National Forum

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2025

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post


Replying To midlands:  "Just to change the topic away from red cards, I thought it strange that the Sunday Game, and Donal Og Cusack in particular, made a big issue of the foul on Cathal O'Neill near the end, which resulted in an ordinary free and a yellow card. Cusack maintained that under the rules it should have been a penalty and a black card, on the basis that O'Neill was denied a goal-scoring opportunity. Of course he is right, but there have been a number of similar fouls in this year's championship and I can't recall Cusack or anyone else highlighting those incidents, such as the cynical foul on Stephen Bennett when he was in on goal against Cork. Is it possible that referees have been instructed not to apply this rule, or are they simply taking the law into their own hands?"
There was a couple of these in the Wexford Dublin match earlier in the year as well, or maybe it was the Offaly one, but everyone felt at the time that the black card has been forgotten.

ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1400 - 25/06/2025 12:36:08    2620940

Link

Replying To Cockney_Cat:  "It's too late, the horse has bolted. I used to like professional soccer, but now it's hard to watch with all the play-acting. Hurling and football has been gradually going the same way over the last few years. It's terrible to see."
Not sure if you watch a lot of football but there is not the same problem. Head challanges were cracked down earlier and there is far more acceptance that if you get that timing wrong you are going to the line. Since helmets and faceguards were introduced the level of indiscipline with the hurl around the head has increased - its a ah sure he has a helmet on so he can't get hurt. If genuine slaps to the head were blown and red cards issued players would not be putting themselves into that situation. Yeah lads playact but and they get away with it because the player making the challange put himself in that situation.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 2023 - 25/06/2025 15:27:09    2620993

Link

Replying To midlands:  "Just to change the topic away from red cards, I thought it strange that the Sunday Game, and Donal Og Cusack in particular, made a big issue of the foul on Cathal O'Neill near the end, which resulted in an ordinary free and a yellow card. Cusack maintained that under the rules it should have been a penalty and a black card, on the basis that O'Neill was denied a goal-scoring opportunity. Of course he is right, but there have been a number of similar fouls in this year's championship and I can't recall Cusack or anyone else highlighting those incidents, such as the cynical foul on Stephen Bennett when he was in on goal against Cork. Is it possible that referees have been instructed not to apply this rule, or are they simply taking the law into their own hands?"
I think it comes down to the usual "balancing act"that many referees tend to do in their heads. If the ref had given a yellow to Crummy he would have given a black card and a penalty for the other incident, but maybe was conscious that giving a red and a black would appear unduly harsh on Dublin

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 2039 - 25/06/2025 17:53:42    2621055

Link

Replying To midlands:  "Just to change the topic away from red cards, I thought it strange that the Sunday Game, and Donal Og Cusack in particular, made a big issue of the foul on Cathal O'Neill near the end, which resulted in an ordinary free and a yellow card. Cusack maintained that under the rules it should have been a penalty and a black card, on the basis that O'Neill was denied a goal-scoring opportunity. Of course he is right, but there have been a number of similar fouls in this year's championship and I can't recall Cusack or anyone else highlighting those incidents, such as the cynical foul on Stephen Bennett when he was in on goal against Cork. Is it possible that referees have been instructed not to apply this rule, or are they simply taking the law into their own hands?"
Yeah but there are lads in Hurling that don't believe there should be any cards. If the refs started giving frees for all the fouls they will be slaughtered by the pundits for not letting the game flow, if the give yellow, red and black they have destroyed the game. If Dublin had lost, the discussion would have been about how the ref decided the game with the red card. Until the people at the top decide what type of discipline they want the refs will always be blamed. How may times have the top brass commented on ill-discipline in Hurling - what happened after the muster final and the half time antics. If the same happened in Football the inquiry would still be going on and narrative that something needs to be done to clean up Football.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 2023 - 25/06/2025 19:48:04    2621075

Link

Replying To zinny:  "Not sure if you watch a lot of football but there is not the same problem. Head challanges were cracked down earlier and there is far more acceptance that if you get that timing wrong you are going to the line. Since helmets and faceguards were introduced the level of indiscipline with the hurl around the head has increased - its a ah sure he has a helmet on so he can't get hurt. If genuine slaps to the head were blown and red cards issued players would not be putting themselves into that situation. Yeah lads playact but and they get away with it because the player making the challange put himself in that situation."
Two wrongs don't make a right zinny.
I played long before helmets were mandatory and the helmets must be made of cardboard at the way lads go down hurt now.

ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1400 - 25/06/2025 20:26:06    2621082

Link

Replying To PoolSturgeon:  "I think it comes down to the usual "balancing act"that many referees tend to do in their heads. If the ref had given a yellow to Crummy he would have given a black card and a penalty for the other incident, but maybe was conscious that giving a red and a black would appear unduly harsh on Dublin"
I think he was generally good despite a reputation for being whistle happy.

Crummy if he hit Hegarty can have no complaints. A few border line calls including one in next play for hurley around McHugh neck.

Black card was silly rule and seems to be ignored. Its invitation to go down when forward is being held up.

Frees and cards should be for dangerous play and blatant technical violations. Less the better.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3662 - 25/06/2025 20:36:23    2621087

Link

Replying To ExiledInWex:  "Two wrongs don't make a right zinny.
I played long before helmets were mandatory and the helmets must be made of cardboard at the way lads go down hurt now."
I am not sure if I ever played without a helmet although they were not mandatory at the time. and a lot of people didn't use them. There were genuine accidents and deliberate pulls - Tony Doran in 1981 - but the nowhere near the level of carelessness we have today. I agree lads shouldn't be going down unless they are hurt but players are putting refs in an impossible position because there is so much of the hurl around the head these days, split second decisions to determine what is real and not. But there is also another way of looking at it, players don't do what their managers are against, managers are employed by the county board who are elected by the clubs and most of the time a lot of the board go to congress and elect the president so who is responsible for change. The player and the ref are the ones that take the blame when it all goes wrong.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 2023 - 26/06/2025 08:24:55    2621134

Link