It's time to scrap the pre season competitions. They generate hardly any interest among supporters and counties don't take it seriously with some not even entering teams.

wex (Wexford) - Posts: 10 - 04/01/2019 14:20:28    2155651

Loughduff Lad (Cavan) - Posts: 2383 - 04/01/2019 14:29:52    2155654

wex (Wexford) - Posts: 10 - 04/01/2019 14:58:20    2155660

Isn't there a charitable reason for their existence?

RoyalBadger (Meath) - Posts: 571 - 04/01/2019 15:36:58    2155666

Teams aren't allowed to train late into the year so bringing the start of the league forward to January wouldn't make much sense in my opinion. These pre season competitions are effectively glorified challenge games, if they didn't exist then I would imagine that counties would end up playing challenge games regardless.

iarmhi_an_mhaith (Westmeath) - Posts: 268 - 04/01/2019 16:02:25    2155669

Bringing the league forward to the start of January is a really terrible idea.

They are just warmup competitions they fulfill the purpose that they are aiming for.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4226 - 04/01/2019 16:25:34    2155670

Counties will still need games before the league
By all means scrap these competitions. Just leave counties pick and choose as many pre season friendlies they want to play

DonaldDuck (Tipperary) - Posts: 544 - 05/01/2019 19:19:28    2155762

I always go to as many as possible of the obc. Now I've been to the longford Laois games didn't get going to Wexford one and I'll be at Dublin one. They serve a purpose and also remember the funds raised go to injured players. So for me I say keep them.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 06/01/2019 10:05:25    2155775

You wouldn't be saying that if you were in Carrick right now with the throngs of Mayo fans here....

Teams need a few games before the league and supporters like to dust off the cobwebs after the Christmas holidays...it's win win in my opinion.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11231 - 06/01/2019 13:02:17    2155787

Hopefully we can take our penalties;

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7345 - 06/01/2019 15:12:16    2155797

Can see some "value" in them for football cos the football league is competitive across all divisions and in many ways the league is a better competition than the championship. Therefore "pre-season" games in preparation for the league have some logic.
But in hurling it is completely different. As will be seen more clearly this year, the hurling league as a competition to win or do well in, has lost nearly all its value and importance for the top counties. With the changes implemented last year, we now effectively have the Munster and Leinster championships being run on a league basis. This is the "real" league in hurling now...and the only league that matters. The changes in the championship structure have reduced the national hurling league in status (supposedly the 2nd most important national competition in hurling) to little more than a preseason competition. (Analysis of Tipp's poor championship performance last year was partly attributed to them putting in too much effort into the league. Although local rivalries will still keep an edge to hurling league games, I'd expect all the top teams to adopt a "slow bicycle race" approach to the league in future in light of the new championship structures.)

Since in hurling the league is developing into a preseason competition there is absolutely no need for all the other warm up tournaments that are still being held.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1903 - 06/01/2019 15:33:51    2155802

if it ain't broken, don't fix it: nothing wrong with these competitions. There are plenty of other things to focus on if you're looking for things that need improving.

festinog (Galway) - Posts: 3097 - 06/01/2019 19:19:17    2155844

why is this still being spoken about, seriously if you scrapped the competition counties would just go organising challenge games as warm up. so in effect you'd be replacing one thing with more of the same thing.

theweanling (Cavan) - Posts: 414 - 07/01/2019 09:42:55    2155898

If counties don't want to play then they don't have to enter. If supporters don't want to go they don't have to go. Not sure how realistic it is to start the league earlier. if you want to free up time for clubs then run the league week on week with no breaks.

Mayonman (Galway) - Posts: 1829 - 07/01/2019 10:27:34    2155907

the only thing wrong with these competitons is teams are training in december for them.
for me,increase the number of leagues,no team needs 7 league games.
there is no need for any team to be training in december.1st of january go hell for leather.

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 07/01/2019 15:38:52    2155970

why is this still being spoken about, seriously if you scrapped the competition counties would just go organising challenge games as warm up. so in effect you'd be replacing one thing with more of the same thing.

theweanling (Cavan) - Posts: 289 - 1/7/19 9:42:55 AM Yes teams would just organise friendlies but they can arrange as many or as few as they like and a pre season can be ran better rather than the current set up with number of pre season games determined by how well a side does in games

DonaldDuck (Tipperary) - Posts: 544 - 08/01/2019 13:48:14    2156095

These competitions would be great but the need for instant results and pressure from supporters to win a warm up match is just ridiculous.

StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 1732 - 08/01/2019 13:54:58    2156100

These competitions will remain as part of the calendar as things stand because of one reason MONEY.
They all have sponsors
They all have gate money being paid
They all have match programme (a single A4 sheet of paper being sold for €1)

hurlorhurley (Wexford) - Posts: 1660 - 08/01/2019 14:40:54    2156115

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 08/01/2019 14:57:01    2156116

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 08/01/2019 14:58:46    2156118