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The 2026 format is good news for anyone who wants provincial championships decoupled from the All Ireland. As mentioned already, it isn't such a big step to go from what will be standalone finals to actual standalone provincial championships. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8864 - 28/05/2025 21:02:10 2613333 Link 0 |
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Do people really want to go watch dead rubbers. 24 games in 2023 and the same in 2024, and only one dead rubber in each year. Every orher game had consequences. Only 1 away team from the preliminary quarter finals have reached the semi-final and that was an outlier as their away game was actually at a neutral venue. All big sporting competitions take time to reach their conclusion. Only 5 or 6 teams can reasonably be expected to win any particular World Soccer Cup,yet it takes over 60 games to crown the champion. The 2026 format is definitely a step back. Like the provincial championships there will be different criteria for different teams. Some wiil reach the quarter finals after 2 home games and others will just miss out after 2 away games. Madness. Almost something like the 2 "geniuses" on this forum would dream up.
ORIELMAN85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 566 - 28/05/2025 22:26:08 2613338 Link 1 |
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County boards need to reflect on do they want to avoid dead rubbers entirely with the double elimination or do they want groups of 4 rewarding finalists with 2 home games and league qualifiers with 1 home game. Down 2, Monaghan 2, Louth 0, Clare 0. With only 2 advancing, you want Monaghan v Down as R1 winners paired in Round 2. Round 2: Monaghan beat Down. Louth beat Clare Monaghan 4, Down 2, Louth 2, Clare 0. Down v Louth in Round 3 is for the second qualifying spot. Alternatively Round 2: Down beat Monaghan. Louth beat Clare Down 4, Monaghan 2, Louth 2, Clare 0. Looking at a scenario where Louth can still catch Down. Monaghan beating Clare can also get onto 4 points. Would come down to points difference for top 2 only advancing. 3 from 4 advancing had to be scrapped. Clare will finish 4th on their group. No elimination danger for the other 3. Cavan ignited elimination danger in their group. The draw won't work out like that every year. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8864 - 29/05/2025 07:44:12 2613358 Link 0 |
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I agree with you on competitions need time to find their winner. The obsession with no dead rubbers is what got us to 3 going through and it's what's getting us the 2026 format. It's at the expense of allowing for more exciting games being played. The hurling championship has room for dead rubbers, particularly in Munster where there's no relegation and no one cares about that. I think we shouldn't care about dead rubbers and we just need to get more games being played between good teams. People seem to be reluctant to expand beyond groups of 4 because of the worry of dead rubbers and its stifling opportunities to improve the championship. If you have relegation and a high bar for going through to the next round there actually wouldn't be that many meaningless games. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4552 - 29/05/2025 09:00:32 2613366 Link 0 |
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The 4x4 groups are symmetrical and fair. We can debate until the cows come home if 2, 3 or even just 1 team should progress but they offer a minimum guaranteed games for all teams, fixture and venue certainty and is a proven globally concept. trimmer (Meath) - Posts: 542 - 29/05/2025 09:11:17 2613368 Link 2 |
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Tyrone v Dublin and Cork v Roscommon were dead rubbers in the 2019 Super 8s. It seems to be the experience that has Croke Park obsessed with avoiding dead rubbers altogether. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8864 - 29/05/2025 10:57:58 2613389 Link 0 |
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A guaranteed home game for every team is one of the strong points of the round robins. Makes all those Stadia worthwhile ( to a poont anyway) and helps if you're fundraising etc. Imagine if your team doesn't get a home championship game 2 years in a row and then try and seek sponsorship etc.from businesses in that town.... Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2361 - 29/05/2025 11:11:45 2613394 Link 2 |
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I agree with a lot of what you are saying. I'd just think a lot of it also applies to 2 groups of 8 and that would be superior to 4 by 4. Groups of 4 are particularly bad in the GAA where there a fewer draws and more chance of things being wrapped up after 2 rounds. Dividing the field into 4 reduces the number of games between teams around the same level. Say there's a top 8 and bottom 8, with 4 groups of 4 you get 4 games involving 2 top 8 teams. If you have groups of 8 you'd get 12 games involving 2 top 8 teams. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4552 - 29/05/2025 11:54:39 2613409 Link 0 |
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The 3 qualifiers out of 4 has meant that no group is wrapped up until the final day. Every game has consequences on the final day.
ORIELMAN85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 566 - 29/05/2025 12:11:08 2613413 Link 0 |
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Yes that is a very good format but would probably need the NFL to be scrapped to find time in the modern calendar and not sure how the provincials would feed into it. When coming up with format ides you need to consider how politically palatable they are too. Which is why what we have now ticks so many boxes and should be retained. trimmer (Meath) - Posts: 542 - 29/05/2025 12:14:54 2613414 Link 1 |
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Yeah I know, it comes at cost though, in the hurling championship good teams are at risk of not making it through to the business end. In football that's not the case, it takes away from excitement levels in the group. I know that topping the group is important but still I can see why people might hold off until the knockout rounds before they get excited by the football championship. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4552 - 29/05/2025 13:52:48 2613439 Link 0 |
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The 2026 format was agreed after a roadshow and "extensive" discussions with county boards. Guaranteeing home games for 8 league qualifiers seems to have been a low priority. It'll be typical when the format plays out next year that there will be counties giving out about the unfairness of not having a home game after missing out on their provincial final. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8864 - 29/05/2025 13:56:44 2613441 Link 1 |
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Again I completely agree. I think the season as it is now is wasteful in its use of the calendar. I'd think you could keep the National league and play it in roughly the same window but have it played alongside Club Provincial and All Ireland. I think you could also have some club break weekends included in the calendar. 2 weeks (1 for each code) before the Provincials. 2 after the Provincials and before the All Ireland and another 2 early in the All Ireland. Roughly 1 a month in April, May, June. The Provincial championships and All Ireland inter county season would be April to September overall. Club championship can be played to a finish over October to November. There's maybe even further tweaks to be had around that. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4552 - 29/05/2025 13:59:13 2613442 Link 0 |
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You want the County lads (2%) getting the best months and the club players getting October abd November for their big games?????
Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2361 - 29/05/2025 15:07:48 2613453 Link 1 |
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There's 6 weeks in April to June gone to club lads. I think there's probably tweaks that could see an All Ireland end in August or even July and still get a better inter county season. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4552 - 29/05/2025 16:00:40 2613460 Link 0 |
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August is the compromise for anyone looking for later All Ireland finals. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8864 - 29/05/2025 16:15:14 2613463 Link 1 |
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It's a fair criticism there's better ways to organise the calendar and not have that.
Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4552 - 29/05/2025 16:24:43 2613469 Link 0 |
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1 thing is sure- you have to have a separate "window" (hate that word) for the Club and inter Co Championships.
Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2361 - 29/05/2025 16:39:22 2613473 Link 0 |
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Do you think we'll see the day that intercounty players will be separated from clubs in same way that players from other sports go to the next level and don't return to play for clubs until their next level team has finished their season? Don't see many interpro rugby players of League of Ireland players return to their first club through the season. I know they're semi-professional or professional and GAA isn't, but the club calendar and intercounty calendar should then be easier to schedule.
GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8029 - 29/05/2025 17:05:44 2613482 Link 0 |
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I guess what I'm thinking is that designated club weekends double up as rest weeks from the county action. I know that you have to rely though on inter county managers releasing players. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4552 - 29/05/2025 17:10:21 2613483 Link 0 |