Meath Forum

How Do We Improve Meath Inter County Hurling?

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The elephant in the room is the state of the hurling championships, no wonder there is no bite in county team when the championships are so pathetic. the strong teams need to peak for two games each year semi final and final. the leagues are more cut throat than championship, lose two games your out of running for the final. In senior championship you can lose 3 games and go through. the mixed abilty groups are disaster as well. but the old system of senior A and senior B wasnt enough jeoprady. need to go to westmeath style of senior A with the 6 strongest teams, top team goes straight to the final as there reward and 2nd v 3rd in play off semi final. 5th v 6th in relagation play off. keep senior B the same sytem with seperate cup. no sheild stuff or anything like that. if there is less hurling games so be it but quality and more competitive would be better. if less games then start leagues later when pitches are in better condition maybe start in mid may, with cups starting late march earliest. hurling can be an awful watch in bad conditions anyway.

dickie10 (UK) - Posts: 834 - 19/05/2025 12:00:58    2610918

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Replying To dickie10:  "The elephant in the room is the state of the hurling championships, no wonder there is no bite in county team when the championships are so pathetic. the strong teams need to peak for two games each year semi final and final. the leagues are more cut throat than championship, lose two games your out of running for the final. In senior championship you can lose 3 games and go through. the mixed abilty groups are disaster as well. but the old system of senior A and senior B wasnt enough jeoprady. need to go to westmeath style of senior A with the 6 strongest teams, top team goes straight to the final as there reward and 2nd v 3rd in play off semi final. 5th v 6th in relagation play off. keep senior B the same sytem with seperate cup. no sheild stuff or anything like that. if there is less hurling games so be it but quality and more competitive would be better. if less games then start leagues later when pitches are in better condition maybe start in mid may, with cups starting late march earliest. hurling can be an awful watch in bad conditions anyway."
I can only assume you are not aware of the proposed changes to the senior hurling championship that will take affect after this years championship is completed.

Rickoshay (Meath) - Posts: 43 - 19/05/2025 16:01:57    2611034

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Replying To dickie10:  "The elephant in the room is the state of the hurling championships, no wonder there is no bite in county team when the championships are so pathetic. the strong teams need to peak for two games each year semi final and final. the leagues are more cut throat than championship, lose two games your out of running for the final. In senior championship you can lose 3 games and go through. the mixed abilty groups are disaster as well. but the old system of senior A and senior B wasnt enough jeoprady. need to go to westmeath style of senior A with the 6 strongest teams, top team goes straight to the final as there reward and 2nd v 3rd in play off semi final. 5th v 6th in relagation play off. keep senior B the same sytem with seperate cup. no sheild stuff or anything like that. if there is less hurling games so be it but quality and more competitive would be better. if less games then start leagues later when pitches are in better condition maybe start in mid may, with cups starting late march earliest. hurling can be an awful watch in bad conditions anyway."
While you are correct about the state of the various championships and an urgent need of bringing intensity to them, but with the proposed revisions it would actually mean that there is a strong possibility that a large portion of the Senior county panel would be made up by players playing in the third tier of the championships. (It's irrelevant whither the revised championships are called, Senior, Senior B, Intermediate and Junior of various hues or Senior, Intermediate, Junior and Junior 2), the option I would prefer.
I accept that any club of any grade can have an exceptional player or two but any intermediate club with four inter county players should have walked last year's intermediate championship. So something was wrong this year and I feel that it was not all down to the intermediate players who made themselves available this year but some players from the stronger clubs didn't put the shoulder to the wheel preferring to be "fresh" for their clubs when the only ambition they consider worthwhile is the local championship. Rant over.

MillerX (Meath) - Posts: 1104 - 19/05/2025 19:02:07    2611113

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Replying To MillerX:  "While you are correct about the state of the various championships and an urgent need of bringing intensity to them, but with the proposed revisions it would actually mean that there is a strong possibility that a large portion of the Senior county panel would be made up by players playing in the third tier of the championships. (It's irrelevant whither the revised championships are called, Senior, Senior B, Intermediate and Junior of various hues or Senior, Intermediate, Junior and Junior 2), the option I would prefer.
I accept that any club of any grade can have an exceptional player or two but any intermediate club with four inter county players should have walked last year's intermediate championship. So something was wrong this year and I feel that it was not all down to the intermediate players who made themselves available this year but some players from the stronger clubs didn't put the shoulder to the wheel preferring to be "fresh" for their clubs when the only ambition they consider worthwhile is the local championship. Rant over."
What can we do to get our best players out though?

Kildalkey win the Jubilee every second year, and have the player base to win the Senior Inter and Junior 2 years ago, yet only have 2 on the Meath panel this year?

To a lesser extent Kiltale. They're not the team they were 5-10 years ago, but they're still current league champions and are likely to be in the semi finals this year. Like Kildalkey only 2 panellists though, and those 2 have both been on the Meath team for over 10 years.

The easy excuse is to blame the manager and say the players mustn't like him, but no matter who the manager is we seem to have the same issue every year. If Greville is replaced I guarantee you we'll see an interview in the Chronicle with the new manager next February saying that there's 20 more players he'd love to have on board but they couldn't/didn't commit.

I'm not for a second blaming Kildalkey or Kiltale players BTW; just saying that in a county where a small number of clubs are far ahead of the rest, our county team can't afford to be without the players that make those clubs strong.

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1680 - 19/05/2025 21:35:03    2611172

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yeah of course its a hard sell for players to go in but what can you do. the changes propsed? what are they exactly? we defintely need more cut throat games, there wont be anyone bothered going to a lot of the group games if not.

dickie10 (UK) - Posts: 834 - 19/05/2025 23:36:12    2611201

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Who came up with current format? Has set back hurling in county 3 years.

Goldback (Meath) - Posts: 59 - 20/05/2025 08:58:07    2611223

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Just to echo what a few above have said

The panel selection has been strange through a number of managers at this point. The year Kildalkey won the whole lot across every grade, they only had Potterton on the Meath squad. The overall standard of the clubs mean we can't afford to have lads at Intermediate lining out as our full back line, we've seen what'll happen, they get found out through no fault of their won

Secondly, the format change coming in next year absolutely has to be given time to work. If it fails immediately and the co board panick, then we may throw our hat at it

Some dual clubs have nailed how to work it - Ratoath come to mind off the top of the head, but then you go 10 mins down the road and Ashbourne have some bright sparks that are made to choose between hurling and football, presumably under pressure from the football side

No easy fixes to any of this, but solutions do have to be found or were on a hiding to nothing

RR (Meath) - Posts: 168 - 21/05/2025 12:26:08    2611519

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We need to drop the club championship format narrative, its having little or no impact on what is going on at the moment. The change will be welcomed but won't do anything. The Kildare club championship is a joke and the county team are thriving.

Coaching in the county is just way off where it needs to be if we've any aspirations to be competing in Joe Mac. Our county squads from15-20 year olds are pretty much neglected, managed by parents of players or other interested parties. There are leads togging for the seniors at the moment that can't strike on both sides and lack other basic skills.

That isn't a defense of the current setup. The management shouldn't be given another year. More than enough in the squad to beat Donegal in Trim.

begining (UK) - Posts: 321 - 21/05/2025 13:04:05    2611529

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Surprised to see problems with our club championship getting the blame , while issues there for sure its not the reason for such a dire christy ring championship.

Management need to go and fast , whoever got them in needs to also not have any part in next selection either.
Whatever about who wasnt playing , the panel of 26 that togged for donegal match was good enough to win the christy ring cup, it was team selections and this new style of play that was to blame.
Why are we going outside the county ? There is better inside the county that have applied and never got looked at.

hurlit (Meath) - Posts: 432 - 21/05/2025 14:37:45    2611567

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Replying To hurlit:  "Surprised to see problems with our club championship getting the blame , while issues there for sure its not the reason for such a dire christy ring championship.

Management need to go and fast , whoever got them in needs to also not have any part in next selection either.
Whatever about who wasnt playing , the panel of 26 that togged for donegal match was good enough to win the christy ring cup, it was team selections and this new style of play that was to blame.
Why are we going outside the county ? There is better inside the county that have applied and never got looked at."
thats interesting, who applied and got no chance from within,

ParcT (Meath) - Posts: 25 - 21/05/2025 16:41:29    2611598

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