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Its absolutely pointless championship,have lads playing 2 rounds and then notting till November or December!! It should be graded properly and straight knockout!! Prob have it finished in 5 weeks,have it mid week under lights during the league because that's a joke and young lads might aswell be hurling games as slogging it out training,or start it at start of year mid February to end March!!! League starts 3rd week of March most years so it wouldn't really effect to many teams prob be at semi or final of it at that stage!!! Think the next round is the last Wednesday in July then notting till October November!!! The forgotten grade really something that used to hold a bit of weight as a championship in the past!!!
theboys (Wexford) - Posts: 284 - 04/07/2025 10:12:21
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Replying To theboys: "Its absolutely pointless championship,have lads playing 2 rounds and then notting till November or December!! It should be graded properly and straight knockout!! Prob have it finished in 5 weeks,have it mid week under lights during the league because that's a joke and young lads might aswell be hurling games as slogging it out training,or start it at start of year mid February to end March!!! League starts 3rd week of March most years so it wouldn't really effect to many teams prob be at semi or final of it at that stage!!! Think the next round is the last Wednesday in July then notting till October November!!! The forgotten grade really something that used to hold a bit of weight as a championship in the past!!!" Will agree with you there - just do it as a straight knock out either at the start of the season or end of the season. Whatever we have backdoors and shields for I do not know.
We also have enough good pitches and lights now to play it in the off season. Current format just isn't working. It always was a really good championship (even as a forgotten one) and luckily i won one or two
MyOhMi (Wexford) - Posts: 206 - 04/07/2025 10:36:12
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U21 is a great grade but it is a lot of load on a player.
Its the value of a 4G pitch if it could be played later in the year and keeps lads hurling and playing football later in the year.
ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1427 - 04/07/2025 12:59:47
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Replying To MyOhMi: "Will agree with you there - just do it as a straight knock out either at the start of the season or end of the season. Whatever we have backdoors and shields for I do not know.
We also have enough good pitches and lights now to play it in the off season. Current format just isn't working. It always was a really good championship (even as a forgotten one) and luckily i won one or two" I think the purpose of back doors and shields is just to keep people hurling which is a good thing, but there's a balance between finding intensity and matches for the sake of matches
Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3822 - 04/07/2025 13:11:56
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The Anne's full value for their 10 point win against Ferns, only concern for them would be Liam Óg going off injured
Story of the game was that the Anne's were dominant in the physical stakes across the pitch, seemed to win nearly every contest for primary possession as well as breaking ball
I know they got to the final last year but as much as the Martin's will take beating, the Anne's will take beating too if they continue like this
ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 600 - 04/07/2025 21:03:33
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Replying To ElGranSenor: "The Anne's full value for their 10 point win against Ferns, only concern for them would be Liam Óg going off injured
Story of the game was that the Anne's were dominant in the physical stakes across the pitch, seemed to win nearly every contest for primary possession as well as breaking ball
I know they got to the final last year but as much as the Martin's will take beating, the Anne's will take beating too if they continue like this" Anne's look strong missing 4 probable starters this evening also. Thought Ferns were poor, have they anything coming up? Alot of old timers coming on for them.
paddybull (Wexford) - Posts: 50 - 04/07/2025 21:56:05
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Replying To ElGranSenor: "The Anne's full value for their 10 point win against Ferns, only concern for them would be Liam Óg going off injured
Story of the game was that the Anne's were dominant in the physical stakes across the pitch, seemed to win nearly every contest for primary possession as well as breaking ball
I know they got to the final last year but as much as the Martin's will take beating, the Anne's will take beating too if they continue like this" Yeh Martins one and St Anne's two in my opinion. Early doors and Martins far from impressive tonight but got the job done against a Rapps side who improved greatly in the second half. Liam Ryan to come back aswell so they might be good enough to sneak into the top 4 if they can pick up a couple of wins.
WexMurph (Wexford) - Posts: 291 - 04/07/2025 22:23:39
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Bua mhaith ar Naoimh Mairtín freisin.
CnocÁine (Limerick) - Posts: 13 - 04/07/2025 22:26:04
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U21 really is a problem grade. As I've pointed out before:
- Can't play it in February/March/April if it's to be a 'proper' championship, as so many clubs would be missing the players they have with the county U20 or senior squads.
- Can't play it in May/June due to college exams & Leaving Cert.
So that leaves you with a July start. And then:
- If you play it each week to a finish, people complain about 19/20/21-year-olds having to play each weekend with an adult team, midweek with U21, and then the following weekend again. Especially since they have to work in a training session or two with the adult team each week as well.
- Or if you do it like now, people complain about getting two games in a couple of weeks, but then having to wait months for the next one.
Wait until November to start it, and all the county champions in Leinster club action would be in difficulty for it. Also there'd be complaints about "leaving lads waiting around all year".
U21 had a place when there weren't so many other competitions, or when other competitions were primarily run as knock-outs. But it's hard to find room for it now.
Heard somebody make a great point about it a couple of years ago. He reckoned if there'd never been U21 in the first place, nobody right now would be dreaming it up, by saying "you know what we really need? A competition at another age group between minor and senior, because without it, there just aren't enough games being played".
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2970 - 05/07/2025 01:05:30
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A question for the boffins here.
How many players are over age for minor and not playing adult hurling for their club?
I would guess there is not 25 players in the county in this situation.
U21 is a good grade but it either needs to become a de-facto winter competition as ExilesInWex says on a 4G pitch in the lead up to Christmas. The problem used to be it started in November and was played on dreadfully inadequate pitches and lads were off in college and nobody cared about it as a result.
It wouldn't be the worst thing to lose is what I am saying.
StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 1895 - 05/07/2025 12:40:14
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Replying To StoreysTash: "A question for the boffins here.
How many players are over age for minor and not playing adult hurling for their club?
I would guess there is not 25 players in the county in this situation.
U21 is a good grade but it either needs to become a de-facto winter competition as ExilesInWex says on a 4G pitch in the lead up to Christmas. The problem used to be it started in November and was played on dreadfully inadequate pitches and lads were off in college and nobody cared about it as a result.
It wouldn't be the worst thing to lose is what I am saying." We didn't bother entering a team for it. All our players that age are starting Junior B or playing Intermediate A this year.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16529 - 05/07/2025 14:54:38
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Replying To ElGranSenor: "The Anne's full value for their 10 point win against Ferns, only concern for them would be Liam Óg going off injured
Story of the game was that the Anne's were dominant in the physical stakes across the pitch, seemed to win nearly every contest for primary possession as well as breaking ball
I know they got to the final last year but as much as the Martin's will take beating, the Anne's will take beating too if they continue like this" Very hard to gauge how good St Anne's were as Ferns were dreadful, the drop off in the second half would probably indicate their conditioning isn't great. Not looking good for them in the championship at all. St Anne's should be in the mix come the business end all the same.
YellowShadeOfPurple (Wexford) - Posts: 55 - 05/07/2025 16:10:24
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Replying To paddybull: "Anne's look strong missing 4 probable starters this evening also. Thought Ferns were poor, have they anything coming up? Alot of old timers coming on for them." Ferns U21s got an awful hammering by Rathnure Wednesday night so to answer your question, I would think not much coming up.
YellowShadeOfPurple (Wexford) - Posts: 55 - 05/07/2025 16:14:25
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Replying To YellowShadeOfPurple: "Very hard to gauge how good St Anne's were as Ferns were dreadful, the drop off in the second half would probably indicate their conditioning isn't great. Not looking good for them in the championship at all. St Anne's should be in the mix come the business end all the same." No point peaking yet
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16529 - 05/07/2025 16:23:30
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Replying To StoreysTash: "A question for the boffins here.
How many players are over age for minor and not playing adult hurling for their club?
I would guess there is not 25 players in the county in this situation.
U21 is a good grade but it either needs to become a de-facto winter competition as ExilesInWex says on a 4G pitch in the lead up to Christmas. The problem used to be it started in November and was played on dreadfully inadequate pitches and lads were off in college and nobody cared about it as a result.
It wouldn't be the worst thing to lose is what I am saying." You'll have minors on the team also, they played Monday night, then they played U21 Wednesday night.
Then the minors that sat on the bench for the minor game miss out on training because of the U21 game.
WEX98 (Wexford) - Posts: 546 - 05/07/2025 16:37:33
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Replying To Viking66: "No point peaking yet" For sure but beatings like that don't do anything for confidence going forward.
YellowShadeOfPurple (Wexford) - Posts: 55 - 05/07/2025 17:15:21
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Replying To theboys: "Yea great start for rathnure in beating the worst team in the championship!! There backs are poor and who's the best young back your talking about,none of them are a Joe barret either,none of them are county standard either!!!" You were saying?
WexfordWarrior (Wexford) - Posts: 6 - 05/07/2025 17:49:56
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Replying To WexfordWarrior: "You were saying?" Great performance very hard to gauge where teams are with no threat of been out of the championship though. Also Gorey missing 6 or 7 I heard. But delighted with 2 from 2 after coming up from intermediate and 2 very good performances. Rathnure forwards look very hard for any team to contain
Graham915oc (Wexford) - Posts: 2 - 05/07/2025 18:11:20
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Rathnure genuine contenders for me, themselves, Annes, Martins and Naomh Eanna the semi finalists if I was to pick them now. Shels will have a say in the championship too. Two steely wins in a row now.
Watched the Annes-Ferns game Friday and it was a let down. No real bite to it and it looked to me that Ferns need fresh ideas. Now, in any format they might be in jeopardy already, but on the flipside they have got two of the toughest games out of the way so theoretically should go better here on in
beano (Wexford) - Posts: 1500 - 05/07/2025 20:31:32
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Occurs to me that with two rounds played, we're now at the stage where in a proper championship you'd be saying things like "so-and-so are already in trouble" or "the next match really is crucial for whoever".
But in this system we're stuck with, teams still have more than two months to try get things right before the serious business starts. Preliminary quarter-finals will be September 13th & 14th.
Even if I was Ferns, Oulart-The Ballagh or the Rapps (all pointless so far), I still wouldn't be hugely concerned, as I think all three are capable of better and still have plenty of time to improve.
As for Crossabeg/Ballymurn (the other pointless team) - I'd expect them to struggle all right, in any system.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2970 - 06/07/2025 00:24:36
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