This competition will triple yes triple the amount of lads that get to put on a county jersey , equally it's the first round of the first year give it a chance , the Dublin under 16 team beat the under 17 south selection it's a bedding down process ,regardless of results in the first round more lads playing at a decent level can only be good for the game , there will be anomalies as you will have fellas absolutely at county standard playing with and against lads however good but maybe a notch below.

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 07/05/2016 13:32:14    1852729

I was at the South/West Clare v Mayo game and again it was a mis-match. 5-21 to 0-9. For a start there was no player from West Clare on the team. Eight strong clubs from South Clare (Cratloe, Sixmilebridge, Wolfe Tones, Clonlara, Eire Og, Kilmaley, Clarecastle & Newmarket) took on the three clubs from Mayo (Tooreen, Westport & Caiseal Gaels). Once the Mayo lads read the program they knew they were in for it, as they were expecting to play lads from the West Clare area where the hurling isn't as strong. Stronger counties are using this compettion to get ready for their Minor teams next year, at the expense of the developing counties. My solution for next year would be to allow the Tier2 and Tier3 counties to play their Minor (non-exam) team and that might close the gap a little on the McCarthy Cup sides who aren't using this as development of weaker areas. Its going to retire a lot of hurlers in the developing counties if theres no joined up thinking on this.

highking (Mayo) - Posts: 168 - 07/05/2016 15:32:55    1852753

Highking now your entitled to your opinion on the back of the game you attended , but you've made a fairly wide accusation re some counties and how they are using it , it was fairly clear as to who is entitled to play how a county board decide is there prerogative , Dublin absolutely are not targeting this competition as a building brick for minor neither are Wexford . Some counties best players maybe doing junior or leaving Certs others may not ,

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 07/05/2016 18:03:22    1852803

High king .......could the mayo lads not have played the clare minor camogie team?

liner (Mayo) - Posts: 756 - 07/05/2016 21:03:08    1852873

Soma they are wrong if they do and wrong if they don't . As regards Waterford city I am damn well sure there was players from the top three senior clubs in the city playing last week and I say in other matches around the country you had players from senior clubs I don't know what you are on about anyway because under age players cant play senior. The shamrocks went down intermediate came back up 2006 with a team that was brought up from juvinnile won four co under 21 titles.

johnwhite12 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 306 - 08/05/2016 21:03:40    1853105

John a lot of the thinking behind this competition was that a lot of young players are lost to the game completely around this age so a national competition would be a good idea to help keep them involved, as some intercounty hurling recognition would be a great boost for a lad who might otherwise quit the game completely. By having these type tournaments slowly but surely the game might eventually grow across the country. Instead we had a team beaten by 5-18 to 0-2, a hammering like that is a great way to convince a young lad he might be better of packing it in. And you really have to wonder how likely a Shefflin from Ballyhale or a Carey from Gowran is to pack in the game when he is 17. You have taken my views as a criticism of Kilkenny - they are not, they are more a view on how the competition is organised.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 08/05/2016 21:27:51    1853107

Soma you are aware you are making a lot of statements based on one preliminary round , talk about knee jerk

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 09/05/2016 10:46:47    1853180

True Damo but I am just looking at the likelihood of this competition doing what it was intended to do for hurling across the country, my first post makes that clear. Your own post, where you say this competition will triple the number of lads who wear a county jersey is a bit more of a parochial view - yes it will do that in Dublin where ye have 3 teams participating but it wont triple the number of hurlers getting a chance to play county in Mayo, Donegal, Tyrone etc where they have 1 team taking part. I hope it is the success it could be, but it will depend on how each county approaches it.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 09/05/2016 11:10:03    1853190

The groups will be rejigged after the first 5 group games are played so results like that shouldn't be happening after that.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 09/05/2016 11:15:45    1853193

Soma in putting three teams instead of one Dublin have gone with a North a South and a combined under 16 ,had it been about winning obviously the best of all three teams combined would have made sense , if Dublin put in three squads of 25 still leaves 925 odd non Dubs playing .
As next poster has said results will dictate which level of competition lads play at once preliminary games are completed

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 09/05/2016 12:13:57    1853228

There will be mismatches in the group stages but I still think that isn't a big deal.

Every team gets at least 6 games, teams qualifying for division 1-4 knockout rounds will get 7/8 games.

To me that is great.

Maybe next year they should look at tiering the groups rather than it being solely geographically based but as a first attempt I think the competition was pretty well thought out.

As an aside I think we're too precious about exposing players to hammerings.

I've been on both sides of hammerings I definitely learned more from taking a beating than giving one out.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4226 - 09/05/2016 12:47:54    1853245

I agree Whammo.As Henry Hill once said " everyone takes a beating sometimes".Poor precious kids!

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 09/05/2016 12:53:27    1853248

High king .......could the mayo lads not have played the clare minor camogie team?

liner (Mayo) - Posts:151 - 07/05/2016 21:03:08 1852873

Liner (Mayo), for the exact same reason that Cora isn't aloud to play on the mens football team... Then we might win something... Your some Mayoman....

highking (Mayo) - Posts: 168 - 09/05/2016 16:08:24    1853334

Its the same in every county that players are lost to the game at that age open your eyes young lads will not take things like before, just because a young lad is a Shefflin that he is going to hurl regardless what goes on in his life I could also mention of two brothers from my own club stopped hurling at the age of twenty four one was a county panalist .

johnwhite12 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 306 - 09/05/2016 19:54:51    1853420

High king .......could the mayo lads not have played the clare minor camogie team?
As a supporter of compulsory tillage in mayo, thought you'd be up for a laugh.
If they're not able for the clare lads then why not?? No shame involved and you've got to start somewhere.

liner (Mayo) - Posts: 756 - 09/05/2016 21:52:44    1853458

Liner maybe if Mayo footballers played Cork ladies footballers they might eventually win a senior all Ireland...........then again..........

PaudieSull1 (Down) - Posts: 738 - 10/05/2016 08:40:21    1853469

Up Down. I remember when Down used to have a football team.

liner (Mayo) - Posts: 756 - 10/05/2016 12:33:52    1853561

http://www.gaa.ie/celticchallenge/results

Results pre round two , not as many hidings as last week , these matches played last night

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 12/05/2016 11:24:58    1854308

I really like this as a development tool.

It'd be great if the Ulster council did a mini version of this for lower age groups. Split Antrim into 3 teams, Down and Derry into 2 and then have county teams for the rest. More good quality hurling for youngsters in the provinces.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4226 - 12/05/2016 13:14:06    1854373

and Cavan actually won a hurling game.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 12/05/2016 14:32:46    1854406