Replying To CeachtPeile: "It's interesting but the fact that 1 point is enough to qualify is a serious flaw. Another major flaw is that third place teams getting a double chance in the knockout phase means a team could lose 4 games and win the All Ireland. This is because a team could come third in Munster with 1 win and 3 defeats and then could lose the first play-off for a fourth defeat. They would still have another chance to progress."
They are playing much better teams though. That has to be a factor.
Replying To Tadhg2020: "If the product on offer is good enough none of that other stuff really matters."
If the product is good enough then the Heineken Cup, PL etc dont habe much effect. They dont on Munster Championship attendances. They dont on tv ratings. Hurling ratings are holding up well. That is what I mean. You might not like it but our product sells very well.
Replying To M Lyster: "I saw an interesting proposal on another forum to liven up the hurling championship a little. Yes it involves the top 4 teams emerging from the round robins but each team starts a round further back the lower they are in the table.
Play the round robins as normal, when the provincial finals are being played the teams in 3rd & 4th play their counterpart in a knockout play-off. The 'best 3rd' gets straight through to the QF, the 'best 4th' plays the loser of the other play-off for a QF spot.
Provincial champions: straight through to SF Provincial runners-up: straight through to QF 3rd place playoff: winner to QF, loser to playoff final (effectively a preliminary QF) 4th place playoff: winner to playoff final (effectively a pre-preliminary QF) Playoff final: winner to QF (effectively a preliminary QF)
Applied to this year's championship might look like this: 3rd place playoff: Clare v Offaly 4th place playoff: Waterford v Kilkenny Playoff final: Waterford v Offaly QF: Clare v Dublin, Cork v Waterford SF: Limerick v Clare, Galway v Cork
Same outcome but it gives a few more meaningful knockout games in June after the round robins. It's a minor tweak but allows the likes of Waterford to prove they're better than Offaly etc."
Replying To M Lyster: "I saw an interesting proposal on another forum to liven up the hurling championship a little. Yes it involves the top 4 teams emerging from the round robins but each team starts a round further back the lower they are in the table.
Play the round robins as normal, when the provincial finals are being played the teams in 3rd & 4th play their counterpart in a knockout play-off. The 'best 3rd' gets straight through to the QF, the 'best 4th' plays the loser of the other play-off for a QF spot.
Provincial champions: straight through to SF Provincial runners-up: straight through to QF 3rd place playoff: winner to QF, loser to playoff final (effectively a preliminary QF) 4th place playoff: winner to playoff final (effectively a pre-preliminary QF) Playoff final: winner to QF (effectively a preliminary QF)
Applied to this year's championship might look like this: 3rd place playoff: Clare v Offaly 4th place playoff: Waterford v Kilkenny Playoff final: Waterford v Offaly QF: Clare v Dublin, Cork v Waterford SF: Limerick v Clare, Galway v Cork
Same outcome but it gives a few more meaningful knockout games in June after the round robins. It's a minor tweak but allows the likes of Waterford to prove they're better than Offaly etc."
Im not against it. Im not sure you can squeeze 3 rounds in though. The quarters are 2 weeks on from the provincial finals. If you go a week earlier someone will likely be playing 3 weeks in a row.