Replying To tireoghainabu: "Shaping up for a brilliant championship, obviously hoping Tyrone go the whole way if not I would love to see a Mayo V Galway all Ireland final, two top teams in the country at present, what an occasion that would be."
I don't agree but hope I'm wrong about the championship. I think the format gives the top counties too much of a cushion. I mean all the top counties are guareteed to be in last 16 and then with 4 groups of 4 teams. 3 teams qualify out of 4.its nearly easier qualify than not. I mean a team could lose on the provincial championship and lose two more games in the group stage and still win the All Ireland. It gives the top teams too many chan es and they have the luxury of experimenting during the championship now more than ever. On the league form so far yes Mayo look the best team in the country by far and McStay probably the manager they needed. Galway doing well too and could have beaten Mayo but thought they were poor v Donegal. However the table does nt lie.
Replying To CiarraiMick: "I don't agree but hope I'm wrong about the championship. I think the format gives the top counties too much of a cushion. I mean all the top counties are guareteed to be in last 16 and then with 4 groups of 4 teams. 3 teams qualify out of 4.its nearly easier qualify than not. I mean a team could lose on the provincial championship and lose two more games in the group stage and still win the All Ireland. It gives the top teams too many chan es and they have the luxury of experimenting during the championship now more than ever. On the league form so far yes Mayo look the best team in the country by far and McStay probably the manager they needed. Galway doing well too and could have beaten Mayo but thought they were poor v Donegal. However the table does nt lie."
It is a peculiar one that they have opted for 3 qualifying from a group. Most county championships with groups of 4 sees the top 2 progress. I think the Dublin championship has a fixture format to reduce dead rubbers in the final game. The winners of Game 1 play in Game 2. The most likely scenario then is a team with 2 wins playing a team with 0 wins in Game 3. The team with 2 wins has already qualified. The team with 0 wins has been eliminated. The other game that throws in at the same time is a straight battle for the second qualifying spot.
Replying To CiarraiMick: "I don't agree but hope I'm wrong about the championship. I think the format gives the top counties too much of a cushion. I mean all the top counties are guareteed to be in last 16 and then with 4 groups of 4 teams. 3 teams qualify out of 4.its nearly easier qualify than not. I mean a team could lose on the provincial championship and lose two more games in the group stage and still win the All Ireland. It gives the top teams too many chan es and they have the luxury of experimenting during the championship now more than ever. On the league form so far yes Mayo look the best team in the country by far and McStay probably the manager they needed. Galway doing well too and could have beaten Mayo but thought they were poor v Donegal. However the table does nt lie."
Would an open draw of '4 groups of 4' created more jeopardy/thrown up better groups of death (but with less than 12 going through)?