HoganStand GAA Football and Hurling

National Forum

Allianz National Leagues 2026

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post

You need to Login to Post

1
2

Replying To Viking66: "Football and hurling?" Yes looking at the fixtures on hoganstand theres a two week break for both codes. 3 weeks would be the sweet spot in my opinion but 2 weeks is better than the 1 week last year Afinestick96 (Wexford) - Posts: 827 - 15/01/2026 15:06:10 2651181 Link
Replying To Commodore: "You don't need a league final to get run out in Croke Park before the business end of the season, as I said in my previous message, a solution might be for all teams to get a league game in Croke. So 3 home, 3 away matches and 1 neutral game in Croker. That would give more teams a game in Croker, not just the league finalists." There's people from your own county who were whinging about playing All Ireland semi final in Croke Park! Now you think Donegal league games there other than when against Dublin. And then you have same people whinging that it's not in Parnell! BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3909 - 15/01/2026 15:12:27 2651183 Link
Replying To Viking66: "Think the finals should be scrapped anyway. A League should be a League, whoever finishes top of the table should win that Division. There are too many games." You're correct, whoever finishes top of the league should be the winners. It was farcical in Tyrone some time ago that a team played 15, won 15 and didn't win the league. I think it was your aul stamping ground The Island. Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2538 - 15/01/2026 15:13:26 2651184 Link
Replying To BarneyGrant: "There's people from your own county who were whinging about playing All Ireland semi final in Croke Park! Now you think Donegal league games there other than when against Dublin. And then you have same people whinging that it's not in Parnell!" When did we ever have an issue with playing an All Ireland semi final in Croke Park?? We don't get to many AI semi finals so we're only glad of the opportunity to play them there. peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1412 - 15/01/2026 15:44:32 2651187 Link
Replying To Saynothing: "You're correct, whoever finishes top of the league should be the winners. It was farcical in Tyrone some time ago that a team played 15, won 15 and didn't win the league. I think it was your aul stamping ground The Island." 2012 Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17999 - 15/01/2026 15:49:22 2651189 Link
Replying To Afinestick96: "Yes looking at the fixtures on hoganstand theres a two week break for both codes. 3 weeks would be the sweet spot in my opinion but 2 weeks is better than the 1 week last year" Its better ok, but, as you say, still not ideal Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17999 - 15/01/2026 15:50:11 2651191 Link
Replying To BarneyGrant: "There's people from your own county who were whinging about playing All Ireland semi final in Croke Park! Now you think Donegal league games there other than when against Dublin. And then you have same people whinging that it's not in Parnell!" I think you have possibly mixed that up, Donegal fans were annoyed at the selection of Dr Hyde Park for the neutral group match with Mayo, as a big portion of Donegal fans would have to travel 3,5 hours, while the majority of Mayo fans could do it in 1.5 hours. A lot of Donegal fans were questioning why the GAA couldn't schedule it for somewhere more central between both Counties, which I think is reasonable enough. If the justification for keeping the National League finals is to give a few Counties a run in Croke Park before Championship, then my suggestion is for everyone to play 3 home match, 3 away matches and 1 game at Croke Park every year and have top of the table win the league. No harm in people complaining (Or Whinging), that is generally what pushes things to improve. Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1559 - 15/01/2026 16:56:00 2651206 Link
Replying To legendzxix: "If county boards would vote for it. I don't think they will. With the weekend off after the league finals - all losing quarter finalists should be targeting a league final. Namely Galway and Armagh." Top of the league table should automatically be league champions. League finals take away from it in my opinion, I understand that Kerry might welcome an extra game because of Munster Championship at present, but even a league final is a good while before the All Ireland series, so its not even a benefit for you. Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1559 - 15/01/2026 17:00:21 2651208 Link
Replying To peiledoir20: "When did we ever have an issue with playing an All Ireland semi final in Croke Park?? We don't get to many AI semi finals so we're only glad of the opportunity to play them there." Ah there was one at least! Only joking by the way. League should be better promoted by local county boards too. A few ads boost attendances. In fairness Donegal have one of best league attendances. BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3909 - 15/01/2026 17:05:53 2651212 Link
Replying To peiledoir20: "When did we ever have an issue with playing an All Ireland semi final in Croke Park?? We don't get to many AI semi finals so we're only glad of the opportunity to play them there." Welĺ ye sure had an issue of playing us in the hyde where did ye want it in Donegal I'd say ?..! S1234 (Mayo) - Posts: 654 - 15/01/2026 17:36:11 2651219 Link
"Meanwhile, Leddy also welcomed the GAA's proposed inter-county certification programme, describing it as long overdue and essential to tackle the "runaway train" of inter-county team costs. The Munster CEO also issued his desire that the certification would prevent counties from entering teams in inter-county competitions where their competitive adult team numbers fell below a practical number. "No county with two or three adult club teams should have an inter-county team. As I said in a previous report, this practice has done nothing for the promotion of hurling, in particular, and money spent on these teams could have been better spent promoting the games and funding regional club competitions."" Are there essentially some false inter hurling county teams being entered into the league and lower tier hurling championships? Should the thorny issue of amalgamated counties be considered? legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9353 - 15/01/2026 18:19:48 2651228 Link
"Down GAA club Saval has withdrawn a motion to its County Board, due to be heard tonight, calling for the county's teams to be withdrawn from the forthcoming leagues because of the Allianz sponsorship of the competitions." Saval took a veiled swipe at the silence from other clubs, counties and the GPA. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9353 - 15/01/2026 21:45:48 2651248 Link
Replying To BarneyGrant: "Ah there was one at least! Only joking by the way. League should be better promoted by local county boards too. A few ads boost attendances. In fairness Donegal have one of best league attendances." Was that the time Dublin thought it was perfectly reasonable to have two of their three super 8 games at home and God forbid anyone question it. Ah yes, it's coming back to me now! WeGoAgain (Donegal) - Posts: 125 - 16/01/2026 06:55:18 2651257 Link
Replying To S1234: "Welĺ ye sure had an issue of playing us in the hyde where did ye want it in Donegal I'd say ?..!" Ah but it was 100% worth the eight hour return journey to beat a team in their own back yard masquerading as a fair neutral venue!! WeGoAgain (Donegal) - Posts: 125 - 16/01/2026 06:58:19 2651258 Link
Replying To legendzxix: ""Meanwhile, Leddy also welcomed the GAA's proposed inter-county certification programme, describing it as long overdue and essential to tackle the "runaway train" of inter-county team costs. The Munster CEO also issued his desire that the certification would prevent counties from entering teams in inter-county competitions where their competitive adult team numbers fell below a practical number. "No county with two or three adult club teams should have an inter-county team. As I said in a previous report, this practice has done nothing for the promotion of hurling, in particular, and money spent on these teams could have been better spent promoting the games and funding regional club competitions."" Are there essentially some false inter hurling county teams being entered into the league and lower tier hurling championships? Should the thorny issue of amalgamated counties be considered?" Playing for the county is one of the motivating factors for many lads sticking with Football and Hurling. In any case if the counties concerned were stopped from entering hurling teams do you really think they would spend that money on promoting hurling in their counties instead? Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17999 - 16/01/2026 08:15:36 2651262 Link
Replying To Commodore: "With the increase in Championship fixtures, I think the League finals needs to be scrapped, top of the table wins it. I can understand the lower divisions maybe wanting a run out in Croke Park, but a solution might be for all teams to get a league game in Croke. So 3 home, 3 away matches and 1 in Croker. I don't think any top side would turn their nose up at a chance of winning a league title, but ultimately teams are judged on their Championship runs, and holding league finals 6 days before the opening knock-out Championship match isn't encouraging." The only way to facilitate this without losing even more cash then they would be by doing it, would be to make every Dublin home game a triple header and then double and triple up games for the other weekends. Not feasible, nor would i even say the desire is there from County Boards to give up a home game in favour of the expense to play in an empty Croke Park in what could be a dead rubber round 7 game in the league. LongfordSham (Longford) - Posts: 138 - 16/01/2026 09:01:50 2651266 Link
Replying To legendzxix: ""Meanwhile, Leddy also welcomed the GAA's proposed inter-county certification programme, describing it as long overdue and essential to tackle the "runaway train" of inter-county team costs. The Munster CEO also issued his desire that the certification would prevent counties from entering teams in inter-county competitions where their competitive adult team numbers fell below a practical number. "No county with two or three adult club teams should have an inter-county team. As I said in a previous report, this practice has done nothing for the promotion of hurling, in particular, and money spent on these teams could have been better spent promoting the games and funding regional club competitions."" Are there essentially some false inter hurling county teams being entered into the league and lower tier hurling championships? Should the thorny issue of amalgamated counties be considered?" Not the case that "false" inter-county hurling teams are being entered. More the case of the impact that fielding inter-county teams has on club hurling in certain counties. For example, according to the latest GAA annual report: - Leitrim had only three adult hurling teams in 2025 - Cavan and Louth had only four - Fermanagh, Longford, and Tyrone had only five If you're taking five, six, or more players from each club in order to operate an inter-county squad of say 25 to 30 players, then you're basically making it almost impossible for clubs to be able to field teams for club competitions at the same time. And when inter-county finishes, football takes over to such a degree in those counties that club hurling is very much an afterthought. All goes back to the idea of a few years ago that such counties would withdraw from the Hurling League and run club competitions at that time instead, so every hurler in the county would get regular games, and not just the members of their county squads. Idea was also that running club leagues would encourage other clubs to field new hurling teams after all. Contrast hurling in those counties with football in Kilkenny, where they're often criticised for "ignoring" football. There were 28 adult football teams in Kilkenny last year, who played a club league and club championships. For all the criticism Kilkenny get, still a fact that there's far more football played there than there is hurling played in several other counties. Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3321 - 16/01/2026 09:31:53 2651270 Link
Replying To S1234: "Welĺ ye sure had an issue of playing us in the hyde where did ye want it in Donegal I'd say ?..!" Well it wasn't ideal. But we got the result we wanted so it was a case of all's well that ends well that day. How did ye fare out in the rest of the Championship after that? Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 10192 - 16/01/2026 09:35:32 2651271 Link
Replying To Lockjaw: "Well it wasn't ideal. But we got the result we wanted so it was a case of all's well that ends well that day. How did ye fare out in the rest of the Championship after that?" Lol it was a fair spot for both sides but it McGuiness and Donegal crowd so don't expect much more then that from ye . Ye beat knocked us out by the last kick of the game hardly a hammering is it . S1234 (Mayo) - Posts: 654 - 16/01/2026 10:34:51 2651288 Link

1
2