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Replying To JimB1991: "It isnt a matter of opinion, its a fact that there not fair, the numbers alone confirm that before you even get into the relative strength of the teams.
Beating two hurling counties in Munster should not give you the same seeding as beating 3 or 4 teams in Ulster or Leinster, that shouldn't even be up for debate." So we should toss 140 years of tradition in the bin. We will replace the provincial championships with the leagues in terms of status and importance. We will then move the league into the provincial championships window of the season and play the provincial championships out of the way. Sure they will stand on their own two feet and wont be damaged at all. Gotcha. Great idea.....
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 345 - 03/05/2026 17:27:33
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "So we should toss 140 years of tradition in the bin. We will replace the provincial championships with the leagues in terms of status and importance. We will then move the league into the provincial championships window of the season and play the provincial championships out of the way. Sure they will stand on their own two feet and wont be damaged at all. Gotcha. Great idea....." Ah yes the great tradition of competitiveness between Kerry and Clare or maybe it's the Cork V Waterford rivalry you're talking about? Or Dublin v Carlow?
The 'tradition' is the local rivalries between teams competitive with each other, that will still happen and actually happen more often and matter more if the league is moved and linked to a tiered championship.
JimB1991 (Donegal) - Posts: 165 - 03/05/2026 18:55:50
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "Whether they are equal or not is a matter of opinion. They are held in equal standing by the Association and that is the opinion that counts. Ulster was the weakest province for many a year. They put in great work to turn that around and now have the strongest. Connacht was considered very weak for years too and they turned that around. Leinster was considered to be very strong and it no longer is. These things go in cycles.
Winning your province should mean a seeding in the All Ireland series in any format." Really, how anyone can align Armaghs route in Ulster to Kerry route in munster and then say they start at the same point in all-ireland? Even numerically, never mind quality wise there is a massive difference.
Expertinall (UK) - Posts: 57 - 03/05/2026 19:24:10
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "Whether they are equal or not is a matter of opinion. They are held in equal standing by the Association and that is the opinion that counts. Ulster was the weakest province for many a year. They put in great work to turn that around and now have the strongest. Connacht was considered very weak for years too and they turned that around. Leinster was considered to be very strong and it no longer is. These things go in cycles.
Winning your province should mean a seeding in the All Ireland series in any format." When is the tipp, limerick,clare cycle of parity expected?
Expertinall (UK) - Posts: 57 - 03/05/2026 19:26:55
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Replying To legendzxix: "Galway v Roscommon and Kerry v Cork are standalone events. No influence whatsoever on the All Ireland championship. If the finals are standalone events, the championships can be standalone events as well - if the majority agree at Congress." Yes, if you have a good enough competition and proper calendar time, it will stand alone. Ulster and Leinster being shoehorned at present, will lead to some teams not prioritizing a provincial title, because it gives other's a better schedule.
Interesting to see how Donegal progress this year??
Expertinall (UK) - Posts: 57 - 03/05/2026 19:33:46
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Replying To Expertinall: "Yes, if you have a good enough competition and proper calendar time, it will stand alone. Ulster and Leinster being shoehorned at present, will lead to some teams not prioritizing a provincial title, because it gives other's a better schedule.
Interesting to see how Donegal progress this year??" Keep pushing your strawman man argument...
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 345 - 03/05/2026 19:56:02
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Replying To JimB1991: "Ah yes the great tradition of competitiveness between Kerry and Clare or maybe it's the Cork V Waterford rivalry you're talking about? Or Dublin v Carlow?
The 'tradition' is the local rivalries between teams competitive with each other, that will still happen and actually happen more often and matter more if the league is moved and linked to a tiered championship." The tradition and culture is in winning your province and representing your province as champions. You should know this because for all but 2 years in your existence its all you've had.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 345 - 03/05/2026 20:01:33
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "Keep pushing your strawman man argument..." Not sure what you mean,but if it's about the current imbalance in the format we'll call it the strawman agenda, does not change the facts. Elaborate on why you think the imbalance is irrelevant and I will put forward the counterargument. Extra games lead to more injuries, suspensions, and travel costs. Counter those with more than 'history and culture' please.
Expertinall (UK) - Posts: 57 - 04/05/2026 08:20:29
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The reality of this new ridiculous format now starting to bite. Provincial finals coming up that are now just glorified exhibition games.
RoyalBadger (Meath) - Posts: 597 - 04/05/2026 11:11:59
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Replying To Expertinall: "Not sure what you mean,but if it's about the current imbalance in the format we'll call it the strawman agenda, does not change the facts. Elaborate on why you think the imbalance is irrelevant and I will put forward the counterargument. Extra games lead to more injuries, suspensions, and travel costs. Counter those with more than 'history and culture' please." I dont think you are dumb but since we dont know each other I will be gracious and explain it to you.
You already know all this but here goes. The provincial championships have always been the second most important competitions our great organisation runs. They have been for TWO REASONS. 1. You were champions of your province and 2. YOU REPRESENT YOUR PROVINCE IN THE ALL IRELAND AS THEIR PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONS.
Both are what made it special not one or the other but you know this already.
You want to break the link between being PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONS AND REPRESENTING YOUR PROVINCE IN THE ALL IRELAND SERIES AS PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONS.
You want all qualification criteria for the ALL Ireland championship to be through the league. The league is, currently, played before the PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. This is because progression to the ALL IRELAND series is directly linked. You remove that link and only have qualification from the league and that season structure has to change. There is no way managers, coaches, players, tv companies or fans are going to wait 6 to 8 weeks between qualifying from the league and starting the ALL ireland series.
They aren't going to risk their star players either in a competition that doesn't count towards the main event.Thats just not practical or plausible. Therefore, given the time restrictions of the split season, the provincial championships get moved to before the league. A warm up competition if you like. Maybe not immediately but pretty quickly.
Of course you know all this and you dont care. However you most, at least, try to seem reasonable( and its far from just you) so you put up your STRAWMAN argument- SURE THE PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS SHOULD BE ABLE TO STAND UP ON ITS OWN AS A COMPETITION- safe in the knowledge that its the pride of representation of your province that makes it so great in the first place. Of course you will deny all this as it doesnt suit your agenda. I see your proposal though for what is. The least you could do is own it.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 345 - 04/05/2026 11:52:34
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Replying To RoyalBadger: "The reality of this new ridiculous format now starting to bite. Provincial finals coming up that are now just glorified exhibition games." Why? Because meath aren't in theirs?
I was in Tullamore when ye lost. There was a big Meath crowd there that day. I guess nobody told them.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 345 - 04/05/2026 11:54:01
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "Whether they are equal or not is a matter of opinion. They are held in equal standing by the Association and that is the opinion that counts. Ulster was the weakest province for many a year. They put in great work to turn that around and now have the strongest. Connacht was considered very weak for years too and they turned that around. Leinster was considered to be very strong and it no longer is. These things go in cycles.
Winning your province should mean a seeding in the All Ireland series in any format." Ulster was never the weakest province. It was and still is a case that to win Ulster you have to play real matches. No New York's or London, nor by winning provincial without being tested.
Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2662 - 04/05/2026 12:29:46
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "I dont think you are dumb but since we dont know each other I will be gracious and explain it to you.
You already know all this but here goes. The provincial championships have always been the second most important competitions our great organisation runs. They have been for TWO REASONS. 1. You were champions of your province and 2. YOU REPRESENT YOUR PROVINCE IN THE ALL IRELAND AS THEIR PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONS.
Both are what made it special not one or the other but you know this already.
You want to break the link between being PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONS AND REPRESENTING YOUR PROVINCE IN THE ALL IRELAND SERIES AS PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONS.
You want all qualification criteria for the ALL Ireland championship to be through the league. The league is, currently, played before the PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. This is because progression to the ALL IRELAND series is directly linked. You remove that link and only have qualification from the league and that season structure has to change. There is no way managers, coaches, players, tv companies or fans are going to wait 6 to 8 weeks between qualifying from the league and starting the ALL ireland series.
They aren't going to risk their star players either in a competition that doesn't count towards the main event.Thats just not practical or plausible. Therefore, given the time restrictions of the split season, the provincial championships get moved to before the league. A warm up competition if you like. Maybe not immediately but pretty quickly.
Of course you know all this and you dont care. However you most, at least, try to seem reasonable( and its far from just you) so you put up your STRAWMAN argument- SURE THE PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS SHOULD BE ABLE TO STAND UP ON ITS OWN AS A COMPETITION- safe in the knowledge that its the pride of representation of your province that makes it so great in the first place. Of course you will deny all this as it doesnt suit your agenda. I see your proposal though for what is. The least you could do is own it." I'm still looking for where you addressed the provincial imbalance in that reply, which is all I asked for...
Expertinall (UK) - Posts: 57 - 04/05/2026 12:54:57
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "I dont think you are dumb but since we dont know each other I will be gracious and explain it to you.
You already know all this but here goes. The provincial championships have always been the second most important competitions our great organisation runs. They have been for TWO REASONS. 1. You were champions of your province and 2. YOU REPRESENT YOUR PROVINCE IN THE ALL IRELAND AS THEIR PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONS.
Both are what made it special not one or the other but you know this already.
You want to break the link between being PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONS AND REPRESENTING YOUR PROVINCE IN THE ALL IRELAND SERIES AS PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONS.
You want all qualification criteria for the ALL Ireland championship to be through the league. The league is, currently, played before the PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. This is because progression to the ALL IRELAND series is directly linked. You remove that link and only have qualification from the league and that season structure has to change. There is no way managers, coaches, players, tv companies or fans are going to wait 6 to 8 weeks between qualifying from the league and starting the ALL ireland series.
They aren't going to risk their star players either in a competition that doesn't count towards the main event.Thats just not practical or plausible. Therefore, given the time restrictions of the split season, the provincial championships get moved to before the league. A warm up competition if you like. Maybe not immediately but pretty quickly.
Of course you know all this and you dont care. However you most, at least, try to seem reasonable( and its far from just you) so you put up your STRAWMAN argument- SURE THE PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS SHOULD BE ABLE TO STAND UP ON ITS OWN AS A COMPETITION- safe in the knowledge that its the pride of representation of your province that makes it so great in the first place. Of course you will deny all this as it doesnt suit your agenda. I see your proposal though for what is. The least you could do is own it." By the way another poster put up the theory of provincials standing on their own.
Expertinall (UK) - Posts: 57 - 04/05/2026 12:59:00
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I don't really think there is much of a need for Provincials to be unlinked from the main championship.
They just need to be scheduled differently.
Playing them in parallel would make both competitions better straight away.
If there was a better All Ireland format that became more like a league competition, the Provincials could remain linked but be played earlier in the year and it'd probably feel better.
Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4660 - 04/05/2026 13:13:51
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Replying To Expertinall: "By the way another poster put up the theory of provincials standing on their own." You agreed with it and were the last to do so so I responded to that comment. I do recognise that more than you are pushing that agenda.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 345 - 04/05/2026 13:44:06
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Replying To Whammo86: "I don't really think there is much of a need for Provincials to be unlinked from the main championship.
They just need to be scheduled differently.
Playing them in parallel would make both competitions better straight away.
If there was a better All Ireland format that became more like a league competition, the Provincials could remain linked but be played earlier in the year and it'd probably feel better." Im not sure what you mean but if you mean the following- the 8 teams qualifying for all ireland that are not in a provincial final play first, the losers of provincial finals join next followed by the winners then ( im not sure what it would look like) yes it could work in that manner. That, with seeded provincial championships,, would address most concerns. Im not sure its possible in a double elimination system like we now have though. The round robin definitely couldn't happen though. .
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 345 - 04/05/2026 13:49:15
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Replying To Whammo86: "I don't really think there is much of a need for Provincials to be unlinked from the main championship.
They just need to be scheduled differently.
Playing them in parallel would make both competitions better straight away.
If there was a better All Ireland format that became more like a league competition, the Provincials could remain linked but be played earlier in the year and it'd probably feel better." All teams play same number of games,over same timeframe,if they keep winning then,provincials are fine, and can remain linked to All-ireland.
Expertinall (UK) - Posts: 57 - 04/05/2026 13:57:58
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Replying To Expertinall: "All teams play same number of games,over same timeframe,if they keep winning then,provincials are fine, and can remain linked to All-ireland." Very decent of you...
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 345 - 04/05/2026 14:06:32
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Kerry posters already dismissing provincial final, now they've drawn Donegal on their forum. The separation is coming unless some restructuring of provincials is carried out. As the strawman predicted, Tadhg!
Expertinall (UK) - Posts: 57 - 04/05/2026 14:35:04
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