HoganStand GAA Football and Hurling

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All Ireland Football Championship 2025

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Replying To omahant: "Eamonn Sweeney makes the case in today's Indo that KK should be in Munster so they could be battle hardened for the AI Series just like their peers. He states that Munster's 'Big 5' should linked with Leinster's 'Top 3'. It's a fair point - but you can't cut the rest adrift either." That wpuld be totally unfair on the remaining teams but tbh the Leinster championship is odd anyway when Galway Antrim and even Kerry a few years ago play in Leinster.Galway also played inMunster years ago. CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3970 - 11/06/2025 14:01:20 2616668 Link
Replying To ForeverBlue2: "Correct Legend but it won't be flawed for much longer much to the disappointment of the deluded.. Practically a round of challenge games this weekend bar a couple…" You've been peddling this on a number of threads, all of which suggest that you deem all games that are not knock-out to be meaningless. That is a valid position to hold, although one that has been out of favour with most for a considerable period of time. However, you have also been eulogising the hurling championships in contrast to football. But, by the logic of your opinion on games being meaningless unless they are knock-out, there hasn't been a single hurling game yet this year that has any meaning. The first meaningful games won't happen until this weekend when the preliminary finals take place. CeachtPeile (Cavan) - Posts: 144 - 11/06/2025 15:27:07 2616699 Link
Replying To legendzxix: "Louth should win comfortably but a Louth - Clare draw would see Louth advance on only 1 point. Wins for Armagh and Dublin next weekend would see Galway advance on 1 point. Some people want to retain the current format despite these ridiculous scenarios that could arise!!" And Clare and my Cork are alive on a 4th chance - ridiculous indeed. omahant (USA) - Posts: 3296 - 11/06/2025 15:47:07 2616703 Link
Replying To omahant: "And Clare and my Cork are alive on a 4th chance - ridiculous indeed." Why is it ridiculous, though? We all know that only 1 team is knocked out of the group of 4. We know this from the start. It gives everyone in the group, especially the weaker team, a chance to get a result to get to the next stage. How many meaninless matches will there be in the last round this weekend vrs how many gripping ones that have everything to play for? We used to give out that weaker teams had no chance to progress and had less games, now we give out that there not knocked out and let the big teams at it and not be wasting there time. We do love to complain, don't we. farneygael (Monaghan) - Posts: 309 - 11/06/2025 22:16:31 2616793 Link
Dublin v Derry - the winner will go through. Dublin expected to go through. Can there be a massive performance in Derry to deliver a potential knockout blow? Armagh v Galway - Galway have to win. Can Armagh knockout a rival? In one scenario Armagh could save Dublin and Dublin will come back like Dracula. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8939 - 12/06/2025 14:47:50 2616957 Link
Replying To farneygael: "Why is it ridiculous, though? We all know that only 1 team is knocked out of the group of 4. We know this from the start. It gives everyone in the group, especially the weaker team, a chance to get a result to get to the next stage. How many meaninless matches will there be in the last round this weekend vrs how many gripping ones that have everything to play for? We used to give out that weaker teams had no chance to progress and had less games, now we give out that there not knocked out and let the big teams at it and not be wasting there time. We do love to complain, don't we." I think the majority would think the following is ridiculous: ✓ If Louth draws this weekend, they advance with zero wins from 3 group games. ✓ Louth most likely plays a 2-win team in a Prelim QF. ✓ In that Prelim QF KO match, Louth could advance and put out an opponent with more wins. ✓ If there's a winner in the Down v Monaghan tie (in Louth's group), they will have 6 pts and a bye to the QFs - this would hardly be a princely reward for a team with 5-pts more than a 1-pt Louth. ✓ Generally, win a first group game and you have 'almost' got a KO berth; win all 3 and go to QFs; but win 2, and you could face Louth. ✓ Why win multiple group games at all, when they have so little marginal value? 'Format 2026' will be much better- over Rds 1, 2A/2B & 3: Win 2 of 3, go to QFs; Lose 2 of 3, go home - Straight forward, fair and simple! omahant (USA) - Posts: 3296 - 12/06/2025 16:37:17 2616997 Link
Replying To omahant: "I think the majority would think the following is ridiculous: ✓ If Louth draws this weekend, they advance with zero wins from 3 group games. ✓ Louth most likely plays a 2-win team in a Prelim QF. ✓ In that Prelim QF KO match, Louth could advance and put out an opponent with more wins. ✓ If there's a winner in the Down v Monaghan tie (in Louth's group), they will have 6 pts and a bye to the QFs - this would hardly be a princely reward for a team with 5-pts more than a 1-pt Louth. ✓ Generally, win a first group game and you have 'almost' got a KO berth; win all 3 and go to QFs; but win 2, and you could face Louth. ✓ Why win multiple group games at all, when they have so little marginal value? 'Format 2026' will be much better- over Rds 1, 2A/2B & 3: Win 2 of 3, go to QFs; Lose 2 of 3, go home - Straight forward, fair and simple!" We would all be lost without you. Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2333 - 12/06/2025 16:51:52 2617001 Link
Replying To Saynothing: "We would all be lost without you." Oh say nothing... Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 549 - 12/06/2025 17:21:40 2617011 Link
1. Donegal, Mayo, Tyrone or Cavan will be eliminated. 2. Roscommon or Cork will be eliminated. 3. Louth or Clare will be eliminated. 4. Dublin, Galway or Derry will be eliminated. "Three out of four teams getting through still makes it too dull a format to be spared." Spot on. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8939 - 12/06/2025 22:52:40 2617060 Link
Replying To omahant: "And Clare and my Cork are alive on a 4th chance - ridiculous indeed." It was more ridiculous with the super 8 when you had Cork v Roscommon playing a round 3 match with both already out of the championship. Drax_the_destroyer (UK) - Posts: 494 - 12/06/2025 23:57:15 2617076 Link
Replying To Saynothing: "We would all be lost without you." I didn't think so, but you know best. Shouldn't you finesse rather than humiliate yourself? omahant (USA) - Posts: 3296 - 13/06/2025 05:43:08 2617084 Link
Thankfully change is on the way ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 4065 - 13/06/2025 07:17:30 2617085 Link
The back door system was originally brought in to supposedly help weaker counties… what did it do for them .. ? Nothing,. Now we have a raft of meaningless group games that do nothing only pile more debt on hard pressed counties that are nearly all employing well paid outside managers to oversee extra games that lead to nothing… The provincial championships might offer some hope for these weaker counties of maybe causing an upset and winning something but when it comes to the AI series they are just make weights wasting money with the same 3/4 counties going off with the big honour every year..: Might as well go back to a straight knockout system as the same few teams will end up in the Semifinals anyway… The Taltainn Cup could be run for the bottom 16 or so… ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 4065 - 13/06/2025 09:51:03 2617114 Link
Replying To ForeverBlue2: "Thankfully change is on the way" A period of stability is needed at this stage, it's non stop change of its rules and formats by HQ, Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3655 - 13/06/2025 14:54:34 2617211 Link
Replying To ForeverBlue2: "The back door system was originally brought in to supposedly help weaker counties… what did it do for them .. ? Nothing,. Now we have a raft of meaningless group games that do nothing only pile more debt on hard pressed counties that are nearly all employing well paid outside managers to oversee extra games that lead to nothing… The provincial championships might offer some hope for these weaker counties of maybe causing an upset and winning something but when it comes to the AI series they are just make weights wasting money with the same 3/4 counties going off with the big honour every year..: Might as well go back to a straight knockout system as the same few teams will end up in the Semifinals anyway… The Taltainn Cup could be run for the bottom 16 or so…" There was nothing wrong with the old back door system. The provincial winners got straight into the quarter finals and the provincial runner up had an extra match to play against a back door team to try and make it to a quarter final. At least the provincial winners got rewarded for winning their province. As it stands teams are penalised for winning their province because they have to play extra matches. Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 549 - 13/06/2025 16:47:37 2617246 Link
Replying To Scenicparish: "There was nothing wrong with the old back door system. The provincial winners got straight into the quarter finals and the provincial runner up had an extra match to play against a back door team to try and make it to a quarter final. At least the provincial winners got rewarded for winning their province. As it stands teams are penalised for winning their province because they have to play extra matches." People wanted rid of it for about 6 or 7 years up to its abolition after 2022. Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2412 - 13/06/2025 20:40:45 2617275 Link
Replying To Seanfanbocht: "People wanted rid of it for about 6 or 7 years up to its abolition after 2022." Then they introduced the ridiculous "Super 8's" to fool the people and then moved on to an even more ridiculous group system…. Every change they made only made things worse but then again it is the GAA we are dealing with so hardly surprising is it….!!! ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 4065 - 14/06/2025 11:28:13 2617317 Link
Have 100 double on Derry and Galway. Armagh playing b team and Derry coming into form. Could be good outside bet for All Ireland. Dubs will lose back to back championship games first time since backdoor. kerry4sam25 (Kerry) - Posts: 32 - 14/06/2025 17:57:24 2617393 Link
Roscommon for Sam. summerof09 (Meath) - Posts: 331 - 14/06/2025 18:01:52 2617396 Link
Congrats to Meath today on their well deserved win v Kerry and could have won by more. CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3970 - 14/06/2025 18:12:37 2617406 Link