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In general, I like listening to Mullane. His recent: the Cork hurlers failed in 2026 because they shirked the homecoming in 2025 was on the money- as most kids under the age of 10 don't even realize whether their team won lost. All they can see is the jersey, and hear is a name, and want is an autograph-but this piece makes no sense: https://hoganstand.com/Article/Index/341252
Mullane opines, ""I'm not a firm believer that you have to go and mirror the football championship and the structure of the football championship, but we've got to take the learnings from what football are doing."
What learnings? Two-pointers if the goalie scores, and I wouldn't put it beyond Nicky Quaid. Football allows all counties in the country to enter the Sam Maguire: Kilkenny opt out, but NY and London opt in. So, we have 33 counties entering the same competition from the get-go. Is it fair? Is it balanced? Totally not, but it's an option that 20 or more counties do not have in hurling: 6 in Leinster, is it? and 5 in Munster that have a shot at lifting the McCarthy Cup.
What does Mullane, and indeed some others who advocate for change, want? Have the likes of Limerick and Kilkenny play each other 5 times in a season, or Tipp and Cork do battle 6 times?
Unless these ex-players (aka experts) have a proposal to submit to improve hurling, this "something's gotta change" attitude isn't worth a ball of blue. And even if they submit a proposal, having it implemented is another day's work altogether.
foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 2626 - 03/08/2026 23:10:58
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Replying To foreveryoung: "In general, I like listening to Mullane. His recent: the Cork hurlers failed in 2026 because they shirked the homecoming in 2025 was on the money- as most kids under the age of 10 don't even realize whether their team won lost. All they can see is the jersey, and hear is a name, and want is an autograph-but this piece makes no sense: https://hoganstand.com/Article/Index/341252
Mullane opines, ""I'm not a firm believer that you have to go and mirror the football championship and the structure of the football championship, but we've got to take the learnings from what football are doing."
What learnings? Two-pointers if the goalie scores, and I wouldn't put it beyond Nicky Quaid. Football allows all counties in the country to enter the Sam Maguire: Kilkenny opt out, but NY and London opt in. So, we have 33 counties entering the same competition from the get-go. Is it fair? Is it balanced? Totally not, but it's an option that 20 or more counties do not have in hurling: 6 in Leinster, is it? and 5 in Munster that have a shot at lifting the McCarthy Cup.
What does Mullane, and indeed some others who advocate for change, want? Have the likes of Limerick and Kilkenny play each other 5 times in a season, or Tipp and Cork do battle 6 times?
Unless these ex-players (aka experts) have a proposal to submit to improve hurling, this "something's gotta change" attitude isn't worth a ball of blue. And even if they submit a proposal, having it implemented is another day's work altogether." You make a valid point, how many times do we want repeat fixtures?
If Cork had got to the Final as expected, that would have been 3 championship games with Limerick. 2 League games and 1 in the Munster senior hurling league.
As long as there is only 10/11 counties at the top table only a certain amount of games can/should be played.
I am not having a pop at the Kerrys and Carlows of this world where dedicated hurling people reside as with many other counties. Its just in a majority of counties in Ireland hurling is a minority game or non existent at all.
Southsham (Limerick) - Posts: 758 - 04/08/2026 12:36:33
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Replying To Southsham: "You make a valid point, how many times do we want repeat fixtures?
If Cork had got to the Final as expected, that would have been 3 championship games with Limerick. 2 League games and 1 in the Munster senior hurling league.
As long as there is only 10/11 counties at the top table only a certain amount of games can/should be played.
I am not having a pop at the Kerrys and Carlows of this world where dedicated hurling people reside as with many other counties. Its just in a majority of counties in Ireland hurling is a minority game or non existent at all." My solution to the hurling championships has two phases:
Phase 1 is return to a knock out Munster and Leinster Championship (winners would have to play two or three matches to win). The prize for winning would be guaranteed qualification for a "Home" all Ireland Quarter final (i.e. winning Munster/Leinster) guarantees you a home all Ireland quarter final regardless of how you perform in phase two).
Phase 2 is an open draw championship involving two groups of 6 (i.e. Munster and Leinster winners are separated, and perhaps the beaten Munster and Leinster finalists are put in opposing groups). Each team plays 5 matches. The top 3 teams in each group (who have not already qualified by winning Munster/Leinster) plus the Munster and Leinster champions) make up the All Ireland Quarter finalists.
Munster and Leinster champions get home advantage for their quarter finals, the other two quarters are played at neutral venues.
Then Semi Finals and Final in Croke Park.
Advantages are there is still an incentive to win Munster/Leinster, Every team will get a minimum of 6 championship matches, 8 teams will get a minimum of 7 matches, 4 teams get a minimum of 8 matches. The majority of hurling teams will still be hurling up to quarterfinals.
Disadvantages Hurling final would have to be played a week after the football final to fit in the games/breaks and the league structure might have to be tweaked to fit the hurling championship in in the time allotted
LimerickandProud (Limerick) - Posts: 295 - 04/08/2026 14:18:39
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Replying To LimerickandProud: "My solution to the hurling championships has two phases:
Phase 1 is return to a knock out Munster and Leinster Championship (winners would have to play two or three matches to win). The prize for winning would be guaranteed qualification for a "Home" all Ireland Quarter final (i.e. winning Munster/Leinster) guarantees you a home all Ireland quarter final regardless of how you perform in phase two).
Phase 2 is an open draw championship involving two groups of 6 (i.e. Munster and Leinster winners are separated, and perhaps the beaten Munster and Leinster finalists are put in opposing groups). Each team plays 5 matches. The top 3 teams in each group (who have not already qualified by winning Munster/Leinster) plus the Munster and Leinster champions) make up the All Ireland Quarter finalists.
Munster and Leinster champions get home advantage for their quarter finals, the other two quarters are played at neutral venues.
Then Semi Finals and Final in Croke Park.
Advantages are there is still an incentive to win Munster/Leinster, Every team will get a minimum of 6 championship matches, 8 teams will get a minimum of 7 matches, 4 teams get a minimum of 8 matches. The majority of hurling teams will still be hurling up to quarterfinals.
Disadvantages Hurling final would have to be played a week after the football final to fit in the games/breaks and the league structure might have to be tweaked to fit the hurling championship in in the time allotted" My usual criticism of suggestions of open-draw provincial championships first, followed by All-Ireland groups, is that the provincial championships would eventually become more or less irrelevant, as has happened in camogie. A "nice to win", but a "doesn't really matter in the long run".
At least you've tried to address that. But a couple of thoughts:
- if you've already won your province, what real incentive is there to do well in the All-Ireland groups that follow? Apart from not wanting to finish last, as I assume there'd be a relegation playoff between the bottom teams from each group. But other than that, doesn't really matter if you finish first, second, third, fourth, or fifth. You could go hammer and tongs to keep the momentum going, or you could go through the motions, giving fringe players a run and just experimenting ahead of the knockout stages where you're already assured of a place. And while I don't think any team would ever deliberately "throw" a match, you could put out a weakened team for a match where it's felt that a win for the opposition might suit you better in the long run.
- would certain venues (i.e. Wexford Park, Walsh Park, Cusack Park) be capable of hosting an All-Ireland quarter-final? I realise quarter-finals don't generally draw big crowds these past few years. But say Waterford won Munster, or Wexford won Leinster (might happen sometime!), and they had Cork and a big bandwagon coming to town - would you really put it on in a ground with capacity of just 15,000 to 20,000 or would you move it to another venue so that thousands of people wouldn't be disappointed by not being able to get tickets?
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3819 - 04/08/2026 14:41:38
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