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Is This The Golden Age Of Hurling?

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I noticed that of the Top 10 scorers in Championship Hurling history 5 of them are still active and are going very strong. Joe Canning, Patrick Horgan, TJ Reid, Seamus Callanan, Shane Dooley are the Active 5 in the Top 10. Shane Dowling of Limerick and Pauric Mahony of Waterford both look like a good bet to join them in the Top 10. Having said all this does this mean this is the Golden Age of Hurling or is it due to teams playing bad defense, rule changes, etc? Trump2020 (Galway) - Posts: 2119 - 04/08/2019 17:24:24 2220691 Link
It's a golden age for free takers thats for sure oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1380 - 04/08/2019 17:49:07 2220705 Link
lighter ball, better pitches, greater fitness levels, improved diets, better training facilities, the list goes on, Certainly the number of teams competing for top honours is higher in recent decades and its not Cork/Tipp/Kilkenny ad naseum...although on 2nd thoughts... Maroonatic (Galway) - Posts: 1060 - 04/08/2019 17:50:54 2220706 Link
We've had a new champion each year for the last five years; that's a great thing. The athletes have never been fitter, the skill level never higher. As an avid hurling fan, and as a very mediocre player, I can only take delight watching any of the teams at any level, and being in awe of the hits, catches, lifts, etc. etc. they can put in. What. A. Sport. That said I think they need to rethink the format. No more than the football, they've over-thought it; it's neither a knock-out, nor a round-robin, nor a league, but somewhere in between all three. Knowing how some provinces have attached mythical importance to their championship, cough Munster cough, I don't ever seem them going away entirely, but does it really have to stay as an integral part of the national competition? I don't see why you can't have your cake and eat it to be honest. festinog (Galway) - Posts: 3097 - 04/08/2019 18:09:28 2220720 Link
Also more games: if Joe Canning was playing for Galway in the 70s/80s, he'd have had a maximum of two championship games each year. Much easier to accumulate scores over a career nowadays. football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 04/08/2019 18:21:02 2220725 Link
Replying To festinog: "We've had a new champion each year for the last five years; that's a great thing. The athletes have never been fitter, the skill level never higher. As an avid hurling fan, and as a very mediocre player, I can only take delight watching any of the teams at any level, and being in awe of the hits, catches, lifts, etc. etc. they can put in. What. A. Sport. That said I think they need to rethink the format. No more than the football, they've over-thought it; it's neither a knock-out, nor a round-robin, nor a league, but somewhere in between all three. Knowing how some provinces have attached mythical importance to their championship, cough Munster cough, I don't ever seem them going away entirely, but does it really have to stay as an integral part of the national competition? I don't see why you can't have your cake and eat it to be honest." I agree with you as far as the Provincial Championships go. I love a good Munster Final as much as anyone but I'd love ANY good Hurling matchup no matter what Provinces they are from. Trump2020 (Galway) - Posts: 2119 - 04/08/2019 19:09:24 2220764 Link
No Hitnhurl (Cork) - Posts: 92 - 04/08/2019 19:25:51 2220781 Link
Replying To Hitnhurl: "No" Twice. festinog (Galway) - Posts: 3097 - 04/08/2019 20:03:32 2220810 Link
Replying To football first: "Also more games: if Joe Canning was playing for Galway in the 70s/80s, he'd have had a maximum of two championship games each year. Much easier to accumulate scores over a career nowadays." Games is the big one. But fitness comes a close second Given all the format changes over the years a goals to game ratio is a much better barometer Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1236 - 04/08/2019 21:21:34 2220868 Link
I don't think Munster (or Leinster for that matter) should dictate how the National Championship is run. Have your provincial championship if you like and run it how you like. Leinster can" cough" Munster "cough" all the like about it but their's is not even a provincial championship. Especially rich coming from a Galway poster. Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2658 - 04/08/2019 21:51:37 2220892 Link
Replying To football first: "Also more games: if Joe Canning was playing for Galway in the 70s/80s, he'd have had a maximum of two championship games each year. Much easier to accumulate scores over a career nowadays." Very true. I don't miss them days. Trump2020 (Galway) - Posts: 2119 - 05/08/2019 22:07:02 2221353 Link
I think we are. Any team of 9 could win Liam next year..... Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11799 - 06/08/2019 08:36:25 2221423 Link
Who would have predicted a Tipp v Kilkenny final back in February? Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11799 - 06/08/2019 08:37:15 2221424 Link
Replying To Canuck: "I don't think Munster (or Leinster for that matter) should dictate how the National Championship is run. Have your provincial championship if you like and run it how you like. Leinster can" cough" Munster "cough" all the like about it but their's is not even a provincial championship. Especially rich coming from a Galway poster." "Especially rich coming from a Galway poster". A pity you canuck get over 2017! baire (Galway) - Posts: 1790 - 06/08/2019 08:46:44 2221428 Link
Replying To festinog: "We've had a new champion each year for the last five years; that's a great thing. The athletes have never been fitter, the skill level never higher. As an avid hurling fan, and as a very mediocre player, I can only take delight watching any of the teams at any level, and being in awe of the hits, catches, lifts, etc. etc. they can put in. What. A. Sport. That said I think they need to rethink the format. No more than the football, they've over-thought it; it's neither a knock-out, nor a round-robin, nor a league, but somewhere in between all three. Knowing how some provinces have attached mythical importance to their championship, cough Munster cough, I don't ever seem them going away entirely, but does it really have to stay as an integral part of the national competition? I don't see why you can't have your cake and eat it to be honest." How do you make out we had a new champion for each of the last five years. Kilkenny were back to back winners in 16. We had 'new' champions alright in '16, '17 and '18, although in fairness Tipp had already won the Final in '2010 and one of two 'old' teams will win out this years championship. So in fact only five different counties will have won the All Ireland this decade and each of the three lesser lights only won it only once, in that period. Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4318 - 06/08/2019 09:30:03 2221442 Link
You have to look at the number of games teams are getting now. Shefflin (currently top scorer) played 71 championship games in 15 seasons averaging 4.7 games per year. Eddie Keher played 50 games in 18 seasons averaging 2.8 games per year. Christy Ring played 65 games over 23 seasons averaging 2.8 games per year also. Teams now have 4 games before they get out of their province so I can't imagine Shefflin keeping his record for too long. Added to this, the hurl now has a much bigger boss for striking. Faithfull (Offaly) - Posts: 573 - 06/08/2019 09:42:11 2221444 Link
Replying To Oldtourman: "How do you make out we had a new champion for each of the last five years. Kilkenny were back to back winners in 16. We had 'new' champions alright in '16, '17 and '18, although in fairness Tipp had already won the Final in '2010 and one of two 'old' teams will win out this years championship. So in fact only five different counties will have won the All Ireland this decade and each of the three lesser lights only won it only once, in that period." Big Improvement on 2000 to 2009 where only Kilkenny (7), Cork (2) and Tipp (1) won the All Ireland. This decade, Tipp (2), Kilkenny (4), Clare (1), Galway (1) and Limerick (1) have all won it. 90's out of interest with 6 winners with Offaly and Wexford the only ones not to win one since, Cork (2), Kilkenny (2), Offaly (2), Clare (2), Wexford (1), Tipperary (1) Faithfull (Offaly) - Posts: 573 - 06/08/2019 09:48:02 2221447 Link
was speaking to a friend at the weekend who was a decent hurler and he was lamenting some of the stuff that has gone out of the game mainly regarding ground hurling, guess its a bit like football where we do not see as much high fielding anymore. Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 2099 - 06/08/2019 10:19:48 2221468 Link
Replying To baire: ""Especially rich coming from a Galway poster". A pity you canuck get over 2017!" I got over it before leaving my seat. Glad when beaten that Galway were the team who got the All-Ireland. Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2658 - 06/08/2019 20:54:23 2221882 Link
Replying To Faithfull: "Big Improvement on 2000 to 2009 where only Kilkenny (7), Cork (2) and Tipp (1) won the All Ireland. This decade, Tipp (2), Kilkenny (4), Clare (1), Galway (1) and Limerick (1) have all won it. 90's out of interest with 6 winners with Offaly and Wexford the only ones not to win one since, Cork (2), Kilkenny (2), Offaly (2), Clare (2), Wexford (1), Tipperary (1)" In the corresponding decade in the last centuries eight different counties won it. I suppose we will never see the likes of that again. Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4318 - 06/08/2019 22:34:11 2221954 Link