Replying To Pikeman96: "@Viking66 - I still maintain that it's lazy analysis because it ignores the fact that results weren't much different for several earlier U21 teams, whose players had indeed been allowed to play at adult grades while they were still minors. And that those earlier teams were often "bullied" en route to the defeats they suffered too."
Last 3 years - beaten in two Q finals and a semi funal. Previous 3 years beaten in 2 finals and lost to Kildare. Which set of results are better? Id imagine the ones where beat Kk and lost to them by a point. But you'll find something else to suggest different.
Replying To StoreysTash: "Probably the same amount as you. And if you have so many, tell us who you are then. Otherwise "random anonymous man on internet claims....""
Over the last 15 years? There are plenty on the forum know who I am.
@Viking66 - right, I'll try sum this up as fairly as I can.
Whether we lost those games in earlier years through underdeveloped S&C, or lost them through being "bullied", fact remains that patterns of results over a few years still aren't much different whether or not the lads were allowed to play adult and Minor at the same time.
If improved S&C in the past few years is to make such a difference, then this year's Minors are the ones who stand to benefit most from it by the time they hit 20, and there's a chance that it might have made the required difference by itself. Not necessarily the case that things required improved S&C and allowing to play both Minor & adult.
Your claims about 2020 are strange. Fully agree it was an odd year all round. But you seem to have forgotten that there were indeed club championships played that year, at all levels from adult down to U13 (we were still operating "odd" ages at the time).
So clearly not the case that the lads who played U21 v Dublin in December 2020 "had no competitive games at all in over a year", or that the ones who lost to Kildare in 2021 "didn't play adult championship the previous year as there was no adult championship".
Replying To Pikeman96: "@Viking66 - I still maintain that it's lazy analysis because it ignores the fact that results weren't much different for several earlier U21 teams, whose players had indeed been allowed to play at adult grades while they were still minors. And that those earlier teams were often "bullied" en route to the defeats they suffered too."
We are trying to come up with ideas to make things better.