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Wexford Club Hurling 2025

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Replying To wexfordwin:  "Really think this is a red herring and the any possible value will be at the cost of overloading good players and losing lesser players."
How will you lose lesser players? Or overload good players?
As regards the benefits watch back any of our u20 games from the last 2 years and point out which ones we were physically on top in.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17762 - 10/12/2025 14:05:56    2647827

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Replying To Viking66:  "How will you lose lesser players? Or overload good players?
As regards the benefits watch back any of our u20 games from the last 2 years and point out which ones we were physically on top in."
And just to point out that'll include the U20 games from 2024, when the up-to-the-age players (ten or more of a typical starting team) already had two years of adult hurling behind them:
- 2022, when they were U18s but Minor was still at U17, so they had to play adult hurling, and
- 2023, when they were U19s, so overage for U18 Minor, and so they had to play adult hurling as well.

:D

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3306 - 10/12/2025 15:16:18    2647845

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "We'll see in a few years time anyway.

The change means that from 2028 onwards, all our U20 squad will have two years of adult hurling behind them (starting with 2026 while they're an U18, and 2027 while an U19).

If we still haven't won a Leinster U20 title by about 2030, wonder what the next "obvious" reason will be????"
I didn't say obvious so I don't know why that's in quotation marks.

I was also careful in the words I chose in that it's not as simple as changing one thing and immediately being successful.

Success is a combination of discipline, organisation, attitude, commitment, planning and luck. A drip wears away a stone and all that. This is the problem in Wexford. We're generally far too quick to pat ourselves on the back or write ourselves off

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 4064 - 10/12/2025 15:27:51    2647848

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "And just to point out that'll include the U20 games from 2024, when the up-to-the-age players (ten or more of a typical starting team) already had two years of adult hurling behind them:
- 2022, when they were U18s but Minor was still at U17, so they had to play adult hurling, and
- 2023, when they were U19s, so overage for U18 Minor, and so they had to play adult hurling as well.

:D"
Its not the up to the age players that were the issue in 2024 and 2025. In a typical u20 intercounty Wexford team half or more arent up to the age. Against Kilkenny this year only 4 starters had played any adult club hurling at all. And was around the same when Laois won nearly all the breaking ball and knocked us out in the Park later on.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17762 - 10/12/2025 16:22:28    2647857

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Replying To alwaysasub:  "For the craic I said I would ask Chapt GPt whats the best format for Wexford hurling, to avoid any dead rubbers and to make every game meaningful, This is the proposal it had.

Best Overall Format: 3 Groups of 4 (Most Competitive Until the End)

Group Stage (3×4 teams)

Each team plays 3 matches.

Points: 2 for win, 1 for draw.

Top 2 in each group (6 teams) go to the County Quarter-Finals.

3rd-place teams (3 teams) go into a Preliminary Quarter-Final (playoff) to determine the final 2 quarter-final spots.

Bottom teams enter relegation playoff.

Knockout Structure

Preliminary QFs:

3rd A vs 3rd B

Winner vs 3rd C

2 winners join the top 6 seeded teams = 8 quarter-finalists

Quarter-Finals (8 teams)

Semi-Finals (4 teams)

Final

Why this is the best

Every team fights for something:

1st/2nd → automatic knockouts

3rd → still alive via playoff

4th → avoids relegation matches

Almost zero "dead" games in Round 3.

Balanced number of games: 3-6 matches per team."
I think 3 groups of 4 is excellent.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17762 - 10/12/2025 16:23:15    2647858

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "We'll see in a few years time anyway.

The change means that from 2028 onwards, all our U20 squad will have two years of adult hurling behind them (starting with 2026 while they're an U18, and 2027 while an U19).

If we still haven't won a Leinster U20 title by about 2030, wonder what the next "obvious" reason will be????"
We will win one before then.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17762 - 10/12/2025 16:23:53    2647859

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "I didn't say obvious so I don't know why that's in quotation marks.

I was also careful in the words I chose in that it's not as simple as changing one thing and immediately being successful.

Success is a combination of discipline, organisation, attitude, commitment, planning and luck. A drip wears away a stone and all that. This is the problem in Wexford. We're generally far too quick to pat ourselves on the back or write ourselves off"
We arent far away at any level. Any least improvement we can get could make the difference between losing a close game and winning it.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17762 - 10/12/2025 16:25:27    2647860

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Replying To Viking66:  "Its not the up to the age players that were the issue in 2024 and 2025. In a typical u20 intercounty Wexford team half or more arent up to the age. Against Kilkenny this year only 4 starters had played any adult club hurling at all. And was around the same when Laois won nearly all the breaking ball and knocked us out in the Park later on."
While you are correct in that only 4 had played any adult hurling its also correct to say that this years management team like many before them chose to play younger players over older players with adult experience. And going by the way some of those older players played ( very well IMO) in this years championship they got that bit badly wrong again IMO.

Paull (Wexford) - Posts: 234 - 10/12/2025 16:56:51    2647864

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "I didn't say obvious so I don't know why that's in quotation marks.

I was also careful in the words I chose in that it's not as simple as changing one thing and immediately being successful.

Success is a combination of discipline, organisation, attitude, commitment, planning and luck. A drip wears away a stone and all that. This is the problem in Wexford. We're generally far too quick to pat ourselves on the back or write ourselves off"
I didn't mean the quote marks around "obvious" to mean I was quoting you directly. Just meant it to indicate that it seems that so far as many people are concerned, that's the "obvious" thing that's wrong. I was using the quote marks to show that I question that.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3306 - 10/12/2025 17:34:18    2647870

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Replying To Paull:  "While you are correct in that only 4 had played any adult hurling its also correct to say that this years management team like many before them chose to play younger players over older players with adult experience. And going by the way some of those older players played ( very well IMO) in this years championship they got that bit badly wrong again IMO."
Spot on, Paul.

Well over half of this year's U20 squad had hurled at adult championship level during 2024. The team management, for whatever reason, chose not to use many of them.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3306 - 10/12/2025 17:37:53    2647871

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Replying To Paull:  "While you are correct in that only 4 had played any adult hurling its also correct to say that this years management team like many before them chose to play younger players over older players with adult experience. And going by the way some of those older players played ( very well IMO) in this years championship they got that bit badly wrong again IMO."
Which players do you mean? Some of the up to the age players who did play in some u20 games this year didnt do very well at all. A good few missed most of the u20 intercounty season with injury also. Robbie Chapman played pretty well for Duffry ok. Not sure if he was injured or not earlier this year.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17762 - 10/12/2025 17:42:03    2647872

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Not going to mention names here but I am confident I could have picked 15 players 19 or 20 who didn't start v Laois that would be very competitive against the team that did start. Some of the players I am talking about did not even make their squad.

Paull (Wexford) - Posts: 234 - 10/12/2025 22:31:48    2647899

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Spot on, Paul.

Well over half of this year's U20 squad had hurled at adult championship level during 2024. The team management, for whatever reason, chose not to use many of them."
Some of them were injured for most or all of it. Rowley, Byrne, Michael Furlong. Not sure if Chapman was. Some got gametime but were not in good form and were dropped.
Well over half of this years squad hadn't hurled adult either. Doubt even half had. Don't think half of the 24 match days panel against Dublin had.
Who do you think up to the age shouldve started, and instead of who of the lads who did start?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17762 - 10/12/2025 22:50:35    2647901

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Replying To Viking66:  "Which players do you mean? Some of the up to the age players who did play in some u20 games this year didnt do very well at all. A good few missed most of the u20 intercounty season with injury also. Robbie Chapman played pretty well for Duffry ok. Not sure if he was injured or not earlier this year."
Did he get suspended for playing hurling in London?

countyman2022 (Wexford) - Posts: 922 - 11/12/2025 09:25:02    2647913

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Replying To Viking66:  "Ill go up with the kids support the neighbours. Its only an extra hour up the road from Nowlan Park FFS"
And an extra hour back. A few days before Christmas. What is their obsession with having Wexford games in Thurles?

countyman2022 (Wexford) - Posts: 922 - 11/12/2025 09:28:21    2647915

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Replying To alwaysasub:  "For the craic I said I would ask Chapt GPt whats the best format for Wexford hurling, to avoid any dead rubbers and to make every game meaningful, This is the proposal it had.

Best Overall Format: 3 Groups of 4 (Most Competitive Until the End)

Group Stage (3×4 teams)

Each team plays 3 matches.

Points: 2 for win, 1 for draw.

Top 2 in each group (6 teams) go to the County Quarter-Finals.

3rd-place teams (3 teams) go into a Preliminary Quarter-Final (playoff) to determine the final 2 quarter-final spots.

Bottom teams enter relegation playoff.

Knockout Structure

Preliminary QFs:

3rd A vs 3rd B

Winner vs 3rd C

2 winners join the top 6 seeded teams = 8 quarter-finalists

Quarter-Finals (8 teams)

Semi-Finals (4 teams)

Final

Why this is the best

Every team fights for something:

1st/2nd → automatic knockouts

3rd → still alive via playoff

4th → avoids relegation matches

Almost zero "dead" games in Round 3.

Balanced number of games: 3-6 matches per team."
Further to this, I dont know how the fixtures committee are going to fit in both minor and U21 championships, if you go back to two groups of 6, U21 will not be played until after the adult and minor is finished. So I have went if the format above was approved for this instance where both u21 and minor can be fitted in. Bit of a breaks here and there and you can add in another one or two if needed, maybe one for minors after eth bank holiday weekend as some players could have three games in a short space of time., this was done quickly so apologies for errors.

2026 Championship

27-28 June Hurling R1
1-July Minor Hurling R1
4-5 July Hurling R2
8 July U21 Hurling R1
11-12 July Break weekend
15 July Minor Football R1
18-19 July Football R1
22 July U21 Football R1
25-26 July Football R2
29 July Minor Hurling R2
1-2-3 Aug Bank Holiday Adult Break/U21 Hurling QF
5 Aug Minor Football R2
8-9 Aug Hurling R3
12-Aug U21 Football QF
15-16 Aug Football R3
19-Aug Minor Hurling R3
22-23 Aug Hurling Pre-liminary Quarter Final
26-Aug Minor Football R3
29-30 Aug Adult Break - Electric Picnic
2-Sept Minor Hurling Placement Games
5-6 Sep Football Pre-liminary Quarter Final
9-Sept Minor Football Placement Games
12-13 Sept Hurling Quarter Final / Relegation Semi Final
16-Sept Minor Hurling Quarter Final
19-20 Sept Football Quarter Final / Relegation Semi Final
23-Sept Minor Football Quarter Final
26-27 Sept Hurling Semi Final/Relegation Final
30 Sept Minor Hurling Semi Final
3-4 Oct Football Semi Final/Relegation Final
7th Oct Minor Football Semi Final
10-11 Oct Minor Hurling Final (Before Senior Final)
10-11 Oct Hurling Finals
17-18 Oct Minor Football Final (Before Senior Final)
17-18 Oct Football Final
24-Oct U21 Hurling Semi Finals (dependent on involvement in Leinster)
31-Oct U21 Football Semi Finals
7-8 Nov U21 Hurling Final
7-8 Nov U21 Football Final

alwaysasub (Wexford) - Posts: 575 - 11/12/2025 11:05:36    2647932

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Replying To countyman2022:  "Did he get suspended for playing hurling in London?"
Wasnt that Dylan Purcell?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17762 - 11/12/2025 11:39:57    2647942

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Replying To Viking66:  "Some of them were injured for most or all of it. Rowley, Byrne, Michael Furlong. Not sure if Chapman was. Some got gametime but were not in good form and were dropped.
Well over half of this years squad hadn't hurled adult either. Doubt even half had. Don't think half of the 24 match days panel against Dublin had.
Who do you think up to the age shouldve started, and instead of who of the lads who did start?"
They played 7 or 8 boys who were 18 or less in that match. That was more than Cork,Kilkenny, Galway, Clare and Tip combined in their last games. No point in naming anyone here. That fact alone is enough to admit they got it badly wrong.

Paull (Wexford) - Posts: 234 - 11/12/2025 11:41:05    2647943

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Replying To Paull:  "Not going to mention names here but I am confident I could have picked 15 players 19 or 20 who didn't start v Laois that would be very competitive against the team that did start. Some of the players I am talking about did not even make their squad."
The 19 year olds hadn't played any adult hurling either. I agree though, the only 2 u18s Id of picked were Eoin Hughes and Paddy Quigley.
But then me and you don't know how lads were going in training.....

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17762 - 11/12/2025 11:41:24    2647944

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Replying To Viking66:  "Some of them were injured for most or all of it. Rowley, Byrne, Michael Furlong. Not sure if Chapman was. Some got gametime but were not in good form and were dropped.
Well over half of this years squad hadn't hurled adult either. Doubt even half had. Don't think half of the 24 match days panel against Dublin had.
Who do you think up to the age shouldve started, and instead of who of the lads who did start?"
Like Paull, I'm not going to get into picking teams with hindsight or naming names either.

Am just pointing out that by all accounts, including your own, the U20 players with adult hurling experience behind them didn't set the world on fire this year. And in the manager's eyes at least, that adult hurling experience was worth so little to them that many others with no adult hurling experience at all were still ahead of them in the reckoning.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3306 - 11/12/2025 11:41:59    2647945

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