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6 Teams Left In A Hurling May 24Th

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Something will have to be done about the championship structure. The gulf between the Leinster champions and the second team in Munster was just enormous today.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 4597 - 04/07/2026 22:59:25    2684258

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "Something will have to be done about the championship structure. The gulf between the Leinster champions and the second team in Munster was just enormous today."
It pretty much confirms that there isnt a lot wrong with hurling or its structure. It just takes hard work , commitment and determination. Galway used the leinster round robin very well It seems...

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 710 - 05/07/2026 10:12:12    2684284

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Replying To Viking66:  "Thats genuinely a shame Tadg2020. Id of been interested to hear your ideas on getting more games in June."
The league finishes on first weekend of April.
Therefore the provincial championship cannot start until the 3rd weekend in April. If you believe that knockout championship games require at least 1 weeks rest between rounds( that's what we have in AI series) then provincial championships need minimum of 5 weeks.The current format takes 7 weeks afaik.
Therefore there is very little space for an AI round robin in any capacity if we stick to the current time frames. I dont think we can but that's a political matter.
Im totally against " getting the provincials out of the way early".
Apart from the significance of them there is the public interest aspect. It just isnt there.
We are talking 1 maybe 2 weekends. In the interest of conversation you could have 3rd v 4th games on the weekend after the provincial finals. The winners would have to play the quarter finals the following week which isnt ideal but they would have had 3 weeks off in the lead into that game. You could play them the weekend of the provincial finals but you gain nothing from that. Its a very tight window with a 3rd sunday in July cut off. Its got to be doen to quarter finals by 3rd weekend in june. Thats the reality and 8 out of 11 being left after 27 games is ridiculous.
Then there is the tv coverage issue. There is no space there either.

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 710 - 05/07/2026 10:27:05    2684288

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Replying To Tadhg2020:  "The league finishes on first weekend of April.
Therefore the provincial championship cannot start until the 3rd weekend in April. If you believe that knockout championship games require at least 1 weeks rest between rounds( that's what we have in AI series) then provincial championships need minimum of 5 weeks.The current format takes 7 weeks afaik.
Therefore there is very little space for an AI round robin in any capacity if we stick to the current time frames. I dont think we can but that's a political matter.
Im totally against " getting the provincials out of the way early".
Apart from the significance of them there is the public interest aspect. It just isnt there.
We are talking 1 maybe 2 weekends. In the interest of conversation you could have 3rd v 4th games on the weekend after the provincial finals. The winners would have to play the quarter finals the following week which isnt ideal but they would have had 3 weeks off in the lead into that game. You could play them the weekend of the provincial finals but you gain nothing from that. Its a very tight window with a 3rd sunday in July cut off. Its got to be doen to quarter finals by 3rd weekend in june. Thats the reality and 8 out of 11 being left after 27 games is ridiculous.
Then there is the tv coverage issue. There is no space there either."
Wexford/Kilkenny have a 50/50 chance of making the knock out stages.
If after 5 games you finish 4th or 5th then with all due respects ......bye bye.

Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 724 - 05/07/2026 11:01:41    2684293

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Replying To Tadhg2020:  "It pretty much confirms that there isnt a lot wrong with hurling or its structure. It just takes hard work , commitment and determination. Galway used the leinster round robin very well It seems..."
Galway played well, MOD got their tactics spot on. But could you really say that the Cork lads had their best game?
And up or down the results irrelevant to the debate about getting more championship games of hurling in June, in better weather and a time of year when there is less promotional competition. No European Cup rugby, premier League, EFL Championship etc.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20208 - 05/07/2026 11:21:01    2684297

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Replying To Tadhg2020:  "The league finishes on first weekend of April.
Therefore the provincial championship cannot start until the 3rd weekend in April. If you believe that knockout championship games require at least 1 weeks rest between rounds( that's what we have in AI series) then provincial championships need minimum of 5 weeks.The current format takes 7 weeks afaik.
Therefore there is very little space for an AI round robin in any capacity if we stick to the current time frames. I dont think we can but that's a political matter.
Im totally against " getting the provincials out of the way early".
Apart from the significance of them there is the public interest aspect. It just isnt there.
We are talking 1 maybe 2 weekends. In the interest of conversation you could have 3rd v 4th games on the weekend after the provincial finals. The winners would have to play the quarter finals the following week which isnt ideal but they would have had 3 weeks off in the lead into that game. You could play them the weekend of the provincial finals but you gain nothing from that. Its a very tight window with a 3rd sunday in July cut off. Its got to be doen to quarter finals by 3rd weekend in june. Thats the reality and 8 out of 11 being left after 27 games is ridiculous.
Then there is the tv coverage issue. There is no space there either."
The public interest aspect just isnt there for an Azi RR replacing the provincial ER. The public interest definitely is there for the Munster RR.

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 710 - 05/07/2026 11:25:42    2684299

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Replying To Tadhg2020:  "It pretty much confirms that there isnt a lot wrong with hurling or its structure. It just takes hard work , commitment and determination. Galway used the leinster round robin very well It seems..."
They have been good all year. League aside - and they used that well enough to get where they are now - the only blip was Dublin beating them in Salthill. We were not close to them in Leinster final and yesterday was more of the same.

If only they were more likeable! Promises to be a good final regardless of who wins today and that is by no means as certain either if you were to go by the pundits and punters. Could be epic encounter.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 4449 - 05/07/2026 11:32:27    2684303

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Replying To Viking66:  "Galway played well, MOD got their tactics spot on. But could you really say that the Cork lads had their best game?
And up or down the results irrelevant to the debate about getting more championship games of hurling in June, in better weather and a time of year when there is less promotional competition. No European Cup rugby, premier League, EFL Championship etc."
If the product on offer is good enough none of that other stuff really matters.

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 710 - 05/07/2026 14:19:38    2684323

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Replying To Tadhg2020:  "If the product on offer is good enough none of that other stuff really matters."
Of course it matters. No matter how good the product is. This year there were still decent gates in the Munster Championship despite the product being poor enough. But there could be more games on tv in June than in April and May.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20208 - 05/07/2026 15:11:58    2684329

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "They have been good all year. League aside - and they used that well enough to get where they are now - the only blip was Dublin beating them in Salthill. We were not close to them in Leinster final and yesterday was more of the same.

If only they were more likeable! Promises to be a good final regardless of who wins today and that is by no means as certain either if you were to go by the pundits and punters. Could be epic encounter."
A very likeable team, giving Leinster hurling people something to look forward to on all ireland final day.

Seniorleague (Galway) - Posts: 114 - 05/07/2026 15:14:42    2684331

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I saw an interesting proposal on another forum to liven up the hurling championship a little. Yes it involves the top 4 teams emerging from the round robins but each team starts a round further back the lower they are in the table.

Play the round robins as normal, when the provincial finals are being played the teams in 3rd & 4th play their counterpart in a knockout play-off. The 'best 3rd' gets straight through to the QF, the 'best 4th' plays the loser of the other play-off for a QF spot.

Provincial champions: straight through to SF
Provincial runners-up: straight through to QF
3rd place playoff: winner to QF, loser to playoff final (effectively a preliminary QF)
4th place playoff: winner to playoff final (effectively a pre-preliminary QF)
Playoff final: winner to QF (effectively a preliminary QF)

Applied to this year's championship might look like this:
3rd place playoff: Clare v Offaly
4th place playoff: Waterford v Kilkenny
Playoff final: Waterford v Offaly
QF: Clare v Dublin, Cork v Waterford
SF: Limerick v Clare, Galway v Cork

Same outcome but it gives a few more meaningful knockout games in June after the round robins. It's a minor tweak but allows the likes of Waterford to prove they're better than Offaly etc.

M Lyster (Antrim) - Posts: 503 - 05/07/2026 16:31:31    2684340

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Thats not bad either

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20208 - 05/07/2026 16:43:34    2684343

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Replying To Viking66:  "Thats not bad either"
What I like about it is retains the provincials but placings have to be earned at the All-Ireland stage:

The top 2 teams in each province are guaranteed a QF but they can earn a SF spot by winning the final.

The 3rd place teams have to win a further match to reach a QF.

The 4th place teams have to win 2 matches to reach a QF.

The 5th place teams are out, the 6th team in Leinster is relegated.

The only problem I have is with this format is the 4th place team in Munster can advance with a single draw like Waterford would have this year.

M Lyster (Antrim) - Posts: 503 - 05/07/2026 17:34:01    2684348

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "They have been good all year. League aside - and they used that well enough to get where they are now - the only blip was Dublin beating them in Salthill. We were not close to them in Leinster final and yesterday was more of the same.

If only they were more likeable! Promises to be a good final regardless of who wins today and that is by no means as certain either if you were to go by the pundits and punters. Could be epic encounter."
What's not to like about young Jason Rabbitte doing his stuff. I'm struggling to think of a player with a reputation for being unlikable in the team.
We haven't been successful enough in recent years to be disliked.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2935 - 05/07/2026 17:54:42    2684354

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Replying To Tadhg2020:  "The public interest aspect just isnt there for an Azi RR replacing the provincial ER. The public interest definitely is there for the Munster RR."
How do you know the public interest for an AI RR isnt there?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20208 - 05/07/2026 18:44:44    2684364

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Replying To Tadhg2020:  "The public interest aspect just isnt there for an Azi RR replacing the provincial ER. The public interest definitely is there for the Munster RR."
How do you know the public interest for an AI RR isnt there?
There were bigger crowds at the last 3 Munster v Leinster AISFs than there was today for an all Munster one?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20208 - 05/07/2026 18:45:54    2684365

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Replying To M Lyster:  "What I like about it is retains the provincials but placings have to be earned at the All-Ireland stage:

The top 2 teams in each province are guaranteed a QF but they can earn a SF spot by winning the final.

The 3rd place teams have to win a further match to reach a QF.

The 4th place teams have to win 2 matches to reach a QF.

The 5th place teams are out, the 6th team in Leinster is relegated.

The only problem I have is with this format is the 4th place team in Munster can advance with a single draw like Waterford would have this year."
It's interesting but the fact that 1 point is enough to qualify is a serious flaw. Another major flaw is that third place teams getting a double chance in the knockout phase means a team could lose 4 games and win the All Ireland. This is because a team could come third in Munster with 1 win and 3 defeats and then could lose the first play-off for a fourth defeat. They would still have another chance to progress.

CeachtPeile (Cavan) - Posts: 179 - 05/07/2026 19:06:04    2684367

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