) - Posts: 3097 - 20/08/2014 19:53:52    1639612

If Galway had won the All-Ireland against Kilkenny 2 years ago he couldn't have made such a statement. Leinster hurling is better with Galway - Galway hurling is better with Leinster.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 21/08/2014 15:01:39    1639998

@Snufalufagus - What a short, not to say selective memory you have. Your own county was dead against Galway coming into Leinster. And as Nickey Brennan pointed out at the time, the intention was as much to make Leinster more competitive as helping us. Only Kilkenny were in favour at the time. We're no nearer winning an All-Ireland but neither are Dublin.

@Oldtourman - Mattie Murphy has long been in favour of an open draw. Besides it's not so long since your own Minor manager was claiming Galway had it too easy at Minor level.

Ailteoir (Galway) - Posts: 859 - 21/08/2014 15:34:53    1640024

I agree that an open draw is the only level playing field to have a fair competion. However, Galway do not have the political power to make this happen. Therefore, going into Leinster for all age levels would be the next best thing. There was talk recently of playing a Leinster game in Salthill, that would throw a few shillings our way and give a sense of parity of esteem.

suckvalleypaddy (Galway) - Posts: 1667 - 21/08/2014 16:01:40    1640046

HandyMoran
County: Roscommon
Posts: 175

1639568
Galway need a manager to be in charge for 5 years.They have had too many managerial changes over the years resulting in a high of too many players. Where the likes of players gone below who were once promising young players
John Lee
Ger Farragher
Keril Wade
Joe Gantley
Ritchie Murray
Ger Mahon
Ritchie Cummins
Shane Maloney
Adrian Cullinane
Aonghus Callanan

I'd imagine most Galway hurling people will give you the answer to where most of them went. Nothing to do with management

tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 21/08/2014 17:29:37    1640115

it seems to me if galway are in leinster or not at moment they are not good enough to win all ireland looks like me murphy sees that to so wants to go back to the easier route

Stmunnsriver (Wexford) - Posts: 2840 - 21/08/2014 18:24:26    1640142

the provincial aspect of the all-ireland championships is a dead duck. time it was scrapped. either have stand-alone provincial championships or none at all. In hurling it should be a straight open draw

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 21/08/2014 18:44:45    1640151

Maybe i'm missing something here,whats all the talk of an open draw?why doesn't galway play totally in leinster,ie all grades and have the same conditions as the other leinster counties that is away matches in leinster and home ones in galway.This straight into all irl semi finals in minor and u21 is doing nothing for galway hurling in my opinion.I'm not saying they wouldn't win minor or u21 all Irelands but not as regulary and henceforth expectations wouldn't be as high.

someday (Limerick) - Posts: 1104 - 21/08/2014 18:49:23    1640152

Someday...open draw means everyone would be treated equally!!! the minor championship in particular needs to be revamped! how teams could lose 2 matches and yet still win the all ireland aka waterford last year is a joke!

the majority of leinster counties do not want galway competing at underage level in leinster as they are usually very strong!! i agree with mattie to an extent, in that galway should be receiving home matches and i think they will be from 2015 on (i am open to correction)

jkiamasnake (Galway) - Posts: 81 - 21/08/2014 18:55:25    1640159

jkiamasnake
County: Galway
Posts: 2

1640159 Someday...open draw means everyone would be treated equally!!! the minor championship in particular needs to be revamped! how teams could lose 2 matches and yet still win the all ireland aka waterford last year is a joke!

the majority of leinster counties do not want galway competing at underage level in leinster as they are usually very strong!! i agree with mattie to an extent, in that galway should be receiving home matches and i think they will be from 2015 on (i am open to correction)

First off I only responded to this because I feel for the real hurling people in galway,i agree re Waterford losing 2 games last yr I suppose it was one of thoses situations that can happen.I can understand why the leinster counties wouldn't want more competiton but there's 5 strong hurling counties in munster and adding galway to leinster would make it more or less the same.I understand the comments re open draw but I think galway to leinster is at this point in time more likely.

someday (Limerick) - Posts: 1104 - 21/08/2014 19:48:00    1640182