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Carlow GAA thread

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Replying To Onion Breath:  "Yeah no way could we do what we're doing this year I'd there's a 7 team SHC so something has to give. Even as it is with a 6 team championship meaning 5 matches and 5 also from an 8 team football championship it's too much. It means dual players are playing 10 group matches before even a quarter final is played.

As mentioned above maybe we should just go with 8 teams also in the SHC. I'd be concerned there could be a lot of one sided games but the structure would be far better. In SHC and SFC have 2 groups of 4 so every team plays 3 group matches in hurling and football so dual players have 6 matches over July and August, not 10 as at present. All the more reason to do this is if Joe Mc spreads out into early July then assuming we'll be at the business end of it the pressure is going to get even worse trying to keep both competitions going and not kill dual players altogether.

So whatever happens I think we'd all agree the current system this year has to change somehow for next year. Whether we do what Carps says and go back to the complete split season or not either way we still need to reduce the number of games for dual players."
I don't agree, nothing wrong with the new system.

Collio (Carlow) - Posts: 139 - 12/08/2026 07:05:47    2689515

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Replying To Collio:  "I don't agree, nothing wrong with the new system."
The current system is fine but needs to be adjusted. There are too many games is all.

Even in each code there's probably too many games, look around at other top counties like Kilkenny, cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Clare. They all have 12-16 teams and mostly play 3 group games and 3 knockout games. Limerick do play 5 group games so a slight outlier.

More games doesn't equal better standard. Match standards slip because match intensity has a kick on to training standards. Then who ever plays dual is getting flogged with this. The system just needs to be tweaked is all.

CarlowJuniorB (Clare) - Posts: 209 - 12/08/2026 11:11:44    2689534

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Replying To CarlowJuniorB:  "The current system is fine but needs to be adjusted. There are too many games is all.

Even in each code there's probably too many games, look around at other top counties like Kilkenny, cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Clare. They all have 12-16 teams and mostly play 3 group games and 3 knockout games. Limerick do play 5 group games so a slight outlier.

More games doesn't equal better standard. Match standards slip because match intensity has a kick on to training standards. Then who ever plays dual is getting flogged with this. The system just needs to be tweaked is all."
I understand what you're saying, but I think players want more games, particularly because our leagues are a waste of time. Old format could have you playing 4 important games in a year, who wants that?

Collio (Carlow) - Posts: 139 - 12/08/2026 15:01:22    2689585

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Replying To Collio:  "I understand what you're saying, but I think players want more games, particularly because our leagues are a waste of time. Old format could have you playing 4 important games in a year, who wants that?"
I agree with coolio here, players want to play, they take games over training any day of the week. but if you wanted less games what could be done here for duals is lower the amount of hurling games, keep senior at 6 teams, cant see why it should be more as after team 4 the others are a fair bit off(people will come saying about NB winning at the weekend but was their first in 30 odd senior games), then have two groups of three, top goes to semi, other two go to quarter, losers of quarters go to relegation. 4 or 5 games in it to win it and give jeopardy for teams at the bottom to keep going.

more4me (Carlow) - Posts: 131 - 12/08/2026 17:32:37    2689615

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Replying To more4me:  "I agree with coolio here, players want to play, they take games over training any day of the week. but if you wanted less games what could be done here for duals is lower the amount of hurling games, keep senior at 6 teams, cant see why it should be more as after team 4 the others are a fair bit off(people will come saying about NB winning at the weekend but was their first in 30 odd senior games), then have two groups of three, top goes to semi, other two go to quarter, losers of quarters go to relegation. 4 or 5 games in it to win it and give jeopardy for teams at the bottom to keep going."
Why bother with hurling at all with that structure. Just change it to full knockout and play it in December at that rate.

ACarlowGael (Carlow) - Posts: 52 - 13/08/2026 11:27:37    2689674

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Replying To more4me:  "I agree with coolio here, players want to play, they take games over training any day of the week. but if you wanted less games what could be done here for duals is lower the amount of hurling games, keep senior at 6 teams, cant see why it should be more as after team 4 the others are a fair bit off(people will come saying about NB winning at the weekend but was their first in 30 odd senior games), then have two groups of three, top goes to semi, other two go to quarter, losers of quarters go to relegation. 4 or 5 games in it to win it and give jeopardy for teams at the bottom to keep going."
Course Players want to play. Games are absolutely brutal at times because lads are run off the park. Put more emphasis on the league, don't know why us in Carlow try to go against the grain completely when other top counties only have like 6 championship matches.

Also if you're talking about certain teams not being at it in hurling, grange, fenagh and MLR this year have been trounced. Just truncate the football season

CarlowJuniorB (Clare) - Posts: 209 - 13/08/2026 14:05:11    2689713

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It is difficult to improve the league as a number of clubs don't have the playing numbers to be able to compete without their county players on top of whoever else may be missing at the time of year. But most of the time it's a complete waste of time. By the time you get to semi/final it does improve however. I just think with the old format clubs only have their best players for 4/5 games a year. I think the people of rathvilly would like to see Conor Doyle and the likes more often than that, same as myself with eire Óg I'd like to see Dunphy, Hulton etc play with us as much as we can. It is of course very difficult on dual players but I do think the suggestion further up of adjusting the calendar to give dual players breaks at this time rather than having bigger breaks in sept time would definitely help them.

Collio (Carlow) - Posts: 139 - 13/08/2026 14:53:29    2689720

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Replying To Collio:  "It is difficult to improve the league as a number of clubs don't have the playing numbers to be able to compete without their county players on top of whoever else may be missing at the time of year. But most of the time it's a complete waste of time. By the time you get to semi/final it does improve however. I just think with the old format clubs only have their best players for 4/5 games a year. I think the people of rathvilly would like to see Conor Doyle and the likes more often than that, same as myself with eire Óg I'd like to see Dunphy, Hulton etc play with us as much as we can. It is of course very difficult on dual players but I do think the suggestion further up of adjusting the calendar to give dual players breaks at this time rather than having bigger breaks in sept time would definitely help them."
I don't know what the answer is but I think the standard overall has been low. The football especially outside of Leinster, OL were absolutely bullied physically by Port last year. Hurlers are competitive in Leinster but the smaller total playing pool in each county definitely leads into this.

So does this culminate in less championship matches to improve overall quality despite players wanting to play more? Having to peak less and pick and choose moments could lend itself to a

CarlowJuniorB (Clare) - Posts: 209 - 14/08/2026 13:20:36    2689871

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Replying To Collio:  "It is difficult to improve the league as a number of clubs don't have the playing numbers to be able to compete without their county players on top of whoever else may be missing at the time of year. But most of the time it's a complete waste of time. By the time you get to semi/final it does improve however. I just think with the old format clubs only have their best players for 4/5 games a year. I think the people of rathvilly would like to see Conor Doyle and the likes more often than that, same as myself with eire Óg I'd like to see Dunphy, Hulton etc play with us as much as we can. It is of course very difficult on dual players but I do think the suggestion further up of adjusting the calendar to give dual players breaks at this time rather than having bigger breaks in sept time would definitely help them."
I don't know what the answer is but I think the standard overall has been low. The football especially outside of Leinster, OL were absolutely bullied physically by Port last year. Hurlers are competitive in Leinster but the smaller total playing pool in each county definitely leads into this.

So does this culminate in less championship matches to improve overall quality despite players wanting to play more? Having to peak less and pick and choose moments could lend itself to a more rested and fresher intercounty side.

CarlowJuniorB (Clare) - Posts: 209 - 14/08/2026 13:21:02    2689872

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Replying To CarlowJuniorB:  "I don't know what the answer is but I think the standard overall has been low. The football especially outside of Leinster, OL were absolutely bullied physically by Port last year. Hurlers are competitive in Leinster but the smaller total playing pool in each county definitely leads into this.

So does this culminate in less championship matches to improve overall quality despite players wanting to play more? Having to peak less and pick and choose moments could lend itself to a more rested and fresher intercounty side."
I personally don't think that game is a good indication. Old Leighlin were surprise winners really, 10/1 before the championship. Portarlington have won 5 Laois titles in 6 years. I actually think as a whole we have a much better championship than Laois. I think the top 3 in carlow would be better than every team in Laois outside of Portarlington who are a very good team. If you go to Wicklow their club teams are very poor and I would say our club football is better than theirs, same with Wexford. I think our club football is actually at a higher standard than most counties at our level. 2 years ago rathvilly lost to Ardee comfortably, but ardee lost the Leinster by a point so understandable. EO beat Joseph's and lost to the defending all Ireland champions. PAL beat Pats and then lost to that good Port team, and before that you had eire Og's run. So definitely don't think we under perform relative to where our county is.

Collio (Carlow) - Posts: 139 - 14/08/2026 15:03:35    2689887

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Replying To Collio:  "I personally don't think that game is a good indication. Old Leighlin were surprise winners really, 10/1 before the championship. Portarlington have won 5 Laois titles in 6 years. I actually think as a whole we have a much better championship than Laois. I think the top 3 in carlow would be better than every team in Laois outside of Portarlington who are a very good team. If you go to Wicklow their club teams are very poor and I would say our club football is better than theirs, same with Wexford. I think our club football is actually at a higher standard than most counties at our level. 2 years ago rathvilly lost to Ardee comfortably, but ardee lost the Leinster by a point so understandable. EO beat Joseph's and lost to the defending all Ireland champions. PAL beat Pats and then lost to that good Port team, and before that you had eire Og's run. So definitely don't think we under perform relative to where our county is."
Since eire og made the final a few years back we have been very poor. Rathvilly losing massively in 2021 to Naomh Martin. Next year pal beat a poor Wicklow side. Eire og barely beat a Joseph's side who won their county final the week before and were down in the pub til Wednesday. The next match against crokes was embarrassing. Can't fully remember the next rathvilly year and port stuffed OL last year.

CarlowJuniorB (Clare) - Posts: 209 - 14/08/2026 15:29:27    2689894

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Replying To CarlowJuniorB:  "Since eire og made the final a few years back we have been very poor. Rathvilly losing massively in 2021 to Naomh Martin. Next year pal beat a poor Wicklow side. Eire og barely beat a Joseph's side who won their county final the week before and were down in the pub til Wednesday. The next match against crokes was embarrassing. Can't fully remember the next rathvilly year and port stuffed OL last year."
What exactly are your expectations for carlow clubs? As previously stated here we haven't won a game in the Leinster championship since 2018 at county level. Our record in the Leinster club hurling championship is much worse than the football so maybe go have a look at that.

Collio (Carlow) - Posts: 139 - 14/08/2026 18:22:24    2689920

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