In general, I like listening to Mullane. His recent: the Cork hurlers failed in 2026 because they shirked the homecoming in 2025 was on the money- as most kids under the age of 10 don't even realize whether their team won lost. All they can see is the jersey, and hear is a name, and want is an autograph-but this piece makes no sense: https://hoganstand.com/Article/Index/341252
Mullane opines, ""I'm not a firm believer that you have to go and mirror the football championship and the structure of the football championship, but we've got to take the learnings from what football are doing."
What learnings? Two-pointers if the goalie scores, and I wouldn't put it beyond Nicky Quaid. Football allows all counties in the country to enter the Sam Maguire: Kilkenny opt out, but NY and London opt in. So, we have 33 counties entering the same competition from the get-go. Is it fair? Is it balanced? Totally not, but it's an option that 20 or more counties do not have in hurling: 6 in Leinster, is it? and 5 in Munster that have a shot at lifting the McCarthy Cup.
What does Mullane, and indeed some others who advocate for change, want? Have the likes of Limerick and Kilkenny play each other 5 times in a season, or Tipp and Cork do battle 6 times?
Unless these ex-players (aka experts) have a proposal to submit to improve hurling, this "something's gotta change" attitude isn't worth a ball of blue. And even if they submit a proposal, having it implemented is another day's work altogether.
Replying To foreveryoung: "In general, I like listening to Mullane. His recent: the Cork hurlers failed in 2026 because they shirked the homecoming in 2025 was on the money- as most kids under the age of 10 don't even realize whether their team won lost. All they can see is the jersey, and hear is a name, and want is an autograph-but this piece makes no sense: https://hoganstand.com/Article/Index/341252
Mullane opines, ""I'm not a firm believer that you have to go and mirror the football championship and the structure of the football championship, but we've got to take the learnings from what football are doing."
What learnings? Two-pointers if the goalie scores, and I wouldn't put it beyond Nicky Quaid. Football allows all counties in the country to enter the Sam Maguire: Kilkenny opt out, but NY and London opt in. So, we have 33 counties entering the same competition from the get-go. Is it fair? Is it balanced? Totally not, but it's an option that 20 or more counties do not have in hurling: 6 in Leinster, is it? and 5 in Munster that have a shot at lifting the McCarthy Cup.
What does Mullane, and indeed some others who advocate for change, want? Have the likes of Limerick and Kilkenny play each other 5 times in a season, or Tipp and Cork do battle 6 times?
Unless these ex-players (aka experts) have a proposal to submit to improve hurling, this "something's gotta change" attitude isn't worth a ball of blue. And even if they submit a proposal, having it implemented is another day's work altogether."
You make a valid point, how many times do we want repeat fixtures? If Cork had got to the Final as expected, that would have been 3 championship games with Limerick. 2 League games and 1 in the Munster senior hurling league. As long as there is only 10/11 counties at the top table only a certain amount of games can/should be played. I am not having a pop at the Kerrys and Carlows of this world where dedicated hurling people reside as with many other counties. Its just in a majority of counties in Ireland hurling is a minority game or non existent at all.