Let's face it only 4 teams (and that's pushing it) can realistically win the All-Ireland in hurling but yet they play around for the guts of 4/5 months in getting to the semi final whereby anyone at at the start of the year could pick the semi finalists. Then, we go to the Christy ring, where possibly up to 6/7 could win but it has to be played over a 6 week period, why?, and no TV coverage of it.

On another note Meath minor hurlers beat Westmeath and lost to Laois both Meath & Westmeath are out of the Leinster championship (no 2nd chance), Kilkenny lost to Wexford but yet they get a 2nd chance .... really seems different rules for the bigger teams.

Hurling can never flourish in the weaker counties with the way the system is currently.

AthboyGael (Meath) - Posts: 75 - 27/05/2013 11:56:00    1392305

27/05/2013 11:56:00
AthboyGael
Let's face it only 4 teams (and that's pushing it) can realistically win the All-Ireland in hurling but yet they play around for the guts of 4/5 months in getting to the semi final whereby anyone at at the start of the year could pick the semi finalists. Then, we go to the Christy ring, where possibly up to 6/7 could win but it has to be played over a 6 week period, why?, and no TV coverage of it.

On another note Meath minor hurlers beat Westmeath and lost to Laois both Meath & Westmeath are out of the Leinster championship (no 2nd chance), Kilkenny lost to Wexford but yet they get a 2nd chance .... really seems different rules for the bigger teams.

Hurling can never flourish in the weaker counties with the way the system is currently.
What would you recommend as a change?
There is no tv coverage of the Christy Ring because there is not enough interest in the games and other games are covered.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 27/05/2013 12:51:22    1392390

There could & should easily be coverage of the competitions outside of the Liam McCarthy cup if things were better organised.

RTE focus on the bigger audiences & compete with TV3 for the rights to these games. I think all fixtures in the Ring/Rackard & Meaghar cups should be played as double headers where possible & tenders put out to TV companies to cover these games. If RTE don't want to cover them, why not allow other broadcasters to do so. I would certainly be interested in seeing any hurling sides play.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6628 - 27/05/2013 14:19:38    1392526

slayer,

Condolences on Jeff Hanneman, by the way. RIP.

It's simple really. Give the TV rights for the Ring, Rackard & Meagher Cups to TG4.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4105 - 27/05/2013 15:46:28    1392685

Would agree with you that some of the most entertaining games are outside the Liam McCarthy Cup. One of the most entertaining games last year was the U21 B Final Roscommon v Kildare a great match with a number of very skillful lads on each team. Then you think back to the Waterford v Kilkenny AI Final, there was no entertainment value in that game even if you admired Kilkenny's sheer brilliance on the day. RTEs coverage of hurling is sh!te as is all the TV channels, their first release of scheduled matches to be shown live are 13 football and 3 hurling. Yesterday they showed kerry v tipp and like cricket people likely sat in front of the tele and watched the match even it was always was going to be a non-event.

Brian_Coyote (Antrim) - Posts: 346 - 27/05/2013 16:43:35    1392766

What I see as a farce is that the 4 Ring counties who are doing well at their level - Kerry, Kildare, Meath and Down will all have their season's finished by Saturday week. That's ridiculous.

As I see it, with 5 counties being put in a provincial qualifying group next year, the GAA have effectively said, there are 10 McCarthy teams competing at an A level and 5 counties at a B level. I know the Ring Cup was to replace the All-Ireland B but I think with the change for next year, the 5 B level teams and 3 Ring counties should enter an All-Ireland B in the month of July. The two losing Ring semi-finalists could play off for the 8th spot. When the qualifying group reduces to 4 it can be 4 B level and 4 Ring semi-finalists and finally when the qualifying group is only 3 counties, those 3 B level teams, 4 Ring semi-finalists and the winner of a play-off between two Ring quarter-finalists.

I wouldn't lose too much sleep over no tv coverage. The better Ring counties getting more game time around July is where the focus should be. It has to be admitted the Ring Cup is a weaker competition than it was in the early years. The provincial group and promotion/relegation play-off is moving somewhere towards a better balance. Antrim, Laois, Carlow and Westmeath all acknowledged at congress that the 10 counties should be built around.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9800 - 27/05/2013 17:21:25    1392810

pinkie or somebody like that suggested that the All-Ireland finalists should not get a 2nd chance the following year, and it was laughed out the gate on here.
to me it made sense,if you beat kilkenny or galway then they are gone for the year.

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 27/05/2013 21:19:27    1393099